South Putnam Corp. counseling tells how Lilly funds may be used

Friday, March 3, 2017

During the South Putnam School Board’s recent regular meeting, school counselors Kristen Hendrich and Brian Gardner delivered a report on how the corporation’s counseling department will use the Lilly Endowment funds the corporation received last month.

The middle and high school counseling departments will be seeking Gold Star Accreditation through the Indiana Department of Education, which will increase the corporation’s likelihood of receiving funds in the competitive second phase of Lilly Endowment funding.

The funds will also be used to send all four counselors -- Hendrich, Gardner, Heath Pruitt and Corey Brackney -- to the School Counselor Association Conference in November, as well as an individual trip for Brackney to another conference in March. If funds remain, the entire department may also attend the Why Try Level 2 conference.

Lastly, the funds will be used to pilot a software program called Naviance. The program is designed to benefit both counselors and students by putting career exploration, college information and tracking alumni all in one website. The department hopes to make this a permanent feature, but the cost is $12 per student (with a current enrollment of 1,143 students, that comes to $13,716) and may require charging a technology fee should the school opt to continue using it.

In other developments:

-- Absences: Vice President Dave Bombei was absent.

-- Claims: The board approved the claims at a total of $601,312.75, a decrease from last month of $727,999.29 and of $363,999.65 from the year’s average.

-- Enrollment: Superintendent Bern-hardt announced that enrollment had increased by four students, bringing the total to 1,143.

-- Girls’ basketball: “I’d like to congratulate the girls’ basketball team and their success this season,” Angie Nichols said. “Mr. Gardner, thank you so much for all the work that you put in. It was a fun season. I think next year that they’ll be right there again. I have no doubt that they’re going to do it again next year.”

-- Kyle Shaffer: “Kyle Shaffer was third in the state,” President Wes Hacker said of the wrestler. “Heck of an accomplishment.”

Principal Mike Schimpf added, “To get to be the third best pound-for-pound kid in state. That’s pretty good. Kyle’s got a lot to be proud of there.”

-- Personnel: The board approved the following personnel report:

-- Resignations: Rebekah Richardson (part-time instructional assistant, Central)

-- Terminations: Tina James (part-time food service, M/HS)

-- Maternity: Roshia Scott (M/HS, first semeseter) and Jamie Basore (M/HS, for five weeks)

-- Hire: Debra Long (custodian, M/HS)

-- School improvement: High School Principal Schimpf and Tona Gardner, director of curriculum and instruction, presented the board with ideas for better utilizing the technology and library spaces in the high school since the 1:1 transition.

They suggested building permanent walls in the existing library to create a second conference room, records archive and a computer science classroom adjoining the student technology room. The library would be moved to the existing business laboratory. Although unrelated to 1:1, they also suggested adding a second set of doors at the office entrance that would force visitors to go through the office.

With the encouragement of the board, they are expected to present cost estimates at a future meeting.

-- Students of the Month: Zoe Eaglin (4th grade, Central Elementary School), Hailee Foxx (kindergarten, Fillmore Elementary School), Brady Robinson (8th grade) and Dalton Freyn (senior).

The next South Putnam School Board meeting will be March 20 at 7 p.m. in the Central Elementary music room.

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