Holbrook Parents Are Encouraged To Help Their Students Eat Healthy

Letters were sent home to parents encouraging them to take part in the focus on healthy if they should decide to send a lunch to school with their kids.

“We aren’t going to confiscate anything that the kids bring, but if they just bring a bag of hot Cheetos, then we encourage them to get a tray of food,” explained Park Elementary School Principal Connie McPherson. “If they bring a lunch that includes a soda, we’ll let the student drink the soda, but ask them not to bring any again. If they do, then we’ll contact the parents to let them know that we would rather they provide their child with a juice or something healthier.”

In addition to the free breakfast and lunch, the school is also providing a hot oatmeal breakfast that includes granola, fruit and yogurt one Friday a month with funds that Park School receives from the Fuel Up To Play 60 program.

The district governing board met Tuesday to conduct business and authorized the acceptance of $217,680.00 in basic state aid that was allocated for schools impacted by the 2013 tax court case in which Transwestern Pipeline challenged its assessed valuations dating back to the 2010 tax year. The case was settled in May 2014 and required the district to repay $433,447.98, which was paid in June 2014. As a result, the Department of Education Finance Department recalculated the basic state aid going back to 2010 for the schools impacted by this settlement.

In other action Aug. 12, the board:

* Approved qualified evaluators for the 2014-15 school year, including Charles Haussman, Robbie Koerperich, Mike McClellan, Jeri McKinnon, Connie McPherson, Tim Newton-Pender, Dan Nielson, Julie Fields, Ann Gardner, Jeff Meeks and Lance Phaturos.

* Approved a request to hire paraprofessionals and/or health aides throughout the school year, as needed, when required by a student’s Individual Education Plan.

* Approved an intergovernmental agreement with Vail Unified School District for the Beyond Textbooks program.

* Approved the Declaration of Curricular and Instructional Alignment to the Arizona Academic Standards, and authorized Board President Olivia Jaquez to sign the document.

* Approved the Fort Defiance Agency Foster Grandparent Program memorandum of understanding.

* Approved the Eastern Highlands Regional Cooperative Agreement between the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind and the district to provide services for students in the district for a five-year period beginning this school year and extending through the 2018-19 school year.

* Approved a five-year contract with C. Cristine Swan, CPA, renewable each year, to provide required audits starting with fiscal year 2014 pending final approval by the Arizona Auditor General’s Office.

* Approved the revised Teacher Effectiveness Performance Evaluation Systems for the 2014-15 school year.

* Approved job descriptions for two support staff supervisor positions.

* Approved the support staff hiring of Ramon Ledezma, Sandra Lewis, Kirby Spencer and Marcellino Montoya as substitute custodians; Patrick Lewis and Jack Brooks, substitute bus drivers; Timothy Dixon, bus driver and warehouse worker; Scott Baker, Holbrook Junior High School head softball coach; Mark McKeller, HJHS head girls’ track coach; Ryan Attakai, Indian Wells Elementary School assistant softball coach; Neal Nezzie Jr., bus driver and grounds worker; and Kendall Bakurza, HJHS assistant football coach.

Also, Jennifer Fish, HJHS in-school intervention monitor; Gerrianne Bielefeldt and Cheryl Justman, substitute cafeteria workers; April Lefevre, HJHS assistant librarian; Bianca Quintana, cafeteria satellite worker; Coltin Dickson, IWES satellite kitchen worker; Crystal Dickson, special education bus driver and custodian; Colletta Keesee, bus monitor; Judy Saiz, substitute bus driver; Savanna Fischer and Nicole Gohl, computer services student techs; and Jacob Baker, maintenance worker.

* Approved the certified staff hiring of Lelia Demuth, Linda Fox, Spencer Radzanowski, Mark McKeller, Patty Tubbs and Traci Pate as substitute teachers; Mary Koury, Lois Jeffers, Cathy Luke and Marie Gardner, Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skill (DIBLES) testers; and Jeri McKinnon, IWES principal to be rehired as a district employee return to work rather than through Educational Services Inc.

* Approved the support staff resignation of Carol Lang, Hulet Elementary School preschool aide, the retirement of Lula Thomas as Holbrook High School custodian and the termination of Valarie Plower as a special education bus monitor.

* Approved the certified staff resignation of Robin Stradling, HJHS Project Skilz coordinator.

* Approved extra duty for Daisy Gohl and Brian Gohl as auditorium technicians; Kyle Gardner, auditorium manager; Charles Haussman, testing coordinator; Beth Plumb, HJHS assistant softball coach and assistant volleyball coach; and Aaron Allooh, Crystal Moorhead, Caleb Moorhead, Virginia White, Will Voelkerding, Chris Symancyk, Tanya Phaturos, LouAnn McLaws, Dana Hendrix, Taylor Lee, Lorie Jensen, Josh Raisor, Del Novell, Tim Gurczynski, John McDaniel, Andrea Speers, Tim Yazzie and Linda Crumrine, HJHS game help.

Also, Chris Obren, HJHS game help and head girls’ basketball coach; Brian McMahon, HJHS game help and head boys’ track coach; Greg Ethridge, HJHS game help and assistant boys’ track coach; Erica Chee, IWES assistant girls’ basketball coach; Arletta Nez, IWES, assistant cross country coach; Cindy Wilhelm, IWES afterschool fitness club; Daniel Orton, IWES athletic coordinator and head boys’ basketball coach; Cale Allen, IWES head girls’ basketball coach and head football coach; Tim Eddings, IWES head cross country coach and assistant soccer coach; and Ramona Joe, IWES assistant cross country coach.

* Approved volunteers Colin Henderson as an HHS cafeteria worker; Edmund Jodie, HHS Outdoor Club; Roberto Alvarado, HHS wrestling and soccer; Prescott Winslow, HHS college advising and career planning; and David Smith, HHS girls’ soccer.

* Approved the acceptance of gifts and donations from Wells Fargo Community Support Campaign in the amount of $115.38, and a large metal trashcan to the HHS Spiritline from Walt’s Hardware.

* Approved professional leave for Jeff Font and Joe Gabaldon to attend the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health Summer Safety Summit held July 23 and 24 in Flagstaff at an estimated cost of use of a district vehicle; Amber Dennis, Year 3 Gear Up Coordinator Conference, Aug. 19-21 in Phoenix at an estimated cost of $474.40; Jeff Meeks, Arizona Department of Education Directors Institute, Sept. 22-24 in Glendale at an estimated cost of $707.88; and Taylor Lee, Beth Baloo, Lorie Jensen and Tanya Phaturos, Arizona Public Service Science, Technology, Engineering and Math meeting, Aug. 15 and 16 in Flagstaff at an estimated cost of $668, plus use of a district vehicle.

Also, Jacob Boyle, Annual Financial Reporting Workshop, Sept. 15 in Phoenix at an estimated cost of $200, plus use of a district vehicle; Jeff Meeks, Carey Kester, Cheryl Carlson, Karalyn Reidhead and Donna Campbell, Transition Grant Training, Aug. 25-27 in Scottsdale at an estimated cost of $2839.22, plus use of a district vehicle; Brenda Mangum, Fingerprint Compliance Training, Sept. 24 in Pinetop at an estimated cost of $14, plus use of a district vehicle; and Barry Lambson, iPad Distinguished Program site visit in Flagstaff Oct. 9 at an estimated cost of $34, plus use of a district vehicle.

Also, Julie Fields, Educational Service Agency Meeting, Aug. 14 in Snowflake at an estimated cost of use of a district vehicle; Julie Fields, Elementary and Secondary Education Act Application and Plan Training, Aug. 21 in Winslow; Veronica Dale, Schoolmaster User Conference Training, Sept. 29 and 30 in Prescott at an estimated cost of $731.66, plus use of a district vehicle; and Tanya Phaturos, Arizona School Administrators Evaluator Training, Aug. 25 and 26 in Phoenix at an estimated cost of $586, plus use of a district vehicle.

* Approved expense and revolving fund vouchers totaling $56,439 and $329,241.55; and payroll and expense vouchers totaling $184,973.05.

* Approved fundraisers for HHS student activity clubs for concessions at games throughout the year with estimated earnings of $300 to $1,000 per club, and for the HHS Football Club to sell discount red cards throughout the school year for estimated earnings of $4,000.

* Authorized board members Olivia Jaquez, Ferral Knight, Rosie Sekayumptewa and Rick Nichols to attend the Arizona School Boards Association Summer Leadership Conference.