From math remediation to more rigorous curriculum, Centerville-Abington Community School principals provided several updates about their buildings during the Aug. 23 school board meeting.
Sam Pritchard said Rose Hamilton Elementary teachers are focused on boosting phonics instruction, which instructional coach Mika Frame is leading, and collaboration is taking place with Indiana University East for a literacy partnership.
Rose Hamilton has moved all specials into the afternoon so Response to Intervention (RTI) time can be implemented across grade levels. In addition, one instructional assistant is focused on providing math instruction to help kids who are struggling in that subject.
Kelly VanWinkle said Centerville-Abington Elementary teachers rewrote the sixth-grade curriculum this summer to be more rigorous and more in line with the junior high.
Additional CAE teachers received training on IXL, a personalized learning tool, and this is the third year the school has been using it. In addition, Go Math is being taught with fidelity across all grade levels and everyone is using pacing guides.
Brian Bellew said the junior high is doing some things differently with reading so that IXL will create a skills plan once a week for students to master. He hopes that will improve scores next year.
CJHS’ Bulldog Connections lab will continue to help its students with remediation for ILEARN state testing. CJHS still has weekly goals for the online learning program ALEKS, and also will use IXL for math skills during the BC lab.
Tim Hollendonner said the high school is in its third year of ALEKS for math remediation, and also is using IXL. Grades 7-12 are using GrammarFlip, an interactive online program.
In other business
CACS’ redesigned website is to go live Sept. 4.
Although Indiana’s official student enrollment count day isn’t until October, Superintendent Mike McCoy said CACS is currently up nine students compared to this time last year. CACS now has 114 first graders instead of last year’s 100, and 139 kindergartners. It also has 514 transfer students.
The board unanimously approved several replacement policies, with topics including harassment, conflict of interest, whistleblower protection, firearms/weapons, child abuse/neglect, school wellness advisory council, correct use of technology, religious attendance and anti-bullying.
A public hearing to begin negotiations between CACS and the teachers’ union starts at 3 p.m. Sept. 13 in the administration building.
CSHS’ Drama Club and sponsor Shannon Nevels received thanks for clearing the old metals shop and auxiliary rooms around the auditorium that had become repositories for displaced items. The spaces are now useful again. The board also approved a $1,000 donation from Bader Mechanical for the club.
These personnel updates were approved: Resignations: Augusta Fox, corporation nurse; Christina Coffin, CSHS Drama Club assistant; Kathy Varble, CSHS night custodian; Katie Hollendonner, CJHS Student Council adviser. Pending hires: Gabe Phillips, Wellness Center; Amanda Adams, CAE cashier. New hires: MacKenzie Cox, CJHS Student Council adviser, Darren Ridenour, substitute. Rehire: Shannon Nevels, CJHS Drama Club director. Volunteers: Megan Carty, Cari Sweigart and Penny Smoker, Drama Club; Brenda Jefferson, CJHS Drama Club.
A version of this article appeared in the August 30 2023 print edition of the Western Wayne News.