Published: August 21, 2008 10:27 am         

Oakwood closely monitors curriculum

New coordinator prepares for school year

OAKWOOD — At Wednesday night’s meeting of the Oakwood School Board, new curriculum coordinator, Michelle Kimbro explained to the board what she would like to accomplish during her first year.

Kimbro told the board she will work on a written curriculum guide for grades K-12. She will first complete the guide for grades K-6 and then move on to grades 7-12. One new policy started this year has teachers submitting written lesson plans each week. According to Kimbro, most teachers already did this but now they will be turned in to her and used to develop a curriculum guide.

“I will also be updating the textbook lists, as well as having in-service workshops with the new reading and science textbooks,” Kimbro said. “We will have representatives of the publisher come in and make a presentation on the new books.”

Kimbro also told the board she will work on writing programs for K-8 and for grades 9-12.

Some of Kimbro’s other plans include writing grants, staff development and working with student assessment testing.

Part of Kimbro’s duties includes the oversight of the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests. The first of these tests will be administered on Sept. 19.

MAP is a computerized adaptive assessment program that provides teachers with information to improve teaching. It measures what each child knows and what he/she needs improvement on. Kimbro said results from the 30-minute tests are taken on school computers and the results can be read almost instantaneously.

In other business, the board:

-- Learned from new grade school principal Jean Henigman that first day enrollment was 595. She also said the grade school will have an open house from 6-7 p.m. Sept. 4.

New junior high principal Jason Bletzinger informed the board that first day enrollment was 175 students and the school would have an open house at 7 p.m. Aug. 28.

Brenda Ludwig, principal at the high school, told the board that first day enrollment was 369. She also told the board the football team will have a scrimmage at 6:30 p.m. Friday. Prior to that, the Men’s Club will serve food beginning at 5:30 p.m.

-- Learned from Superintendent Keven Forney that the Life Safety work at the high school and junior high is substantially complete. He also informed the board that the high school computer lab will get air conditioning with a new roof unit for $4,400.

Forney presented the board with a preliminary budget for 2008-09 with estimated revenues of $10.6 million and expenditures of $10.5 million with an anticipated surplus of $102,336.

-- Learned that Forney was instrumental in setting up a copy paper buying cooperative with Catlin, Westville and VASE. By joining together the group managed to purchase 1,160 cartons of copy paper for $28.95 per case compared to paying $32.50 per case if the districts had purchased the paper on their own. The copy paper is being stored at VASE until it is needed by the district. This resulted in a $1,300 savings for the Oakwood district. Forney said the districts are looking at other items that may be purchased together.

-- Learned a proposed intergovernmental agreement with St. Joseph High School to allow a student to attend Oakwood with no tuition being paid died for a lack of motion for a vote.

-- Granted a six-day unpaid leave of absence to Kara Wysong for the purpose of maternity leave.

-- Approved a lease/purchase agreement with HP Financial Services for 140 HP personal computers and monitors. The agreement is for three years, with the district making annual payments of $35,173 each year. The computers will have a three year warranty as well as technical support.

-- Approved two student residency requests from Cameron Estes of the Danville Junior League hockey team, the Danville Inferno. The hockey team seeks to put two players with host families in the Oakwood district. The players would attend Oakwood High School and will have a strict conduct code with a zero tolerance policy. The players/students will not be allowed to participate in IHSA events. Estes informed the board that the Inferno would provide 1,250 student ticket vouchers to the district to be used for attendance or grade rewards or however the board chose to use them.

-- Rejected all the bids for repaving the high school parking lot as being too high. The parking lot will be patched and bids will be sought again in March 2009.

-- Scheduled the fall walk through of the district buildings for 5 p.m. Aug. 27 at the junior high school, 6 p.m. at the grade school and 7 p.m. at the high school.

-- Approved the employment of the following extracurricular staff: Nicholas Wright, assistant football and assistant wrestling coach; Alicia Hammel, freshman sponsor; Stephanie Halm, sophomore sponsor; Debbie Clow, assistant student council sponsor; Ali Lambert, National Honor Society sponsor; and Kelly Ferdinand, scholastic bowl sponsor.

-- Approved the employment of the following as personal assistants: Shelley Alpers, Debbie Gaugler, Sondra Nolte, Karen Reed and Debbie Goodlove.

-- Approved the employment of the following as classroom assistants: Carla Hilligoss, junior high special education and Darah Hollis, grade school Title I.

UP NEXT

The Oakwood School Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 17 in the grade school conference room.