Cullman Middle School Principal Lane Hill, with Superintendent Dr. Susan Patterson, accepts an award naming his school a 2017 National Beta School of Merit.
CULLMAN – At its meeting Monday morning, the Cullman City School Board took time to recognize school and administrative achievements, and to have new school faculty members introduced.
City Schools Chief Financial Officer Russell Raney received the Robert L. Morton Award from the Alabama Association of School Business Officials. According to the association’s website, the award is for “school business officials devoted to going above and beyond to do their job and to serve their community.”
East Elementary Principal David Wiggins accepted an award renewing his school’s certification as a Blue Ribbon Lighthouse School. The award recognizes schools that show excellent performance in all of nine categories: Student Focus and Support, School Organization and Culture, Challenging Standards and Curriculum, Active Teaching and Learning, Technology Integration, Professional Community, Leadership and Educational Vitality, School, Family, and Community Partnerships, and Indicators of Success.
Cullman City Primary School Principal Tricia Culpepper received the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce’s “Building a Sense of Community” Award for her school’s Outdoor Learning Center. According to the chamber, “This award is given to a business that strives to improve the community through additions of a park, play area, park benches or playground, etc.”
Cullman Middle School Principal Lane Hill accepted an award naming his school a 2017 National Beta School of Merit. According to the National Beta Club, the award recognizes a school’s commitment to academic excellence and the celebration of its students’ achievements; and is awarded to schools that offer National Beta Club membership to all grades.
New faculty
Cullman High School Principal Kim Hall introduced two new faculty members:
Aaron Avery, a 2012 CHS graduate who was an instructional assistant at Cullman Primary School last year, as well as a CHS Baseball team assistant. He will be teaching math.
Nohealani Neahu, CHS graduate and co-founder of The Factory Dance Productions, will serve as an adjunct instructor in CHS’s Fine Arts program, teaching beginning and advanced dance on a part-time basis.
East Elementary School Principal David Wiggins also introduced two new faculty members:
Nicole Heptinstall, who worked part of last year filling a leave of absence vacancy in the third grade at East, will be taking charge of the school’s secondary classroom on a temporary basis for the 2017-18 school year.
Hannah Shelton, who worked part of last year filling a leave of absence vacancy at Gwin Elementary School in Hoover, will be teaching fifth grade on a temporary basis for the 2017-18 school year.
Other personnel items
The board approved contract renewals for four principals:
Kim Hall, Cullman High
David Wiggins, East Elementary
Jay Page, West Elementary
Tricia Culpepper, Cullman City Primary
The board accepted the resignations of Tracy Marsh (third grade, East) and Sandy Walker (Special Education Assistant, Cullman Primary) and granted a leave of absence for Courtney Speciale (East).
Transfers:
Cassie Brooks, from Secretary/Bookkeeper to Instructional Assistant/Bookkeeper at Cullman High
Melissa Richard, Bookkeeper, from Central Office to Cullman High
Carrie Woods, Instructional Assistant, from West Elementary to Cullman Primary
Laura Elizabeth Reid, from part-time to full-time Remediation Teacher at Cullman Middle
Jeremy Peek, from Instructional Assistant to Teacher at Turning Point/ISS
New employees, in addition to those introduced at the meeting:
Holly Murphee, Pre-K Special Education, Cullman City Primary
Ashlee Kuri, Extended Day program aide, Cullman City Primary
Lauren Harbison, Extended Day program aide, Cullman City Primary
Jacob White, temporary Custodian, West Elementary
Cindy Ricketts, part-time Bookkeeper, Central Office
Cindy Steele, Custodian, Cullman High
In other business, the board approved a request for East Elementary’s archery team to travel to Orlando, Florida to participate in the National Archery in Schools Program (NASP) World Archery Tournament on July 21-22. East won the Alabama State NASP Championship in April.
The next Cullman City School Board meeting will be July 18 at 8 a.m. in the central office board room. The public is invited to attend.
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