Students from one of Washington’s newest and most popular elementary school programs were at Thursday’s School Board meeting demonstrating their language skills in both English and Spanish. Dual Language Immersion students from the kindergarten class at Washington Primary, along with staff members Kristin McGuire, Kristin Murphy, Alejandra Davila, Mary Sacarello, and Principal Tom Lee, gave the board an update on the progress of the program.
Dual Language Immersion will move into the first grade next year, along with continuing the program with next year’s kindergarten students. Parents must apply to have their child admitted to the limited space in what has become a popular program at the primary school. There will be a parent information meeting for parents of incoming kindergarten students to learn more about dual language immersion at 6 p.m. on January 30 at Washington Primary. Parents wanting to learn more about DLI can also go to the school system’s website at https://www.washingtoncommunityschools.org/academics-language-Immersion
In regular business, the board accepted the resignation of Washington High School Assistant Principal Troy Zollars. The Board also approved hiring Gracie Haas as an elementary instructional assistant and Erin Keller, Micaela Sandoval, and Kimberly St. Onge as bus monitors. The Board also approved several ECA appointments.
In other business, the board approved the emergency purchase of a chiller for the HVAC system at Veale Elementary. The report from the building and grounds reported that the 25-year-old chiller could not be repaired. A new chiller should be on hand in 8 weeks, with installation taking place over Spring Break. Other options had a lead time of up to a year before installation could begin. The Board also approved a contract with Daviess Community Hospital to provide a full-time athletic trainer for the athletic program at WHS.
In discussing equipment, the board declared the robotics team’s trailer to be surplus. The robotics program has grown to the point that a larger trailer is needed. Declaring the trailer surplus allows Robotics Co-odinator Matt Riney to trade it in on a new, larger model. The robotic boosters will cover the extra cost. The Board also approved overnight trips for the robotics teams to Columbus East, Layfayette Jeff, and Houston, Texas. The Board also approved trips to competitions and conferences for the BPA, FCCLA, and DECA clubs at WHS.
