School board hears department reports

This article submitted by Linda Stelling on 10/15/96.

Several department chairs updated the Paynesville School Board Tuesday night on the yearly curriculum plans. Department chairs appearing before the board were: science, Connie Backes, Don Skrypek, Gary Haglund; communications, Marlys Sorenson and Amy Flanders; vocational, Jim Hahn; art, Carol Lura; health, Beth Realdsen; and physical education, Dick Realdsen.

Danith Clausen, curriculum coordinator, informed the board the teachers have been receiving lots of training on the graduation standards. “A lot has happened and lot more is going to happen in the different departments,” Clausen said.

Over and over again, the teachers talked of the hands-on experience the students are receiving with activity kits. Don Skrypek talked about the need for a science lab for the eighth graders. At present, they are sharing lab space with the sixth and seventh graders. Gary Haglund stressed the need for an acceptable venting hood for chemistry and an acid cabinet. The present hood only allows one person to do an experiment at a time, a team can’t work together due to lack of space. Many of the board members were surprised to hear that a new hood had not been purchased. The need for a venting hood was not a new topic and many felt it had been taken care of.

Hahn thanked the board for the new equipment the vocational department received through the budget buy down this summer. “The new purchases did more to improve the department than anything else in the nine years I’ve been here,” Hahn said. The department received 32 new computers in the business department and some other items in the automotive program.

In other business, the board approved a list of goals for the district. They were:
*To encourage the district employees to pursue options for greater sensitivity to all students.
*To continue to encourage the investigation of ongoing district facility needs.
*To continue to encourage the investigation of ongoing district technology needs.
*To establish special board meetings to take the time to discuss educational issues of concern for our school district.
*To support and encourage the continued development and implementation of the graduation standards.

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