What’s Inside IndianIndian RiverRiver DistrictDistrict NewsNews “A“A ModelModel ofof Excellence”Excellence” Delaware School Nurse of the Year, Page 2 irsd.netirsd.net Spring 2018 Courtney White Named IRSD Teacher of the Year NGE third-grade teacher wins district’s top honor Courtney White of North one from each school. Georgetown Elementary White has been a third School has been selected as grade teacher at North George the Indian River School Dis town Elementary School since trict’s Teacher of the Year for 2016. She was previously a sec 20182019. ond and sixthgrade teacher in The announcement was the Seaford School District made at the district’s annual from 20032016. She was the Teacher of the Year celebration Seaford district’s Teacher of the on April 26 at Indian River High Year in 20102011. School. White was chosen as More photos and complete the district’s overall winner list of winners, Page 4 from a pool of 16 candidates, From left, Indian River Board of Education member James Hud White holds a bachelor’s son, Superintendent Mark Steele, 20172018 Teacher of the Year degree in political science from Lisa Richardson, 20182019 IRSD Teacher of the Year Courtney Goucher College, a Maryland White, State Rep. Ruth Briggs King, State Rep. Rich Collins and State Elementary Education State Rep. Ron Gray. Certificate from the College of from 20142016. She has also classroom. This year, she im Notre Dame in Baltimore and a been an adjunct professor in plemented a video conferenc master’s degree in applied the Wilmington University ing initiative with a thirdgrade technology from Wilmington graduate program (20102015), teacher at another school to University. a mentor teacher for Wilming allow students in both classes During her career, White ton’s student teaching pro to experience blended learn has been a Delaware Dream gram (20102016) and an ing. Team teacher in 2016, a Teach educational technology “As a member of the North Fest Delaware Spring Academy teacher for the Delaware Tech Georgetown Elementary com teacher in 2015 and the cocre certificate program (2004 munity, Mrs. White is a leader ator of the Personalized Virtual 2006). and is well respected by her Summer and Intersession Aca White has repeatedly peers,” said North Georgetown demic Program at Central Ele earned praise from her col Principal Heather Cramer. mentary School in Seaford leagues and administrators for “There are many great Courtney White her use of technology in the Continued on Page 4 Indian River School District, 31 Hosier St., Selbyville, Delaware 19975 • (302) 436-1000 From the Superintendent Light Named Nurse of the Year Beth Light of Sussex Cen tral High School has been named the 2018 Delaware Mark L. School Nurse of the Year by the Steele Delaware School Nurse Associ ation. Beth was presented with the award during a surprise cer Dear Parents, emony at the school on May 9. When the University of Presenters were previous Delaware formulated school state Nurse of the Year winners enrollment projections more Chriss Zimmerman and Jan than a decade ago, the Indian Marcin. Members of Beth’s River School District was an family were also in attendance, ticipated to have a total en along with several school offi rollment of 10,957 by the cials. year 2025. Parents may be surprised to learn that we will likely surpass that figure by the opening of the 20182019 school year, seven years ahead of schedule. This rate of growth has inevitably cre ated the need for more ca pacity in our schools. The Beth Light (center) with previous state Nurse of the Year winners district will be exploring a va Chriss Zimmerman (left) and Jan Marcin. More photos from the riety of major capital im ceremony are available on the district Facebook page. provement plans in the coming months. I encourage Last School Day for Students parents to stay informed on this issue and share with us Moved to Thursday, June 7 their thoughts and concerns. At its regular meeting on ers and paraprofessionals will Four district administra April 23, 2018, the Indian River be Monday, June 11. tors will be moving into new @IndianRiver DE Board of Education approved a In addition, Sussex Central positions for the 20182019 series of changes to the 2017 High School’s senior exams will school year. They are Jay Indian River 2018 school district calendar. now be held on May 2223. Owens as Assistant Superin The last day of school for The changes are the result tendent, Renee Jerns as Di Board of Education students will now be Thursday, of unused surplus hours built rector of Student and Staff June 7. The last day for pre into the calendar to compen Programs, Judi Brittingham Charles M. Bireley, President school students will be Friday, sate for weatherrelated school as Director of Special Educa Rodney M. Layfield, VP June 1. The last day for teach cancellations. tion and Jessica Jackson as Derek E. Cathell principal of Millsboro Middle W. Scott Collins IRSD Students Compete in VEX School. All four will assume James E. Fritz their new duties on July 1. I Dr. Donald G. Hattier World Championship Event look forward to working with James E. Hudson Throughout the Indian pionship, which brought to these gifted administrators Gerald T. Peden River School District this year, gether top robotics teams in for years to come. Congratu Dr. Heather M. Statler teams of students engineered the VEX and Vex IQ Challenge lations! Leolga T. Wright and programmed robots as under one roof to celebrate I hope you all have a they expanded their STEM their accomplishments and great summer! knowledge and interests. They compete with the best teams competed in VEX and VEX IQ from around the world. More Sincerely, competitions with the goal of than 30,000 people, including earning recognition and bids to 1,648 teams from 30 nations, Mark L. Steele, the 2018 VEX Robotics World converged on Louisville, Ken Championship. tucky in April for the 11th an Mark L. Steele Board Secretary and District This year, six district teams nual VEX Worlds. Superintendent Superintendent competed in the World Cham Continued on Page 5 The Indian River School District is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate or deny services on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender, creed, religion, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, citizenship status, pregnancy, age, ancestry, disability, gender identity, genetic information, military status or any other characteristic protected by law. Page 2 Indian River District News Spring 2018 PCS Unveils History of Selbyville Mural Phillip C. Showell Elemen tary School officially unveiled its "History of Selbyville" mural to students, parents and com munity members on March 7. The nearly twomonth project was a partnership be tween the school and local artist John Donato. Delaware Secretary of Education Susan Bunting attended the unveiling and cut the ribbon to officially reveal the mural, which is lo cated in one of the school's hallways. PCS students also viewed a video chronicling the project produced by Melissa Bleile. Officials cut the ribbon to officially unveil the new mural at PCS. Phillip C. Showell students a special assembly on Feb. 8 to The school also hosted a began work on the new mural teach students in Grades 15 Donors Paint Day in which local on Jan. 19 and the school about the history of their fam business owners and commu hosted a series of special ily and the school that bears nity members who made mon events leading up to the their relative’s name. Mr. etary donations towards the mural's official unveiling. Showell’s family members then creation of the mural and the Family descendants of helped paint a section of the school’s muralthemed Tshirts Phillip Cannon Showell hosted mural. were invited to paint.
From left, members of the Showell family paint the mural during a special pro gram on Feb. 8. PCS students begin painting the mural on Jan. 19. A lighthouse render ing within the mural. Above, scenes from the mural. Food Truck Visits Indian River High School Did You Know? · Edward Breen, CEO of DowDuPont, visited In dian River High School on April 16 to speak to stu dents about leadership. The Ruiz Foods School Truck visited Indian River High School on April 19, giving all students free · Episodes of the IRSD samples of chicken soft tacos with red sauce and beef and bean burritos during their lunch pe Spotlight podcast can be riod. Ruiz Foods is the largest manufacturer of frozen Mexican food in the United States and accessed at irsd.net under produces more than 200 products under its signature El Monterey brand. Above, junior Caden the Discover IRSD tab. Spilman visits the truck during his lunch period. Spring 2018 Indian River District News Page 3 2018-2019 IRSD Teachers of the Year Mallory Anderson Selbyville Middle School Dara Callaway (Finalist) East Millsboro Elementary School Kathryn Gichner Curl Georgetown Kindergarten Center Corrine Elliott Howard T. Ennis School IRSD Teachers of the Year for 20182019. Seated (from left): Lori Hansen Christine Purcell, Nichele Lobo, Robert Syphard (finalist), Court Long Neck Elementary School ney White (overall winner), Dara Callaway (finalist), Kathryn Sue Keefer Curl and Sue Keefer. Standing (from left): Brian Murphy, Kelly G.W. Carver Academy Namorato, Nathan Mohler, Joseph Macaluso, Corrine Elliott, Lori Hansen, Jennah Truitt and Michelle Truitt. Nichele Lobo Southern Delaware School of the Arts Joseph Macaluso Teacher Sussex Central High School From Page 1 Nathan Mohler educators in the Indian River Indian River High School School District that are more Brian Murphy than worthy of this honor, but I Georgetown Middle School have met few educators as pas sionate as Mrs. White. I feel she Kelly Namorato was an amazing addition to our Phillip C. Showell Elementary School district and we are lucky to Christine Purcell have someone with the willing Georgetown Elementary School ness to continue to learn and grow as an educator. Her class Robert Syphard (Finalist) room environment she has cre Millsboro Middle School ated is one that I wish my own Jennah Truitt child could have experienced.” Lord Baltimore Elementary School As the district’s Teacher of the Year, White is now eligible Michelle Truitt for the state Teacher of the Year Selbyville Middle School John M. Clayton Elementary School Award, which will be an Teacher of the Year Mallory Courtney White (Overall winner) nounced in October. Anderson. North Georgetown Elementary School Georgetown K-Center Hosts PA Bear Program Prevent Child Abuse them in a way they do not like. Delaware presented its “PA Students received a coloring Bear” program to students at book at the end of the presen the Georgetown Kindergarten tation that reinforced what Top left, Courtney White with her North Georgetown Elementary Center on April 1112. they had learned. School colleagues. Top right, White with 20172018 IRSD Teacher The program emphasizes Prevent Child Abuse of the Year Lisa Richardson. that children are special and Delaware is a nonprofit organ stresses the importance of ization dedicated to the pre Visit the Indian River School District talking about feelings. Children vention of child abuse and were taught how to identify neglect. It offers schoolbased on Twitter (@IndianRiver DE), feelings through facial cues, as programs that cover a variety Facebook or on the web at irsd.net well as what to do if someone of topics related to personal tries to hurt them or touch safety and child abuse. Page 4 Indian River District News Spring 2018 VEX World Championships From Page 2 out of 96). The following IRSD Teams VEX Competitions bring earned bids to the Vex World STEM skills to life by tasking Championship (final division teams of students with design ranking is in parentheses) : ing and building a robot to play Team Long Neckers from Long against other teams in a game Neck Elementary School (74 based engineering challenge. out of 80), Team Alphas from Classroom STEM concepts are Georgetown Elementary put to the test as students learn School (23 out of 80), Team Zeus from Lord Baltimore Ele lifelong skills in teamwork, mentary School (71 out of 80), leadership, communications GMS Robotics Knights from and more. Georgetown Middle School (77 The IRSD Robotics out of 80), Rocketeers from coaches would like to thank all Selbyville Middle School (28 of the parents, students, ad out of 92) and Indians 2 from ministrators and donors for Indian River High School (90 their support.
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