New board member name plates created by technology pupils
Bellefontaine Schools Board of Education members gave a resounding voice of support for a War Memorial project presented during their Monday evening meeting that would recognize veterans in the community with a special walkway, benches and three memorial plaques to be installed by the school’s auxiliary gymnasium in the near future.
Members of the BHS AGAPE Club, along with social studies teachers Jason Brown, Matt Gallaway and Jim Robinson and other staff, have been researching local fallen service members during the past year and preparing materials for the project with the help of representatives from the Logan County History Center and the Logan County Veterans to D.C. program.
Brown told the board that he is currently working to secure private fundraising for the initiative, and school district funds are not being used to fund the BHS War Memorial, which honors both Bellefontaine High School graduates and fellow Logan County citizens alike.
“Our goal is to install it by graduation; but if that can’t happen, we will install it in the near future,” Brown said. “We want to have it in this high traffic area by the gymnasium. It also will be illuminated and people walking out at Blue Jacket Park will be able to see it in the distance.”
“We’re hoping that people who come to the games will be able to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, and all of those who served and gave us so much,” said AGAPE Club member Chelsea Burkhammer, who said she attended the 2019 Logan County Veterans to D.C., trip in honor of her late uncle, U.S. Army Vietnam War veteran William Burkhammer.
Fellow AGAPE Club member Mullaney Yoder explained that the memorial will include two smaller plaques and one larger plaque with the names of Logan County residents killed in battle. The honored fallen service members span back to the Civil War and continue to World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War/Southeast Asia, the Balkans and the War on Terror, which the students’ research at the history center helped to uncover.
“Once the memorial is installed, the AGAPE Club will be in charge of keeping the area looking nice and possibly installing landscaping there,” Mullaney said.
Also during the meeting, board members Scott Abraham, Brenda Sanford, Anne Reames, Mark Fissel and Colin Yoder were honored for School Board Appreciation month with a number of gifts from students, including a project conducted by BHS technology students to create new name plates for each of the board members, and several administrators as well.
BHS Principal Dr. Pam Noeth said student Tanner Wical put many hours into the effort, including testing initial designs and materials. He and fellow pupils utilized a ProtoMax OMAX waterjet to create the final product.
Members also learned more about the PAX Good Behavior Game from Bellefontaine Elementary Associate Principal Denise Johnson and Ceci Yelton, who works in the building through the Mental Health and Alcohol Services Board of Logan & Champaign Counties and TCN Behavioral Health to help implement the social-emotional program that complements the school’s Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports.
Yelton explained how the evidence-based program helps students learn how to self-regulate, creates nurturing classroom environments and increases academic performance.
Johnson and Yelton explained some of the ways that the behavior games are implemented in the classroom, including through PAX tootles, where pupils write each other notes about what they like and appreciate about each other; harmonicas that each teacher carries to create a “quiet” environment when needed; the “wacky prize bag” where students reach into a bag of items that will give their “brains a break” from school work; and their “OK/not OK” check-ins with their teacher at different points during the school day.
“It’s been transformational for our school,” the associate principal said.
In other action, the board:
• accepted the retirement resignation of 22 1/2 year district employee Jerri Foreman, elementary school cook, effective Feb. 1;
• appointed Bradley Carnes as coordinator of bus maintenance, effective Feb. 18, in a replacement position, with his salary set at $54,347.16;
• extended high school supplemental contracts for 2019-20 to: Jason Calton, head boys tennis; and extended middle school contracts for this school year to: Eric Fatzinger, head boys track; Steve Henry, head girls track; Nathan Arbogast, assistant girls track; Matthew Gallaway, assistant boys track;
• extended high school supplemental contracts for 2020-21 to: Jason Brown, head football, and Zach Latimer, assistant boys soccer;
• approved a change in time status for Dana Campbell, high school cook, from three hours to 3 1/2 hours;
• appointed the following service and support personnel: Cari Arthur, Regilane Nelson, cooks, and Damon Dixon, educational aide;
• approved Kenna Davis as a home/school tutor at the rate of $15 per hour; and
• recognized Mullaney Yoder and Ryan Pool as high school seniors of the month.
The next meeting is 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 9.