Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
PIERCETON - ISTEP 2003 results for Whitko Community School Corp. fourth- and fifth-graders were presented Monday to the school board.
For South Whitley Elementary School, 81 percent of all fourth-grade students passed math and 19 percent did not. In English/language arts, 83 percent passed and 17 percent of all fourth-grade students did not pass.
Of fifth-graders at SWES, 78 percent of all students passed math and 22 percent did not. In English/language arts, 70 percent of fifth-graders passed and 30 percent did not.
At Pierceton Elementary School, 63 percent of all fourth-graders passed math and 35 percent did not. For English/language arts, 69 percent of all students passed but 29 percent did not.
Fifty-eight percent of PES fifth-graders passed math and 42 percent did not. In English/language arts, 59 percent of all fifth-graders passed and 39 percent did not.
Dr. Jeff Hendrix, superintendent, said looking at the ISTEP scores, "we're making great strides." The school corporation now is looking at summer remediation programs for students who need it.
In another matter, the school board heard a brief presentation on the PES Cub Camp.
Teacher Tina Wuthrich said Cub Camp is to help meet the needs of identified students who are unable to be successful on their own in a regular classroom. The goal is for the students to remain in school, be in regular classes as much as possible and be successful.
PES Principal Ruth Jones said it's not that these children don't behave, it's that they can't behave appropriately. The Cub Camp teaches them social skills.
Students in Cub Camp, Wuthrich said, include students with emotional disabilities who meet the entrance criteria.
Wuthrich and Angie Speicher are the resource teachers for the Cub Camp and Beth Woodard is the behavior coach.
Students in the Cub Camp receive mental health therapy daily, Wuthrich said, where they work on social skills and behavior strategies. They are provided with close supervision in small group settings.
Currently, there are three students in the program with two more kindergartners possibly on the way.
Also, the school board:
• Heard the snow makeup days will be March 12, May 27-28 and June 1-2.
• Heard from Hendrix that due to the weather recently there was a power outage at Whitko High School and SWES for approximately two hours. Hendrix commended head custodian Joe Jackson and Derk Felger for their help with the matter.
• Heard from WHS Principal Jim Suding that The Sunshine Society recently completed the annual fund-raiser for Riley Children's Hospital and raised approximately $8,000.
WHS teacher Walter Malicki and students Kristine Rotach, Adam Porter, Tasia Boggs, Angie Roberts, Lisa Wilkinson, Hillary Lacy, Emily Crist, Dana Sellers, Jana Rowland and Katie Menzie were invited to the state capitol in Indianapolis Monday and were recognized by the Legislature for awards they received in an international art competition.
Roger Carr and his FFA students also won first place in the state meat judging competition at Purdue. The team now has qualified to participate at the national competition in Louisville, Ky. The students include LeighAnne Dausman, Angie Juricak, Stephanie Rhoades and Irene Polishchouk. The Whitko 4-H team also placed first in the state 4-H meat judging competition and included Melinda Kessie, Adam Haegert, Cari Sherbahn and Amanda Nicodemus.
• Heard Feb. 23 will be a half day of school for SWES; the trimester ends March 2; and the science fair will be in the cafeteria Feb. 26 beginning at 6:30 p.m.
• Approved Georgia Tenney to the Pierceton/Washington Township Park Board.
• Approved the donation of strikers and safety equipment from Jerry White of South Whitley to the WHS Technical Education Department.
• Approved the board policy revisions as presented.
• Heard the Family Fun Night at East Lake Skate Center for PES is Friday. The next PES PTO meeting is March 1 at 6 p.m.
• Announced the next meeting will be at South Whitley Elementary School March 15. A public tour of SWES will begin at 6:45 p.m. and the regular meeting begins at 7:30 p.m.
Members of the Whitko School Board are Michael Braddock, Hal Trump, Dave Tranter, Pete Mitchell and E. Marie Trump.
