By SYLVIA MCGINNIS News Reporter
Monticello — Monticello Independent has the distinction of being the only school in
48 states and six countries that has implemented the FAST (Families and
Schools Together) Program on all levels, elementary, middle school, and high
school.
Board members heard a presentation on the FAST Program during their
regular board meeting Monday evening, April 19. Betty Hyden, Mary Glass,
Cindy Rose, and Mattie Wells each explained their individual role in the
program and gave an overview of what the program is and how it impacts the
families of Monticello School students.
The FAST Program is funded through a federal grant in the amount of
$965,000, distributed over a three-year period. The purpose of the program
is to enhance the counseling services in the school and with the grant an
additional two counselors and a social worker have been added to the staff.
The FAST Program works with certain grade levels at a time and targets
the family unit as a whole. Currently, the FAST team is working with the
fourth, fifth and sixth grade. Families of students in those grades are
invited to come to the 8-10 weekly sessions that are held one evening of the
week. At these weekly sessions, participating families enjoy a family meal
as well as various activities that target the entire family, such as games
and songs.
The participants are also split up into groups. There is a group for
parents, the targeted Monticello students, as well as a kid group for the
siblings of the target students. There are activities that are geared toward
each group. Also, a family basket is given away as a door prize at each
session. This basket includes something for every member of the family.
At the end of the weekly sessions, there is a graduation ceremony held
for the families that completed the program.
Although the program is designed for the family as a whole, it empowers
parents to be the best parents they can be.
In other action, the board once again discussed part-time assistant
principal and part-time math teacher position. Due to the fact that there
have been no applicants that can fill both roles, Superintendent Donnie
Robison asked the board to consider authorizing him him to advertise for two
principal positions for next school year, one for the preschool through
fifth grade position anticipating and one for the sixth through twelfth
grade anticipating.
In other news, board members heard a presentation from Trevis Upchurch,
head coach for Trojans, and Marla Kelsch, head coach for the Lady Trojans,
about "The Gun‹Shoot-a-Way" machine for the basketball teams.
This is a basketball shooting practice machine that rebounds the
basketball for the athletes. It is designed to maximize the players'
shooting and can be used by up to 12 shooters at a time, noted Upchurch. The
machine can also be used by both boys and girls. Board members voted to
purchase the machine, which can be used by both the boys and girls programs.
In other action, Superintendent Robison informed board members that they
had received a new estimate for the cost of installing cameras on the buses.
He pointed out that it was for more than $20,000 and would require a bid.
The board voted to advertise for bids for installing cameras on the buses.
The bid would include four cameras per bus, so there would be no blind spots
on the vehicle.
In other news, the board:
€ approved Section 504 Procedures, which were presented by Sheila
Tucker.
€ granted the cafeteria permission to operate a summer feeding program.
€ approved Barry Daulton as the auditor for the 2009-2010 school year.
€ approved the school calendar for 2010-2011.
€ voted to participate in the Energy Manager Grant Program, with
Somerset Independent serving as the fiscal agent.