The Columbus Municipal School District celebrated past achievements and laid out plans for future academic success during Thursday night”s meeting at the Columbus Municipal Complex.
Outreach coordinator Nadia Dale updated board members with information about the Wake-Up Project, which begins next month and is designed to teach students life skills they can use both in and out of the classroom. Speakers and counselors will offer gender-based sessions after school and on weekends to discuss gender-specific issues ranging from nutrition and self-esteem to confidence.
“The Wake-Up Project is about accountability beyond the classroom,” said District public information officer Janet Lewis. “It will teach them tools they need outside of math, science, and social studies.”
The first workshop will be held May 5 at Lee Middle School. Registration will be held at 1 p.m., with the opening session immediately following. Students will break into individual groups from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., while parents and educators will meet from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The event will conclude with a joint session from 5:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.
In other news, parents beamed with pride and lined up to take photographs as approximately 100 students from across the district shook hands with school board members and accepted certificates for placing in the Mississippi Region V Science and Engineering Fair, which was held March 21-22, 2011 at Mississippi State University”s Bagley College of Engineering in Starkville.
The district also recognized district administrator of the Year Cindy Wamble and district teacher of the year Frances Allen, both of Columbus Middle School, and parent of the year Suzanne Bean of Columbus High School and McKellar Technology.
Other teachers of the year were: Courtney Langford, Cook Elementary; Barbara Temple, Fairview Elementary; Sharon Fondren, Franklin Elementary; Vicki Gerhart, Sale Elementary; Robert Brown, Stokes-Beard Elementary; Jennifer Butts, Hunt Intermediate; Frances Allen, Columbus Middle School; Lynne Sneed, McKellar Technology; and Courtney Stanback, Columbus High School.
Other parents of the year were: Malinda Dale, Cook Elementary; Carla Bolton, Fairview Elementary; Trudy Buckhalter, Franklin Elementary; Patricia Minor, Sale Elementary; Jackie Vaughn, Stokes-Beard Elementary; Angela Verdell, Columbus Middle School; and Suzanne Bean, Columbus High School and McKellar Technology.
Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.