Board Spotlight: Vincennes University and Don Wood Partnership Recognition
The Board had the opportunity to recognize the Warsaw Area Career Center's partnerships with Vincennes University and the Don Wood Foundation, which have made significant contributions to enhance Welding and Advanced Manufacturing programs.
Following an afternoon of tours, Ben Barkey, Director of the WACC, shared the impact these donations and partnerships will have. As a parent whose son went through the Career Center prior to this investment, Mr. Barkey highlighted how these new partnership are creating powerful opportunities for students. The partnership includes investments to increase classroom capacity (in equipment, staff and staffing) as student enrollment continues to rise.
President Chuck Johnson, Dr. Pence, Associate Provost of K-12 Initiatives, Stefany Deckard, Dean of CTE Early College, Jennifer Hughes, Regional Assistant Dean of Early College and Lisa Smith from the Don Wood Foundation were all present to celebrate this milestone. Board President Heather Reichenbach noted how much the high school programs have evolved, emphasizing the impact these investments have on WCS and how they address the needs of students today.
Academic Spotlight: Therapy Dogs Across the District
Several of our schools continue to provide supportive environments for students with the help of therapy dogs and the initiative continues to grow across the district.
Harrison: Lucy (Rachel Sudhoff, Interventionist)
Edgewood: Alucard (Jenny Dannemiller, Teacher)
Leesburg: Champ (Randy Polston, Board Member)
Leesburg: Clifford (Sara Ervin, Teacher)
WACC: Sawyer (Dena Lancaster, Teacher)
Eisenhower: Maya (Andy Streit, Teacher)
Three of the dogs (and handlers) were present for the board meeting.
Dena Lancaster shared the impact that Sawyer, her therapy dog, has had on some of her hardest-to-reach students at the high school, especially those having difficult days or struggling in class.
Andy Streit shared how Maya, housed in the gym with him, greets students throughout the day, building strong connections with a variety of students, many who eagerly look forward to spending time with her.
Champ, at Leesburg, works closely with Emily, the Behavior Support Liaison. Together, they support students who need emotional supports or behavioral breaks.
The current therapy dogs have had such an impact that WCS hopes to continue to expand the initiative across the district as interest grows.
Community Spotlight: Grace Center for Literacy & Learning
Megan Smith, Programs and Partnerships Director for the Center for Literacy & Learning, Dr. Rachael Hoffert, Executive Director of the Center and Taylor Courtemanche, a tutor, shared exciting developments. Supported by a Lilly Endowment Grant, the Center focuses on teacher preparation with an emphasis on the Science of Reading. Their main focus has been on:
Teacher Leader Preparation: Realignment of courses with the Science of Reading, in partnership with Jefferson Elementary (currently a lab school for Grace), to provide training opportunities for future teachers.
Classroom Application: Providing a practicum where teacher candidates can apply their training in real classroom settings aligned with the Science of Reading.
Community Engagement: The Center for Literacy & Learning offers after-school tutoring, with five current Grace students (future teachers) trained in Roxy Reading, focusing on foundational reading skills and comprehension. They also provide snacks while also supporting literacy development. This is currently offered for groups of Jefferson, Lincoln and Washington students (due to proximity for transportation).
Thanks for everyone who presented and attended. It was a great Board Work Session! Join us on November 18 for the Regular Board Meeting.