SYRACUSE - Wawasee School Board began their monthly meeting by accepting two donations Tuesday.
The Kosciusko County Community Foundation presented $500 for the Wawasee High School baseball team.
The second donation was actually received in the form of a grant of $25,000. This is an Indiana Department of Transportation Safe Routes To School Grant, intended to help provide safe routes for students to walk or bike to school."These programs offer several benefits for students," said Michael W. Reed, INDOT commissioner, in a press release announcing the grant. "Walking and bicycling can help ease congestion on Hoosier roads, and it improves overall health for our students."
Wawasee was one of seven communities and schools awarded grants as a part of this program which totaled $320,524 for this year. Funds are made available through a special call for non-infrastructure activities such as planning, skills training, encouragement and enforcement. The next round of grant applications are open through May 29.
The board accepted recommended changes to the WHS Student Handbook for the 2009-2010 school year. Some of the more significant changes are:
n Grading: All students who have a 10 grade point average or above at the completion of 11th trimester ... are qualified for the Academic Hall of Fame.
Four years ago the grading scale at WHS changed from 70 percent passing to 60 percent passing. The rest of the scale was adjusted down accordingly. The "A" cut-off went from 9.5 to 10. The class of 2009 was the first to use this change, and the wording the handbook was changed to reflect this.
n Use of an inhaler by students (found in both high school and middle school handbook): For a student to carry an inhaler with them the following must be met:
1. Prescription medication form must be signed and dated by parent.
2. Physician's order must be signed, dated for current school year, and submitted to the nurse.
3. Inhaler must be labeled with the student's name.
4. Inhaler must be current.
5. If the student participates in athletics and the inhaler is used, the student needs to supple the athletic trainer with all information pertaining to the their inhaler use.
6. Under any circumstances students are not allowed to let another student use their inhaler.
A change in the middle school handbook involves bookbags and improper use of electronic devices (cell phones, etc.) Book bags are no longer allowed in classrooms, but are to be stored in lockers; and repeated infractions involving cell phones and other electronic devices will result in confiscation of the device and could also result in detention or consequences determined by the principal.
In personnel matters, the following individuals were recommended for employment with the school corporation: Shannon Jacobs, three-hour cafeteria worker, WHS; Beth Klaybor, a Highly Qualified Title 1 paraprofessional, Milford School; Tracy McMahon, 12-hour per week special needs pre-school paraprofessional, North Webster Elementary; Kortney Gray, family and consumer science vocational teacher, WHS; Tracy Roberts, vocational director, Wawasee Area Vocational Cooperative.
The following individuals have resigned from the corporation: Janie Rhodes, Good Beginning paraprofessional, North Webster School; Jon Jones, bus driver of route 17; Debbie Kyle, Syracuse Elementary School custodian; Amy Timmerman-Sheehan, special education paraprofessional; Scott Schermerhorn, physical education/health teacher, Milford School.
There also are several people retiring from the school corporation: Laurel Grahm, kindergarten teacher, North Webster; Jule Gunden, fourth-grade teacher, Milford School; Nancy Nelson, corporation librarian; Better Lambert, fourth-grade teacher, Milford; Jerri Mahnensmith, first-grade teacher at Syracuse Elementary; Karilyn Netcalf, music teacher, North Webster Elementary; Cindy Peterson, physical education, WHS; Beth Skaggs, special education, Syracuse Elementary; and Mary Jo Short, first-grade teacher, Syracuse elementary.
Sandra Cantu has been terminated from her WHS ESL paraprofessional position; and Tammi Mead has been transferred from a 12-hour-a-week special needs pre-school paraprofessional to a 25-hour-a-week position at North Webster School.
The financial report for the month ending March 31 is as follows:
Beginning balance:
$31,495,330.01
Receipts:
$2,882,090.31
Disbursements:
$3,082,031.92
End balance:
$31,295,388.40
Wawasee School Board members are George Gilbert, Mike Wilson, Rebecca Linnemeier, Mary Louise Dixon and Dallas Winchester.
