Resident has questions for school board (12/09/05)

To the editor:

Did anyone else read the coverage of the Jay School Board in The Commercial Review and come up with the same concerns and questions I did?

The vocational instructional area of the high school will undergo a major reconfiguration. The swimming pool area will be renovated and the west wall of the pool will be moved. Permanent seating for 335 spectators will be added and a dehumidifying system is being installed in the pool area. The project may not even come under the $18 million cap.

I am not against any of these decisions. I actually believe that sports and buildings are important. My confusion is with the board’s decision not to address the issue of class size in the Jay Schools.

I would like to suggest to the board that 30 might be a magic number. It could be the number in a classroom where learning is sacrificed. I would suggest that each board member take a day and teach or do anything with 30 students. They do not all come in as empty vessels ready to learn.

Has anyone measured the classrooms? Has anyone talked to the teachers? How are the ISTEP scores? I would like to suggest that two classrooms of 30 students would be better served in three classrooms of 20. I would like to open that can of worms.

The board was concerned that the instructional aides not have health care benefits, but is anyone concerned about their qualifications? Did I understand that the cost was $4,000 each for the semester? Will that alone put us in deficit?

Does anyone remember when the state came up with Prime Time? The magic number then was 20. Where did that number come from? Where did it go? I would like to encourage each parent to count the number of children in their child’s classroom. If it is over 20 (which I suggest that it may well be) then I encourage you to talk to your school board members and encourage them to make the classes in the Jay Schools smaller.

Jeni Lingo

Pennville

Thankgiving thanks

To the editor:

Thanks to this amazing community, over 385 friends and neighbors were treated to a very special community Thanksgiving Day dinner. As always, it is an absolute delight to watch dishes of salads, vegetables and desserts appear as donations are received throughout the morning filling our empty tables to overflowing.

While this is going on the kitchen is a beehive of activity as food for the homebound is prepared. Volunteers have arrived to form an assembly line filling sacks of milk, deviled eggs, pumpkin pie, oranges and bread. Once completed, the hot food trays are filled with the traditional turkey, dressing and vegetable for all 230 hot meals.

Behind the scene, delivery rouets are being formed with volunteers standing by to transport the meals to those waiting at home.

This year we had 11 routes instead of our usual eight and all enjoyed the heartwarming experience of true joy and thankfulness in both the giving and receiving.

Meanwhile, back at the kitchen, final touches are being put on the remaining dinner for the folks. And Buttnz and Bowz have arrived to thrill the crowd with their delightful balloon creations. Snoopy quickly adorns all tables and soon the guests are proudly wearing parrots on their shoulders, ladybugs on their wrists, and huge smiles on their faces as children and grownups alike enjoy the colorful display.

The afternoon continues with warm conversation and hearty laughter as friendships pick up where they left off last year. After a lot of visiting and audience time, the excitement mounts as the drawing of more than 65 door prizes to groceries, restaurants, pharmacies and local merchants begins. At the end of the day we are touched to see every heart as full as plates had been earlier.

When people share a common vision they can accomplish the impossible — and you did just that. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all the local agencies, service clubs, businesses, sororities, company unions, churches and individuals for this heartwarming day. We hope you will find your lives as blessed as you have made the lives of so many.

Sincerely,

The Community Thanksgiving Dinner Committee — Pastor Darrell Borders, Wilma Fowler, Katie Fry, Art Hall, Betty Hisey, Thurman Hisey, Helen Martin, Paul Martin, Thelma Myers, Ralph Myers, Carol Smith, Russ Smith, Dolphus Stephens, Nora Stephens, Emily Steveson, Pastor Mark Strietelmeier and Judy Zearbaugh[[In-content Ad]]