OROVILLE – The Oroville School Board is continuing to look at ways to use left over money from a three-year capital improvement levy to make repairs to the elementary school roof.
The board approved the special levy in August of 2012 promising voters to fix the failing roof on the elementary and that any monies left over would be used to make further improvements to the building. At that time and after further facilities tours by the board, they have put their focus on repairing or replacing the restrooms, especially those at the south end of the building.
“Those are particularly in need, but have the added problem that all the plumbing is under the floor and encased in cement,” said District Superintendent Steve Quick. “However, new school board member Mike Egerton made a suggestion that hadn’t been made before – why not consider moving the restrooms across the hallway and build new ones, using the area where the modular used to be. That might be a more cost effective way of getting it done.”
In addition to the plumbing issues, the restrooms would probably have to come up to ADA code and there might not be enough room for ADA width doors for both the boys and girls restrooms.
WSSDA
At the Monday, Nov. 24 meeting of the board there was a report about the recent WSSDA conference attended by School Directors Rocky DeVon and Travis Loudon.
“They attended quite a few training sessions and it is always good when the board members attend the conference and bring back some new ideas to the district,” said Supt. Quick.
Reports
Elementary School Principal Joan Hoehn recapped the recently completed Principal’s Challenge. As one of the rewards to the students Hoehn completed a night camping in her tent on the playground. She also reported on the Missoula Children’s Theatre production of Rapunzel. The Passport Club offered maple syrup candy to students that knew the capital of Canada and next month students that know the capital of Japan will get rice bowl teriyaki. The 4th-6th grade Christmas Concert is planned for Dec. 8 at 10 a.m.
High School Principal Kristin Sarmiento reported that teacher Ed Booker had attended the ASB Conference in Spokane to learn about fundraising and the ASB. Oroville also had the highest number of students that voted in an online mock election in November. Students participating were in the seventh, eighth, eleventh and twelfth grades.
In student representative to the board Lily Hilderbrand’s report, she wrote that students attended a college fair and that Upward Bound students went to Eastern Washington University for an overnight trip.
Supt. Quick reported he had attended the Title IX Conference and will be asking the school’s insurers or if Safe Schools has training to educate athletes about the appropriate and inappropriate interactions with coaches.
Technology
The superintendent said the school is quickly approaching its goal of outfitting each student with a devise like an iPad to help or laptop.
“This month we purchased 75 more devices and that should cover the freshmen and sophomore classes by mid-January,” said Quick, adding that the junior and senior classes are all pretty well covered.
“We started with the math classes last year for pre-calculous and geometry students. We went with the teachers and classes that had a plan for their use, not just handing out the devices and hoping they would be used. Now most students want and need them,” Quick said.
The superintendent said he felt this would go a long way to keeping the curriculum up to date and maybe keep some of the costs down.
“From a kids perspective they are great. They weight ounces instead of pounds like textbooks can,” Quick said.
Consent Agenda
The board also approved several items on the agenda by consent, including approval of Central Washington University’s Gear Up/Soar2 Program, and an overnight trip by Gear Up to CWU.
Other items included hiring amber lynch as assistant girls high school basketball coach and accepting the resignation of Shannon Swenson as high school counseling secretary. The board made special note of the donation of $300 to the High School Football Huddle online program by the Oroville Booster Club.
