Seniors in the Palmerton Area School District should be anxious to mark June 4 on their calendars.

The school board, on an 8-0 vote Tuesday, agreed to hold graduation exercises at Penn's Peak in Jim Thorpe at no cost to students. Director Darlene Yeakel was absent.A question was posed from an audience member as to whether the students would incur any costs associated with graduation.Superintendent Carol Boyce said there will "not be a cost per student."Earlier this month, Boyce said the senior class had indicated that it would contribute toward the cause if the need would arise.Also on Tuesday, the board heard presentations from pre-retirees Thomas Porambo; John Sweeney; Kris Hoffner; Linda Strohl; Joan Kasko; Susan Nearhood; and Diane Morgan and Joan Greene on training adviser projects.Boyce previously said that under the current collective bargaining agreement, the instructors have agreed to work on the projects for the betterment of the district.Porambo, a high school business instructor, said he plans to implement an accounting simulation with source documents. He said a similar activity was a great experience for students years ago, and anticipates it will be much the same this time around.Sweeney, a high school health/physical education instructor, said he has developed another physical exercise activity for students from 7-7:30 a.m., at which time they participate in basketball and football skills. The activity - also open to teachers - invigorates the students and attempts to curb obesity, he said.Hoffner, a fourth-grade instructor at Towamensing Elementary, said he has created a bibliography of children's books with various genres that aligns them to state academic standards to get students to read more. The intent, Hoffner said, is to get a copy available to the Palmerton Area Library, as well as PASD administration.Strohl and Kasko, kindergarten instructors, and Nearhood, a first-grade instructor all at Towamensing Elementary, said they have developed handbooks for young children and their parents. The handbooks contain five chapters: Stage of a child's development; readiness for school; strategies to promote success in school; additional games and recipes for fun; and bibliographies and Internet resources to be passed out for kindergarten registration in the spring, as well as to parents with students in grades K-1.Morgan, a sixth-grade instructor, and Greene, a fifth-grade instructor at Towamensing Elementary, said they have sent home with students in fifth and sixth grade a brochure, entitled "Parents as Partners" to give to parents that discusses successful tips to be successful in math and reading.Board President Barry Scherer complimented the instructors, and added that he believes their ideas will instill a sense of learning in their students.In other business, the board:• Approved the insurance renewal, effective Nov. 12, 2011, with a package, including boiler and automobile, to ACE Insurance, in the amount of $66,521; school board legal liability, with SBIC Insurance, $12,731; excess liability (with $5 million limit), to Old Republic Insurance, $11,749; and nonelection of terrorism coverage, for a total cost of $91,001.• In accordance with Fund Balance Policy 620, approved the following designations as of June 30, 2011: committed fund balance, $2,202,751, for the purposes of retirement rate increases, CCTI increased enrollment, and special education costs; and assigned fund balance, $272,486, reinstatement of furloughed staff.• Approved/renewed JHS Memorandum of Understanding with Learning For Life, for participation in the school-based program, Career Awareness, to be operated and maintained by Learning For Life, a District of Columbia nonprofit corporation, at a cost of $157 per student, at $5 per youth, for a total cost of $785.• Approved change order #001, Budget Renovations & Roofing, Inc., Project #1059010.001. The contract sum will be decreased by this change order in the amount of $97,539, and the new contract sum including this change order will be $1,191,403.• Approved the addition of the following to the day-to-day substitute teacher list, effective Oct. 19, 2011: Jennifer Becker, Elementary, Secondary English, ESL Certification; Tiffany Krasley, Elementary Certification; Megan Groh, Elementary Certification; Kaitlyn Andrews, Elementary Certification; Jared Smith, Social Studies Certification; Melissa Cangialosi, Mathematics Certification; Angela Lobien, Social Studies Certification; and Nicholas Haja, Elementary Certification.• Approved the addition of the following to the day-to-day substitute cafeteria list, effective Oct. 19, 2011: Amy Kline; Kimberly Stefanoni; and Amy Hillanbrand.• Approved the addition of Hillanbrand to the day-to-day substitute secretary list, effective Oct. 19, 2011.• Approved disability leave in conjunction with Family Medical Leave, beginning around Nov. 4, 2011, for Danielle Bowman, junior high learning support teacher. The return to work date is around Jan. 3, 2012.• Approved disability leave in conjunction with Family Medical Leave, beginning Oct. 19, 2011, for Preston Beers, custodian at Towamensing Elementary. The return to work date is yet to be determined.• Approved Zach Tofany as mentor for Suzanne Lynn for the duration of the long term substitute assignment. The salary, as per the current negotiated contract of $1,347, will be adjusted accordingly.• Approved Paula Strohl to the position of cashier at Parkside Elementary, effective Oct. 19, 2011, at the rate of pay of $10.60 per hour for two hours per day.• Approved the resignation of Brian Versuk, high school custodian, effective Oct. 14, 2011.• Reinstated furloughed custodian Raymond Saxe to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Versuk at the high school. The rate of pay would be in accordance with the negotiated contract, effective Oct. 17, 2011.• Removed Tami Cunfer from the secretarial substitute list, effective Oct. 5, 2011.• Denied grievance number PAESPA-11-12-4-KB.• Denied grievance number PAESPA-11-12-5-sick leave extension.• Approved volunteers Brenda Guttusco and Billie Jo Moyer at Towamensing Elementary School. They would be volunteering in the classroom, lunch room and at recess.• Approved student teacher Travis Andrews, from East Stroudsburg University, with Rodney Strohl, Towamensing Elementary, from Oct. 17 to Dec. 16, 2011.• Approved Kutztown University student Caitlin Owens with Kathy Englert, junior high school math, for a two-week field experience to begin on Nov. 7, 2011, and conclude on Nov. 18, 2011.• Approved the donation of $100 from the Towamensing PTO, Inc., for baby-sitting services for meetings.• Accepted the second reading and approval of Policy #003 - Local Board Procedures - Functions; Policy #006 - Local Board Procedures - Meetings; Policy #006.1 - Local Board Procedures - Communication Technology; Policy #008 - Local Board Procedures - Organization Chart; and Policy #810.2 - Employee and Volunteer Driver History Records.• Accepted the gift from the Towamensing PTO of $849 for Yearbook Advisor at Towamensing Elementary School.• Accepted the gift of books from Lisa Snell-Kern and CJ Kern to the SS Palmer Library.• Changed the November workshop from Tuesday, Nov. 1, to Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011.