POTTSTOWN PA – Personnel actions recommended by the Pottsgrove School District administration were accepted last Tuesday (Oct. 11, 2011) by the district Board of School Directors A total of 72 district positions were affected; they include:

Approved as professionals’ appointments:

• Lydia Ramer Hunter, part-time German teacher, $21,838;
• Jason Gault, After School Tutor – Middle School, $31 per hour;
• Rick Royce, After School Tutor – Middle School, $31 per hour;
• Danette Baum, After School Tutor – Middle School, $31 per hour;
• Joy Stathopoulos, After School Tutor – Middle School, $31 per hour;
• Tom Bailey, After School Tutor – Middle School, $31 per hour;
• Dan Lenko, After School Tutor – Middle School, $31 per hour;
• Ashley Lanyon, After School Tutor – Middle School, $31 per hour;
• Justin Giles, After School Tutor – Middle School, $31 per hour; and
• Lydia Ramer Hunter, After School Tutor – Middle School, $31 per hour.

Approved as professionals’ substitutes:

• Marybeth Coggshall, Substitute Teacher – Alternative Ed, $31 per hour;
• Jennifer Kurtz, Substitute Teacher, $100 per day;
• Christine Walsberg, Substitute Teacher, $100 per day; and
• Kierstin Levan, Substitute Teacher, $100 per day.

Approved as support staff resignations:

• Michael Leszkowicz, Grounds/Maintenance, effective Oct. 7, 2011.

Approved as support staff assignment or classification change:

• Melody Milkovits, from Intervention Tutor Ringing Rocks – 4.5 hours, to Intervention Tutor Ringing Rocks – 5 hours;
• Susan Wolbert, from Intervention Tutor Ringing Rocks – 4.5 hours, to Intervention Tutor Ringing Rocks – 5 hours;
• Carol Roth, from duty aide Ringing Rocks – 3 hours 25 minutes, to duty aide Ringing Rocks – 3 hours 35 minutes;
• Hollie Kasper, from duty aide Lower Pottsgrove – 2 hours 30 minutes, to Kid Writing Lower Pottsgrove – additional 30 minutes;
• Peg McKelvey, from duty aide Lower Pottsgrove – 2 hours 30 minutes, to Kid Writing Lower Pottsgrove – additional 30 minutes; and
• Antoinette Thrasher, from Custodian – Pottsgrove High, to Custodian – West Pottsgrove.

Approved as support staff appointments:

• Eric Wagner, Custodian – Ringing Rocks, $15.77 per hour.

Approved as substituts:

• Samantha Crist, Substitute Aide, $9.21-$9.76 per hour;
• Carol Maholland, Substitute Aide, $9.21-$9.76 per hour;
• Lauren Holoka, Substitute Aide, $9.21-$9.76 per hour;
• Julia Tye, Substitute Aide, $9.21-$9.76 per hour;
• William Berry, Substitute Custodian, $10.85 per hour;
• Timothy Bowden, Substitute Custodian, $10.85 per hour;
• John Caperilla, Substitute Custodian, $10.85 per hour;
• Thomas Harrar, Substitute Custodian, $10.85 per hour; and
• Clara Fair, Substitute Custodian, $10.85 per hour.

Approved for student teacher placement:

• Madeline Bieber of West Chester University, supervised by Sara Beaver of Lower Pottsgrove, from Jan. 25-May 10, 2012;
• Deborah Buckwalter of West Chester University, supervised by Regina Parke of Lower Pottsgrove, from Jan. 25-May 10, 2012; and
• Melissa McKechnie of Valley Forge Christian College, supervised by Jamie Folk of Lower Pottsgrove, from Oct. 17-Dec. 9, 2011.

Approved as resignations from supplemental positions:

• Kim Sheeler, Drama Production – High School.

Approved for attendance at conferences:

• Mary Hill, Lower Pottsgrove Elementary teacher, and Mary Bradley, Ringing Rocks Elementary teacher, to attend MCIU Fundations training. Cost $260. Substitute coverage is required.
• Doriann Parker, district reading specialist, and Christy Kirsch, teacher on special assignment, to attend How Educators Must Navigate Through SAS, PVAAS, and Other Resources to Reach the 2013 Destination. Cost $479. Substitute coverage is not required.
• Stephan Kincaid, Pottsgrove Middle School guidance counselor, and Karen Martin, Ringing Rocks Elementary guidance counselor, to attend Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents. Cost $471. Substitute coverage is not required.
• Stephan Kincaid, Pottsgrove Middle School guidance counselor, to attend Pennsylvania School Counselors Association 56th Annual 2011 Conference. Cost $560. Substitute coverage is not required.
• Karen Martin, Ringing Rocks Elementary guidance counselor, to attend Treating Anxiety in Youth: Clinical Strategies. Cost $145. Substitute coverage is not required.
• Shellie Feola, assistant superintendent, Todd Davies, director of education and assessments, Krista Rundell, secondary teacher on special assignment, Christy Kirsch, teacher on special assignment, and Doriann Parker, district reading specialist, to attend Digging Deeper into the Common Core State Standards: Going Beyond Awareness to Implementation. Cost $1,350 per person. No substitute coverage is required.
• Cynthia Scherer, Pottsgrove High School art teacher, Gwyneth Thomas, Pottsgrove High School art teacher, Kenton McGlone, Pottsgrove High School art teacher, Hether Bolyn-Becker, Pottsgrove Middle School art teacher, and Joy VanRuler, West Pottsgrove Elementary art teacher, to attend Seamless and Sustained: The Integrated Curriculum. Cost $135 per person. Substitute coverage is required.
• Eileen Forsyth, Pottsgrove High School gifted support, to attend Challenging the Gifted Conference 2011. Cost $175. Substitute coverage is required.
• Todd Davies, director of education and assessments, Rose Bilinski, Pottsgrove Middle School teacher, Amy Long, Lower Pottsgrove Elementary teacher and a Pottsgrove High School math teacher (TBD) to attend Five Easy Steps to a Balanced Math Program. Cost $550 per person. Substitute coverage is required.

Related (to the Pottsgrove Board of School Directors’ Oct. 11 meeting):

• Pottsgrove Board Personnel Decisions Affect 72 Positions
• Teachers Helping Classes Succeed, Newsletter Contends
• Poor Math, Reading At Pottsgrove High Frustrates Board

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