Changes to report cards approved at White Hall schools

White Hall School District Superintendent Gary Williams conducts business during Thursday's board meeting. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)
White Hall School District Superintendent Gary Williams conducts business during Thursday's board meeting. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)


Parents of kindergartners, first graders and second graders in the White Hall School District will know more than just the grade their children make in each subject in the near future.

The district's board Thursday approved new report cards based on the standards each student in those three grade levels meet. The cards will go into effect for kindergarten next school year, for grades K-1 in 2024-25 and grades K-2 in 2025-26.

"That is a way of monitoring student progress based on standards," WHSD Superintendent Gary Williams said. "So, you can drill down based on what students are actually succeeding at, and you know they're ready to move on and progress forward. Or, if you see particular standards not met by the student, you can drill down and provide intervention in a timely way so kids can have a better chance of being supported in this very clear indication of where they're at with their learning on grade-level standards. That's how teachers will track it and report it back to parents."

IN OTHER BUSINESS

Board members also passed a resolution to establish a capacity limit to accept students via school choice transfer. The district will set that limit based on the current enrollment, current enrollment space and current staffing, Williams said.

A school board election date has been set for May 9. So far, incumbent R.D. Johnson is the only candidate who has filed for the Zone 2 seat left behind by the August 2022 death of Dr. Doug Coleman.

Johnson was appointed to the seat in October.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

The White Hall Middle School choirs performed at the Region 3 Choral Performance Assessments at Hot Springs Lakeside High School. The Boys Ensemble and Girls Chorus received Division I (Superior) ratings on stage performance and in sight-reading. Cindy Roberts directs the choirs and Faron Wilson serves as accompanist.

Eighth-grader Logan Guynn was selected 2023-24 FCCLA state officer. Logan is the current president of the White Hall Middle School chapter and was also Region 4 vice president of public relations. FCCLA advisors are Mollie Sanford and Lynzie Martin.

District art teachers and students drew a standing room-only crowd to the Art Showcase March 7 at the White Hall Community Center.

White Hall High School track athletes competed in the Arkansas Indoor Championship recent at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Braeden Bell won the 5A and overall 60-meter dash in a personal-best 6.96 seconds; Kylah Demmings took second in the 5A 400 meters and fourth in the 5A 200 meters; Tyler Collins came in 19th in the 5A long jump and James Thorton was fourth in the 5A 60-meter dash.

The high school EAST team won first place in the Ready.Set.Record Film Festival for its anti-vaping short film. Members include Payam Garner, Tucker Neikirk and Gage Massey. Dalton McGathy is the EAST teacher.

Taylor Elementary fifth grader Geoffrey Gallinero won the Jefferson County Spelling Bee and placed fifth in the state Spelling Bee, winning $100.

Jennifer Menard received the Clara Burton Education Award and Jacob Pham received the Bridges-Socia Award from the White Hall Chamber of Commerce for community service.

PERSONNEL MOVES

The district accepted:

Certified resignations from Taylor Elementary special education teacher Cindy Spadoni, Moody Elementary fourth-grade teacher Tiffany Powell, Gandy Elementary fifth-grader Amanda Queck and middle school teacher and high school assistant football coach Jarius Wright

certified retirements from Moody fifth-grader Tanya Downs and first-grader Shelley Rogne, and

classified resignations from middle school in-school suspension paraprofessional Cindy Brown, Moody special ed parapro Michelle Mills and middle school secretary Laura Dupuy.

The district extended contracts for: assistant superintendents Cedric Hawkins and Debbie Jones; special education teacher Margie Parker; gifted and talented director Mary Beth Passmore; Gandy Elementary principal William Tietz; Hardin Elementary principal Jeff Glover; Moody Elementary principal Tim Atkinson; Taylor Elementary principal Tammie Canada; middle school principal Les Davis and assistant principal Lakendra Lovelady; high school principal Nathan Sullivan and assistant principals Skip Carr and Angie Looney.

The district hired Moody first-grade teacher Brittany Hilliard and middle school special ed teacher Haleigh Herring.

Certified transfers include: sixth-grade teacher Andi Lunsford to Moody Elementary to teach fifth grade; Moody Title I teacher Windy Cantwell to middle school dyslexia interventionist; and Carrie Browning from Taylor fifth-grade teacher to special ed resource teacher at Taylor.

Tenth-grader Nicolas Stafford has been hired as a student worker for the tech department, working three days a week after school.


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