Manchester School Board Hears about Student Recycling Initiatives
Posted
Siara Sparkman-
NORTH MANCHESTER – Recycling, preparation programs and reading initiatives were three of the main issues discussed at the Manchester Community School Board meeting Tuesday. Manchester Elementary School students stood single file and took turns describing their recycling initiatives to the audience of parents and board members. Students brainstormed, gave presentations, made posters and morning announcements and even created a music video to work toward their goal. After their presentation and a showing of their video, “Where Does the Trash Go?” – inspired by the Ylvis hit, “What Does the Fox Say?” – the children were asked if they recycled at home. They broke into chatter and laughter, and nodded and smiled. Manchester Junior Senior High School Principal Nancy Alspaugh discussed summer school recommendations. Summer school is available for students to recover credits and is offered two different ways. The first option is through the online APEX system, which students use at school with assistance. Alspaugh said there were 36 students enrolled in this program last year. The other option is to use Indiana Virtual Academy, where students attend the high school to take the proctored final exam. Manchester Elementary School Principal Wes Mullett discussed the success of the Begindergarten and Spark programs. Mullett said this is the third year for the programs and they have proved beneficial. Begindergarten is designed to help kids adapt to kindergarten. This year, it will be held June 30 to August 8 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Students enrolled in the fully funded program will be pre-tested and post-tested. The Spark Program is geared toward students in first and second grade. It is designed to enrich their literacy levels, and is comparable to a summer camp experience with three parent nights and a celebration evening at the end. Manchester Intermediate School Principal Randy Self discussed the reading initiative kicking off this Saturday at MIS. Self said MIS is challenging students and staff to read 1,800 books from Saturday through Memorial Day. If the goal is met, he said there will be a reward for students. So far ideas include taping Self to a wall or making him spend a day on the roof. Curriculum Director for K-12 Public School District Janelle McLaughlin discussed how students are using technology to encourage reading. Students are incorporating social media, using the hash tag #ManchesterReads. “The kids see it just as Twitter, and we (the teachers) see it as a learning tool,” McLaughlin said. Students are also using their blog, Manchester Squires Reads, to motivate them. They can post book reviews, videos, selfies or book trailers. The board meeting concluded with the statement that the last day of school is set for June 5 and the high school graduation date is still June 6.
