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West Branch bids farewell to four board members
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
By Annie Lynn Staff Writer
ALLPORT - The West Branch School Board of Directors last night bid farewell to four of its members, Tom Veres, Ron Mollura, Don Murray and Mary Ann Couteret.
Superintendent Michael Panek and board President Joseph Kovalcin thanked the outgoing members for their years of service to the school district. Veres said it was an honor and pleasure to serve on the board. He said they have made a lot of improvements to the school and made some tough decisions.
Following adjournment of committee meetings, the board went into a 25-minute executive session to discuss legal matters. Carla Reitz and Daisy Eyerly addressed the board concerning the size of the learning support classes. Reitz compared smaller classes in surrounding schools to those at West Branch with 22 students in each room. She noted various reasons why smaller classes are necessary for the students special needs. She and Eyerly requested the board consider smaller classes and adding an additional transitional learning support classroom.
Panek said he will discuss the matter with Special Education Supervisor Wendy Fernberg, Elementary Principal Sean Wechtenhiser and High School Principal Joseph Holenchik.
Students Mindy Ertmer, Davielle Howard and Jocelyn Lindstrom spoke to the board concerning their required senior project and asked if they could paint murals on walls in the high school and elementary school. A motion was approved to allow them to proceed with the project.
The board approved the following as substitutes: Park Lauffer, emergency; Victoria Millinder and Shannon Hoover, cafeteria; and April Albright, cafeteria monitor and classroom aide.
The following volunteers were also approved: Joseph Beahan and Carol Beshan, ski club; Geremy Kephart, Tim Kephart and Rebecca Williams, district; and Clayton McClusick, wrestling.
Sherri McGarvey, Barb Spencer, Tara Yingling and Kelley Penvose were approved to attend Classroom Management conference on Dec. 8 at Hilton Garden; Karen Kochkodin and Stacy Ricciotta were approved to attend Differentiated Intervention conference on Feb. 23 at Altoona. Murray spoke again against excess conference attendance. Board member Donald Yontosh there is money for it, why not let the teachers benefit from it.
Other motions approved were for Victoria Jarrett and Rebecca Kephart to construct a picnic table to be donated to the school as their senior project; exoneration of payment of school per capita tax for 2009 for nine residents of Karthaus Township, three residents of Morris Township, and one resident of Cooper Township; the fifth-grade music class to attend Windy Hill Village and/or Mountain Laurel Nursing and Rehabilitation Center to sing Christmas carols to the residents; the eighth-grade class to attend the Clearfield County Career and Technology Center on Dec. 3; and, a motion for lettering for the new school van.
The board also approved the International Club visiting the Tenement Museum on Nov. 20 in New York City. Mollura questioned why the trip was taken before board approval. Kovalcin said all the paperwork had been filled out properly by Sept. 8, was signed by Holenchik and Panek. However, the paperwork failed to get to the right person on time for a board vote.
Motions carried to approve the proposed settlement of all claims in cross complaints between the district and Roth-Martz Architects, as agreed by council, and a proposed settlement of all claims in cross complaints between the district and Leonard S. Fiore, Inc., as agreed by council.
Wechtenhiser reported the parent/teacher conference on Nov. 12 was well attended. He also spoke of Study Island, an on-line assessment program where parents and teachers can access assessment information. The program can also be used at home, he noted.
Holenchik said there was improvement in the grades seven through nine test scores and added that the Nov. 12 conferences were successful.
Athletic Director Dave Williamson, said the fall sports season is over, and he noted the girls volleyball team played well during the season. He thanked all the coaches, athletes and all who participated or attended the games.
Dave Nelson, maintenance supervisor, reported that the football and baseball fields were reseeded and new ovens were installed in the kitchen.
Panek said the Study Island program is a good opportunity. He spoke about the H1N1 vaccine, and said a shipment of hand sanitizer and other precautionary items has been received.
A shipment of the vaccine is expected, but they do not yet know when that will arrive. They will receive a three-week notice before it is shipped, giving time for letters to be sent to parents advising them the vaccine is on its way and requesting permission for the students to be given the vaccine. He added that it is easier for the student if a parent, grandparent or another adult is with the student when the vaccine is administered.
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