Small Town News

Walnut Grove could be in line for a federal energy grant

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School board moves forward with Flex Learning Plan

WWG -- Principal Paul Olson told the board there would be a person coming to the school to review the possibility of the school qualifying for a federal energy grant.

Dan Reek of Target Corp. visited the school last Thursday to do an energy audit.

Since that time a meeting has been set up for this Thursday at Walnut Grove to discuss the potential for receiving a grant. After touring the building Reek felt a grant might be pursued as a city wide project.

The grant would be for a minimum of one million dollars. It also would not require a match.

Last year several area schools put forth a proposal to the state to install a flexible learning plan that would allow the districts to start school before labor day. The proposal was sent to the Minnesota Education Department for their approval.

The proposal at that time only involved a few districts, and was denied. Since that time a rather extensive proposal has been developed by some of the lead schools, and 25 schools have signed up for the proposal.

The Vision of the proposal is to improve student learning.

The Mission is to make systematic changes to improve student learning.

The focus is to capture more high impact learning days, work collaboratively to improve teacher effectiveness, and the alignment of the K-16 educational calendar.

Other items to be approached would be:

-To work cooperatively to improve teacher effectiveness, with significantly enhanced professional development opportunities.

-Creation of common professional development activities.

-Creation of professional learning communities.

-Greater potential for shared staff members.

-Alignment of K-16 educational calendar with common start dates. To help be in line with post secondary start dates for students choosing post secondary options.

-Work cooperatively to improve teacher effectiveness.

The proposal has a list of pre-requisites for consortium participation of schools.

The plan also includes a calendar of which includes high stakes assessment dates and days that must be scheduled on all consortium calendars.

Superintendent Loy Woelber hopes the strong proposal and the number of schools signed on will have enough impact at the state for it to be approved Woelber updated the board on the old playground west of the high school. It would cost $26,000 to put a 2 inch overlay on it. He said that is not in our budget, but some teachers are parking there now and can continue to park there. He also recommended that Stan Erickson keep a 20 foot path open there this winter.

The board approved the following items:

*Annual assurance of compliance for no discrimination at WWG.

*Set Canvass meeting for 8:30 November 3 at Walnut Grove.

*Annual staff development report.

*Leave of Absence request for Chris Kuehl for the 09-10 school year.

*Approved Erin

Richards as a long term sub for Chris Kuehl starting November 16.

*Declared the full size Dodge van as surplus to be sold.

*Boys hockey agreement with Windom for a student to participate.

*Participate in a foundation grant resolution supporting MSHSL and their dealings with students of poverty.

*Lane Changes for Shannon Beck, Jolene VanDeVeire, and Melissa Brugman.

. *Approval of contract with teachers at 2.25 percent for 09, and 2.25 percent for the 10 school year Support staff pay increase of 2.25 percent.

*Student hand book was also approved.

Woelber told the board some work was done on one of the boilers. He also told the board they need to look at replacing boilers in Westbrook and Walnut Grove.

Woelber said, "things are going well with all the changes in our administrative office staff."

Principal Olson told the board they will have seven student teachers coming to the elementary school this year.

The Veterans Day program will be held Wednesday November 11 at 2 p.m. At the elementary school in Walnut Grove.

Many of the smart boards are up and running at the elementary school. Mary Jo

Hendrickson will be doing training on them.



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© 2010 Sentinel Tribune Westbrook, Minnesota. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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