Cloverdale Schools rolls out CloverU

Monday, December 18, 2017

CLOVERDALE -- The Cloverdale School Board received a presentation about Cloverdale Elementary School’s (CES) CloverU program during its recent regular meeting.

CES Principal Mary Elkins as well as teachers Sam Brown and Megan Puckett delivered the presentation about CloverU, the school’s program for encouraging and preparing students for college.

“It’s not a program,” President Vivian Whitaker commented. “It’s an attitude and culture.”

It’s mission reads, “Every student deserves the opportunity to be educated in such a way that prepares them for college if they so choose to attend.”

Elkins listed their steps for creating a “culture of success” as: making every student proficient in reading, writing and math; making every student’s academic achievement an obsession; neutralizing many challenges that students bring to the classroom; having a positive spirit; as well as making and allowing no excuses for poor effort.

The short-term goals are: academic growth for all students; improved attendance; decreased discipline/suspension rate; and increased 21st Century Scholarship applications.

The long-term goals are: a district-wide common language for CloverU; increased number of students prepared for postsecondary education; improve the family’s ability to plan for long-term academic-college/career success, resilience and perserverance; and increased student ability to secure meaningful employment.

The board also accepted three grants for the program: $900 from the Mary Allison Children’s Trust for STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education at Central Elementary School, $25,000 from the Owen County Community Foundation, and $25,000 from the Putnam County Community Foundation.

In other news:

-- Claims: The board approved claims at a total of $637,924.07, a decrease from last month of $83,805.47 and of $53,275.43 from the year’s average.

-- Cloverdale swimming: The board approved a Cloverdale Middle School student to swim competitively as a Cloverdale swimmer at Greencastle Middle School.

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

-- Resignation: Ashley Jones (CES instructional assistant), Jerry McCullough (CMS instructional assistant) and Traci Scott (CHS varsity volleyball coach)

-- Employment: Julie Hoffa (CMS instructional assistant) and Josh Myers (CHS JV wrestling coach)

-- Volunteer: Scott Mayhew (CHS assistant wrestling coach), Damon Bass, Caleb Mason and Corey Vickers (CHS assistant boys’ basketball coach)

-- Policy: The board had its first reading of board policies Volume 29, Technology Phase II and Phase III, and is set to consider approval at its next regular meeting. The policies detail information security, personal communication devices, technology and other electronic equipment, student and staff technology use and safety, and corporation-issued email accounts.

-- Shakespeare Spring Festival: The board approved Cloverdale Middle and High School students to participate in the Shakespeare Spring Festival at DePauw University.

-- Students of the Month: The December Students of the Month were: Conor Simpson (4th grade), Andrea Nees (7th grade) and Calvin Taylor (senior).

The Cloverdale School Board’s next regular meeting is set for Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. in the Arthur C. Johnson Administration Building at 401 E. Logan St., Cloverdale.

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