Driver's ed instructor hired for Centre school district
District has new website: usd397.com
By ROWENA PLETT
Staff writer
At its monthly meeting Jan. 14, Centre USD 397 board of education voted to employ Steve Riedy of Hope to teach driver's education at Centre High School this summer. Riedy is an instructor in the Rural Vista school district.
The board had to go outside the Centre district because no one inside the district was qualified to teach driver's education. Superintendent Jerri Kemble said a couple of teachers have expressed interest in obtaining the required certification but could not do so on time for this summer.
The board also approved a new driver's education curriculum and the purchase of 15 new textbooks for $750.
Riedy will be paid $20 per hour. Students will be charged a fee: $100 for in-district students registered by Sept. 20, $300 for out-of-district students or late enrollees. Fee payments are due March 1.
A new website
As of Jan. 1, the Centre school district has a new website. The address is: www.usd397.com.
Business instructor Lisa Beye and Counselor Lacy Wallace, assisted by Hanna Kemble, demonstrated the capabilities of the site.
The attractive home page provides links to each of the four schools — elementary (K-4), middle (5-6), junior high, and high school.
The high school page provides links to sports, organizations, teachers, and the counselor's corner. The specific sports pages — volleyball, football, basketball, track — include schedules, scores, rosters, and photos.
The counselor's corner provides links to ACT information, scholarship offerings and applications, college visits, and community resources.
Other information on the website includes lunch menus, employment opportunities, and Lost Springs weather.
Several students are assisting in keeping the site updated. Bryant Brunner updates the sports page, and Bridgette Burns updates the lunch menu.
Beye and Wallace noted the site is not yet complete. More information has yet to be added and some changes made, but they hope it will prove useful to students, staff, parents, and patrons.
Technician Russ Hake demonstrated the new student information system which has been installed. The main components are administration, teacher use, and parent-teacher communication. It is web-based so it can be accessed anywhere.
Parents are receiving information about the new system, and they along with students and staff will be trained in how to use the system. It is password protected for individual privacy, and gives access to grades, reports, e-mail addresses, and other things.
Superintendent Jerri Kemble said a teacher in-service day will be held Monday, during which teachers will learn how to design their personal web pages, use a new e-mail system, and access online tutorials.
The board accepted the resignation of Linay Jones as assistant high school cook and employed Monica Svoboda as assistant elementary school cook at $7.50 per hour.
PATHS grant accepted
They also accepted a $5,250 PATHS grant provided through Communities in Schools of Marion County to promote mentoring for K-6 children who need one-on-one attention.
PATHS stands for "Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies," and is designed to reduce aggression and acting-out behaviors in preschool and elementary-age children.
Kindergarten instructor Karen Nickel will be the coordinator. She said the most feasible way to provide mentoring will be to pair high school students and adults with K-6 students at the 8 a.m. breakfast period.
Kemble said the PATHS curriculum will meet many federal and state initiative requirements such as parent inclusion under No Child Left Behind, alcohol and drug prevention training, bullying prevention training, and character education.
The grant money is available through Sept. 30.
The board approved a local consolidated plan which includes federal Title funds.
Superintendent evaluation forms were passed out. Results will be discussed in executive session at the February board meeting.
The board met for 15 minutes in executive session with Kemble and Principal Nadine Smith to discuss certificated staff negotiations. They also met for 20 minutes in executive session to discuss a student matter.
Kemble reviewed with the board its goals for the 2007-08 school year and the progress that is being made in reaching those goals.
She asked for a volunteer from the board to serve on a facilities committee that is being formed to study relocation of the elementary school to the high school site. No one volunteered, so board members were given until the next monthly meeting to decide whether or not they would serve on the committee.
Kemble said the committee will evaluate surveys completed by the staff regarding relocation.
Board president Jesse Brunner asked about security at the elementary school. He suggested using cameras and locking doors to keep out unwanted visitors.
Jennifer Kassebaum was vehemently opposed to locked doors.
"We've never had a problem, and school should be a welcoming place!" she said.
She also expressed concern that the board was spending more money on things that don't advance student learning than on academics. She pointed out that many textbooks are old and out-of-date.
"We need a balance," she said.
Kemble provided a list of things that were damaged at the school district due to the December ice storm. They included a downed power line at Centre Elementary School, a water pipe broken at the transportation building, a broken printer, a leaking roof, and a messed-up bell system at the high school.
Smith reported scoreboard problems in the two gymnasiums at the high school and tree-trimming expenses.
Kemble reported that 93 certificates were handed out Friday between ball games to students who scored exemplary in state assessment tests.
