By Jaye Sudar
LA VETA- “We′ve had a great start to school!” said Superintendent Dave Seaney when asked at the board meeting Monday night. While the district had been worried about numbers over the summer, the school population is at 235 as of Thursday. Various building projects are near completion as well: Benches and parking stops need to be placed around Charlie Park. The HVAC system needs fine tuning at the high school and in the elementary kitchen. Wiring still needs conduit on the elementary side, and locker rooms will be finished up before the official start of the sport season.
ACT′s were a topic of interest at the meeting. Across the board, Re-2′s scores were just about one point lower than the state average. Strategies to amend test scores have been planned, with some ideas already in place.
A new system of ′bell to bell′ learning is being tested this year. This involves bell work, or that which the student does right after they enter the class, lecture, then individual or seat work. If there is time afterwards, there will be laptops available for individualized instruction. Bree Lessar discussed the laptops and the software necessary to provide individualized instruction in math for various grade levels. The board decided that this was a good idea and the purchase would be voted on next meeting.
Six petitions have gone out with one returned by Cindy Campbell for the upcoming school board election. The last day to file a petition is August 28th. Board members urged people to run for seats on the board.
The Wellness Committee reported that they have two programs for Healthier Schools that they are considering, one of which is sponsored by the Colorado Department of Education. Re-2 is one of the first districts in the state to be certifying with these programs. It is hoped that there might be some financial benefit for the district because of this.
The Song of Pueblo will be fitted into the schedule for 5th & 8th graders and some high school students. The board will be contacting David Enke about the performances.
Concerns about the H1N1 flu virus were mentioned. The district is working with the Huerfano & Las Animas County Health Department to provide vaccinations for the district. Information will be sent home with the students as needed. Once again, Seaney reminded people to stay home if they are sick. This included students, teachers and staff.
In other news, the district will be advertising for a grant writer. There are suburbans and a bus to be auctioned off and the rear parking lot needs resurfaced. Cooks, secretaries, custodians and aides were hired. Substitute teachers and bus drivers were approved, and because there are too few junior high school boys to field a full team in La Veta, five junior high boys will play football with the Walsenburg Re-1 team.
