Belpre BOE approves summer school dates
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BELPRE -- The Belpre City Schools Board of Education approved summer school dates and listened to presentations during its monthly meeting on Monday evening.
School Psychologist Assistant Michael Seebaugh gave a presentation about a new partnership with the Character Lab Research Network to help students with critical thinking -- which Belpre stakeholders identified as the highest priority -- in addition to empathy and communication, which Seebaugh said are hard skills to quantify.
The Character Lab is an association of schools and scientists working together to advance scientific insight that helps kids thrive while providing some evidence-based research, well thought out surveys and data to help the district quantity those needs, said Seebaugh.
To figure out those needs, 205 students in the district filled out a survey where most of the questions were on a 0 to 10 scale or yes or no. Some of the questions asked in the survey were: do teachers treat them with respect (8.1 out of 10), do you have an adult who always wants you to do your best (97 percent said yes), do you believe your intelligence is something you can change (8.1 out of 10), but many students didn't think their classes are interesting (5.6 out of 10).
With these surveys, the district found out that students are going to bed at a later time, playing video games (32 percent) and being on social media (52 percent) for more than four hours, while the majority do not read just one book.
The district also uses the Botvin Life Skills Training Program to replace the long-time Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E) program. Along with using techniques to resist the pressure to use tobacco, alcohol and other drugs, the program focuses on equipping students with skills related to personal self-management, social interactions and drug resistance with the goal of helping them enhance their self-esteem and develop problem-solving abilities and many others.
This past school year, the life skills curriculum is provided to all seventh- and eighth-grade students in Health class taught by Ryan Leasure, as well as 10th-grade students in Leadership class, taught by Tyler Leasure.
"Michael and Ryan and Tyler Leisure have done a ton of work to make sure our seventh and 10th graders have what they need to be successful and if you've ever seen them at work with our students," Superintendent Jeff Greenley said. "They take it very seriously and methodically trying to give them those tools and those, those mindsets that they need to be successful so my hat's off to them, they do a good job."
Approved were the dates for the elementary summer program, from June 1-3, 7-10 and 14-17, as well as the Safetytown Summer Program from June 1-11.
Greenley said the elementary summer program is going to be beneficial to students at the level, as students have been struggling since spring of 2020. It will also be available to be used by students to engage in more rigorous content
Greenley said more details will be presented to the public in a virtual town hall when students return from spring break.
Safetytown is a program where incoming kindergarten students learn about safety in the school.
The program has been going for over 35 years and is sponsored by The United Way Alliance of Mid-Ohio Valley, The Belpre Lions Club, The Belpre Womans Club and the Belpre Area Community Foundation. All expenses of the Safetytown Program are paid by the Safetytown board.
Kindergarten registration also started on Monday and will be accepted until April 30. Parents can register their child at the central office, 2000 Rockland Ave., Monday through Friday or sign up online via BCS' website.
The board will consider the district calendar for the 2021-2022 school year with a graduation date of May 22, 2022.
Greenley did say that he would like to continue to use a staggered start that was used last fall, where half the students start on one day and the second half would start the next day before starting the school year with all students on Friday.