The Goessel school board met on Feb. 14 and listened to school counselor Janna Duerksen speak about social-emotional learning (SEL), which is one of the state board goals. She said social-emotional progress is one of the hardest things to evaluate. It includes responsible decisions, emotions, goals, empathy, and relationships, among other things. Duerksen said parents used to be responsible for teaching these traits, but now schools are expected to teach them.
Duerksen told the board about Communities that Care and the survey that students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 take. The survey deals with bullying, substance abuse, alcohol, and marijuana use. Marion County has a Substance Abuse Coalition, and junior high/high school principal Scott Boden is the Goessel representative for that organization.
Duerksen told the board about Character Strong curriculum for Pre-K through grade 12. A character trait is emphasized every month. She mentioned “purposeful people, mindful moments, and empathy detectives.”
According to Duerksen, kids need at least one stable relationship with an adult. She talked about trauma, tragedy, and toxic stress in the home. This year each school building has a “nest,” where kids can go to take a break. It has soft chairs, water, and stress balls.
Duerksen said that Prairie View offers a case manager and therapist for support. A caseworker meets with students and parents who have been referred to Prairie View.
Duerksen thanked the board for their support. She said she has seen a lot of needs in students.
Superintendent/elementary principal Mark Crawford talked about soft skills and a warm demeanor. He said, “We want kids to be successful in life.” He said they need a good idea of where they’re going and why.
Turning their attention to another matter, the board expressed appreciation for recent donations: $480 from the Citizens State Bank and $250 from Bluebird Backers for the 50th-anniversary celebration of the gym. Dwight and Tammy Flaming donated $150 toward the cost of athletic officials and in support of live-streaming games. Prairieland Partners in McPherson donated $2,000 to the FFA. Boden said all of these donations are greatly appreciated.
In other business, the board:
* approved the high school music trip to Dallas, Texas, on May 5-7. The school district will pay a portion of the transportation cost.
* approved the junior high incentive trip to Worlds of Fun.
* heard about teacher Emily Gibson’s class of 23 fifth graders. The students had collected coins and donated them to Bethesda Home. They spent 30 minutes interacting with residents. School board member Sara Hiebert, who is CEO/administrator at Bethesda Home, said, “It was fantastic… The residents thoroughly enjoyed it.”
* heard from Boden about basketball, Scholar’s Bowl, and FFA activities. He said Drive Your Tractor to School day and other activities are planned for FFA week.
* talked about the possibility of using the NFHS network for automated live streaming of events. Boden said the school has been streaming events for five years. “It’s a lot of set-up and work,” he said, noting that the school has had 70-100 viewers on live-stream for high school varsity events.
* heard about KESA (Kansas Education Systems Accreditation) goals. Crawford talked about defining weaknesses and working on them. He said the school needs a defined structure for new teachers who are not experienced.
* talked about ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funds. Crawford said the school nurse and Prairie View are paid from ESSER money. He also talked about working with students on study skills. He said the school will apply for additional ESSER money to spend over the next three school years.
* heard from Crawford that Ron Traxson has been hired as interim director for Marion County Special Education Cooperative (MCSEC).
