Math classes to get books to complement digital materials

For the first time in 12 years, the high school will receive new math textbooks along with digital materials. This makes a “blended approach” in the classroom, Director of Student Learning Debbie Harman told the school board June 2.

“I know I had several parents that were upset over geometry using an iPad because they couldn’t go home and use it. Then when they were tested, it was a paper/pencil test, so it was completely different than what they had on the iPad,” said Judy Hardwick, the board president.

“This will put a textbook in every high school classroom,” Harman responded. “Business math is the only course at this point that will not have a textbook that each student can take home as a reference.”

“Again, that iPad is there as a resource for teachers to use when they’re trying to display content digitally or sometimes assessments are taken digitally,” she said. “We want to do that sometimes because their state assessment is presented on the computer at this time.”

Classrooms will not be able to move away from paper textbooks until students are given their own devices to take home and access textbooks digitally, Harman said.

The new materials were selected after Harman met with teachers and principals in each building over the last year, she said.

The Brown County School Board of Trustees voted 3-0 to approve the new math materials for grades K-12. Board member Stephanie Kritzer voted against it because she did not know the cost of the new materials.

Harman said the costs will be figured once materials for all subject areas are approved. She said most textbooks at the high school level range from $100 to $150 and are divited over six years by semester, because normally new books are bought every six years.

“There are no bargain books out there, especially when you’re looking at getting the most recent publish date and the most recent digital material platform available. If you purchase an older book, the problem is that the technology is also aged, which means sometimes the company doesn’t support the platform,” Harman said.

School board approves appointments, program changes

Brown County School Board of Trustees approved the following June 2:

• An increase to the free and reduced after-school care fee by $1.
• Retirement notice of John Emkes, director of technology, effective June 3.
• Route extension for Bus 21. This will accommodate the State Road 45 bridge closure in Helmsburg.
• An extended school year program for students with individual education plans, estimated at $32,097.73. “We never quite spend all of what you appropriate or approve, but it’s very helpful to a lot of the students,” said Al Kosinski, director of student services.
• Course 0494, Middle Level Business, for the sixth through eighth grades. However, the course will be taught to sixth-graders only next school year.
• Separating Sprunica Elementary School paraprofessional Abigail Alderdice, effective immediately. This was not a termination.
• Separating Brown County High School health assistant Linda Collingsworth, effective May 16. This was not a termination.
• Separating Van Buren Elementary School art and physical education teacher Olivia Pankratz Miller, effective at end of 2015-2016 school year. This was not a termination.
• Appointing Brown County Junior High School coaches: Math Bruce Koopman formath academic team, Wendy Weddle for science academic team, Michael Potts for social studies academic team, Sarah Cochran for language arts academic team.
• Appointing Emily Pettijohn as BCJHS History Day sponsor
• Appointing Michael Potts as BCJHS We the People coach
• Appointing Emily Pettijohn and Angela Denton as BCJHS National Junior Honor Society coaches
• Appointing Brad Baughman and Kevin Roush as BCJHS Spell Bowl coaches
• Appointing Kevin Roush and Mike Harmon as BCJHS student council advisers
• Appointing Weddle and Roush as BCJHS science fair coaches
• Appointing Bruce Koopman as BCJHS building technology leader
• Appointing Weddle as BCJHS instructional leader
• Appointing Tim Hebert as BCJHS instructional technology coach
• Appointing the following extra-curricular leaders at Brown County High School: Nathan Sudduth as band sponsor, Kristi Billings as choir sponsor, Laurie Godfrey as drama sponsor, Greg Mosley as newspaper and yearbook sponsor.
• Appointing BCHS academic super bowl team sponsors: Brian Galm for fine arts, English and interdisciplinary, Jay Myers for social studies, Kady Lane for science, Jake Koressel for math.
• Appointing Brian Galm as BCHS Brain Game sponsor
• Appointing Julie Miller as BCHS Aquila sponsor
• Appointing Dustin Robinson as BCHS National Honor Society sponsor, as a replacement for Julie Miller. He gets a $868 stipend.
• Appointing Hannah Newlin as BCHS French Club and French Honor Society sponsor
• Appointing Moranda Terwilliger and Lauren Spiece as BCHS Spanish Club and Spanish Honor Society sponsors. Each get $434 stipends.
• Appointing Matt Williams as BCHS Science Club and Science Honor Society sponsor
• Appointing Godfrey as BCHS Thespian Honor Society sponsor
• Appointing Matt Noreiga as BCHS high ability coach
• Appointing Alecia Adams and Josh Sparks as BCHS History Day sponsors
• Appointing BCHS the science department as science fair contacts/sponsors
• Appointing Eric Fohl as BCHS Spell Bowl coach
• Appointing Koressel as BCHS student council advisor
• Appointing Chris Townsend as BCHS Robotics Club sponsor
• Appointing Kevin Greve as freshman class sponsor
• Appointing Margo Seastrom as sophomore class sponsor
• Appointing Cheryl Fox and Julie Miller as junior class sponsors. Miller, replacing Robinson, gets a $1,180 stipend.
• Appointing Pam Bond and Chris Stoll as senior class sponsors
• Appointing BCJHS science fair coach Eric Nolan (split with Weddle and Roush), $578.66 stipends, as a replacement for Jim McFall.
• Appointing BCJHS instructional coach Sarah Cochran, $2,226 stipend, as a replacement for Lauren Spiece.
• Appointing BCJHS high ability coach Amy Oliver, $2,226 stipend, as a replacement for McFall.
• Appointing BCJHS technology leader Dan Lewellen (split with Koopman), $835.50 stipends, as a replacement for McFall.
• Appointing BCJHS instrumental/vocal music teacher Mary Pearson, full-time with benefits, level B-0, $35,500 per year, effective Aug. 8. She is a replacement for Amy Smith. Pearson also was appointed as the band/choir/drama sponsor with stipends totaling $1,677.
• Van Buren Elementary Title 1 teacher Bonnie Walling, full-time with benefits, level M-5, $43,575 per year, effective Aug. 8. She is a replacement for Peggy Thompson.
• Appointing BCJHS health/physical education teacher Ryan Wilcoxen, full-time with benefits, level B-3, $36,604 per year, effective Aug. 8. He is a permanent replacement for Robert Abraham. Wilcoxen also was appointed BCHS varsity baseball coach with a $4,013 stipend, effective 2016-2017 school year. He is a replacement for Kyle Heminger.
• Appointing Van Buren paraprofessional Monica Feikema, part-time with no benefits, $8.86 per hour, effective Aug. 10. She is a replacement for Cami Bass.
• Appointing Van Buren paraprofessional Ashley Hendee, full-time with benefits, $8.86 per hour, effective Aug. 10. She is a replacement for Julie Eddins.
• Appointing BCHS athletic director Mark Bruner, salary to be determined, effective July 1. He is a permanent replacement for Matt Tuggle.
• Transferring Helmsburg Elementary School Title 1 paraprofessional Dawn Seidle-Barnett to special education paraprofessional, full-time with benefits, $8.86 per hour, effective Aug. 10. She is a replacement for Carrie Lookebill.
• Transferring Lookebill from part-time to full-time with benefits, $8.86 per hour, effective Aug. 10. She is a replacement for Cortney Hitchcock.