Sept.-Surge in Students of the Month, ASC Shares Updates

LARWILL-Following the Public Hearing about the budget, the Whitko regular School Board Meeting began with all board members and the interim superintendent present.

Students of the Month were recognized, this time recognizing a student per grade level in the Jr/Sr High, but not recognizing Whitko Early Learning (formerly Little Cats) students:

• Whitko High School: 
• • Senior: Gwen Howard, nominated by teacher Mike Hanback. Though Howard was not present, Hanback described her as a student who stays on top of things and is dedicated to learning, and who works hard as an AP student and legendary athlete. Howard has received numerous admirations and awards for her shot put and discus abilities.
  • Junior: Treyton Larson, nominated by teacher Antimony Fox. Neither Larson nor Fox was present, so Assistant Principal J.D. Maurer read Fox’s statement, saying that Larson is hardworking, asks great questions, and has achieved great personal and academic growth since last year.
  • Sophomore: Abigail Griffith, nominated by teacher Mike Hanback. Though Griffith was not present, Hanback said she has a good work ethic, asks good questions, and is an attentive student.
  • Freshman: Katelynn Caldwell, nominated by Molly Long. Neither Caldwell nor Long was present, so Maurer read Long’s statement, saying that Caldwell demonstrated exceptional preparedness, asks insightful questions, and fosters a positive classroom environment.
• Whitko Junior High School:
• • 8th grader: Jacob Tuttle, nominated by Charissa Wilson. Wilson described Tuttle as kind and always willing to help others and said he strives to do his best.
  • 7th grader: Joe Quinones, nominated by Charissa Wilson. Though Quinones was not present, Wilson said he is always in a positive mood, gets along with everyone, and works very hard without giving up.
• Whitko Career Academy:  Kyra Poe (sophomore), nominated by Megan Anderson. Anderson said Poe consistently demonstrates effective communication, follows the rules, and leads by example.
• South Whitley Elementary School: Raelynn Brewer (kindergartener), nominated by teacher Anna Busz. Though Brewer and Busz were not present, South Whitley Principal Joel Holsopple read Busz’s statement, saying Brewer always comes to school with a smile on her face, is eager to learn, and works hard in everything she does.
• Pierceton Elementary School: Ford Coy (kindergartener), nominated by Maddie Walker. Walker described Ford as a great example in following directions and praised his compassion and kindness.

A presentation was given by staff and students involved with The Center of Whitley County, highlighting their After School Central Program and explaining their role in providing a fun, free, and safe community resource for students. ASC meets Monday through Thursday from 3:30 to 5:40 for sixth through eighth grade students. Students are provided a healthy snack, participate in homework time with tutors, and have option time, where ASC is partnered with the South Whitley Public Library and the Purdue Extension, providing opportunities like cooking class and character development sessions. Over the many years that The Center has been in operation, their programming has evolved and grown, adding three locations throughout Whitley County, serving three schools, with summer programming and opportunities for high school students to serve, mentor, and volunteer within the program. Last summer, a group of students even went on a trip to West Virginia. Believing that "healthy students come from healthy families,” The Center also hosts a few family-inclusive events each year. Those interested in signing up can reach The Center at ascwhitko.org or during lunches on Mondays at the school. Last, they mentioned that the current South Whitley location, the upstairs of the old Brownstone building, is being outgrown and they are working on renovations and trying to use the space creatively. They thanked Whitko for all their support.

ASC discusses and shares images of their programmingPhoto byMelany Love, compiled image

In Headliners:

• The Whitko class of 1974 celebrated their 50 year reunion, recreating an old photo in memory of their participation in 1974, the first year Whitko won the Boys Basketball sectionals as a consolidated corporation.
• Whitko High School Biology Teacher Robin Coffman was named National Biology Teacher of the Year and will accept the award in California in November.
• Work continues on the new wing of the Jr/Sr High School.

In Department Reports:

• Pierceton Elementary: Principal Christy Haupert said their ARC kickoff challenge will be this Wednesday night (Sept. 18) from 5-5:30, and there will be a short goals presentation and pizza, cookies, and water. The fall fundraiser began today, runs until the 27th, and aims to raise money for a field trip for each grade level by selling items like popcorn, holiday items, and fudge. Student Council has new leadership and will have their first meeting Sept. 24. There will be a virtual anti-bullying presentation held from 1:30-3:30 on Friday, Oct. 25, and Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences will be Thursday, Oct. 24 and Tuesday, Oct. 29, from 3:30-7:30. An iLEARN testing checkpoint will be Oct. 29 through early November.
• South Whitley: Principal Joel Holsopple said on Thursday, Sept. 26, the South Whitley Public Library and South Whitley Elementary will be partnering for an “Invisible, Wonderful Air” program including live science demonstrations. They have plans for the upcoming South Whitley Fall Festival, including walking in the parade and having a staff potluck. Parent/Teacher Conferences will be Tuesday, Oct. 1 and Thursday, Oct. 3 from 3:30-7:30; Holsopple said they are excited for the opportunity to build community. Pierceton Elementary’s Fall Fundraiser will be Rise n Roll and begins soon. Last, Holsopple thanked all the district staff, especially those at Pierceton, for all their work.
• Whitko Career Academy: Principal Chris Benedict said dual credit registration with Ivy Tech is being wrapped up, the eighth grade will have field trips Oct. 1 and Nov. 12, and Sept. 24th will be Career Day for the medical students. Construction Trades and Ag have partnered to trade their Kubota to purchase a skid loader.
• Whitko Jr/Sr High: Principal Jodi Clark said they “have been diving into a lot of our data” during cluster time on Monday mornings--seeing if last year’s goals have been met and if so, why, as well as considering why not if they were not met. Subjects looked into have included graduation rates and reading/SAT/PSAT scores, but they also plan to start setting new goals, adding the AP scores as well. Clark praised the ARC program as “amazing,” and said she has never seen a program that spends so much time training the teachers. The year’s first blood drive will be this Wednesday, and the school started their food drive, with each grade level competing. Next week, the high school will experience a program called “Choices Matter,” which encourages students to consider their actions, specifically discouraging texting and substance use when behind the wheel. Next week is also College Go Week and Homecoming, which will include a dance following the game, as well as a public pep rally at 2:30. Students will gain punches on punch cards to be used for prizes in reward for their school spirit and participation in activities through the week.
• Athletics: Director Barry Singrey said Senior Night for Girls Golf will be Tuesday, Boys Tennis’s will be Sept. 24, and Volleyball’s will be Oct. 1. Football and Cross Country will both have theirs on Oct. 11 (Football before the varsity game and Cross Country at halftime). Youth Football Recognition will also be on the 11th. Goals are being met in getting and keeping more youth involved in sports, winter schedules are being finalized, and the last coaching positions are being filled. Girls Wrestling has been added as a new Whitko Sport, and an invitational will be held November 9th, with twenty teams anticipated to turn out (potentially 200 wrestlers). Singrey thanked all the coaches, parents, and volunteers involved in making the youth leagues successful and also LexLil, who donated $4,000 to help Boys and Girls Basketball.
• Special Services: Director Kari Walmer’s name was called out of order by School Board President Annette Arnold, so Walmer shared next, saying the department has been working on scheduling crisis prevention intervention training throughout the district, having completed three full cycles of training now. On Tuesday, Sept. 17, several staff will be attending a Department of Child Services (DCS) Partnering on Practice forum concerning various topics including the role of DCS in education, trauma-informed peer training, experiences with education consultants, and information including the benefits of school staff participation. The Title 2 Grant window has opened, and Walmer plans to submit the application for that by the end of month. The grant would allocate $51,000 to support professional development initiatives with focus on instructional strategies, classroom management and districtwide goals to enhance student achievement.
• Operations: Director of Operations Rhonda Snavley said they are upgrading to digital radios over Fall Break, and bus emergency evacuation drills were conducted and completed successfully. Though evacuating in under 2 minutes is the requirement (and all passed), most were even able to complete the task with an additional 30 seconds or more to spare. A leaning and messy pine tree is in need of removal.
• Whitko Early Learning Center (Formerly “Little Cats”): Not present or announced, though listed on the agenda; however, Director Rachel Hardy gave a regular department report at last month’s School Board Meeting, and the center is currently in operation.
• Alternative Services (New Department Report Source, added in July or August 2024): Caleb Logan thanked the building leaders for all their work amid beginning of the year staff trainings/certifications and student testing. Logan said it’s Program Renewal Month for the Alternative School, so he should have that state application (as an approved alternative school) submitted by the end of the week. Logan said though the number of students in the program has gone down (averaging twelve students), that’s a good thing because it means more of the students are in regular, gen ed classrooms. Whitko’s “Homeschool Pathway” program continues to steadily grow, with three new students this month. As of Friday, 72 students are enrolled, utilizing APEX or alternative programing in some way.
• Technology, Curriculum, Testing Schedule (Formerly “Tech Department”): Teresa Knepple said the tech department is continuing to work with Winona IT, and recently they’ve begun migrating from their previous program Monday.com to Fresh Desk, which should be more efficient in tracking and resolving ticket issues. Continued patience is still needed. In ARC, everyone is doing baseline assessments to find the individual needs of each student, and NWEA testing has been completed for fall.

In donation news, Interim Superintendent Dr. Tom Edington announced that Whitko has received a donation of $4,000 from LexLil Contracting to benefit athletics and $2,000 from Sterling Contracting for the Cafeteria Angel Fund.

No one chose to speak during Public Comment on Agenda Items.

Approved unanimously without discussion included: minutes for August 14 Work Session and Executive Sessions, and August 19 Regular Meeting and Executive Session minutes, as well as Accounts payable/receivable, Financial Reports, Extra-curricular reports, and Personnel-Employment Actions, including the following:

Personnel ActionsPhoto byMelany Love, photo of official Agenda

In New Business, Renae Messmore and Wayne Swender were unanimously appointed to the Whitko High School and Middle School Building Corporation Board, replacing Angie Yorg (who resigned) and the late John Whiteleather, respectively.

The School Board also unanimously approved the following:

• Payment of the 2023-24 Certified Teacher Appreciation-NIET stipend
• Stipends for Teresa Knepple and Kari Walmer for additional duties and responsibilities as presented
• The memorandum of understanding between Whitko Community School Corporation and South Whitley Police Department for a School Resource Officer Program
• Termination of Avery Robertson’s Teacher Contract for the remainder of the 2024-25 school year, as recommended by WJSH principal Jodi Clark
• Field trips

There was no old business.

Dr. Edington said he was thankful that Whitko has a school resource officer, in the light of last Friday’s potential threat that saw increased police presence and concerned parents throughout multiple area school districts. He thanked the new members of the Building Corporation Board and mentioned that a letter will be sent home with all kindergarteners at the end of the month to remind parents that if their child does not pass the third grade reading tests, they will be required to repeat third grade. The meeting was adjourned at 7:42.

The next School Board Work Session will be Wednesday, Oct. 9 in the Pierceton Elementary School cafeteria, and the next regular School Board Meeting will be Monday, Oct. 21 at 6:30 in the WCA Lecture Room.

Photo byMelany Love

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