The Calhoun County School Board met at the Arnoldsburg Elementary School for the LSIC (Local School Improvement Council) meeting as well as the general monthly meeting.
Literacy fair slide show (scroll left or right)
At the beginning of the meeting, those in attendance were encouraged to view student displays for the Literacy Fair that had been set up in the gymnasium. some of the students were on hand to share their exhibits and stories behind the books they’d chosen
Livestock Fair acknowledgments (scroll left and right on slide show)
Following the the Literacy Fair Tour, Daisy Bailey of the West Virginia University Extension Service reported that the 4-H Livestock sale had grossed just shy of $48,000 at the Molasses Festival event. She told the board and those in attendance that she was very proud of the work that the students had put into their animals and was proud of the partnership their organization had with Minnie Hamilton Health Systems. Because of that they received the Livestock Barn that was not quite finished, but it would be available for not only the Livestock program but community events as well. They plan to build a storage room and install a wash bay for animals within the barn and gravel around the barn.
Superintendent Kelli Whytsell took the time to honor the winners of the recent Livestock Fair held during the Molasses Festival. Those honored were:
• Gunner Helmic – Grand Champion Market Lamb and Meat Pen Chickens
• JLynn Helmic – Reserve Grand Champion Market Lamb, Grand Champion Rabbits
• Kelsey Snider – Grand Champion Market Hog
• Trista Arnold – Reserve Grand Champion Market Hog
• Cyrus Helmick – Grand Champion Pullets
• Hoyt Helmick – Reserve Grand Champion Pullets and Market Goat
• Lauren Lovejoy – Reserve Grand Champion Rabbits
• Trinity Probasco – Grand Champion Market Goat
• Bentley McCumbers – Grand Champion Feeder Heifer
• Whitney Nettles – Reserve Grand Champion Feeder Heifer
• Jaelyn Jett – Grand Champion Steer
• Lindsey Nettles – Reserve Grand Champion Steer
Outgoing Principal Jennifer Hunt provided a Powerpoint for the LSIC presentation. The presentation detailed the progress made by students of Arnoldsburg Elementary School beginning with the daily reciting of a school pledge for the purpose of setting positive goals. The Pledge says ”Everyday I will strive to improve, notice good, encourage and respect.” Goals for the over all school is that the Student Achievement will show a 10% increase from the beginning benchmark to the ending bench mark, support the community in the development of their students through communication and engagement activities with 95% satisfaction and increase the school’s attendance rate to 94%.
A Report documenting the 2022/23 percentage of proficiency in reading for the beginning of the year was 10% in Kindergarten, 4% in first grade, 0% in second grade, 13% in third grade and 30% in fourth grade.
The i-Ready school-wide overview for Tier 1 students (at risk) 13%, Tier 2, (one grade level below) 68% and Tier 3 (on level) at 13%. An explanation of the low numbers for students was that “there are always summer slides” where students do retain knowledge over the summer; but the school continues to suffer from ”covid slides” where many of the students have yet to catch up due to the remote learning during the covid times causing students to have an interruption in critical skills.
Laura Webb who taught 3rd grade, and has since moved to 4th grade, reported on the 2021/22 results of Statewide benchmarks compared to Arnoldsburg school benchmarks. Third grade student math had 71% proficiency with 43% by the fourth grade. Third grade ELA percentage was 42% with the fourth grade coming in at 41%. Three of the four were above the State averages. Their next benchmarks will be in December .
Multiple teachers told how they were striving to improve the scores, and what programs they had introduced into their classrooms. Some of those programs had representatives there as well to explain how their programs were integrated into the school and what resources they provided.
Parent involvement has increased following the COVID times when there was little to no volunteering permitted in the schools. The open house, book fair, PTO meeting, parent teacher conferences and trainings are well attended, and the Molasses Festival King and Queen competition raised over $20,000 for the PTO. There were 20 new volunteers requesting and receiving approval on the night’s agenda.
Other programs reported on was Community Schools, the greenhouse, and garden based learning. Very successful and worthwhile programs contributing to the needs, health and happiness of the students.
At the end of Mrs. Hunt’s program she mentioned a recent grant the school had received for the purpose of starting a youth soccer league. She had yet to purchase the goals, because there had been nobody step up to volunteer as a coach. At which time, Board Member Hortz Motz said that he’d coached soccer in previous years and he’d love to help. So hopefully there will soon be a soccer team formed.
Superintendent Kelli Whytsell asked Newton Nichols of The Calhoun Chronicle, why the School’s 2022 Fiscal year Report did not run in last week’s Chronicle as requested. Mr. Nichols informed her that the deadline had been changed and was now Friday’s at 4 p.m. and the report had not made it in time. It would run this coming week.
Finance approved for FY 2022-2023 was:
- General Fund invoices – $546,127.93
- Supplements – $1,110.00
- Transfers – $0
- September 2022 – Financial Statement.
General business was taken care of by multiple categories being approved from the agenda together including the hiring of new Arnoldsburg Principal, Jeremy Johnson following the resignation of Jennifer Hunt.
Executive session was entered into at the end of the meeting regarding an expulsion review as well as an employee hearing regarding the ”ratification of unpaid suspension.”
The next board meeting will be November 15, 2022 at 5:30 p.m., LSIC for Pleasant Hill Elementary.
