Alicia Lambert, principal at Davis Thomas Elementary Middle School, updates Tucker County BOE members of the school’s back to school preparations during Monday’s BOE meeting.
By Beth Christian Broschart
The Parsons Advocate
PARSONS – Alicia Lambert, principal of Davis Thomas Elementary Middle School addressed Tucker County Board Members regarding the changes in store for DTEMS this year during Monday’s regular meeting. Lambert said the school is using a thinking maps program, and teachers will be trained on how to use the program on their first day back to school.
“We are partnering with RESA VII and doing an implementation of a thinking maps program,” Lambert said. “This is not a new program, but it is new to us. RESA went to North Carolina and was trained in
the program, and they can train us for free. The manuals are a one-time expense, and RESA has promised to keep the teachers updated and they will come back weekly to help promote this program.”
Lambert said the program is a series of concept maps.
“A lot of teachers use maps anyway to help kids pick out ideas and to be able to write about and pick out the important information,” Lambert said. “That’s what we have noticed kids are struggling with in the Common Core – being able to answer the ‘why.’ The maps are a way to help the kids extract what they think is important. They will do them in every single grade level and every subject area.”
She said every time the student is classifying something, they will use the same type of map in every subject area.
“We believe the consistency of those same maps will help the kids realize and really help them develop really good study skills,” Lambert said. “They will be able to use them without being told which map to use.”
Lambert said she feels this will bring in student engagement because the students create the map.
“They create their own maps, so the students can take it to whatever level they want to go with it,” Lambert said. “Some may have a more simplistic map, while others will go really in depth with it. We think this will be huge – especially with the consistency. The results show a lot of growth, especially with special education students because they can see the concreteness of picking things out.”
Lambert said the entire staff at DTEMS is on board with this program. “We feel it will fill a need with consistency and it will really make a difference across the board and in every subject level with our kids.”
TCHS Principal Jay Hamric was slated to share the 2015 Graduation Report, but that was rescheduled for Sept. 6. Hamric said the program needed for the report is not currently available.
Following a brief executive session, Tucker BOE approved the employment of Teresa Brusak as principal at TVEMS, Kellie Crosten as 6th grade teacher at TVEMS, Cynthia Gochenour as Title I Reading/Math teacher at TVEMS, Cheryl Kines as half time Spanish teacher at TCHS, George Jones as a substitute teacher and Kim Johnson as guidance counselor at TCHS.
The Tucker BOE also approved hiring extra-curricular positions of assistant boys basketball coach at TCHS, Eric Wamsley and volunteer assistant football coaches at TCHS Ed Kachmarek and A.J. Rapp.
Resignations and retirements approved by the Board include TCHS PROSTART Instructor Brian Covelle, with regret. Covelle was the WV PROSTART Teacher of the Year. They also approved the resignation of William Poling as substitute bus operator.
The BOE approved a memorandum of understanding between Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Council Foster Grandparent Program and Tucker County Schools, an agreement between RESA 7 and Tucker BOE for several services in conjunction with Medicaid-eligible services and Medicaid monitoring and contracts and agreements between Eastern West Virginia Community & Technical College and the Tucker BOE.
Tucker Valley Elementary Middle School is slated to have a back-to-school open house Aug. 12 from 3 to 5 p.m. Davis Thomas Elementary Middle School had a back to school open house Aug. 9 from 2 to 4 p.m. Tucker County High School will host an open house Aug. 18 from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
The next regular meeting of the Tucker County Board of Education is slated for 4:30 p.m. Aug. 17 at the Tucker County BOE Office. On Aug. 18, the BOE will hold a goal setting workshop beginning at 4:30 p.m. at the BOE Office.