October 15, 2009
Polson trustees discuss H1N1 virus
By Berl Tiskus
Valley Journal
POLSON — Millie Nesladek, R.N. and School Nurse at Linderman Elementary School, updated the Polson School Board of Trustees on H1N1 flu virus in Polson schools at the board meeting held on Oct. 12 at 5 p.m. in the district office conference room.
“It’s here,” Nesladek said, adding that several cases have been confirmed .
Staff and students in School District No. 23 had prepared by reviewing a booklet on the flu, Nesladek said.
Also schools sent out a parent letter on symptoms and prevention composed by the Lake County Health Department and Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Health. Signs and posters stressing covering coughs, hand washing and staying home when sick were displayed in all the schools. The school website also has information at www.polson.k12.mt.us/flu/html
Nesladek praised the teachers, custodians and transportation staff who have all stepped up disinfection procedures in the schools and on buses.
Linderman School reported 18 to 19 percent of its students absent on Oct. 12, and Cherry Valley was missing 22 percent. All of these absences may not have been flu related, however.
Superintendent David Whitesell said schools can close for reactive or pre-emptive reasons, but he added this is a short week, with students out of school on Oct. 14 at noon and on Oct. 15 and 16 for the Montana Education Association conference in Billings. Several days away from school and other students may allow students time to get over the flu and give school staff a chance to disinfect the premises.
Trustee Brian Havlovick said he had heard about “squandered school spirit” and PHS and PMS students who “got in near trouble" during homecoming activities and asked what happened.
PHS Principal Bill Appleton said all four classes have permission for class representatives to go off campus with supervision and build floats during homecoming week. However, clubs do not have permission. One club left campus without authorization according to Appleton.
Middle school students are allowed to dress up only on Friday, purple and gold day, according to PMS Principal Brian Adams.
“Just imagine,” Adams said, “580 PMS students deciding how to dress up in a sheet (for toga day).
Adams added that PMS encourages purple and gold day. As for the rest of homecoming week, kids have something to look forward to when they reach the high school.
Appleton said that outside of that one minor incident, school spirit was outstanding at PHS.
In other business, Paul Maurer from the Big Arm Association reported on grants the group had applied for to refurbish the Historic Big Arm Schoolhouse, built in 1913.
The group asked for $80,000 from the Montana Historical Society to be used to restore the roof of the school and the siding on the south and west sides as well as a skin coat on the foundation and timbers to shore up the foundation. The rest of the siding will be removed, striped, primed and painted, Maurer said.
A second grant, a CTEP grant, in the amount of $120,000, would be used to provide Americans with Disabilities Act access to the schoolhouse, build bathrooms and bring the wiring up to code.
During the superintendent’s report, Whitesell said Carl Elliott is preparing the fall report. On the day students are counted for funding purposes, Cherry Valley reported 253 students, Linderman had 379 children, PMS came up with 570 kids and PHS tallied
490 students for a district total of 1,676 kids.
Whitesell reported that administrators will be trained in Blackboard Connect on Oct. 14. Blackboard Connect is a parent mass-notification and/or survey system. The program can contact parents district wide by home phone, cell phone, e-mail or text message and works with the district’s PowerSchool program.
Administration will also receive I Walkthrough training on Oct. 21 and 22. I Walkthrough is a Smartphone program used for staff evaluation.
“It encourages administrators to get out in the classroom,” Whitesell added since data gathered loads on a laptop and can be e-mailed to teachers immediately.
During the principal reports portion of the agenda, Cherry Valley Principal Elaine Meeks and Cherry Valley teacher Doug Crosby talked about the clubs Cherry Valley students attend six times a year. Students have many choices, such as pie-making, painting, dress-up, computers, science, smartboard games, hip hop dancing, etc. The clubs meet for 45 minutes, and each club has about 12 members.
PMS Principal Brian Adams spoke about PNN (Pirate News Network), the middle school TV station under PMS teacher Clay Herring’s mentorship. Part of the fall line-up included interviews with Joe McDonald, Superintendent Whitesell, Paul Phillips, Dennis Jones and Billy Mills as well as segments on handwashing and Hannah Montana impersonators.
PHS Principal Bill Appleton gave information on some of the options PHS offers to meet the needs of non-traditional students and advanced students to try and boost the graduation rate at PHS. The options included credit retrieval and independent study programs.
Special Education Director Barbara Luttrell reported that 166 students receive special education services in School District 23.
Director of Community Services Marsha Anson announced that Early Learning Matters (ELM) received the Washington Foundation grant again this year. The ELM workshops are for under-resourced families with children from birth through age four. The workshops help parents provide a language/literacy rich environment for their children and provide the families with books, toys and ideas for reading, playing and interacting with their children Anson said.
Board Chair Mark Russell announced that next Polson Classified Employees Association (PCEA) negotiation session will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the district office conference room. A union representative will be assisting PCEA members with negotiations. Russell stated that attorney Joe Hovenkotter will be handling negotiations for the board of trustees.
The trustees approved:
• Out-of-district enrollment for one child
• Claims and payroll for September
• Personnel report for the elementary and high schools
The next regularly scheduled meeting for the school board of trustees will be on Nov. 8 at 5 p.m. in the district office conference room. |
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