GCSC moving forward with Science of Reading training

Greencastle Schools is moving forward with Science of Reading training for teachers in elementary and middle schools.

During an especially short meeting of the Greencastle School Board Monday evening, Asst. Supt. Becki McPherson gave a report on progress of a $149,000 grant the school corporation received in November.

With inclement weather forecast, the corporation had already canceled evening activities and stripped the meeting agenda to a few necessities, including telling student of the month honorees and even building principals not to attend.

McPherson, though, made note that 40 teachers had signed up for Science of Reading courses, and were set to log their hours and receive stipends. The training aligns with the approach to reading that Indiana Department of Education is currently taking.

“This will help support our students in foundational reading,” McPherson noted.

Last semester, McPherson worked with English-language arts teachers in kindergarten through eighth grade on the state’s revised standards to make sure instruction is staying in line.

This goes hand in hand with the new language curriculum the school adopted for 2023-24.

Asked by one board member how the transition has gone to the new curriculum, McPherson said she had received positive feedback from teachers who had begun the year questioning the rigorous nature of the work.

“The biggest comment is, ‘I didn’t know the students were capable of doing this,’” McPherson said.

As an example, she noted that there is quite a bit of writing in the curriculum for fourth and fifth grades, but the students have embraced it.

“When they did the poetry section, the teachers said, ‘They just want to keep writing poems,’ and this is not something that normally fourth-graders want to do,” McPherson said. “It’s been a lot of positive feedback.”

McPherson also noted that during second semester she is starting a similar process of reviewing state standards with both math and science teachers.

In other business:

• The board approved a contract with Mindful Growth for Dr. Abbie Jones to serve as the school psychologist for the remainder of the year.

Supt. Jeff Gibboney said that when Special Services Director Kim Sullivan set out to hire a new psychologist, she received no applications, thus moving the school to seek out a contractor.

“Specialty services are just growing harder and harder to come by,” Gibboney said.

• Approved three donations to the corporation: $12,000 from Greencastle All Sports Boosters to GHS Athletics, $5,000 from the Jack and Shirley Dalton Trust to Tzouanakis Intermediate School and $614.20 from McDonald’s to Tzouanakis.

“We couldn’t run a school system without the help and support of our community members, so we certainly thank them for those donations,” Gibboney said.

• Pushed back student of the month recognitions until February, when both months will be honored together.

However, the January students of the month are: GHS-Deasia Tyler; GMS-Maebrie Cantonwine; Tzouanakis-Betty Franklin; Deer Meadow-Evan Combs; and Ridpath-Kole Garrison.

• Approved the following personnel items:

Resignations: Jennifer Peavler as Deer Meadow preschool instructional assistant (Dec. 20) and Constance Neisweinger as Ridpath instructional assistant (Dec. 20).

New hires: Rachel Curtis as Tzouanakis principal’s secretary/ECA treasurer (Jan. 3), Michael Mitchell as Tzouanakis head custodian (Jan. 3), Madison Voorhis as Deer Meadow preschool instructional assistant (Jan. 4), Jaime Trimble as Ridpath instructional assistant (Jan. 8), Darla Jill Nichols as Tzouanakis homebound instructor (Jan. 16-March 8) and Kendra Green as GHS instructional assistant (Jan. 22).

Leave of absence: Jessica Stockton as Deer Meadow kindergarten teacher (Dec. 19-Feb. 5).

Substitutes: Gloria McGrew-Cooper, Sabrina Leonard, Evelyn Tharp, Mclinda McKinney and Alayssa Cordell hired as substitute teachers.

Extracurricular activities: Scott Hamilton hired as GHS assistant track coach, Chris Mitchell approved as GHS volunteer track coach, Tina Capps approved as GHS volunteer assistant cheer coach and Nicole Jernagan hired as GMS assistant swim coach.