Lanesboro School Board: Wellness committee makes recommendation

By News Team
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Fri, Jan 19th, 2007
Posted in Education

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Sara Decker presented the three-pronged recommendation of the Wellness Committee to the Lanesboro School Board at their January 18 meeting. Decker reported the committee had been meeting monthly since its formation in August and had researched the recommendation thoroughly. The committee recommended: students eat lunch after recess, not before; students have at least 20 minutes to sit down and eat lunch; all students take part in recess with no disciplinary denials of recess time. Decker, citing resources, said such changes could benefit academic performance of the students.

According to Decker and the committee, currently students eat lunch dressed for recess in their snow gear and spend only 8 or 9 minutes eating before they dump their trays to rush out for recess. By having recess first, students would work up an appetite and be ready to eat lunch, settling down from recess before returning to the classroom.

The board talked about the logistics of such a change in schedule for a bit before deciding that it was not for them to decide and referring it to Superintendent Boggs and the principals. Board member Dave Ruen commented he didn't want to give up the teacher's ability to keep students in at recess, noting it seemed to be the only leverage that worked with some students.

Interested in improving communication with the staff, Decker is scheduled to speak with them at a staff meeting as well.

Willette receives award

Ag instructor Tim Willette shared the plaque he received when he won the Teachers Turn the Key Award at the National Association of Agricultural Educators in Atlanta. Willette had been nominated by the state association. After filling out an application, he was number one of two teachers chosen from the state to win a scholarship paying the airfare, hotel, and conference registration to the national conference in Atlanta. Willette enthusiastically reported the conference had offered worthwhile workshops in curriculum and classroom management.

Student numbers in FFA have risen dramatically since Willette's arrival at Lanesboro; currently there are 32 members in the local chapter. Willette will be teaching a new Food Science class this spring; FFA competition will now have a Food Science category as well.

Other business

In other business, the school board:

• re-elected the same school board officers as last year with committee assignments and meeting schedule remaining the same;

• kept the same official newspaper (Republican Leader), depository (Associated Bank of Lanesboro), and legal counsel (Dick Nethercut);

• authorized the superintendent to make investments for the district;

• passed a resolution directing the administration to make recommendations for reductions in programs and positions (a routine yearly resolution);

• accepted a resignation from paraprofessional Lou Ann Storelee;

• approved a math teacher contract for the remainder of the year with Tom Flaig, a May graduate of Southwest State who currently lives in Lanesboro and coaches fifth and sixth grade Saturday basketball;

• decided to ask for an update on high school guidance counseling at the February meeting.

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