February Superintendent's Newsletter
Winchester CUSD #1 Monthly Newsletter
January 31, 2018
Our January 8th emergency day will be made up on April 30th. Our January 16th emergency day will be made up March 26th.
Our proposal for a new Early Childhood (Pre K) Grant has been completed and turned into ISBE. New proposals have to be completed every 5-6 years. Jeannie Fearneyhough and Karen Rueter spent a tremendous amount of time in preparing this grant. They did a great job on this grant proposal and I have no doubt it will be approved.
No state categorical payments are coming in; we’re now in the the 3rd quarter of the FY18 fiscal year.
We are ordering two new AEDs. Nurse Coon checked the three we have and found two are now obsolete. We hope to use grant money to pay for replacements.
We have received just over $10,000 from our Ameren Incentive Grants for both lighting and HVAC energy efficient upgrades at WGS.
A bit more good news, we are saving $1,700 by removing the bus and two suburbans from our insurance coverage that we sold last fall.
Preliminary 2016 Illinois Science Assessment scores have been released. 5th grade, 8th grade, and high school biology were tested for the first time by ISBE but we are just now receiving data 1.5 years after testing. Our students are above the state average at all three levels.
There is a new Three Circle FFA/SAE/Ag Grant that will pay up to 400 hrs. ($7,308) of extra duty hours for ag teachers. We have applied and were approved. Our FY18 CTEI Vocational Grant is $13,766 and is earmarked for technology at WHS.
MajorClarity (MC) is a one-of-a-kind career exploration platform that allows students to “test drive” career pathways. We have been randomly selected to receive MC for one year with the Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA) picking up the $500 cost.
We have been selected to complete a professional development provider audit with ROE 1 this semester. We have to provide information on on all district teacher trainings for the 2016-17 school year.
We have posted positions for 2018-19: Grounds / Maintenance Supervisor (start this Spring), JH Science & Social Studies (replacing a 5th grade teacher), JH Special Education (possibly two positions), WC Golf Coach, and WC Cheer Coach.
The West Central Boys Basketball Team has been invited to play in the Tournament of Champions in Washington IL during Thanksgiving break next November. They would enter this tournament instead of going to New Berlin. The team has agreed to pick up any additional cost above our expenses playing in the New Berlin Tournament.
The following motions were approved at the January 16th School Board Meeting:
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Use of facilities - 6th grade volleyball practice and 6th grade girls basketball league
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Membership agreement and fee schedule for working out in the Pritchett Building
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Megan (Barfield) Davis as a volunteer assistant WC Girls Track Coach
