Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Board appreciation night
Board appreciation, Nails
Third-grader Garin Monson confers with Principal Travis Howell Monday night at the Jennings Elementary library as teacher Amy Soncarty looks on. In the background, school board members compete to build bridges out of paper and books.
Principal Travis Howell and Jennings Elementary students put on a school board appreciation night Monday in the library, followed by the board’s regular meeting.
With the five members seated at a long table, neatly stacked items in front of each, a pair of sixth-graders began by presenting each a “basket of gold” in honor of the upcoming Winter Olympics.
From there, two students from each elementary class stood before the board and told of their schoolwork, complete with two competitions for board members and music from recorders. One experiment had David Nails assisting a young physicist while another required the board to build pyramids out of coffee cups and another to build coin-holding bridges out of two dictionaries, paper and a pair of scissors.
“This is the most fun I’ve ever had at a board meeting,” said Nails to the kids. “Do you have this much fun at school every day?”
“No” came the loudest answers, amidst laughter from the crowd of Jennings teachers and parents.
After the student presentations, Howell gave an overall report on the school and told of his own appreciation for board members.
“Thank you for offering me this job, I love it here,” he said.
After a break, the board resumed with its regular meeting, covering policy readings, the ASB report and a discussion on chapters 7-8 of “Leadership and Self-Deception” (Arbinger Institute, 2000), a book Pugh gave boardmembers and district staff last fall.
The regular meeting got underway with comments from Pugh, who told of a Jan. 17 first session with teachers and staff covering chapters 1-5 of “Leadership and Self-Deception.” Added comments came from Carrie Lipe, Colfax High principal and Christopher Claussen, Colfax Education Association president.
Pugh said he would next tell a group of Whitman County superintendents about the book in a meeting Tuesday in Colfax.
He then reported on senior project night held Jan. 16 and invited board members to the Whitman Hospital dinner and auction Saturday night at Hill-Ray Plaza, for which Colfax High School students will be parking cars.
“Pull some money out of savings and come and spend,” Pugh said.
The ASB report followed from student representative Kylie Kackman, who relayed basketball and wrestling results – along with upcoming meets – and that FCCLA will send all four of its Colfax competitors to state, after qualifying at regionals in Lewiston. Kackman then noted that boardmembers’ pictures are now displayed in the foyer of the high school.
“We do know you exist and we would like to thank you,” she said with a smile.
On to the last item on the agenda, the board began a discussion of chapters 7-8 of “Leadership and Self-Deception”and its precepts about being “in the box” and “out of the box.” Simply put, being in the box is seeing people as objects while out of the box is seeing them as people. The book describes what this means in interpersonal relationships and how it affects productivity in the workplace.
“This is not an indictment of anybody,” Pugh said. “It’s an indictment of us all.”
Also Monday night, hiring confirmed by the board included Shawna Kneale, junior high assistant volleyball coach; Kimberly Vazquez, junior high assistant volleyball coach, and Heidi Koenig, para-educator. Resignations included Tony Lewis, assistant baseball coach, and Bruce Perisho, golf coach.
The board will meet next Feb. 12 at 7 p.m., back at its regular meeting spot at Pugh’s office.
Kindergartner Jeremiah Appel works with assistant David Nails, school board president, during student presentations.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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