Pocahontas County High School to Go to 7 Period Class Schedule Next School Year

Pocahontas County High School Principal Joe Riley addressed the Board of Education at their May 8th meeting. He announced that he and his staff have just about completed designing the new class schedule to be used at the high school next school year. This schedule will employ seven periods in a school day instead of the four ninety minute blocks of instruction currently used.

Riley said there are still a couple of tweaks to the schedule that need to be done before it is made public. The greatest challenge his team ran into in switching to seven periods was the scheduling advanced placement classes and some vocational classes. Some of these will remain as instructional blocks.

Riley also talked about some innovative ideas being considered, such as combining Physical Education with Health into one 2 credit course. Some of these creative ideas will require specific approval votes by the Board of Education at a future meeting, although the Board members appeared to be in general support of Mr. Riley’s initiatives.  Mr. Riley also mentioned trying to establish an Advanced Drivers Education Class in which students could receive a Commercial Drivers License –or CDL at the end of the course.

In his Report to the Board, Superintendent Terrence Beam said the Ron Hall, Board Member Joe Walker and he recently talked with the SBA about the Major Improvement Project they submitted to replace the sewer system at PCHS and do some roof repairs and other repairs on the Vocational Building.  Beam said that after speaking to members of the SBA, he was “encouraged” about the prospects for approval especially that part of the project involving replacement of the sewer system.  On the negative side, the SBA told Beam there would be no opportunity until at least November of 2019 for the Pocahontas Schools to apply for other large projects similar to the multi-million dollar one the SBA would have provided Pocahontas Schools last year but which was lost when the school excess levy failed to pass.

The SBA also told them that in the future, new schools will only be approved after a school system submits it’s educational plans and goals for that school, such as vocational tech programs  and honors programs to be offered at the school as well as types of labs or other educational areas needed.  Doing it this way ensures the new school building will be designed physically to meet the academic needs and objectives of the new school.

Mr. Beam announced that the Super Scholars will be honored next Monday, May 15th at 6 p.m. at PCHS.

Mr. Beam also said he wanted to correct a false rumor being spread among school employees by assuring them that the Board of Education is not funding in any way the efforts of the private group of citizens who are conducting interviews in an attempt to learn why the School Excess Levy failed to pass last November. The Schools are neither encouraging nor discouraging that group’s efforts.

Kayla Gibson, the PCHS Student Representative to the Board of Education delivered her report. She talked about the success of the Prom last Saturday and announced the upcoming Senior Award night on May 25th and the Athletic Banquet. This may be Kayla’s last report since she is graduating later this month.

In other actions, the Board approved payment of bills, budget adjustments, grant awards and extra Duty Pay for April.

They approved policy KM –Visitors to the Schools/Grounds, as well as the application for the community Eligibility Provision which deals with the school lunch program. They also approved the 2017-2018 Board of Education Meeting Schedule.

They gave the go ahead for a service agreement with a local company, Securitech LLC to make the camera system at Marlinton Middle School operational again.

They conducted, in Executive Session, the annual Performance Evaluation on Mr. Beam, who described it later as being “fair and positive.”

The Board approved the below personnel agenda.

 

PERSONNEL AGENDA

May 8, 2017

Professional and Service Personnel

PERSONNEL

Green Bank Elementary-Middle School:

REQUESTED TRANSFER – Karen Murphy, from Teacher of multi-Subjects (second grade) to Teacher of Early Education effective for the 2017-2018 school year. Term of employment shall be 200 days.

RESIGNATION – Cory A. Friel as Custodian IV/Sanitation Plant Operator, effective at the end of the day on May 15, 2017.

EMPLOYMENT – Shelby L. Snead, as substitute Teacher of Early childhood Education retroactive to April 12, 2017 for the remainder of the 2016-2017 school year. Term of employment is 34 days. NOTE: Employee will not be afforded reduction in force rights or preferred recall. Position is to be abolished at the end of the 2016-2017 school year, contingent upon Board approval.

 

Marlinton Middle School:

REQUESTED TRANSFER – Ollie C. Barkley, from Custodian III at Pocahontas county high School to Custodian IV at Marlinton Middle School. Effective July 1, 2017 for the 2017-2018 school year. Term of employment shall be 261 days. SHIFT: 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

 

Pocahontas County Schools:

RESIGNATION – Jamie D. Hill, as Substitute Aide  retroactive to the end of the day, April 24, 2017.

EMPLOYMENT – Diane Delfino as itinerant Teacher of Special Education (Multi-Categorical) Autism (assignment Hillsboro Elementary School), half-time effective for the 2017-2018 school year, employment is 200 one-half days.

 

 

 

 

Story By

Tim Walker

Tim is the WVMR News Reporter. Tim is a native of Maryland who started coming to Pocahontas County in the 1970’s as a caver. He bought land on Droop Mountain off Jacox Road in 1976 and built a small house there in the early 80’s. While still working in Maryland, Tim spent much time at his place which is located on the Friars Hole Cave Preserve. Retiring in 2011 as a Lieutenant with the Anne Arundel County Police Department in Maryland, Tim finally took the plunge and moved from Maryland to his real home on Droop Mountain. He began working as the Pocahontas County Reporter for Allegheny Mountain Radio in January of 2015.

Current Weather

MARLINTON WEATHER
WARM SPRINGS WEATHER
MONTEREY WEATHER