GCSC goes to e-learning until Nov. 9

All students at Greencastle Community Schools will be learning virtually for the next week.

Supt. Jeff Gibboney made the announcement in an email to parents and on corporation website Thursday afternoon.

While there have been only two additional positive tests among GCSC students this week, the necessary requirements of contact tracing and quarantining and subsequent shortage of staff members forced the corporation’s decision.

This echoed the reason both Cloverdale and South Putnam implemented similar measures recently.

With no further complications, Greencastle students are set to return to the classroom on Monday, Nov. 9.

However, when students return to the classroom, there should be more physically in attendance than at any point since school resumed in August.

Assistant Superintendent Jennifer French reported to the school board Monday that the number of virtual students had fallen to 250 for the second nine-week grading period, down from a high of 283 students earlier in the year.

“We’re going down, which is a good thing because we want all our students to feel safe as they re-enter the classroom,” French said.

French also informed the board Monday that free meals will continue to be available for all students through the end of the school year, an extension of the original Dec. 31 end date.

Sponsored by the USDA and the Indiana Department of Education, the program is designed to help families deal with financial hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In other business:

• Though no one formally addressed the board, the Greencastle Classroom Teachers Association had a large contingent at the meeting — all wearing red for education — as contract talks between the union and the corporation are ongoing.

• The board approved a uniform conflict of interest disclosure statement regarding board member Ed Wilson.

Wilson, a sergeant with the Greencastle Police Department, sometimes works security for extra-curricular events, so must abstain from any votes regarding his role.

The measure received 3-0 approval from board members Dale Pierce, Brian Cox and Mike White. Wilson abstained, while Russell Harvey was not present.

• The board accepted a $500 donation from Raymond James Financial for the high school girls’ basketball team.

• Students of the month for October were recognized. They included: GHS, Rachel York; GMS, Nathan Overshiner; Tzouanakis, Zeta Rivers; Deer Meadow, Justin Gorrell; and Ridpath, Hannah Jernagan.

Additionally, the September students of the month were not printed in the Banner Graphic. They were: GHS, Maddie Birge; GMS, Andy Abell; Tzouanakis, Corbin Hayden; Deer Meadow, Gabriel Johnson; and Ridpath, Deborah Tomlinson.

• GHS science teacher Khristen Phillips also brought a group of students to honor regarding their accomplishments in the high school science fair last spring. The initial stages of the pandemic made it impossible for the students to be honored in the spring.

Those earning high honors in the program included state qualifier Hannah Seaman, state qualifier and navel military award winner Hyrum Hale, state qualifier and air force award winner Maieasha Rashid and state and international qualifier Casey Crary.

Crary’s project studied the correlation between a politician’s social media magnitude compared to elector results. In a normal year, he would have been able to compete in the International Science Fair in San Diego, but the event was canceled due to COVID-19.