WCS Recognizes Students, Staff And Donors
WARSAW — Warsaw Community Schools’ Board of Trustees recognized several people, including students, staff and donors, during its regular board meeting on Monday, Oct. 14.
To kick off the special recognitions for the evening, Claypool Elementary School Principal Melissa Rees honored Claypool United Methodist Church. Stu Watkins was present at the meeting as a church representative. The church donated $15,000 to the elementary school.
“This past spring, we got a really nice financial gift from Olinger Family Trust,” said Watkins. “And we wanted to share that with the community. Some of the things these students are doing, especially in the STEM program, are really impressive.”
Echoes of the Past President Dan Ransbottom thanked FFA members for helping bind wheat. The organization recently donated $500 to the Warsaw FFA chapter.
“We like to help kids get a feel of agriculture, both in how it used to be and how it works now,” said Ransbottom. “They’re a great bunch of kids and they did a great job.”
Krista Polston, WCS grants and special projects coordinator, announced that the Dane and Mary Louise Miller Foundation recently donated $15,000 to help new teachers purchase supplies for classrooms. The board also recognized the receipt of an Indiana Literacy Early Intervention grant in the amount of $24,069.28.
Three WCS staff members were also recognized for their recent accomplishments. Abbi Richcreek, an engineering and robotics instructor at Edgewood Middle School, has been nationally recognized as a 2019-20 Project Lead the Way Outstanding Teacher. Richcreek will be recognized at a national convention for this achievement.
“I just have some really great students, so I can’t say enough about them,” said Richcreek. “They are so creative and I owe my credit to them.”
Tracey Akers and Lisa Secrist, nurses at Warsaw Community Schools, were recognized for being nationally certified as school nurses.
“The questions were very intense,” said Akers. “It was definitely eye-opening and we did learn a lot about things that we necessarily haven’t seen but that other nurse may have in other parts of the country.”
WCHS seniors Benjamin Beyer, Ella Doyle, Daniela Ochoa and Kanton Waddle were recognized as IASP Rising Stars for the class of 2020. Rising Stars is a program designed to honor high schoolers for academic achievement during their junior year. Each Indiana high school can recognize up to four students.
To conclude special recognitions, Matt and Jennifer Burt, Burt Builders Inc., were recognized
“They actually went out and did the fundraising for it,” said WCS Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert. “They also did a lot of donations from their personal company as well. We’re incredibly blessed as a school corporation to have great supporters like Matt and Jennifer.”
In other business, WCHS Athletic Director Matt Bunkered presented information about the Tiger Recreation and Activity Center, also known as TRAC, to the board. The facility is open to the public from 6 to 7 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; and from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Admission frees for the TRAC are $2 for a daily pass; $15 for a monthly pass; and $75 for a yearly pass. Family prices are $5, $50 and $150, respectively. WCS staff and their immediate family can use the TRAC for free.
Those with questions about the TRAC or about renting the entire facility can contact Lenny Krebs at [email protected].
Amy Sivley and Todd Braddock, Lakeview Middle School’s principal and assistant principal, also discussed the recent implementation of “Tiger Time” in students’ schedules at the middle school. Students and staff are given 1 1/2 hours a week for remediation and enrichment purposes for all course subjects.
“Our kids have done a wonderful job with this,” said Sivley. “And they get so excited about a lot of the enrichment sessions.”
The board also:
- Accepted and ratified the 2019-20 and 2020-21 certified teacher contract. This includes a $2,800 increase on the base salary for all certified teachers. For the 2019-20 school year, administration and classified staff will get a 2.5% raise.
- Announced that 6,937 students are currently enrolled in the Warsaw Community School Corporation.
- Approved the 2020 school budget, totaling $81,548,550.
The board’s next regular meeting will immediately follow its work session at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12.