Greencastle schools slip into the new year

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

While many schools are taking off in the new year Greencastle Community Schools are taking the pace of slow and steady wins the race.

The Greencastle School Board was updated on several projects that are ongoing at Monday night's meeting.

Assistant Superintendent Jeff Hubble updated the board on the progress of the technology plan and the transfer to one-to-one technology for students and teachers.

The plan is to have devices in hands of faculty and students by the beginning of the next school year. Hubble said that teachers have received their iPads and that the next step is to move from a wireless connection to a saturated environment.

A saturated environment allows for a continuous Internet connection around schools and at the administrative building. Director of Technology at Greencastle Schools Corey Hill told the board that the saturated environment would be beneficial to not only teachers and administration, but students as well.

Hill related that if students needed to download things for classes that they wouldn't need to "babysit" the device during this time. If the wireless connection was to be kept there would be a greater chance of losing connection when moving around school buildings.

Hubble will be presenting a proposal for installing the saturated environment equipment at the next school board meeting.

After the major snow storm that affected a majority of Indiana, forced Putnam County Schools to close the doors for five days, Greencastle School Corporation has been forced to move the date of graduation.

The choice to move graduation to Friday, May 30 was not an easy one for the school board. Superintendent Dawn Puckett believed it was the only way though since five school days had already been missed this year.

"It is with deep apologies that we do this," Puckett said. "But it is necessary."

She realizes that it may be an inconvenience to some, but wanted the decision to be made so that parents and students had enough time to change any plans that they needed to.

Students at Greencastle schools made up one of the snow days this past Monday on Martin Luther King Day, the others will be made up on Monday, Feb. 17, Friday, April 18 and on Tuesday, May 27.

In other business:

-The board approved the acceptance of $15,200 of a McKinney Vento Grant. This grant helps to fund a summer program at the school for first-, second- and third-graders.

-Greencastle school board approved the retirement of Linda Nelson as food services director and LaVonne Dodson as Family and consumer science teacher at the high school at the end of the year.

-Several resignations were handed in; Edward Lowes as custodian at Tzounakis Intermediate, Cassidy Searles as attendance and discipline secretary at the high school, Kathy Sibbitt as instructional assistant at the middle school, Anna Monnett as noon aide at Deer Meadow Primary and Victoria Gregory as head swim coach at the middle school.

- The board also approved the hiring of several teachers to run the after school tutoring sessions: Heather Cantonwine , Carmen Cross, Susan Gillen, Wendi, Jennifer Miller, Kathy Terry, Cami Hopper, Hannah Mitchell and Autumn Ramsey as tutors at Tzouanakis Intermediate. Courtney Dickey, Shana Faust and Kim Yocum as substitute after school tutors at Tzouanakis Intermediate. Deborah Rode, Denise Meyer, Jimmy Beasley, Ashley McAmis and Jane Roberson as tutors at Greencastle Middle School.

- Carrie Hamilton, Helen Dunn and Kyla Burnham were approved for FMLA and maternity leave. Katherine Dory was approved for intermittent FMLA leave

- Robert Hedge, Geoffrey Price, Adam Hakes and Brooke Lewis were hired as temporary teachers.

- Other hires include Thomas Hayes as full time custodian at Tzouanakis Intermediate, Tina Caps as principal secretary at the high school, Erik Norlin as substitute teacher, Denise Meyer and Susan Gillen as co-head swim coaches, Mark Lewis as volunteer assistant freshman boys' basketball coach and Brad Haussin as volunteer boys' golf coach at the high school.

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