Board accepts $11K donation from Booster Club, but turns down new intramural sports

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

The McCook Public Schools board of education accepted a $10,986.50 donation from the Bison Booster Club during its monthly meeting Monday evening.

The donation, earmarked for support of school activities, was accepted unanimously by the board, although three board members then voted against adding two activities for sixth graders.

Sixth graders have intramural football and basketball for boys and volleyball and basketball for girls, and, at the request of the high school wrestling coach, would have added wrestling for boys. Softball would have been added for girls to satisfy the state's Title 9 requirement for equal sports opportunities for boys and girls.

Wrestling would have started yet this month; softball would have started in the spring. Coaches are paid $500 per intramural sport.

Board member Diane Lyons said the addition of the two sports is not a recommendation of the curriculum and programs committee, and she and fellow board members Shane Messersmith and Larry Shields voted against adding them.

Casting votes in favor of the additional activities were board members Tom Bredvick and Mike Gonzales. There was no further discussion of the subject.

In other action:

* The board directed administrators to solicit bids for vans/vehicles to replace the district's 15-passenger vans that, for safety reasons, must be eliminated. The McCook school district has nine such long vans, and will need to replace three each year for the next three years. The new vans must meet state legislative, Nebraska Department of Education and insurance industry specs.

Business manager Rick Haney said administrators are still researching safety issues such as wheel base and side air bags, and are not ready to buy yet. They will include their safety requirements in the bid specs, he said.

* Eighth grade teacher Colleen Olson told board members that eighth grade core subject teachers had very positive comments about new "student-led" parent-teacher conferences Oct. 30 and 31. Olson said that each student presented a portfolio of his/her work to his/her parents at conferences, and then teachers stopped by the table to discuss the student's progress. She reported that 93 percent of parents attended parent-teacher conferences.

A survey completed by 62 parents after the conference indicated that:

My child's participation in the conference was: 59 satisfactory and 4 unsatisfactory.

The amount of time to speak with a core teacher was: 55 satisfactory and 4 unsatisfactory.

The amount of time spent in conference was: 55 right amount, 4 too long, 1 too short.

Olson said many parents who completed a survey seemed pleased that they had a scheduled appointment for their conference, rather than having to wait in line to talk to teachers. Four, however, preferred the traditional parent-teacher concept.

When asked what they learned about their child/children during the conference, several comments were: "She wasn't doing as well in science as she said." "He's better than we thought." "She knows she needs to work harder." "Not giving 100 percent effort and she knows it." "She is a confident young woman."

When asked what parents enjoyed most about the conference concept, parents answered: "Scheduled time." "Being on such a one-to-one with the core teachers." "That it was short and to the point." "Quick and easy." "Watching my child show pride in her work." "Seeing how well he interacts with his teachers." "Finding out what my child needs."

McCook Elementary Principal Lynda Baumbach reported that 97-98 percent of parents attended parent-teacher conferences at her school. She said that parents were able to look at the new math book and curriculum.

Superintendent Dave Schley said that attendance at parent-teacher conferences was up at the high school.

* Schley reported that the district will begin a concentrated focus on vocabulary, "a weakness K-12." Central Elementary teacher Mary Dueland told board members that vocabulary skills impact reading comprehension and strengthen all areas of study.

McCook Elementary Principal Lynda Baumbach said that kids aren't talked to or read to as much as they once were, and "there are huge gaps" between the students who have broad vocabulary skills and those who don't.

* MHS Student Council members Mary Spilinek and Olivia Walter reported that approximately 420 students attended the homecoming dance and that an assembly with speaker Todd Becker on drug and alcohol awareness "had a positive effect on students."

The MHS StuCo was recognized at the state Student Council convention for its recycling efforts and Make-A-Wish Foundation fund-raisers. The group earned a "Gold" level award as an "outstanding" Student Council, for its members' involvement in community support.

The group hosted a Halloween overnight lock-in for members, and then prepared breakfast for teachers involved in parent-teacher conferences.

* The board approved a four-year contract with Eakes Office Plus for copiers throughout the school system. The lease will cost $2,200 per month; the school provides its own paper. Eakes is the district's current provider; the new contract will save the school about $4,000 a year.

* Diane Lyons said she met with members of the McCook Art Guild, who want to concentrate their efforts on starting an elementary art program. Lyons said she is impressed that Central Elementary has an after-school art club, and encouraged students and teachers to take advantage of exhibits brought to the Museum of the High Plains in McCook by the Sheldon Art Museum.

Lyons also said she was impressed with teachers' projects to teach about the general election, although, she said, a child described to her how he voted for "Rambo Bombo."

* Tom Bredvick said that the junior and senior highs need air conditioning as soon as possible, although there is no time schedule or recommendation from the finance committee to do so. The fall heat schedule compresses each class time, he said, hurting the learning environment as much as or even more than the oppressive heat.

* Shane Messersmith said he was told by a Wood River resident, while both were attending the MHS football game in Ogallala, that McCook was lucky to have junior/senior high band instructor Donita Priebe. The Wood River resident "had nothing but good to say about" Priebe, Messersmith said.

* Mike Gonzales said he was very impressed with the winning spirit and record of the MHS volleyball team. "Their coach should be proud," Gonzales said.

* Acting president/vice president Larry Shields said that the McCook Elementary PTO plans a family movie night Nov. 25.

-- Connie Jo Discoe

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  • Feel sorry for Bredvick and Gonzales...their opinions will never matter....obvious but this current vote for 6th grade intramural sports. Yes, they do have an agenda and it appears that they'll always get their way. What happened for individual opinions instead of "gangs". This is no representation for our children.

    -- Posted by FNLYHOME on Wed, Nov 12, 2008, at 1:09 PM
  • I am bewildered by the vote of the board of Ed to turn down additional intramural sports. If the town already offers football and volleyball why not expand on the offerings? It is vitally important to add as many sports as possible to allow all potential athletes a sport to participate in. Perhaps not all wrestlers will participate in football nor all volleyball players will want to play softball.

    The objective should be to offer a variety of sports so the maximum amount of kids will participate during the school year. My research shows that kids who play sports do better in school and will be more motivated and organized to study. I know of no good reason not to expand on a sports program. I work with many needy communities in the US who find multiple ways to keep kids in sports. Why would a school board ever vote no to sports? Sports ARE education. Please put the kids first and reconsider the vote.

    Brooke de Lench

    MomsTeam.com and Author: Home Team Advantage

    (Harper Collins 2006)

    -- Posted by Youth Sports Expert on Wed, Nov 12, 2008, at 1:30 PM
  • Three of the current five sitting School Board members sure make home-schooling an option worth considering.

    Although I wasn't here when Lyons, Shields, and Messersmith campaigned for their positions on the Board, I would venture to say they probably made some sort of offer (notice I didn't use the word 'promises') to improve the quality of education, maintain open lines of communication between the parents, faculty, staff, and the Board, do their best to represent everyone's best interests...yadda yadda yadda.

    So how do you run for an elected office, then do things in an underhanded way? If these people (the 3 names I mentioned) were in Congress, you can bet green money that the mainstream media would get a whiff of their actions and it would be front-page leading news. (By the way, props to the Gazette and Jimmy at "Coyote" for keeping us informed!)

    In the opinions portion of another story, someone mentioned the idea of a recall. Darn right there should be some talk of a recall! When you elect people to an office such as a school board, you are entrusting them to lead by example and guide the district in a direction that suits the vast majority of it's students needs. And when it becomes evident that they're not serving that purpose, they deserve to be removed from their office in a swift decisive manner.

    When you step on a cow pie, you don't keep tracking it around thinking the stink will just "go away". You scrape it clean. And that's what the patrons of this district need to do. Remember, it is OUR tax money that funds these schools, and that in itself gives US the right to exorcise the demons.

    -- Posted by Willie B Wright on Wed, Nov 12, 2008, at 2:41 PM
  • Will someone please list the members of the programs and curriculum commitee>

    -- Posted by bison fan88 on Wed, Nov 12, 2008, at 3:45 PM
  • It would be interesting to see how a vote would go to add High School Rodeo.

    -- Posted by Hugefan on Wed, Nov 12, 2008, at 4:53 PM
  • They voted on the different sports together. I have any idea, why not make a motion to vote on the sports individually if you have a problem with how to handle a certain sport.

    -- Posted by blueCollarWorker on Thu, Nov 13, 2008, at 12:00 PM
  • I cannot believe what I am reading. You people are in the "Its All About Me" mode. What are your children saying? Do you really sit down and listen to your children? You people in NE are some what behind in times. To allow 6th graders be in sports is fine but outside of school ie; YMCA or other programs. In the state of TX 6th graders cannot play sports for they want them to get used to be in the Middle School setting for their first year in Middle School, for they had been in the Elementary school for 6yrs. Some of the options that they have besides PE is Theater Arts, Choir and Band. Then in the 7th and 8th grade they can be Football, Volley Ball, Wrestling if they so choose and its is their choose with some guidance of us parents. Then when your child enters High School they have their own opinion on what they want to do: Sports; Band; Choir; FFA; Theater Art. Texas has the biggest ego that I have ever known for sports. Children as young as 3 are in Flag Football, Cheer leading,or wrestling. When do they get to be kids? Parents today really don't want to be parents they want there children to be in something so they don't drive them nuts. Its run them here are run them there but not home, or they are playing the Wii; XBox; computer; even texting on phones. Sports is not everything to a child (parent). Your children need to learn how to be the best student that they can possibly can with the support of us parents. Get involved in your school PTA, your child class room, be the room parent, help a teacher by volunteering. Get to know your son or daughter teacher you will be surprised on how grateful the teacher will be when you take and active part. I know I am a part-time employee for our school district. I mean school district. Were I live in this school district there are 36 elementary school, 8 middle schools, and 4 high schools, and there are more schools going up. Your school board have it really lucky that they don't have to deal with that many schools. Count yourself lucky that you do have people who are and want to be on the school board that they do care about your child. It they didn't care they why are they on the board? Just because you are the people who you thought were the most qualified should be on the board is not up to you. There are reasons that they are not is between them and the board. There are certain things that the board is not allowed to say because of legalities on the State Level. They have rules and guidelines they have to follow. It's not fair to pass judgment when you don't have all the facts. The only one that we have to answer to is God himself.

    You know that the best kind of people that I have met are people who have to work very hard and they will give the shirts off their backs to help out their neighbor those people are farm people. They know what work is and they are the most honest people you will ever meet. I live in a city and people here are very judgmental towards their neighbor, and they will not go out of there way to say hello. They want to be left alone.

    Being on any committee that the people can watch is just like be the President of United States. You are constantly being ridiculed by your peers. We have not idea what it is like being in the position of a School Board Member. For there are things that cannot be said or printed just to please the people. Come on people wake up and smell the roses. If you have nothing better to do and complain about your school board, go to the meetings and find out what is going on for yourself and don't rely on what is being printed in the paper. Do you honestly believe what is being printed?

    -- Posted by labella on Thu, Nov 13, 2008, at 5:14 PM
  • Well you better believe it because now the intramural softball has been approved!

    -- Posted by Hugefan on Fri, Nov 14, 2008, at 5:18 PM
  • What a sham from lawlessness-fire them all- they don't follow the

    Standards of Conduct and Ethics is set forth in Title 92, Nebraska Administrative Code, Chapter 27STANDARDS OF

    CONDUCT AND ETHICS

    Management techniques: The educator shall:

    · Resolve discipline problems in accordance with law, school board policy, and administrative regulations and policies;

    Bligh v. Douglas County,NE.

    · Maintain consistency in the application of policy and practice;

    Well thats what you get with corruption. Open your eyes McCookies, the people voted to adhere to the laws don't enforce them??? Go figure!! Only in AMERICA OR DICTATORSHIP?????

    -- Posted by edukator on Fri, Nov 14, 2008, at 9:51 PM
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