By Beth Christian Broschart
The Parsons Advocate
THOMAS – Alicia Lambert, principal of Davis Thomas Elementary Middle School, updated Tucker BOE members Monday during their regular meeting held at DTEMS. Lambert said she thought the board members were familiar with the Thinking Maps Program used at DTEMS.
“I am happy to report upon the last visit from our regional representative, we are at 100 percent usage,” Lambert said. “That means that every teacher in the building is using the Thinking Maps and that was not the case last year.”
Lambert said the English Language and Math summatives jumped up a lot from before.
“We made really big strides,” Lambert said.
She talked about the huge push to get students on grade level reading by third grade.
“On the grade 2 report, grade 2 is where we see kids become readers,” she said. “42 percent of our second graders are right now on benchmark. In grade 3, 68 percent are on benchmark and 85 percent are on benchmark in grade 4.”
She said in middle school, they have made two sections of both English language arts and math.
“The students have a 45 minute class and another 45 minute class back to back,” Lambert said. “We are hoping this will give them time to pull up those skills. We are incorporating a lot of art into our math classes, hoping to increase student results.”
Tucker County Attendance Director Amber Kyle gave a report on attendance. She said Tucker County Schools have 971 student enrolled as of that day including 191 students at Davis Thomas Elementary Middle School, 477 students at Tucker Valley Elementary Middle School and 303 students at Tucker County High School.
Kyle said the attendance rate for all schools is 94.62 percent. She provided BOE members with a flyer sent to parents that discusses when to keep children out of school based on their symptoms and illnesses.
She also provided statistical information including the fact there are 49 homeschooled students from 36 families. She said 11 of those would be enrolled at TVEMS, 25 would be enrolled at DTEMS and 13 would be enrolled at TCHS. Kyle said there were 52 transfer students, 60 homeless students (those that lack a fixed, adequate, nighttime residence) and 17 foster students. Her statistics also showed 61.18 percent of DTEMS students receive free or reduced lunches, 57.23 percent at TCEMS and 50.08 percent at TCHS.
“I have been putting perfect attendance in the newspaper for the last two months,” Kyle said. “When I do that, it is perfect attendance – all day every day. If you have left early it is not perfect attendance. It is all day, every day. When you are absent from the seat, whether it if for a doctor’s appointment or medical obligations or if you are sick, you are still losing instruction and that is what is important.”
The next Tucker County BOE meeting is slated for 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16 at Tucker County High School.