February 10, 2015 School Board meeting highlights

Faculty Focus
Spring Valley High English Teacher Michelle Maxberry discussed how her English I students connected the artwork of Jacob Lawrence with "Copper Sun," a novel about a slave's journey to freedom written by Sharon Draper.

Maxberry’s students are participating in an arts initiative in partnership with Bravo Blythewood, a community arts group. This initiative blends art, literature, research and technology with prints from African American painter Jacob Lawrence’s “Great Migration” series. 

Voting Item: Eight Percent Funding
Chief Financial Officer Harry Miley presented, for second reading, an updated list of projects to be funded through Eight Percent Funds. As of June 30, 2014, the remaining debt margin available to the School District was $10,606,460. The board voted to table this item until a future board meeting.

2015–2016 Capital Improvements
2015–2016 IT Capital Expenditure Budget  

Voting Item: Bond Refunding Resolution
Chief Financial Officer Harry Miley presented for second reading a draft of the 2015 Bond Refunding Resolution that will authorize the district to pursue refunding eligible outstanding bond issues and also to issue an Eight Percent Capital Improvement Bond for 2015. The board voted to approve this resolution, which is expected to save the district $2 million.

2015 Bond Resolution

Report: Second Quarter Financial Statement
Chief Financial Officer Harry Miley presented as in formation to the board the Second Quarter Financial Statement.

Second Quarter Financial Statement

Update: Ridge View Facilities
Executive Director of Operations Jack Carter presented an update to the board on the status of ongoing facilities upgrades at Ridge View High School.

Ridge View Facilities Report

Update: R2i2
Assistant Superintendent Baron Davis presented a summary of new and ongoing projects for the Institute of Innovation. In addition to reviewing program concentrations and sample course highlights, he introduced the new R2i2 Director and Career Development Facilitator. Dr. Davis also discussed the new iOS Swift programming satellite course offered in partnership with Midlands Technical College and listed upcoming career exploration trips for students and staff.

R2i2 Update

Update: Leadership, Management & Supervision Training 
Assistant Superintendents Baron Davis and Keith Price presented information regarding new programs developed to cultivate leaders in our district. These two new programs evolved from one of the 2014–2015 district priorities—Leadership, Training and Supervision Development.

The Administrator Development Series targets new administrators, aspiring administrators and individuals interested in leadership-type positions. More than 100 employees expressed interest in the program. They meet monthly to learn about a variety of relevant topics.

The Assistant Principal Academy serves a group of assistant principals who aspire to become principals in the near future. Eleven individuals were selected from a pool of applicants to participate in the first class.
 
Planning for the next phase of Leadership, Training and Supervision Development has already begun. In the summer, individuals in their first two years of administration will participate in a series of workshops focused on essential responsibilities of district departments. The next application-based program is anticipated to begin in fall of 2015 and will focus on a group of individuals who aspire to begin their 

Leadership, Management and Supervision Training

Report: Accountability
The board received as information a report regarding the administration’s plans to address schools whose Elementary and Secondary Act (ESEA) letter grade dropped from 2013 to 2014.

ESEA letter grades are reported using five performance levels (A, B, C, D, and F). One of the challenges for schools and communities aiming to make sense of ESEA ratings is the fact that ESEA letter grades are created by combining two constructs into one: growth and proficiency.

Teaching and Learning Department Accountability Report


A complete recording of each board meeting is aired on the district’s cable access channel 12 R2TV on Time Warner Cable and on demand anytime through the district’sYouTube channel.

No student deliveries on Valentines Day

Reminder: Richland Two schools and centers will not accept deliveries for students on Valentines Day. 

Early dismissal and student holiday this week

On Thursday, February 12, elementary and middle schools will operate on a half-day schedule. Elementary schools will dismiss at 11:30 a.m.; middle schools will dismiss at 10:45 a.m.

Friday, February 13, is a student holiday. 

Schools, centers and administrative offices will be closed on Monday, February 16 in observance of the Presidents Day holiday.

Why Dr. Cheryl Caution-Parker serves

School Board meeting Tuesday, February 10, 2015

The Richland Two School Board will convene for its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, February 10, 2015, at Polo Road Elementary School, located at 1250 Polo Road, 29223. The Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. and immediately move into executive session. The public session begins at 7 p.m. See the agenda.

A Day in the Life of Coach Nussbaum

After a brief homeroom and advisory meeting , Jason Nussbuam, Westwood High School Head Athletic Trainer and Sports Medicine teacher, hurried to his classroom to prepare for the day. Most Wednesdays are late start days for high schools which means shorter classes. But "Coach Nuss" or "Nuss," as he affectionately called by his students, had a full day of activity and learning planned.

In Sports Medicine 1, he held up a stretched-out length of silly putty to demonstrate the elasticity of muscles and ligaments. Next, he blew up and popped a balloon to show how tissues respond to stress.

"A lot of our body tissues are elastic, but does that mean they can stand all the pressure we want to put on them?" he asked. "If we stretch them too far we get tears."

As he deftly walked the class through applying compression wraps to wrists, ankles and knees, he quizzed students. "What is the position of function for the ankle?" "Anybody know how to check for circulation in the fingers and toes?"

Before joining the Richland Two family three years ago, Coach Nuss spent several years as a civilian contractor at Fort Jackson where he took care of 1,300 new Basic Combat Training Soldiers every 10 weeks.

During the next period, Sports Medicine 2 students learned to properly adjust and get around on crutches. Each student then tackled walking up and down the stairs on crutches. "Uninjured leg first," he repeated as students took the challenge. Next, he taught the class about blood pressure. Coach Nuss circulated around the room, as students practiced checking each other's pressure.

For the final period of the day, Coach Nuss moved to the Athletic Training room. There, he and his students prepared to support wrestling practice that afternoon. That included folding towels, filling a tub with ice and reorganizing and restocking the medicine bag. Then it was time to practice wraps for the state HOSA competition next month in Charleston. Coach Nuss watched and critiqued as students practiced on each other.

"They would take off for this," he told a student pointing at wrinkles. "Do you know how you can fix it?"  

Finally, the school day wound to a close. Students headed to the wrestling practice. He and the nine students in the after school program support all the athletic teams, and he travels with the football team. Although, thanks to a partnership with Moore Center for Orthopedics, it was one of Coach Nuss's early days, not that he minds.

"Knowing that each day I have the opportunity to influence the leaders of our future makes the long days worthwhile!" he said.

Below is Coach Nuss's day in photos. Visit our A Day in the Life album on Flickr to see more of Coach's day.

School Board member Dr. Monica Elkins-Johnson's hope for our students