Berm elects Wool and Chubb

The Bermudian Springs school board elected a president and vice president during back-to-back caucus and regular meetings on Monday evening.

During the caucus meeting, the board reviewed the agenda for the shorter regular meeting.

Bermudian Springs SD

Soon afterwards, the board reelected Michael Wool as its president during the regular meeting.

“Thank you, everyone,” Wool said. “It’s an honor to serve with all of you.”

Daniel Chubb replaced Matthew Nelson as vice president.

The board also approved the resignation of David Orwig, the district’s athletic director, effective June 30, 2023. Orwig will retire at the end of the school year, according to Superintendent Shane Hotchkiss.

WellSpan will provide athletic services

The board approved a letter of intent serving as an agreement for WellSpan Health to provide athletic services to the district from Jan. 1, 2023 through June 30, 2023.

According to Hotchkiss, WellSpan would accept $13,750 to provide those services until the end of the school year.

Hotchkiss said there is a possibility the district could enter into a longer-term contract to have two athletic trainers at the district.

Apple visit

Bermudian Springs hosted an event called Building Momentum on Dec. 1 at the suggestion of Apple executives, according to assistant superintendent Shannon Myers.

Myers said she and Hotchkiss met with the executives in September after the high school was named an Apple Distinguished School. After the Apple representatives suggested it, the district invited representatives from other school districts to visit both the middle and high school last week.

About 35 to 40 representatives from districts in Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia visited the schools. Myers said the experience could help other districts make plans to better use technology.

“A school district that (the Apple executives) met with just kind of shared their experience from a very positive standpoint and said that Bermudian has a great story and should be proud,” Myers said. “Another school district commented that they wished they could bottle the culture of BSSD and bring it back to their district. So it really was a nice opportunity for building administrators and for Dr. Hotchkiss and I to really kind of showcase we’ve done a tremendous amount of work in our buildings.”

While the event might have been beneficial for other districts, Myers said it was also an opportunity for Bermudian to collect feedback from its guests to learn what it can focus on improving and what areas it is strong in.

Other business

Two board members, Jennifer Goldhahn and Ruth Griffie, expressed interest in participating on the district curriculum council.

The board discussed the pros and cons of having a school board member attend curriculum council meetings.

“With something as essential as curriculum, I think there should be board members present during its development,” Goldhahn said. “We’re not there to bug anybody or be any kind of– ‘chilling factor’ was a phrase that was used before. We’re there to learn, to observe. This is our kids’ curriculum. This is what they’re learning. We should be involved.”

Griffie said she recalled serving on the curriculum council in about 2000.

Hotchkiss said that when he started at his role in 2008, no board members served on the curriculum council. He told the board he would look into what changes were made and when.

During the time for public comment during the regular meeting, one parent addressed the board to suggest adding a selection of “patriotic and educational books” in the elementary school library. The parent said the books were selected by a group named Moms for Liberty.

The speaker also addressed recent controversy involving the school’s flag policy. The individual said the district should “consider promoting” the one flag hanging in all of its classroom that “represents all of us,” referring to the American flag.

The board will hold a caucus meeting at 7:00 p.m. Monday, Jan. 9. A regular board meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10.

Meetings are held in the high school auditorium and are livestreamed on the district’s YouTube page.

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Imari Scarbrough is a freelance journalist. She was a staff newspaper reporter for five years before becoming a freelancer in 2017. She has written on crime, environmental issues, severe weather events, local and regional government and more.

You can visit her website at ImariJournal.com.

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