CHRISTMAS CHEER … AES Principal Andrea Thiel shared that the elementary held a canned food drive collecting 1,643 items for the initiative.
By: Amy Wendt
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
amy@thevillagereporter.com
The Archbold School Board met for its regular meeting on Monday, December 18, 2023, with Jeremy Hurst, Skeet Hug, Karen Beck, Gina Dominique, and Tyson Stuckey in attendance.
Also present were Superintendent Jayson Selgo, District Treasurer Joyce Kinsman, Elementary Principal Andrea Thiel, Middle School Principal Matt Shields, and High School Principal Royal Short.
It was shared by administrators that Archbold students across the elementary, middle, and high school buildings actively participated in giving back this holiday season by contributing to Fulton County Christmas Cheer.
The elementary school held a canned food drive from November 27 to December 1, collecting a total of 1,643 items for the event. At the middle school, the Student Council took the lead in coordinating a food drive resulting in the collection of 1,924 items and a donation of $500.00.
During Fulton County Christmas Cheer on December 4 at the Fairgrounds, sixteen AMS students teamed up with members of the High School’s FFA and FCCLA groups to lend a helping hand to organizers of the event.
Following approval of the evening’s Agenda, Elementary Principal Mrs. Thiel noted a large number of families participated in the parent-teacher conferences held in November.
In other AES happenings, the Second Grade Musical, under the direction of Mrs. Cobb, presented Crazy Christmas, on December 14, 2023, and “did a wonderful job.”
Thiel also provided the Board with a bullying update noting that as of December 18, 2023, there have been zero confirmed cases as defined by board policy at Archbold Elementary.
Elementary Students of the Month for November were also recognized for exemplifying an “Attitude of Gratitude”.
In middle school news, Principal Shields shared that Archbold hosted the 2023 Fulton County Junior High Honor Band & Choir event on November 15 and 16. Seventeen choir and fifteen band members from AMS collaborated with peers from across the county.
Following a day of practice with a team of directors from local schools, the students held a public performance. Also in music news, Grades 6-8 participated in the annual Christmas Concert alongside the HS Choirs on November 30. Band students from grades 5-12 are scheduled to present their concert on December 18.
Mr. Shields also offered updates on the Fall Book Fair, Fulton County Youth Summit, and the 6th grade Walleye’s “School Education Day” game.
Reporting on the latest in the high school building, Principal Short noted that fifty-one sophomores took part in a tour of the Four County Career Center.
During the visit, they had the opportunity to meet with representatives from FCCC to explore programs that they might be interested in pursuing and to discuss the application process.
Student musicians invited to join the District Honors Band and Choir performance at the Stranahan Theater on January 14 are Haylee Valle, Tessa Nafziger, and Janae Murillo.Those participating in the Solo and Ensemble Contest on January 20th at Defiance High School are the following students: Kirsten DeLong, Brennan Garrow, Alizabeth Huerta, Kira Murillo, Jessalyn Petersen, Joshua Reeb, Hailey Riter, Molly Rutledge, Raegan Rutledge, Esperanza Vasquez, Karma Wade, and Tyler Wyse.
Mr. Short also reported to the Board that the high school has not had any bullying incidents for the first semester of the 2023-24 school year.
High school events coming up include State Participation Recognition on December 29, the Mock Trial scheduled for January 26, and the We the People Competition set for February 2.
Curriculum Director Michele Bagrowski shared with the Board that 3rd-grade students achieved 78% proficiency or higher in the Fall ELA OST test.
Second and fifth grade students are preparing to take IOWA and CogAT assessments to evaluate skills in Reading, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Cognitive ability.
High school students underwent retesting for End of Course exams in early December, providing extra chances for graduation points.
Opening his report, Superintendent Jayson Selgo presented to the Board a revised 2024-2025 School District calendar for approval.
Selgo also noted that the Mental Health Counselor position has not yet been filled and the district will now be working with the Northwest Ohio Service Center to act as the hiring agent for that opening.
While many in Northwest Ohio are eagerly anticipating the total solar eclipse on the afternoon of April 8th, 2024, the event presents a unique set of challenges for area school administrators.
Fulton County superintendents have been in discussions with the Fulton County Emergency Management Agency and statewide organizations to address concerns related to the rare eclipse and its potential impact on school transportation during dismissal time, particularly given the anticipated arrival of visitors from outside the area.
Selgo also pointed out that the Ohio High School Athletic Association is exploring tournament division expansion in baseball, basketball, soccer, softball, and volleyball. Statewide meetings to gather feedback from administrators are scheduled for the new year.
Treasurer Joyce Kinsman briefly addressed the Board to touch on her request in the Consensus Agenda for approval of a depository agreement with Huntington Bank clarifying that the agreement is being entered only to accept online payments.
The Consensus Agenda requested approval of the November 20, 2023, regular meeting minutes and November 2023 Financial Reports.
In financial matters, it was noted that donations from individuals, businesses, and organizations in the total amount of $15,813.98 were received by the district.
The Consensus Agenda also called for the approval of the creation of Retirement Benefits Fund 035 and the transfer of $100,000 from the General Fund (001) into that newly created fund.
Appropriation modifications, estimated resource changes, and entering into a depository agreement with Huntington Bank were also requested.
Personnel recommendations in the agenda requested approval of the paraprofessional substitute list provided by the Northwest Ohio Educational Service Center for the 2023-2024 school year; a one-year contract for Morgan Leppelmeier as a tutor for the 2023-2024 school year; one-year contracts for Royal Short, Matt Shields and Andrea Thiel as Classified Substitutes for the current school year and the substitute teacher list provided by the Northwest Ohio Educational Service Center for the 2023-2024 school year.
The Board approved all items in the Consensus Agenda as presented. The Board then entered into an executive session to “discuss matters required to be kept confidential by state or federal law” with no action anticipated.
Wednesday, December 20 at 4:30 p.m. will bring the Board of Education together with the Archbold Village Council in a joint meeting to finalize the Fire Service Agreement for 2024-2029.
Archbold Board of Education will reconvene on Monday, January 8, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. for its annual Organizational Meeting.