HAMLET – On Tuesday, July 31, the Richmond County Board of Education met at its office in Hamlet, making budget amendments, reviewing summer programs, recognizing outstanding staff, and making final preparations for the 2018-2019 school year.
After the meeting was called to order by Board Chairman Wiley Mabe, Daryl Mason led those in attendance with a Moment of Silence, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Board meeting minutes from the last two meetings, held 6/28/18 and 7/17/18, were approved. One amendment to the agenda was requested and approved in regards to capital outlay funds.
Jamie Greene, principal at East Rockingham Elementary School, introduced Yolanda Sawyer to the School Board members. Ms. Sawyer has been a teacher for 22 years, working as a kindergarten teacher at East Rockingham since 2010. She has been recognized for her excellence in education, and her classroom will be part of a state-wide program for training other educators. Sawyer will be further enhancing her skills this year at East Rockingham and in professional development seminars state-wide. She is one of only 14 teachers in North Carolina that are part of this program, and her classroom will serve as a demonstration site beginning in the 2019-2020 school year.
Kelly DeLong spoke about the Summer Enrichment program, introducing Chad Osborne, a STEM facilitator, and his students Makaili Sweatt, Abbie Terry, and Kris Terry. Information was shared about the success of this program and a small drone was flown in the boardroom itself, as Osborne talked about how the skills learned in this program would carry over into multiple careers.
Donna Gephart addressed the board about the Read to Achieve program held over the summer break. She complimented the many teachers and staff that worked together to meet all the objectives for the program, stating that they were visited by state officials who were pleased with the camp and everything that they saw.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jeff Maples presented an update of the Richmond County Schools 2015-2020 Strategic Plan – its vision, mission, the core beliefs, and the five goals. Maples reviewed each goal at some length, citing examples of how the goals have been addressed throughout the school system this year.
New Board Members Pat Campbell and Daryl Mason shared that they enjoyed the training that they have received, becoming more familiar with the team process. Jerry Etheridge stated that he had taken pictures of the new principals to post on the website, as well as the cheerleaders that were working so hard to prepare for the new year at Cheer Camp. Appreciation was expressed for the many folks that work “behind the scenes” during the summer break, taking care of repairs, cleaning floors, painting, etc., as schools will be opening soon for teachers and students alike.
Director of Auxiliary Services Dennis Quick requested the approval of a bid for the replacement of the roof at Fairview Heights Elementary School. Six bids were received and reviewed by the Director of Maintenance, and it was pointed out that there will be a slope on the new roof. The request was approved.
A field trip for fifth graders from L.J. Bell to Camp Millstone focusing on “character education” was also presented by Quick, and approved by the school board.
Several policies were also presented for adoption and review – one pertaining to job postings and another pertaining to privileges for second semester juniors. A policy referring to clinical laboratory improvement was repealed as it is out of date.
The School Board then went into closed session.
The next meeting of the Richmond County School Board will take place on Tuesday, August 7, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. at the Board of Education Office located at 118 Vance Street, Hamlet, NC.
