Winners Announced in Pocahontas Schools’ Young Writers Contest

At the March 9^th Pocahontas County Board of Education meeting, Lynne Bostic, the Director of Curriculum, announced the county winners of this year’s Young Writers Contest.

They are:

• Aliza Cedarleaf, a 1st grader from Nicole Rose-Taylor’s class at Hillsboro Elementary School and is titled “All About Snow.”
• Trey Sattler, a 4^th grader from Melissa Taylor’s class at Green Bank Elementary School and is titled “Mt First Fair Steer.”
• Madalynn Landis, a 5^th grader from Dondi Stemples class at Marlinton Elementary School and is titled “The Baking Fiasco.”

Congratulations to these county winning students. Their entries will be submitted to the state level contest. State winners will be notified in March, but not announced to the public until Young Writers Day on May 7, 2021, held virtually or at the University of Charleston. First-place county winners will receive commemorative certificates and participate in workshops with published authors/presenters on WV Young Writers Day. State winners in each of the contest categories will receive checks of $100 for first place, $50 for second place and $25 for third place.

If you would like to read these stories, you will find a link to them here: 3-9-21 Young Writers DOC

In addition to the comments about the ELA curriculum in Mrs. Mann’s class at PCHS which were reported on in part one of our stories about this meeting, also, at this meeting:

• The second public meeting was held regarding next year’s school calendar. The 2021-2022 school year will begin on August 18^th for students and end on May 25^th. The board voted to approve the calendar. Mr. Beam clarified that since the current school year did not begin until after Labor Day, the last day for students this year will be June 3, 2021. Spring Break this year will be from Thursday, April 1^st through Monday, April 5^th, returning to school on Tuesday, April 6^th.
• A parent of four children attending county schools, Manar Hesino, asked the board to consider expanding the number of family members allowed to attend school basketball games.
• Student representative Alan Gibson reported that basketball practice at the high school has begun.
• Lucy Mosesso talked about the success of the school 4 H program.
• Ron Hall said the county schools are applying to the School Building Authority (SBA) for a Needs Project which would include new windows at PCHS, a new sprinkler system at Marlinton Elementary School and replacement HVAC systems at the Hillsboro and PCHs Gyms.
• Ruth Bland delivered a technology update. She talked about problems the schools have been experiencing with telephone service from Frontier; all students in 8^th through 12^th grades have now received tablet devices, but the USDA Connect Grant to supply the remaining grades has been denied, however that may be reconsidered.
• Superintendent Beam said they are still working on holding a summer school in June for those students who wish to attend. There have been 37 employees who have expressed interest in working this, but they are still short of bus drivers and custodians.
• Beam also said he will be speaking with their attorneys to learn the status of the county school’s lawsuit which is seeking to recoup state aid money the schools were shorted in years past. He will brief the board on what he learns about the case, which is scheduled to go to mediation in April.