Pruett commends community support at Cherokee school board meeting

 

December 8, 2021



The Cherokee Board of Education met Monday evening, Dec. 6, for a regular meeting.

Among the first items on the agenda was the principals' reports. High School Principal Lane Pruett said, “I want to start by thanking our community for their support.

“The One-Act team were state champions. They had three performances and sold raffle tickets on a Blackstone flat-top, and they've made $9,273 to pay for rings and a few other things. They will surpass what they needed. We also had our FFA labor auction, and they netted $20,941.75. So just those two things alone show what great community support we have.”

What The Kids Have Been Up To

Pruett and Elementary Principal Keela Patterson told the board about some of the many activities students have been involved in since the last meeting.

The Veterans Day assembly recognized more veterans than usual this year: 29, said Pruett. FCCLA provided lunch for them.

On Nov. 16 was the elementary school's Title 1 Literacy Night, said Patterson. “We had an open house and a pretty good turnout. The Title 1 part of that is family involvement, parent engagement. Mrs. Cudmore is starting something new: she's going to start having things for parents to come and be a part of. The first one is this Friday, Dec. 10, and it's just spending time with Santa. Santa's going to be there, we'll read a story and make some crafts, and this is so that families and kids will be spending time with each other in the school.”

On Nov. 19, the sixth grade went to Northwestern Technical Center for the sixth grade career fair, which Pruett said was always popular.

On Dec. 3, the elementary school had an event called “Yo-Yo Around the World.” David Cox demonstrated tricks with the yo-yo.

Today, Dec. 8, the school is taking 25-plus kids to an ACT prep workshop at NWTC, Pruett said.

Patterson said the elementary has started star testing, and she's very happy with the results so far. “We've already seen a lot of growth in our kids, and I am happy,” she said.

Pruett commended Brent Failes for placing 20th overall at the state wheat show, where he was recognized for accomplishment. FFA also did well at the state livestock handling competition, where they placed third on the written test for the northwest area.

Basketball is in full swing, Pruett said. Elementary basketball teams have taken part in two tournaments recently. “Both the elementary girls and boys placed second at Pond Creek, and then our boys and girls both placed third at the Cherokee tournament,” Patterson said.

The junior high basketball teams also did well at the Cherokee junior high tournament – the girls’ team was tournament champion and the boys team was runner up.

The high school basketball teams played two games last week at Medford, said Pruett, and yesterday, Dec. 7, they were scheduled to play in Billings.

“Thursday at Alva the NWOSU Shootout starts,” said Pruett. “The girls will play Alva JV Thursday at 4:20 p.m. and the boys will play South Central from Kansas at 5:20 p.m. Thursday and Friday games will be at Alva High School, and Saturday games will be played at NWOSU.”

Upcoming Activities

The elementary school will put on a Christmas program on Dec. 16, directed by Mrs. Weir, who has volunteered her time this year so the students can have a music program.

Semester tests will be Dec. 16 and 17, said Pruett. “The 16th, we'll take it in hours 5, 6 and 7; the 17th we'll take it in hours 1, 2, 3 and 4 and we'll have early release that day. So, Friday, Dec. 17, is an early release day.”

The elementary school's AR party will be the Thursday before Christmas break, said Patterson. “We've changed how we do AR this year. Last year they had a goal that got them to the party. This year we made it more individualized, where they keep working toward new goals. We have 148 so far that will be coming to the AR party, who have met their AR goals.”

Pruett closed his remarks by recommending that people local kids have a happy Christmas.

“ACB has a shoe tree, so if you like to go shopping go down to ACB and get a shoe off the tree and go help some kids out for Christmas,” Pruett said. “There are over 100 students on the tree; it's a high need right now.”

Other Board Business

The board approved the consent agenda, except for the minutes from the Oct. 12 meeting, to which a change must be made. Approved as part of the consent agenda were encumbrances, purchase orders and warrants for the general, building and child nutrition funds; the treasurer's and activity fund reports, and a request from the library to hold a “Pictures with Santa” fundraiser. The Oct. 12 meeting minutes were tabled until the next meeting.

The board also approved a new student transfer policy required by SB 783.

“This has been a big topic of discussion among lots of schools,” said Superintendent Bryce Schanbacher. The bill requires a certain amount of communication between schools as students transfer from one to another. Schools can refuse to accept a transfer for reasons like past delinquency. Students will be able to transfer two times during any school year, if they meet the criteria and are not denied by the school. The school has to have an official policy on transfers that includes specifics on the school's enrollment capacity, and that policy has to be posted to the website.

“What we need to communicate clearly,” said Schanbacher, “is that no transfer is being revoked.” But in the future, transfers will be more closely scrutinized and tracked.

Superintendent Schanbacher told the board about some measures he's taking to help the younger teachers make ends meet a little more easily, like being more flexible with leave. For example, teachers will have a short-term leave option for times when they have to do something like close on a house in the middle of the day or conduct business that can only be done during school hours. The short-term leave would allow teachers to handle middle-of-the-day essential tasks, although that sort of leave will be tracked closely at first.

Schanbacher also said the over the Thanksgiving break, the City of Cherokee filled the drive-through dip at th eelementary school. “The city stepped up big time to help us out with that,” he said.

All the lights in the high school parking lot have been updated. “They're the newer LED style, and it's much brighter out there,” Schanbacher said. He said he's also worked out an agreement with Alfalfa County that, over the Christmas break, the county will help out with equipment and labor to fill in the holes at the high school parking lot using ground up asphalt donated to the school.

After the break, the board will start talking about some ideas Schanbacher has regarding using ARPA funds for summer school. In addition, the school is applying for a $75,000/year three-year grant that would provide two hours of afterschool for children in grades K through 8.

 

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