The GFW School Board held a regular meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 21. A summary of the meeting is below.
Watch the meeting on YouTube:
Superintendent’s Report
Dr. Smith shared updates from the MSBA conference and celebrated paraprofessionals for Paraprofessional Recognition Week. Paras are in every part of our schools and do so much for our students, be sure to thank a paraprofessional!
The surveys that were shared with Gibbon and Winthrop residents seeking community input about what they would like to see happen with the current school facilities after the district moves into the new building have recently closed. Results will be shared with the cities and more updates will be coming soon on these surveys.
Construction continues at the new site with some parts of the building being heated as crews prepare to install plumbing and other items. Framing continues in the Elementary School wing and a variety of contractors are doing work throughout the building.
The Site Team has met recently and will be transitioning a bit into a district advocacy group who will share input on future district initiatives. The group will be meeting every other month going forward.
School Reports
Principal Thompson started by thanking paraprofessionals and shared that they are the heroes of the month for the T-Bird Way assembly so there will be more ways to celebrate them this month.
February is I Love to Read Month and the annual reading fundraiser will be taking place along with fun activities for students, dress up days, and more. The winter concert was rescheduled due to the snow day in December and it went very well with lots of people attending. Teachers and staff have been participating in staff development activities and are looking at data to make some adjustments based on the needs of students.
Kindergarten Kick Off will take place on March 25 at 1:30 and 5:30 and the district is excited to welcome new students.
She also thanked Sharon Fossum and Spirit of the Season for all of the work they do all year long as well as the busy time through the holidays.
Principal Thompson also shared the update from the middle school and high school.
It is a busy time at the middle school and high school with lots of ways to get involved. The FFA Chapter will be getting back into the swing of things as they look ahead to FFA week in February. The CTE College and Career Fair will take place at GFW High School on Feb. 21 and students will have the chance to talk to representatives from a variety of local businesses and higher education institutions.
Student Council members are busy planning for upcoming activities including Sweetheart Week with dress up days, dance and other activities. The National Honor Society is keeping busy by wrapping up fundraising and supporting screenings at the elementary school.
Middle School Knowledge Bowl teams qualified for regionals and did a great job. High School Knowledge Bowl is progressing well with students getting ready for upcoming competitions.
Other programs are going well with theater, band, and athletics all doing a variety of activities.
School Board Reports
Board members shared brief updates from committees which have been recently restructured with meetings scheduled for the coming weeks.
Superintendent Search
Jeff Bertrang and Harold Remme from the South Central Service Cooperative shared updates from the superintendent search process. An online survey saw participation from the community about the strengths, challenges, and priorities for the district going forward. A profile of what the community wants to see in the next GFW Superintendent was put together and used to narrow down candidates who meet the profile.
Preferred attributes include having strong communication skills, being an innovator, strong financial knowledge, being an organizer and developer to increase programming, and being a part of the community. Other characteristics identified included team building, understanding facilities and projects, being honest and ethical, and having an understanding of diverse student populations.
There were 8 total candidates, which is a typical number for rural school districts. The consultants recommended four candidates and after some discussion the following four candidates were chosen to participate in interviews:
Allen Berg, Superintendent for Alden-Conger and Glenville-Emmons Schools
Paul Henn, Asst Elementary Principal, New Ulm Public Schools
Joel Timmerman, Elementary Principal, Kimball Public Schools
Judd Wheatley, K-12 Principal, MACCRAY Public Schools
Interviews will be held next week.
Consent Agenda, Resolutions and Action Items
The board approved the consent agenda.
The board approved the audit as presented.
The board approved a proposal to make Friday, Jan. 31 a full student attendance day instead of a half-day in order to get teachers more time with students after missing school due to weather.