Updates about Rainsboro Elementary were among the business at Monday’s meeting of the Greenfield Exempted Village School District Board of Education, along with the announcement of local basketball legend Dante Jackson being hired as a coach.
Jackson, McClain High School’s all-time leader scorer in basketball with 1,790 points and a two-time state hurdles champion before playing four years of basketball at Xavier University, was approved by the board as a boys eighth grade basketball coach. In recent years Jackson has been an assistant coach at Ohio University, Xavier University and Northern Kentucky University.
Rainsboro Elementary Principal Quincey Gray told board members of new things this school year, which include the school participating in the Freestore Foodbank’s Power Pack program.
Gray said the program is made possible through a grant that was applied for last spring. The supplemental program will provide food to children for the weekend, she said. Rainsboro will get its first delivery this week, with food packs distributed on Friday.
Another new thing, Gray said, is the implementation of Habits of Mind with students. Gray said the purpose of Habits of Mind is to help students be successful. Rainsboro is focusing on the four habits of persisting, listening with understanding and empathy, managing impulsivity, and striving for accuracy.
She said students are rewarded when they are observed practicing any one of the habits.
The principal reported that the school’s spring Ohio Achievement Assessments for third graders in reading showed 86 percent of students as proficient or higher. She said the proficiency rating was the highest of the three elementary schools in the district.
“These scores are truly a building effort and I am very proud of our staff and students,” Gray said.
In other business, superintendent Joe Wills updated board members on a new time capsule to be placed back into the cornerstone of McClain High School. A time capsule placed in the cornerstone in 1914 was removed in early September as a prelude to McClain’s centennial celebration held over the Labor Day weekend.
Wills said the administration is still gathering ideas from alumni, staff, students, and the community for what will be placed in the time capsule. A resolution passed by the board of education at Monday’s meeting in regard to Edward Lee and Lulu McClain’s endowment of McClain, in “appreciation and understanding of the gift that continues to give to the community” is intended to be placed in the time capsule, Wills said.
Wills said an announcement will be made when the time capsule will be placed into the cornerstone so that the community can be a part of the event.
Wills said that board president Greg Barr will be presented the Al Kettlewell Award on Oct. 8 at the Ohio School Boards Association Southwest Region Fall Conference at the Warren County Career Center. The award is for “outstanding boardsmanship.”
Also reported, school administrators and board members will work the athletic boosters’ concession stand at the Tigers’ Oct. 16 football game.
Items approved on the consent agenda included accepting the resignation of Mandi Hughes, aide; accepting a $1,000 donation from L.W. and Linda Roosa; and accepting a $2,800 donation from New Sabina Industries.
Employment recommendations as approved by the board are as follows: Shawnee Hurley, aide; certified substitutes Rhonda Sponcil, Kimberly McGuire-Haines, Keith Aukerman, and Daria Jones; Dylan Trefz, aide/monitor; Lacey Hawkins, aide/monitor; Heather Ruh, aide/monitor; Valerie McCune, aide/monitor, clerical; Amanda Larkin, junior high basketball cheerleading; Rachel Poynter, Hi-Y adviser; Jennifer Highley, freshman basketball cheerleading adviser; Dante Jackson, eighth-grade basketball; Ann Upp, junior varsity basketball cheerleading adviser; Janelle Coleman, basketball cheerleading; and Tia Mitchell, basketball cheerleading.
The next regular meeting of the Greenfield Exempted Village School District Board of Education is scheduled for Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. in the boardroom of the central office in Greenfield.
Reach Angela Shepherd at 937-393-3456, ext. 1681, or on Twitter @wordyshepherd.
