Board accepts Superintendent’s goals

The Nicholas County Board of Education on Tuesday evening, Sept. 3, approved the goals of the superintendent for the 2024-25 school year.

The Board also heard a concern regarding the dress code and recognized a high school wrestling coach for receiving a statewide honor.

Present for the meeting was Superintendent of Schools Terrence Beam, Board President Chip Perrine and members Phil Berry and Steve Ferguson. Board Vice-President Roy Moose and member Rick Green were present by Zoom meeting.

Superintendent’s goals for the 2024-25 school year

Superintendent Beam presented to the Board his goals for the 2024-25 school year.

He said the first goal is to continue to address the deficiencies in academic progress in the core subjects of science, math and language arts. He said this will be addressed through extensive professional development for teachers as well as observation of student interaction doing their lessons and performance on a daily level in the classroom. Principals, academic coaches as well as teachers and interventionists will work together to grow our students at a more successful rate. Beam said he will attend school leadership meetings to gauge the direction of instruction in the schools.

His second goal is to enhance the school learning environment by monitoring dress code and personal communication device directives for both students and employees.

Beam said his third goal is to attend any civic meetings, when invited, to share the goals of the school system. He envisions achieving, completion of both the Richwood and Glade Creek construction project, targeting academic progress and mastery in core subject content, addressing attendance issues for both students and employees, creating more opportunities for students seeking career and technical education certifications and aggressively addressing the budget concerns.

The Board voted unanimously to accept the superintendent’s goals for the 2024-25 school year.

 

 

 

Air Bays

Keeva the Standard Poodle takes to the air during the trick portion of the Nicholas County Potato Festival Pet Pageant as owner Denise Bays (right) and Emcee Angie Williams look on in amazement. Keeva snagged the Terrific Tater (tricks) award for the event.

A congenial squirrel monkey named Mazakeen stole the hearts of the judges and won the Grand Champ award of the Janet Williams Memorial Pet Pageant on Friday, Sept. 6. The Pet Pageant was one of the first events to signal the start of the 54th annual Nicholas County Potato Festival. Approximately 20 animals competed in this year’s event, which benefits the Nicholas County Humane Society. The pageant was named in honor of the late Janet Williams, an adored Summersville city employee who was active in the Humane Society, a longtime volunteer at the pageant and a staunch advocate of the county’s animal population. This year’s event was efficiently shepherded by longtime pet pageant veterans: emcee, Angie Williams and Potato Festival Committee Chair Elizabeth Bailes.

 

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Council passes two much-needed infrastructure bond issues

by Mary Jane Williams

The Richwood City Council, on Thursday evening, Sept. 5, passed two bond issues for much needed infrastructure

Present for the meeting was Mayor Gary Johnson, Recorder Jim Gladwell and Council members Sherry Chapman, Diana Spencer, James Karnes and Carla Williams.

Mayor Johnson explained that liability insurance premiums doubled from what they paid last year. He discussed this with other small towns in the area and is researching other options for insurance.

All invoices recommended for payment by the Finance Committee were approved by Council. The next Finance Committee meeting will be on Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 5 p.m.

Don Farrell of Thrasher Engineering updated council on the water impound structure and other projects. He informed Council that the bid opening will be moved to Sept. 26 at 3:30 p.m. and added that the project is still on target.

He said Danny Braham from his office got the price reduced for the sewer line project, and they will provide a change order when he signs the contract. Savings were in combined sewer overflow measurements. They installed flow meters and elevated the structure. On Sept. 26, they will meet and hold the pre-construction meeting and sign the contracts.

The mayor said everything is finished with the the Hinkle Mountain/Little Laurel water extension project with the exception of sewer lines, which need to be repaired by the city. This is the replacement of sewer lines that were damaged during the project.

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Council adopts School Attendance Proclamation

The Summersville City Council on Monday evening, Sept. 9, voted to adopt a school attendance proclamation in conjunction with Attendance Awareness Month.

Council also approved budget revisions of more than $3 million in the general fund budget with carryover funds and heard updates on some ongoing infrastructure projects.

Present for the meeting was Mayor Robert Shafer, Recorder Gary Withee and Council members Jim Epling, Stevie LeRose, Eugene Underwood and B.J. Smith. Council member Brandon Waters was present by conference phone.

Student Attendance Awareness Month Proclamation

In conjunction with September being Attendance Awareness Month, the Summersville City Council is partnering with the Nicholas County Board of Education in an initiative to improve student attendance and increase awareness of the problem of chronic student absenteeism.

Nicholas County Board of Education Director of Attendance and Student Services Mike Williams and Board of Education President Chip Perrine came before Council to present a proclamation in support of the month of September as Attendance Awareness Month.

Williams spoke about chronic student absenteeism issues being faced in the county and other school districts in the state and nationwide. He said the state legislature has begun to address the issue instead of just truancy. He said chronic absenteeism is both excused and unexcused absences and suspensions.

“If you’re not in your seat, whether it be excused or unexcused absences, you’re losing valuable instructional time,” said Williams. He said it is causing teachers to have to repeat what they have already taught and some students in attendance are having to hear the same instructional matter two or three times.

He said Nicholas County Schools has adopted the slogan “Attendance Matters. Nine Day or Less for School Success.”

Williams noted that attendance calendars were presented to all parents this year to keep track of their child’s absences. Zero to 9 days absent, or between 95 and 100 percent attendance, is considered satisfactory attendance in a 180-day school year. A total of 18 or more days absent is considered chronically absent.

He said statewide, depending on the district, the chronic absenteeism rate last year was between 26 and 33 percent with the Nicholas County having a 27 percent chronic absenteeism rate. This means that 1 in 3 students are missing 18 or more days of school.

“When they don’t attend school, it’s such a predictor of their activities later in life,” said Mayor Shafer. “That’s not just a Board of Education problem; it’s a community problem.”

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Craigsville Little League annual board meeting

Craigsville Little League annual board meeting will be held Sept. 16, 2024 7 p.m. at Hamrick field. This will be a meeting for election of board members and officers for the next season.

Anyone who would like to be on the board and volunteer or only cast a vote, please join us!

Volunteers are always welcome!

 

 

 

 

Upcoming Reunions

• Attention NCHS Class of '64.

A reunion will be held 9/13/2024 at Old Main from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (snacks provided) and on 9/14/2024 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at shelter 3, Nicholas County Memorial Park. For more information, contact Donna Halstead, (304) 872-1705 or Linda Racer at (304) 872-6226.

• The NCHS Class of 1970 will be having a picnic on Saturday, September 14, 2024 at Old Main. A class photo will be taken in the auditorium at 11:30 and the picnic will be at noon. Bring a covered dish and enjoy the day with old friends.

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