There are a lots of good things happening in the Greenfield Exempted Village School District, and the board of education got an update on some of those things at its regular meeting on Monday.
Director of instruction Alisa Barrett provided a brief review of the year, starting with the progress with the district’s Visible Learning Plan. Last year’s focus was on learning intentions and success criteria and this school year, which is the second full year of the journey to creating visible learners, the focus has been on feedback.
Another item highlighted by Barrett is building the instructional leadership of building administrators. Throughout this school year, building principles have led the monthly professional development sessions, which have been centered around learning intentions, success criteria and feedback. Another aspect of these sessions are what Barrett called learning walks, where administrators visit classrooms and observe and talk to students. Its a way to monitor implementation of the visible learning, and also a great way to gauge progress.
Barrett noted that now when a student is asked about how and what they are learning, no one says they don’t know. Instead, students are able to articulate what they are learning and how they are learning.
Barrett also touched on the success of the LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) study that will see 44 staff members going into their second year of this training, and a second cohort beginning next year with a new round of educators entering the training. The training was previously explained by Barrett to be an intense professional development program that “teaches our teachers the brain science behind reading.”
She also spoke about the Ohio Writing Project through Miami University that is helping middle school teachers learn strategies for writing instruction. It provides middle school students with valuable writing experience, and it’s a program Barrett said will not only be continued into next school year, but will be expanded to more grades and subject areas.
In other business, Gray recognized four businesses with certificates from the Ohio School Board Association for their “outstanding contribution to the district.” The businesses recognized were Merchants National Bank, Murray-Fettro Funeral Home, Greenfield Research, and Roman Family Health Care.
In other matters, one of the employment recommendations approved by the board was for 2017 McClain graduate Madison Schumacher to be the new agriculture science teacher.
Schumacher was present at the meeting, and upon the approved recommendation, said she was very grateful “to come home” and teach something she is so passionate about. Schumacher was an integral member of the McClain FFA and agricultural department when she was in high school and she said plans to carry on McClain’s robust program.
Other employment recommendations approved included Toni Lewis, high school counselor; Kassie Hutchinson, annual; Jarrod Haines, senior class advisor; Mark Bihl, junior class advisor and girls basketball assistant; Carolyn Arthurs, sophomore class advisor; Ashley Kesler, freshman class advisor; Nate Luke, high school robotics, high school technology aide, and boys track assistant; Angie Barber, National Honor Society; Rachel Soards, art club and Quick Recall advisor; Loretta Flora, dramatics, high school vocal music, and middle school swimming; Eleanor Wait, dramatics assistant; Jenny Mustard, student council advisor; Audrey Case, student council assistant; Lori Tuttle, Drug Free Clubs of America; John Wilson, honor guard; Tracey Cokonougher, assistant athletic director and ticket manager; Keith Penwell, summer and winter weight room; Steve Roble, cross country and boys track; Katie Joosse, cross country assistant and junior high track; Vanessa Penwell, football and basketball cheerleading advisor; Kelly Bolender, assistant football and basketball cheer advisor; Nick McNeal, boys soccer and boys swimming; Marcia Starkey, soccer assistant; Jarrod Haines, girls basketball; Drew Hamilton, girls track head coach and girls basketball assistant; Leann Theiman, seventh grade girls basketball; Jeana McNeal, girls swimming; Karen Mullikin, Buckskin technology aide; Andrea Stark, junior high cheerleading for football and basketball; Derrick Lyons, girls golf; Rich Bivens, football assistant and wrestling head coach; Evan McGlone, football assistant; Tim Gossett, football assistant; Devin Penwell, eighth grade football; Tyler Carman, girls soccer and bowling; Taylor Alsop, volleyball; Kyndall Penwell, volleyball assistant; Kaleb Shepherd, soccer assistant; Kaleigh Easter, eighth grade volleyball; and Blain Bergstrom, volunteer soccer assistant.
As part of the consent agenda, board members accepted the resignation of Annemarie Brier, the music teacher at Greenfield Elementary; the resignation of Sarah Ahrendt, high school language arts teacher; and the resignation of assistant district treasurer SueAnn Baird effective Jan. 1, 2023 for retirement purposes. Also approved on the consent agenda was summer employment of student technology workers as well as for student cleaning crew workers for the bus garage.
The next regular meeting of the Greenfield Exempted Village School District Board of Education is scheduled for June 27 at 7 p.m. at the central office boardroom.
Angela Shepherd is a correspondent for the Greenfield Exempted Village Schools.
