Pocahontas Board of Ed working on music/art program for Hillsboro

Marlinton, W.Va. – During Tuesday evening’s Pocahontas Board of Education meeting, Superintendant C.C. Lester says he’s recruiting for a music and art teacher for Hillsboro School.

“I’m still working on trying to get a music and art program in down at the elementary school down at Hillsboro,” he said. The other night when we were at the elementary school for the L.S.I.C. [local school improvement council], a Mrs. Tyler was there. She had worked on a music program at Hillsboro a long time and they said it’s a fantastic program. So, I called her to come in.”

Lester said Lucinda Tyler is preparing a music and art plan to present to the board.

Chapman Technical Group architect Dale Withrow updated the board on progress of the gymnasium/community wellness center at Marlinton Elementary School.

“The work is progressing nicely,” he said. “We’re projecting, at this time, that the building will be enclosed, probably, just after the Thanksgiving holiday and that the building will be available for use, probably, at the end of May.”

Student representative Cassidy Rao tells the board about student group activities.

“The National Honor Society is in charge of a blood drive this year,” she said. “It’s going to be held Tuesday, December 11, from nine to three, in the gymnasium. The National Honor Society Project Christmas and Natural Helper – they’re all coming together and joining the food drive. It’s not going so well at the school, so we’re going to make it a community outreach kind of thing. There’s a drop off site at the bakery in Dunmore and we’re not quite sure yet for the spot for the downtown spot.

“The classic Sadie Hawkins Day will be held 4 o’clock Friday afternoon. Class competitions can get pretty intense, so, we’re really excited. The basketball season kicked off with the usual conditioning practices. A few of the players I talked to said that the new coaches will take some getting used to, but they’re anxious to see where the season goes.”

Green Bank resident Bob Sheets informed the board of a proposal to use a parcel of Board of Education property in Green Bank for a multi-use hunting and recreation area. The board acquired the 69-acre parcel in 1979 to build a school, but built the school elsewhere.

Board member Kenneth Vance gives his opinion.

“The only problem I have with it is, you know, the Board of Education needs to sell this property and get it off our hands,” he said. “We could make money and we could help put air conditioning and stuff in these schools and do some stuff with it. We need to sell it.”

The board agreed to get a timber quote on the property and will consider the sale of the property at future meetings.

Board member Janet McNeel proposes a system-wide celebration to recognize improved test scores.

“It’s just interesting to see how other counties celebrate a job well done,” she said. “We’ve done well, coming from number 35 to number 17 and having our third grade score number six in the state. We’re not looking so good in fifth and sixth – that’s where our work is – that’s where our work needs to be done. We’re looking really good in eighth and I just think congratulations is in order. I think we’ve done a pretty good job and I think we can still do more.”

McNeel shared ideas from other school boards on ways to recognize students and staff for good work in school.

In personnel actions, the board suspended Marlinton Elementary School teacher Jessica Dean for three days without pay for neglect of duty; and hired Ricky Davis and Kenneth Samples, Jr., as substitute bus drivers.

In other business, the Board of Education:
— heard an update on dropout prevention from Family Resource Network Director Laura Young, and;
— approved payment of bills totaling $181,630.

The next Pocahontas Board of Education meeting is scheduled for November 26, 7 p.m., at the Board conference room in Marlinton.

Story By

Heather Niday

Heather is our Program Director and Traffic Manager. She started with Allegheny Mountain Radio as a volunteer deejay. She then joined the AMR staff in February of 2007. Heather grew up in the Richmond, Virginia, area and now lives in Arbovale, West Virginia with her husband Chuck. Heather is a wonderful flute player, and choir director for Arbovale UMC. You can hear Heather along with Chuck on Tuesday nights from 6 to 8pm as they host two hours of jazz on Something Different.

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