Centralia City Schools approved a new math curriculum at the monthly board meeting on Tuesday night. The CENGAGE math curriculum was purchased for $201,435. In the curriculum report, Christina Becker said that training for the new math program will begin next month as the start of the year approaches, as well as training for Schiller staff for the Benchmark Phonics program being introduced in that building. Becker believes that the new curriculum will be helpful as math becomes an area of focus for teachers this year.
“We have spent several years focusing on reading through the district, so now it’s time to make the shift to math. The teachers have gone through a process to select a program that they felt would best meet the needs of the kids… We’re excited for that purchase to help move our kids in the right direction in math.”
Becker also noted that new teacher orientation is coming up, and that there are fewer new teachers this year than in the past few years. She says this indicates fewer teachers leaving and being replaced, which is a good sign for the district.
The board approved several handbook updates, including an update to the transportation employee handbook that is meant to ensure bus driver availability for extracurricular events.
Registration for first through eighth grade students is scheduled for August 7 from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Centralia Junior High School. Kindergarten registration takes place August 8 from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM at Schiller School. Registration fees and book fees were waived for this year as they have been in previous years.
The board accepted the resignation of Mikayla Grote as Schiller School kindergarten teacher and approved the transfer of Nichole Hixson from CJHS individual paraprofessional to classroom paraprofessional.
The board approved the following hires: Teresa Hutchison as CJHS special education resource teacher, Stacy Nocerino as CJHS special education resource teacher pending license, Natalie Williamson as CJHS special education cross-categorical teacher, CJHS girls’ basketball coach, and assistant girls’ softball coach, Charles Gause as full-time bus driver, Lance Boldt as boys’ baseball coach, and Shaina Hocking as CJHS scholar bowl coach.
