Exchange program approved

The Jay Schools international initiative has taken another step forward.
Superintendent Tim Long announced Monday that three Indiana school districts — including Jay Schools — and four Indiana education groups have joined together with school officials from Taiwan for an ambitious global exchange program.
Jay Schools, Adams Central Schools, and the Northwestern Consolidated Schools of Shelby County will work with Ball State University, the Central Indiana Education Service Center, the Indiana State Teachers Association, and the Indiana Department of Education to establish the program with the schools of Miaoli County of Taiwan.
“Regionally this is a pretty big effort for us,” Long told the Jay School Board. “We’re happy to be a part of it.”
A memorandum signed by Miaoli County and the Indiana Department of Education outlines five key projects:
•A dual diploma program will be established between Taiwan and Jay Schools through which high school students could access and achieve a diploma.
•Miaoli County teachers will be encouraged to travel to Indiana to teach Chinese, while Indiana teachers are encouraged to teach English in Taiwan.
•Ball State will partner with Yu Da University on a “2-plus-2” Dual Degree Program.
•An “Access English” program will promote innovation in the teaching of the English language.
•A comprehensive global exchange program will be created that could involve an Internet component.
As part of the initiative, Cheng-hung Liu, the Miaoli County magistrate, will lead a delegation to Indiana this week.
He will be feted at a dinner on May 2 at John Jay Center for Learning in Portland.
“We’re very excited now to welcome the magistrate,” said Long, who was part of an Indiana delegation to both Taiwan and China this spring.
In other business Monday, board members unanimously agreed to designate repairs to a mezzanine floor under a boiler at Jay County High School as an emergency.
School corporation business manager Brad DeRome said John Rigsbee of CSO Architects is currently working on a solution to the problem.
The concrete slab supporting the boiler is above a section of corridor near the auditorium at JCHS and is now being supported with temporary shoring.
“We’ve had two structural engineers look at it and declare it safe, but it still needs to be fixed,” said Long.
DeRome estimated the cost, which would be paid from the capital projects budget, could be in the neighborhood of $100,000.
By declaring the project an emergency repair, the board allows the administration to move forward based upon quotes rather than going through the bidding process.
In other business, the board:
•Approved a military diploma for Jerry Bias, pending the receipt of additional paperwork from the state. Under a change in state law, veterans who left school prior to graduation but received their GED are eligible for a military diploma. Bias, who left Madison High School in 1967 and later served in Vietnam where he earned two Purple Hearts, will receive his diploma on May 10. “He’s the last Madison graduate,” said Long.
•Learned that 91 percent of Jay Schools third graders passed the IREAD-3 test. “It’s a very good report,” said assistant superintendent Wood Barwick, noting that it reflects a 3 percentage point improvement over last year.
•Heard a report on the VEX World Robotics Championship competition in Anaheim, Calif. Two JCHS teams and one middle school team were among 800 teams competing in the event. All three teams finished in the top 60.
•Hired Susan Huffman as secretary at Westlawn Elementary School, Jenee Goldberg as a school psychologist, Scott Miller as a physics and science teacher at JCHS, Dennis Dwiggins and Ted Habegger as drivers’ education teachers, and Tim Millspaugh as head football coach at JCHS (see related story by Ray Cooney on page 10).
•Accepted the retirement resignations of school bus driver Bob Gregory, second shift custodian Richard Hummer, instructional assistant Connie Lingo, first grade teacher Carlotta Flynn, fifth grade teacher Mary Meinerding, first grade teacher Gloria Simons, and second grade teacher Christine Whitenack effective at the end of the school year.
•Accepted the resignation of Mayra Ronquillo as a preschool instructional assistant.
•Approved leaves of absence for fourth grade teacher Kelly Brandenburg, fifth grade teacher Carrie Byrum, special education director David Chastain, family and consumer science teacher Florine Golden, second shift custodian Mildred Harter, special education teacher Jennifer Harris, instructional assistant Marie Bruggeman, and instructional assistant Susan Brown.
•Accepted the extra-curricular assignment resignations of student council adviser Jeff Erb and student council assistant adviser Zachary Keller at JCHS effective at the end of the school year.
•Approved extra-curricular assignments for Tom Ferguson as volunteer baseball coach at JCHS, Kerri Andreshak as cheer sponsor at Pennville Elementary School, Natalie Corcoran as Just Say No sponsor at Pennville, and Zachary Keller as student council adviser at JCHS.
•Approved field trips by the JCHS baseball team, the JCHS archery team, the JCHS foreign language clubs, the JCHS girls’ and boys’ basketball teams, and JCHS agriculture students.
•Approved bus requests by the Jay County Girl Scouts and the Zion Early Learning Center.
•Approved the schedule for board meetings for 2013-2014.
•Adopted music and reading textbooks as recommended by committees involving parents and teachers.[[In-content Ad]]