PIERCETON – As Steve Clason embarks on his fourth school year as superintendent at Whitko, his school corporation is entering a new era.
Whitko has moved to full-day kindergarten and Clason is hopeful everyone who wants to send their child to kindergarten at Whitko communicates that before school starts.
For South Whitley Elementary, registration is Friday from noon to 7 p.m. and Monday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Pierceton Elementary’s registration is Monday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday.
Whitko like every other school has open registration meaning children don’t have to live in the district to attend.
Clason said it’s important that anyone who can’t register contact the school so a more accurate head count can happen.
Whitko is committed to a 20-to-1 student to teacher ratio for kindergarten through third grade.
Determining whether or not another classroom of kids, which means another teacher is needed, depends on how many students are enrolled or slated to be enrolled.
Clason said that one situation right now is at Pierceton where two fifth grade classes are each slated to have 28 kids.
If more kids register that may cause that grade to have three classes.
Clason said he was keenly aware of how registration can be missed with busy schedules.
Clason recounted this morning during an interview about nearly forgetting to register his daughter for classes when she was in kindergarten.
“And I’m in the business,” said Clason. “So I’m aware of it.”
But Clason also said in the end all it does is help a student adapt easier if they are registered before school starts.
Especially at the kindergarten level.
“Nowadays, kindergarten isn’t what it was like when I was in school or when many of the students’ parents were in school,” said Clason. “You need to make sure the child is up to date on his or her shots. There is a lot of pre-testing that takes place.”
Clason said that with full-day kindergarten the advantages are both educational and social.
“We found that it really helps kids, especially in reading levels to go to full-day kindergarten,” said Clason.
Starting this year, Whitko is also making a bigger push to better communicate with parents.
A newly updated website wilkl debut Aug. 15.
“It’s going to be much more user friendly,” said Clason. “We’ll be adding things (to the website) throughout the year. It will be more interactive. At some point parents can pay for lunch and textbook fees.”
Clason said the reason behind better communicating with the community is to be more transparent and also allow for more feedback.
That’s what Whitko Express Line is for.
It’s for anyone, whether they have a child in the Whitko School System or not, to give ideas, leave suggestions, complaints or concerns.
The express line is available online by emailing express.line@whitko.org; calling 260-327-3677 or 574-594-2658, ext. 1008 or by mail at Express Line Whitko Schools, P.O. Box 114, Pierceton, IN 46562.
Clason said that it’s all wrapped into the greater idea that Whitko is a small school that has a personal touch.
“We are a family,” said Clason. “It’s about relationships here.”
That said, Clason also believes that despite Whitko’s size it can finds ways to offer things bigger schools do.
One way that takes place at Whitko is through the APEX computer program.
It’s allows not only a way for students to recover credits they may have missed out on but also take advanced classes.
In terms of technology, teachers have been going through training on how to best incorporate technology in the classroom.
Both elementary schools underwent wiring projects during the summer to improve the school’s computer networks.
More than 250 computers have been added to the network.
At the high school level, there is almost a computer for every student.
At the middle school, new computer labs have been added.
The corporation is reaching out to parents to better communicate through e-mail.
A new system has been set up that will allow for parents to hear about delays either by phone, text or e-mail.
Parents are also being encouraged to sign up for the program Powerschool.
Powerschool helps students track their students grades and communicate with teachers.
The corporation is having a contest where anyone who signs up for Powerschool is entered for a chance to win an iPad 2.
