Thursday, February 13, 2014
Knights Basketball, Page 24 50 Cents Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jeff Smith presents the school calendar policy changes at the Cabell County School Board meeting.
Calendar ready for review By Amanda White For The Cabell Standard
The Cabell County Board of Education is gearing up for a busy spring as they put their final preparations on the school calendar and the excess levy. Dr. Jeff Smith, Assistant Superintendent, presented on the new school calendar policies at the Feb. 4 council meeting, explaining the reasoning behind some of the calendar committee decisions. "The main purpose is to make sure that students are provided 180 instructional days per year," he said. The new school calendar will no longer have ISE days, which means that the committee will have to find new ways to build in extra days to use in case of inclement weather. Smith said the committee built these days into the calendar in such a way that would not be contrary to the desires of the community. "Historically, we've made spring break sacred," he said. "For our community to lose spring break would not be good."
Nichols, Ona are ‘success’ schools By Amanda White For The Cabell Standard
Nichols and Ona Elementary Schools are sharing a distinguished seat this year when it comes to the Cabell County Board of Education. Both schools have been classified as "success" schools by the West Virginia Department of Education, the highest classification possible under their new accountability system. They are the only schools in the county to be designated as such. The WVDOE's Success School classification is only given when
the majority of student groups have met annual academic goals in mathematics and English and the school has reached its attendance goal. Schools must also ensure that learning gaps between minority and majority populations are small, a designation decided after receiving WESTEST 2 results. "They met their annual academic goals and they show student growth and high attendance rates," said Dr. Jeff Smith, Assistant Superintendent of Cabell County schools, during the schools' Local School Improvement Council meeting. "It
Barboursville Senior Center reopens
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was easy in the old system to overlook the growth piece, but these schools have shown a lot of growth." Principals Barbara Carlton and Elizabeth Greene attributed their success to the eagerness of the students and the assistance of parents at home. "We talk to them about what's most important in their life," said Carlton of Nichols. "We cheer with them. It seems like they want to please." Carlton said that parents, teachers and administration keep in regular communication as well, which serves a large role
in contributing to the success of their students. School Board President Suzanne Oxley said that parent participation could not be underestimated. "Community involvement and parental involvement in the schools is so important to the students' overall success," Oxley said. "If you have a lot of parent involvement at school, you have a lot of parent involvement at home." While parents are an important factor of determining a SEE SCHOOLS ON PAGE 7
Water is top issue during this legislative session By George Hohmann The West Virginia Press Association
SEE CALENDAR ON PAGE 4
HOW TO REACH US
l Volume 116 l Issue 6
The Barboursville Senior Center reopened this week after being shut down for more than a month due to water damage.
By Brian Harper For The Cabell Standard
Wintry weather and cold temperatures have wreaked havoc on the area recently, but the crews of workers at the Barboursville Senior Center have been undeterred. They have been working tirelessly during the past couple of
weeks so that the senior center could reopen on Monday and again serve area seniors. None have set foot inside since before Christmas. During the first week of January nearly three inches of water poured from the ceiling, damaging much of the facility. Although
CHARLESTON, WV - Leaders of the state legislature agree, as House Minority Leader Tim Armstead put it: “The water issue obviously has become one of the central - if not the central - issues of this session.” Senate President Jeff Kessler, D-Marshall; Senate Minority Leader Mike Hall, R-Putnam; House Speaker Tim Miley, DHarrison; and Armstead, RKanawha, all spoke about the ongoing water issues in a ninecounty area during the West Virginia Press Association’s 2014 Legislative Breakfast. Armstead, Kessler and Miley agreed that Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin made the right decision on Feb. 5 when he announced water quality sampling will be done in homes in the area affected by the Jan. 9 chemical spill in the Elk River. The spill contaminated West
Senate President Jeff Kessler told members of the West Virginia Press Association that it costs about $675 to do a water test in a residence. Virginia American Water’s system, which serves 300,000 people. Hall said, “We ought to go as far as we can and spend as much money as we need to get our citizens satisfied. If our citizens stay up in arms about this and push back, it will affect tourism, it will affect business, SEE WATER ON PAGE 3
SEE CENTER ON PAGE 5
Inside This Week: LEGISLATIVE UPDATE - PAGE 4 TRIBUTE TO BRYAN FRAMPTON - PAGE 5 OLD COLONY CELEBRATES 70 YEARS - PAGE 6
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