Board of Education Meeting Highlights Fine Arts, Optimist Oratorical Winners

By LYDIA BERGLAR
News Editor

The March 25th meeting of the Dade County Board of Education featured student performances and highlighted the value of the fine arts, especially music education. The American Legion also offered student engagement/history-related suggestions that the Legion members could help with.

Superintendent Josh Ingle noted that March is “Music in Our Schools” month, and therefore, Gabrielle Haston (director of choral activities at DMS and DCHS, DCHS fine arts department chair) gave an update and the Dade County High School Literary Men’s Quartet performed “For the Longest Time.” This quartet placed second at the state literary competition, and the women’s trio placed fourth.

Makaela Chance was recognized for making District Honor Band for the fifth time, and Sam Higdon and Landon Ramirez were recognized for District Honor Jazz Band.

Haston reported that the DCHS All-State Chorus (Zoie Gibson, Drake Blevins, Axl Chaney, Jack Dupree, Trenton Dunn, Nayla Smith, and Rock Chaney) completes several challenging feats, including performing in foreign languages.

Haston noted Jessica Wilson’s work as the DMS and DCHS drama teacher, Brandi Gann’s and Trent Walliser’s work leading visual arts, and the ways these teachers promote collaborative projects across grade levels, schools, and multiple branches of the fine arts. She later noted the elementary music teachers Leigh Ann Beesley and Wendi Fields, chorus directors Brandi Steele and Jessica Howard, and band teacher Jonah Browder.

She then highlighted the benefits of studying music, saying, “Music instruction accelerates brain development in young children…in addition to brain development, music is extremely influential in emotional and behavioral maturation. Science can’t completely explain how music influences the soul and the mind, but the results are clear that students who are involved in music are provided with a creative outlet to identify and express their emotions while allowing them to make sense of their experiences.”

Haston continued, “Music is the only subject we study that actively activates both hemispheres of the brain…We need more creative thinkers in our society to help solve the challenges ahead and especially the ones we can’t see coming.”

Ingle then reported that the annual report has been released, with copies available at the central office or online at the Dade County Schools website. The brochure’s content follows the strategic plan outline. This year’s issue is in honor of Chris Greene, 1987 DCHS graduate, whose untimely death last May was mourned by the school system that he faithfully served for numerous decades.

The three winners of the Trenton-Dade Optimist Club Oratorical Contest then read their winning speeches for the school board: Ethan Buehrer (second place), Andrew McAnally (third place), and Madison Cain (first place).

Ingle discussed School Window, an online payment platform that the school system can use when there are fundraisers of cash collections, with potential to use it at sporting events. The company charges a four percent service fee from the purchaser, but there is no charge to the school system.

Ingle reported the good news that thanks to CTAE Director Tonya Gatlin’s work on a workforce development grant, Dade County Schools received a nearly $28,000 grant from the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. The grant will be used for a four-day STEM summer camp for third through fifth graders to help develop these skills.

During Public Input, Bob Woods spoke on behalf of the American Legion and Military Museum. He said a teacher who is part of the Legion, Dr. Tom Randolph, mentioned the need to keep students engaged between milestone tests and the end of the semester. The Legion came up with a few suggestions for the schools to consider.

One, a writing (or drawing, for young students) history challenge would result in pieces that the Legion would display at the Military Museum.

Two, a family history experiment would have children interview older family members about their lives and the history they’ve experienced. Students would compile the results of their research into a report or presentation.

Three, the Legion offered to help run a simulation of the presidential election at the schools.

Four, the Legion has members who are available to provide history lectures at the schools. Woods said, “We have folks who are very well in tune to history and what it means.

Five, students could visit the Legion’s booth at the 1945 Fair to help create a time capsule. Woods said that students could write down whatever they feel is important about the current era that they are growing up in and the box would be buried in front of the Military Museum to be opened up in 100 years. He said, “The children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren can read [what their ancestors wrote].”

Moving on to a number of small business matters, the board voted to accept the resignation of Daniel Case from the District 1 seat. Upon qualifying to run for county executive, Case had to step down from his service on the school board. The board accepted applications for candidates to fill the unexpired term until 2 p.m. on March 29 after announcing the open position and advertising in the Sentinel.

The board reviewed and approved the board norms and protocols, with Ingle noting that no changes have been made to these standards since he became superintendent. He noted that if the board so desires, a good time to make changes would be after the District 1 seat is filled and when the board is going through training.

The board also approved paying Lawson Electric Company for emergency electrical repairs at the transportation facility. A feed from the transformer had corroded wire that resulted in sparks and a small fire. After contacting local contractors, the school system found that Lawson had a team available to work on the project immediately.

John Smith (director of facilities/transportation) reported that a new line was installed and “everything is up to code now.” Insurance did not cover this expense.

The board also approved replacing the 250 teacher desktops at all four schools, updating from the 2016 models that are reaching end of life to faster processors with twice as much memory. These desktops can be delivered and installed by the start of the next school year. Covered by SPLOST, the total expense is roughly $202,000.

The personnel report is as follows:

• Retirements (end of FY24 school year): Tonia Stevens, Kay Kennedy, Lee Anne Gibson, William Bankson
• Resignations (end of FY24 school year): Blake Myers, Brooks Mendenhall, Kevin Templeton, Lindsey Gil, and Andrea Mazariegos (last day March 29) and Tori Payne (last day May 24)
• Hire: Christina Allman, Heather Warnock, Brooklyn (Poston) Turner, Lucas Vazquez, Kara Steele, Kelly Doolittle, Mandy McDaniel, Ronnie Cartwright
• Hire Substitute Teacher: Kamryn Phillips
• SNP Personnel: Amanda Byrum (substitute)