Keri Ramsay, assistant to the principal at Pleasant Valley Intermediate School, will be the new reading supervisor as of July 1 when Dora Tartar, the current reading supervisor, retires after 40 years in the education profession.

Ms. Ramsay gave a power point presentation on how the district will utilize the grant money the district received from a Keystone to Opportunity/Striving Readers Grant in the amount of $221,024. PVSD was one of 58 school districts in Pennsylvania to receive funding from this grant.The United States Department of Education's Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Program awarded first time grants in the amount of $180 million for literacy projects aimed at comprehensive state programs that encompasses a broad age range.Thirty-six states applied for the grant but only six states were awarded. Pennsylvania was one of the six.The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) was awarded $38 million to support Pennsylvania's comprehensive approach to improving literacy outcomes for all children, including disadvantaged students, limited English proficient students and students with disabilities.Each of the winning states held competitions of their own to award 95 percent of the funds as "subgrants" to local school districts and early learning providers. The Striving Readers program requires states to use at least 15 percent of their grant funds to serve children from birth through age 5, while 40 percent must go toward supporting students in grades K-5, and 40 percent for middle and high schools with an equitable distribution between the two. The remaining five percent is to be set aside for state administration of the grants. Pleasant Valley is one of 58 school districts in the state to receive funding through the Keystone to Opportunity/Striving Readers Grant. The competitive process began in December with a pre-application which resulted in PV being invited as one of the 148 districts invited to complete the full application. Over 350 school districts in the state applied for this funding.The focus of the grant is developing literacy strategies and a continuum of service for our children from birth through grade 12. Pleasant Valley received funding the areas of high school (grades 9-12) and Birth through age 5. Pleasant Valley has partnered with the Growing Place/Pre-K Count program to develop the early childhood portion of the grant.A grant team lead by Mrs. Dora Tartar included the PVSD literacy coaches, building principals and assistants, district administration, and representatives from the Growing Place.Ms. Ramsay was a part of the original team that wrote the grant."Dora Tartar, Jamie Schuler, Lori Hagerman, and Val Eblin played a big part in the completion of the application," she said.Ms. Ramsay explained that the high school will receive about $116,000 and The Growing Place will receive about $106,000."The high school will be spending most of this money during the first year of the 5-year grant on professional development. Assessment materials and a Walk-through tool will also be purchased. Administrations will be trained to conduct walk-throughs using the tool to identify healthy literacy environments and identify areas of weakness. We will also be purchasing iPEVO cameras to be used to enhance literacy instruction in the content areas. The Growing Place will be using funding to purchase technology such as Hatch computers. They will also be using environmental walk-through tools (ITERS). All of the teachers at The Growing Place will be receiving professional development in literacy content modules as well."We are extremely excited about this grant. This will help all of our students reach their maximum potential in literacy development. Each students' individual needs will be met and teachers will use data to drive their instruction. Our goal is to sustain growth in reading achievement using the funding from this grant."This is very exciting for the school district," said Dr. Douglas Arnold, PVSD superintendent. "Certainly, this grant will greatly help our students and staff by providing not only the good fortune to be able to purchase equipment and other needed items, but also more importantly the chance to provide staff development aimed at improving the quality of instruction in our classrooms. This is a fantastic opportunity that will help us to make something that is already very good even better."The Growing Place will be renting the first level floor of the Chestnuthill Elementary School. They will be moving from their current premises of four classrooms at the John C. Mills building. They care for children from birth to third grade at the site.In other business, the board approved, 6-0 with board members Susan Kresge, Harvey Frable and Russ Gould absent:*Dr. David Pierce as the Grades K-12 school dentist at a cost of $4.50 per student (up 50 cents from last year*Dr. Narendra V. Ambani as Grades K-8 school physician at cost of $25 per student, up $3 from last year*Dr. Mary Ellen DeFranco as grades 9-12 school physician at a cost of $18 per student, up $3 from last year*to order textbooks for 10th grade World Studies at a cost of $30,229.92The board approved the following personnel hiring, 6-0:*Laura Catina as summer computer technician at an hourly rate of $10.47*Jennifer Palfey and Lorie Rehrig as substitute paraprofessional associates*Amanda Ruck as a substitute special education/elementary teacherThe board approved, 6-0, the following:*a transfer of Natalie Alvarez, secretary from PVE to PVMS, replacement assignment for the retiring Susan Fahrenkopf*termination of Mariealaena Miscannon, part-time Level II Temporary Professional Employee effective Aug. 20, 2012*suspension (furlough) effective Aug. 20, 2012 of Deborah Loughren, Michele Vadelund, Jennifer Esposito*a recall to a part-time Level II position, effective Aug. 21, 2012 of Jennifer Esposito as teacher of the gifted at PVMS* for co-curricular/non-athletic adviser positions, Melissa Dennis and Josephine Fields, Diversity Club (HS) co-advisors; Loretta Bretzger, Jr. national Honor Society; Melissa Dennis, Leo Club Advisor; Aaron Boligitz, Marching Band Asst. Director; John DeVivo, Middle School Jazz Band director; Jelissa Ruschak, Mock Trial Asst. adviser; Lois Mann, musical accompanist and Show Choir director; Michele Witowski, Sophomore class adviser.*for volunteer positions, Steve Ayars, boys' basketball; Steven DiVirgilio, marching band; Jammie Gesiskie, volleyball.Under business management, the board approved, 6-0:*Workers' compensation insurance with School District Insurance Consortium for the 2012-2013 school year at a cost of $403,113 for the Central Fund Contribution and $81,643 for the school district's Self Insured Retention.*the athletic and student accident insurance with Bollinger Insurance and Monumental Life Insurance Co. with athletic insurance of $21,900 (no increase) and student accident insurance of $27/student school time (no increase) and $103/student 24-hour (no increase.)*First Northern Bank and Trust, East Stroudsburg Savings Association, Citizen's Bank, PA School District Liquid Asset Fund, PA Local Government Investment Trust, Bank of New York Mellon and M&T Bank as the district's depositoriesContracts were awarded to:*SportCare for two-year service agreement with two site visits, summer 2012 and summer 2013 for $6,780;*Lehigh Valley Physcians Group for 600 sports physicals for the 2012-2013 school year, at a cost of $12,500, not to exceed $15,000. If additional physicals are needed, each will be charged an additional $15.*Winter Athletic supplies and equipment bids were awarded to: Kelly's Sports-$4,166.70; Passon's-$1,219.48; Riddel-$1,062.72; Sportsman's $3,528.60; Triple Crown Sports-$557.50.A bid was awarded for a Retube One (1) Burnham Oil Fired Boiler at PVE from Super Heat, Inc. of $17,700.