New employees welcomed by Revere board
by Sheldon Ocker
Aug. 15 school board meeting
The Revere School District’s 34 new employees were recognized by the board of education one week before the start of the school year.
Newcomers ranged from teachers and intervention specialists to transportation personnel and custodians to a sign language interpreter at Bath Elementary (Rachel Vitez) and another at Richfield Elementary (Hannah Bissonette) to serve two special needs students.
Language arts teacher Kelsey Johnson and first-grade teacher Addie D’Amico are Revere High graduates; secretary Betsy Riley, educational aide Rochelle Cross, educational aide Kelly Tieland, bus driver-in-training James Harrington and Vitez are parents of current or former Revere students. Intervention specialist Kayle Toth did her student teaching in the district.
Among other items of interest about the new hires: Toth once hiked at the Great Wall of China; Spanish teacher Kristen Turner spent two summers in Mexico; advanced math teacher Briana McDonald was an assistant principal in the Cleveland schools and is the mother of twin boys; and intervention specialist Jacob Welch can solve a Rubic’s Cube in under two minutes, according to Revere High Principal Andy Peltz.
Parents can be involved
Curriculum Coordinator Marcia Roach made a presentation to the board concerning Child Sexual Abuse, Dating Violence Prevention, a new short-course requirement by the state of Ohio.
Roach told the board that the state will offer several curriculum choices for each grade level, and Revere principals and teachers will choose the most appropriate for the district.
“As soon as we were all back together as an administrative staff at the beginning of August, we started reviewing these resources,’’ she said. “We want to be thorough and careful and really think through the way we can meet this requirement.’’
Administrators are requesting that parents review the material online.
“We’ll have that available for parents and families,’’ Roach said. “Our plan is to send out communication with a link to everything that will be used so parents and families have a full, detailed description if they would like to choose to opt out.’’
Construction update
Treasurer Rick Berdine announced that the new lights at the high school football stadium have been installed and are operating.
“I think our highest foot candle [with the old lighting] was 21 in one area of the field,’’ he said. “These lights should be 60 uniformly across the field. It will be a huge difference when spectators are watching but also when our student-athletes are competing.’’
Berdine said it is possible to operate the lighting system using a cell phone.
He said that a negative to his report concerns a delay in completing the new playground at Richfield Elementary. Berdine said the playground equipment won’t be installed until the end of August, which will miss the district’s goal of having the playground ready by the start of school on Aug. 22.
Board member Claudia Hower toured the renovated wings at Richfield Elementary, which include new flooring plus new countertops and sinks in classrooms.
In other action:
• The board approved the date and venue for the 2024 high school graduation. Commencement ceremonies will be held May 23, 2024, at 7 p.m. at the high school football stadium. If weather intervenes, ceremonies will be moved indoors.
• Residents Mary and Mike Gardner addressed the board to express disappointment with the allocation and scarcity of teachers serving special needs students.
“Why are our kids disposable?’’ she said with rising emotions. “Why don’t our kids matter?”
• Margaret Colwell donated $400 in memory of Mark Totten, to be used at the treasurer’s discretion. ∞