South Putnam teachers part of AP-TIP IN cohort

Some teachers at South Putnam Middle/High School will have further professional development in advanced placement (AP) courses after being invited to participate in an AP-focused program.

During the South Putnam School Board’s regular meeting Wednesday evening, Principal Levi Yowell announced the school was invited to take part in the Advanced Placement Teacher Investment Program (AP-TIP IN) through the University of Notre Dame.

The program is offered through Notre Dame’s Center for STEM (Science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Education and is designed to help teachers develop strategies for teaching AP courses.

The application process involved a Zoom meeting between teachers and administrators at South Putnam and Notre Dame. Data was also compiled, and goals for the number of students and AP scores were also discussed.

Noting that South Putnam was one of five schools in the state selected to participate, Yowell said that teachers in math, science and English would attend the AP Summer Institute in Indianapolis with all expenses paid.

Those attending will include science teachers Theresa Doud, Natalie Hodge and Jessie McKean and English teacher Jennifer Perrin. Math teachers Elaine Bye and Amy Cassida will also be able to participate due to courses they could teach later.

Coming out of this professional development, Yowell said two additional AP courses in statistics and computer science might be offered at South Putnam next school year.

In other business:

• Yowell announced that South Putnam Middle School had been granted a chapter membership in the National Junior Honor Society. He said its first induction ceremony will take place on Feb. 23.

• The board approved a recommendation by Superintendent Bruce Bernhardt to purchase new Chromebooks to match the enrollment of middle-school students. This will be done at not more than $350 per unit, which will include a carrying bag.

• The board approved canceling eight checks from the high school that were two years old or more and never cashed.

• The board approved a list of books and their prices for the middle/high school. Bernhardt clarified that this was a record for when the State Board of Accounts audits the corporation.

• Bernhardt reported that the second student count of the school year for average daily enrollment (ADM) took place on Feb. 1. This determines funding from January until the end of June.

He stated that South Putnam counted 1,044 students total. Give or take a few, this is the same number of students the corporation had for the fall ADM count. Bernhardt provided this was a “good thing” in terms of not losing funding.

To a question from board member Anthony Heavin about Edmentum enrollment, Assistant Principal Tona Gardner said 20-to-25 students had been virtual at the middle school. While this has gone down to six, Bernhardt added that virtual students had decreased at Central and Fillmore Elementary.

The board also recognized South Putnam’s Students of the Month:

• Central Elementary School: Esther Callahan

• Fillmore Elementary School: Samuel Culbertson

• South Putnam High School: Drew Gardner

• South Putnam High School: Drew Hill

The board also approved the following personnel report:

• Resignations:

-- Classified: Margina Auman - Fillmore Elementary custodian; Victoria Craddock - MS/HS instructional assistant; and Lindsey Sprinkle - Central Elementary food service;

• Maternity leave: Kirsti Cox - Fillmore Elementary food service;

• New hires:

-- Classified: Casey Rossok - MS/HS instructional assistant; Daracie May - Central Elementary food service;

-- ECA: DC Hook - middle-school wrestling coach; Antonio Hernandez - middle-school wrestling coach; Anna Kendall - middle-school swim coach; Lane Hacker - varsity wrestling coach; Sam Williams - varsity wrestling coach; and Christopher Scott - assistant softball coach.

The entire board joined Bernhardt and Administrative Assistant Terri Beasley for the meeting.

The next regular meeting of the South Putnam School Board is scheduled for Wednesday, March 10 at 7 p.m. in the South Putnam MS/HS Learning Center.