FRN Director Grateful For Partnership With Pocahontas County Board Of Education

Marlinton, WV – The Family Resource Network has partnered with the Pocahontas County Board of Education for three years now. At the BOE meeting Monday night, FRN Director Laura Young gave Board some highlights of that partnership.

“One of the first ones was Camp Horseshoe” says Young. “It’s a leadership and character building camp. Our children didn’t take advantage of that because they didn’t have transportation. Alice [Irvine] and I talked about it, and you provided the bus and the fuel and I wrote a grant through Snowshoe Foundation to pay a driver. We had 20 kids that we able to attend this camp this summer, and that’s huge for Pocahontas County.”

Young says the partnership has enabled the FRN to meet the objectives of their mission statement.

“We are a coordinating and facilitating agency that stands between low income families and the service providers in Pocahontas County” she says, “to try to make sure that parents have what they need to educate, nurture and protect their children.”

Young cites another new program that board members Janet McNeal and Margaret Worth are a party to. That is getting volunteers to read to children in school in partnership with Read Aloud West Virginia.

“One of the other things that Ms. McNeal and Ms. Worth are working on is our Read Aloud program” says Young. “We’ve been able to place readers in every classroom at Hillsboro, two readers at Marlinton Elementary, [and] six at Marlinton Middle school.”

Young sites other success like the recent Back Pack give away that saw new back packs going to 150 of the county’s less privileged children and several other program most of which would not be possible without the support of the Board.

“I want to thank you” she says. “You know the Board of Education has shared the closet space with the Family Resource Network for about the last five years. Not only do you give us the office space, but we have this wonderful storage space where we can put all our baby items and our back packs and they’re safe. You provided the water and electricity for my office, as well as the internet and phone service.”

Young says considering the limited budget of the FRN, without this partnership and all the things the Board provides, she simply couldn’t do as much as she does.

In other Business, the Board Approved the following:

Designating the position of Reading Specialist as a critical need for the upcoming school year – this tag will allow more flexibility in hiring for these positions

Accepting quotes for Custodial Supplies from Oliver Distributing Company, Phillips Supply Company and R. D. Wilson Sons and Company

And a request from county resident Melissa Nelson to allow her child to attend school in Pendleton County.

Laura Young and the Family Resource Network can be contacted at 304-799-6657 or e-mail to pocahontasfrn at hotmail dot com.

Pocahontas County Board of Education Personnel Agenda August 22, 2011

Green Bank Elementary-Middle
Creation of Position: Title I Reading Specialist, half time
Request Transfer: June Taylor from Teacher of Language Arts to teacher multi subjects
Employment: Shane Jones- Head Basketball Coach (boys)
J Michael Kane III- Head Basketball Coach (girls)
Allen Taylor- Assistant Basketball Coach (boys)
Michael Murphy- Assistant Basketball Coach (girls)

Marlinton Elementary
Request Transfer: Rosanne Zeni from teacher at Green Bank to teacher of early childhood education

Marlinton Middle
Employment: Jan Jonese Teacher of Language Arts/Reading
Jenny Friel Cheerleader Coach (basketball)

Pocahontas County High
Employment: Darlene Abrogast & Melodi Knisely Co-Cheerleader Coach for football and basketball
Cynthia Pritt Athletic Seasonal Coordinator- Soccer

Pocahontas County
Resignation due to retirement :Patricia Thompson
Requested Transfer: Ruth Bland from Principle Green Bank to Director of Special Education/Student Services
Employment: Susan Morrison & Julia Williams as Substitute Aide
Susan Morrison as Substitute Cook
Gary Taylor as Substitute Custodian
Kathleen McGee as Mentor Teacher for Nebraska Beverage & Samantha McClure
Diane Delfino as Mentor Teacher for Jennifer McCarty
Creation of Position: Math Consultant Grades 6-12
Itinerant Special Education Classroom Aide/Bus Aide
Electrician I
Abolishment of Position: General Maintenance

** All Sports Coaching/Athletic Positions pending on sufficient number of players to make a team.