Fisher named new Southwest Elementary principal
By GREG TRAVIS
Staff Writer
Dennis Fisher, who retired as director of pupil personnel for the Calloway County School District last year, has been named the next principal at Southwest Elementary School. The announcement was made during Thursday evening's Calloway County Board of Education meeting.
“Dennis had retired, but he wants to get back into education and come back to Calloway County,” said Superintendent Steve Hoskins. “I commend the site-based council at Southwest for their very thorough and conscientious screening process.”
Hoskins noted that Fisher, who was not in attendance at the meeting, has a wide education background as a principal, coach and administrator.
“He has central office experience. He's well-liked by everyone and he's available immediately,” Hoskins added.
Fisher replaces Janet Johnson at Southwest. Johnson left to take a principal position at Hickman Elementary School in Clinton, Ky.
An overview of the recently-announced Freshman Focus program at Calloway County High School was presented to the board by CCHS Principal Yvette Pyle. The Freshman Focus initiative is a new plan designed to help incoming students become better accustomed to the high school setting.
Pyle said the program is aimed at keeping freshmen in one general area of the high school for a majority of their basic class schedules. During elective classes the freshmen will be with upper-level students.
With classrooms and lockers in the same area, the concept of the program is to increase the opportunity for learning and to boost student efficiency. She said she believed the program would also result in increased attendance rates and decrease possible disciplinary issues.
“We want to reach out to our freshmen and help them to love school. We can't do enough to help freshmen have a successful transition,” she said.
Currently, six-of-eight possible freshman classes will be located in the Freshman Focus hallway. For a map of the Freshman Focus program, students and parents can go to the district's Web site at www.calloway.k12.ky.us.
The board approved a renovation project roofing bid which includes roofing at all three elementary schools and at the middle school. The overview plan also calls for some interior work at each of the schools that would result in the replacement of some ceiling tiles, carpeting and floor tiles. A small facelift project is also proposed for the middle school. That work would remove a canopy and rework an entrance area.
The bid for the new roofing of the schools was awarded to Southern Roofing of Paducah. Work should begin within 10 days. The company will have 120 days to complete the roofing on the four schools.
In his Superintendent's Report, Hoskins said the district had received a bill for approximately $100,000 from the company that conducted last school year's mercury spill cleanup. He said it was being reviewed with insurance companies.
Hoskins also noted that a North Elementary School traffic committee was reviewing traffic flow scenarios for the school now that its new access drive is nearing completition.
Consent agenda items included approval of rates for childcare programs; school fees for 2007-08; reinstatement of nonresident student for 2007-08 school year; and Calloway County Day Treatment Center Program Improvement Plan for 2007-08.
Story created Jul 13, 2007 - 11:51:35 EDT.
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