The Winslow Unified School District governing board met last week for the final time before the start of the school year. Superintendent Connie Gover said, “We have been having training sessions over the last couple of weeks and welcoming our new teachers. This year, we need to keep in mind that the last couple of years have been hard. Our students have had a hard time and our teachers have had a hard time. So I just want to encourage our teachers, staff, students and parents to be kind.”
Future Farmers of America Director Daniel Tafoya said, “I really believe that a little bit of kindness goes a long way for our students. Sometimes the classroom is the only safe place they have so we want to make sure we provide that for them. I am looking forward to this school year.”
Winslow students began classes on Monday, Aug. 8.
In other business, the governing board:
* Approved the hiring of Hanna Brown and Tiffany Dunn as paraprofessionals and Carlos Guerrero Jr. as a high school math teacher upon certification.
* Approved Brandon Guzman, Stacy Berg and Christopher Garrett, each as varsity football coaches; Drew Luzier and Chad Sullivan, each as junior varsity football coaches; Janeen Barton and Wilbert Barton, each as cross-country coaches; Reese Chatwin, swimming coach; Julie Thomas, varsity volleyball coach: Tara Rush, junior varsity volleyball coach; Robina Villanueva, freshman volleyball coach; Jennifer Brown, spiritline coach; and Nicole Guzman, competitive spiritline coach.
* Approved Louis Petet and Mark Faust, each as eighth grade football coaches; Brian Wilcox, eighth grade softball coach; and Laura Carrell, junior high spiritline coach.
* Accepted the resignation of high school bookkeeper Arianna Huerta, effective July 25.
* Approved Nicole Ervien, Shannon Wilcox and Sierra Wilcox as junior high athletics volunteers.
* Adopted QuaverMusic as a digital kindergarten through eighth grade music curriculum.
* Approved a plan allowing certified and classified staff to be paid a portion of their salaries in August instead of December. Gover explained staff will be at work three weeks without pay if this plan is not adopted.
The next meeting of the Winslow Unified School District Governing Board will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 17, in the board meeting room, located at 800 N. Apache Ave.
