Greenfield’s school year highlighted; employment approvals made for next school year
Greenfield schools' director of instruction, Dr. Alisa Barrett (far right) provides highlights from the school year during the board of education meeting on May 18. Pictured (clockwise from left going around the table) are Superintendent Quincey Gray, board members Rachel Fraley, Eric Wise, and Eric Zint, treasurer Brad Barber, and board member Sandy Free. Board member Charley Roman was absent from the meeting. (Photo by Angela Shepherd.)
By Angela Shepherd
GEVS
Graduation rates, state test results, awards, and professional learning were among the items covered by Dr. Alisa Barrett, the district’s director of instruction, as she provided highlights for the school year during the May 18 Greenfield school board meeting.
Regarding preliminary results for next year’s report card, which is based on the previous year’s performance, Barrett said the district is expecting five stars for the second year in a row on the college, career, and workforce readiness component as well as the graduation rate, which was 100% for the first time.
As all state tests have been completed, Barrett said those results are slowly starting to come in, and so far 12 out of the 17 tests are above the state average for scoring proficient or higher.
Barrett noted that chronic absenteeism saw some improvements this school year. District wide, that percentage is at 13.1 percent. The largest decrease, down to 11 percent from last year’s 22 percent, belonged to Rainsboro. Barrett said she attributes the percentages staying below state averages to the efforts of principals and building leadership teams who have identified students struggling in this area and made the efforts to reach out and have individual conversations about how the student and their families can be supported to help students get to school.
One hundred nine schools in the state received the Governor’s Science of Reading Award, Barrett said. Four of those awards went to schools in Highland County, and three of those awards went to all three of Greenfield elementaries.
Barrett also discussed professional learning and what she considers “the best type” occurring over this school year. It’s called RIGOR (relationships, instruction, goal setting, organization, and relevance). She said teachers self-evaluated on these components, shared how they implemented them in the classroom, and provided feedback to one another. Another part of all this is that teachers would do “RIGOR walks,” where they would visit each other's classrooms and have the opportunity to learn from each other. It is something that Barrett said an “overwhelming majority” of teachers found valuable in their own professional development. Barrett said this will continue into the next school year.
In other business, an athletic department update was provided by athletic director Tim Bolender who was unable to attend the board meeting as he was at the district track meet.
In the information he left for board members, Bolender included a recap of the winter season that saw success across all sports, most notably with boys swimming (FAC and sectional champs), girls swimming (FAC champs), and girls basketball (FAC champs).
In the spring season recap, Bolender noted the stats of the ongoing baseball season, the hard work through the ups and downs of the softball season, and all the hard work that continues to go into the boys and girls track season.
Bolender also provided an update on work at the old bus garage, which has been ongoing. So far turf has been placed and two batting cages have been installed. The building is also in use for weight programs.
The athletic director also provided information about a student athletic council, something that Bolender said would give student athletes a different vantage point as well as a voice in some parts of the athletic department. The application process is happening now. Once complete, the student athletic council will consist of 16 student athletes (two males and two females from each grade level) who will be selected by the athletic council, which is made up of head coaches and administrators. Meetings will start at the beginning of next school year.
Consent agenda items accepted by the board included several resignations. Those were eighth grade English language arts teacher Guyanna Black, Rainsboro intervention teacher Wanda Carter, middle school band director Schylar Maag, Buckskin monitor Sam Mincey, and high school study hall monitor Cheryl Cowgill for retirement. Other consent agenda items included approval of donation items for the charitable donation program, approval of the board-awarded scholarship recipients and amounts, and approval of a resolution selecting McCarty Associates to design the natatorium renovation project.
Employment recommendations approved by the board included Stephanie Bartley - federal programs coordinator; Cierra Bolender - head volleyball coach; Tracey Cokonougher - assistant athletic director and ticket manager; Mark Bihl - weight room supervisor; Nick McNeal - summer weight room; Keith Penwell - head football coach; Braden Wright - football assistant; Jacob Catrone - seventh grade football; Jeana McNeal - head swimming coach; Loretta Flora - middle school girls swimming coach; Jamie Mankin - volleyball assistant; Payton Smith - cross country assistant; John Gill - boys soccer; Vanessa Penwell - football and basketball cheerleader adviser; Shania Massie - head coach girls basketball; Drew Hamilton - girls basketball assistant; Leann Thiemann - seventh grade girls basketball; Jarrod Haines - boys head basketball coach; Mikel Pritchard - boys basketball assistant; Coty Barnhart - basketball assistant; summer kindergarten bootcamp - Samy Chaney, Tammy Murry, Beth Babbs, and Ashley Ary; summer bus garage help - Bobby Paul, Tricia Shope, Andrea Swackhammer-Darst, Kayla Ponder, Jesse Ponder, Erin Dreher, Jennifer Wise, Dawn Stapleton, Joshua Cade Raike (student), and Mike Weaver; summer student technology help - Zaylee Arrington, Dartanyen Hooley, and Noah Vangundy; summer student maintenance help - George Vinion; Evan McGlone - football assistant; Whitney Vanzant - head dance coach; Haley Butterbaugh - eighth grade volleyball; Andie Stark - football cheerleader assistant; Cierra Swan - cheerleader adviser junior high football and junior high basketball; Richard Bivens - football assistant; Brian Beechler - emergency operation planning; Matt Bineger - football assistant; Brad Campbell - football assistant; Nicolas Beatty - football assistant and boys basketball asistant; Ryan Stark - football assistant; Blain Bergstrom - girls soccer; Melvin Immel - girls wrestling head coach; Melody Immel - girls wrestling assistant; Sarah Spencer - middle school wrestling; Caleb Cooper - boys wrestling head coach; Jack Spencer - wrestling assistant; Kyndall Penwell - volleyball assistant and cheerleader assistant basketball; Madysen Sykes - seventh grade volleyball; Sam Mincey - cross country; Ashley Karnes - cheerleader assistant basketball; Heath McNeal - boys basketball assistant; and Quinton Beatty - seventh grade boys basketball assistant.
The next regular session of the Greenfield Exempted Village School District Board of Education is scheduled for June 29 at 7 p.m. in the central office boardroom. To stay informed on what is going on in the Greenfield Exempted Village School District, go to the district website at greenfield.k12.oh.us or go to the district’s social media pages. The individual buildings also have Facebook pages. For any questions regarding the district’s fiscal matters, you can call district treasurer Brad Barber using the following number, or email him at brad.barber@greenfieldmcclain.org. The district’s central office may be reached by calling 937-981-2152.