CAMDEN — Cari Wynne from the Preble County Success Program gave a presentation during Preble Shawnee’s Board of Education meeting on Thursday, April 13.
The Success Program is new this year to Preble County, but has been ongoing in Butler County for the past 14 years. The program is intended to help meet student needs so they can concentrate on learning. Needs such as: hunger, homelessness, lack of medical treatment, lack of clothing, etc.
The program has Community School Liaisons in every school district. These liaisons are notified of students with needs and then she reaches out to the parents and helps link them with services in the county. Preble Shawnee’s liaison is Christine Wilson. She is housed at the high school for three days of the week, but travels to West Elkton and Camden Primary for the other two school days.
The Preble County Success Program is funded through a Healthier Buckeye Grant, which was a one-year grant. For the next year officials are seeking funding, through an extension of the grant or other means. They want to stay in the county, because they believe they are helping children and their families — but to stay here they need funding.
Following Wynne and Wilson’s presentation, a representative from Preble Shawnee Local Education Association (PSLEA) spoke in support of the program and asked the public to call representatives and encourage them to award the program with the grant and funding.
This brought Superintendent Matt Bishop to speak in regard to calling representatives. He said, “Columbus is working on the budget and [Governor] Kasich and the people he’s working with just had a press conference. Programs like this across the state are all in jeopardy right now. From now until the end of June, read your newspapers and read online to see if there’s things online that are important to you. If it looks like it might come onto the chopping block, make sure you voice your opinion. Right now, I feel like Columbus is listening more than they ever have. So don’t feel like your voice wouldn’t be heard. Send an email, phone call, or letter to Columbus.”
The Approved the following gifts from the Butler Rural Electric Community Connections Grant:
•Elmo document cameras at a cost of $650 to Camden Primary.
•Bass drum at a cost of $445 to Preble Shawnee General Music Program.
•Cricut materials at a cost of $190 to Preble Shawnee High School.
•Ellison dies at a cost of $538 to Preble Shawnee Jr./Sr. High School.
•English Language Arts Computer Program at a cost of $249 to Preble Shawnee Jr./Sr. High School.
•Zapp-Bug Oven at a cost of $350 to Preble Shawnee Jr./Sr. High School.
•Elmo document camera at a cost of $650 to Preble Shawnee Jr./Sr. High School World Language Department.
•HP Stream computers at a cost of $1,600 to Preble Shawnee Local School District.
•Chromebooks at a cost of $1,600 to Preble Shawnee Local Schools.
•Chromebooks a a cost of $1,600 to Preble Shawnee Local Schools.
•Positive Behavior Intervention and Support Program Incentives at a cost of $500 to West Elkton Intermediate School.
The Approved the following personnel as long term/building substitute teachers for the remainder of the 2016-2017 school year: long term substitute high school teacher Lauren Cooper, long term substitute West Elkton Intermediate teacher Zackary Janson, building substitute Camden Primary teacher Letta South.
The Approved the following student trips:
•FFA students visit to the State FFA Convention in Columbus on May 4-5.
•Second grade students visit to Newport Aquarium on May 22.
•Sixth grade students visit to Camp Campbell Gard May 10-13.
The following Preble Shawnee Junior High students placed in the Preble County Art Show: Josie Geary placed first in Color Drawing; Carson Taylor placed third in Painting and received an honorable mention in Mixed Media; Ethan Talbott placed third in Sculpture, and Trent Hicks got an honorable mention in Sculpture.
In other business, the board:
•Approved an advance of $2,000 from General Fund to Food Services.
•Approved a scholarship of $1,000 from Stephen and Peggy Kelso to Preble Shawnee High School.
•Approved the resignation of High School science teacher Danielle Hinckley.
•Approved the retirement of Food Service Head Cashier Cathy Sue Powell.
•Approved the resignation of West Elkton Student Aide Zach Janson. He is transferring to a long term substitute position at West Elkton Intermediate.
•Approved an agreement for College Credit Plus courses through Miami University.
The next PS Board of Education meeting will be held on Thursday, May 11, at 6 p.m. in the Board of Education office.
