Board takes a ‘learning walk’

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The Greenfield School Board meeting this week saw board members engage in a “learning walk” led by Rainsboro Principal Maggie Lyons through the halls and into the classrooms of Rainsboro Elementary.

Board members were led into classrooms of different grades to see how the learning intentions and success criteria, which are both major components of Visible Learning, look at different grade levels and in different subjects.

These walks are something that have evolved over the course of the district’s Visible Learning journey, which is now in its third year.

The learning walks, which are conducted in all the buildings in the district, are often done by fellow teachers, building leadership teams, district leadership teams, as well as administration members. It’s something that highlights the progress of the Visible Learning journey where everyone can see first-hand how it is working in the classroom and also lends to collaboration and making it all work even better.

A goal of the multi-year Visible Learning Plan is that every student is able to articulate what they are learning, self-assess their learning, and have a clear understanding of the purpose of their learning. The initiative is based on the worldwide, years-long research of professor John Hattie, and the implementation of the program has been to create a strong learning culture across all grade levels.

In other meeting business, some members of the fifth grade honor choir, which is comprised of more than two dozen students from both Buckskin and Rainsboro elementaries and led by music teacher Victoria Mikkelsen, were at the meeting where they lifted their voices in a two-song performance.

Mikkelsen said the children performed their concert on Nov. 19, which the Greenfield district was able to host this year. There were schools from all over the area involved, and each brought elementary and middle school students to participate in their respective honor choirs.

Honor choir students come together each year and over the course of one day learn songs and then perform a concert of those songs. Mikkelsen showed some footage from the day, the risers of the McClain High School auditorium stage full of choral students, all led by a director of the Cincinnati Youth Choir.

In other matters, fall athletes were recognized by school board members. Those were: boys golf — David Edwards for all-league, district tournament qualifier, and honorable mention all-district; volleyball — Lily Barnes for all-league and honorable mention all-district; girls soccer — Luca Matesic for all-league and first team all-district; boys soccer — Emerson Yates for all-league and first team all-district; Haydon Hice for all-league and second team all-district; football — Andrew Potts for all-league and first team all-district; and Kaden Penwell for all-league and second team all-district.

In superintendent Quincey Gray’s report, she noted that Great Oaks spotlighted three McClain students. Those students are Josh Breakfield and Travis Hampton, both in the heavy equipment program, and Mirilya Daniels, who is in the health technology program.

At another point in the meeting, board members were shown a brief presentation concerning grant projects to be done at Rainsboro and Buckskin elementaries regarding upgrading their chiller and boiler systems, not only for efficiency, but also for cost-saving measures. The presentation also included “retro-commissioning” across the district, which would help ensure things like HVAC systems are working properly and efficiently.

A resolution concerning these projects was approved as part of the consent agenda.

Also accepted as part of the consent agenda was the resignation of Buckskin teacher Amy Kline and the resignation of Buckskin Principal Mike Shumate, both effective following the conclusion of the school year and both for the purposes of retirement.

Employment recommendations approved by the board were Andrea Stark, Greenfield Elementary secretary; David McDaniel, high school gym custodian; Erica McNeal, aide/monitor; Danielle Buhrman, aide/monitor; Brittany Crippen, aide/monitor, cafeteria, clerical; Kelly Stuckey, aide/monitor, cafeteria, clerical; Chad Newkirk, custodial; certified substitutes Wendy Royse, Stacey Beachey, Lorie May and Tristan Santor; Nate Fabin, dramatics assistant; Lucas Jansen, wrestling assistant; Erick Kegley, wrestling assistant; and Melvin Immel, wrestling assistant.

The next regular meeting of the Greenfield Exempted Village School District Board of Education is scheduled for Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. in the high school cafeteria.

Angela Shepherd is a correspondent for the Greenfield Exempted Village School District.

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