The Salem News reached out to schools last week to update readers with new staff, building updates, and more. The information below is what was shared by superintendents or building principals from each district.
OAK HILL R-I
Building updates for the summer included: completion of front foyer/vestibule (paid for by a state grant), construction of a new softball field (paid for by Coover grant), and bus parking area.
Curriculum changes taking place is the full implementation of University of Florida Learning Institute (UFLI) as the main phonics program.
New teachers joining the staff at Oak Hill are Katelynn Wofford, Veronica Lato, Jessica Kiser, Elizabeth Treadway, Eric Wofford, and Rocky Wade. Open house was held Thursday evening.
Open house was held Aug. 17.
The school has implemented pick up and drop off points due to the lack of a bus driver. Superintendent Aibeen Holland released the following statement last week, “We regret to inform our Oak Hill community that we are not able to find a bus driver in order to maintain three routes. We are forced to implement pick-up and drop off points. The school will open for drop offs at 7 a.m. and pick-ups will be available until 5:30 p.m. Please know that this is only temporary until we find another driver.
Our bus drivers will run routes to determine new pick-up and drop off times. We appreciate everyone’s patience, help, and understanding as we work through this difficult time.
Please note of the following drop off/pick up points:
• Anyone south of Standing Rock Bridge will meet at Gladden Baptist Church or the old Silver Arrow Canoe Rental.
• If you live off N Highway, please meet the bus at Baptist Church in Turtle.
GREEN FOREST R-II
We have two new staff members this year at Green Forest. Sally Hovey joins us as our fourth-grade teacher and Haylee Click as a paraprofessional. We are excited to start archery this year as a part of our PE curriculum and received everything needed for our program through grants provided by various organizations such as the Missouri Department of Conservation. We are in the process of upgrading our security system and have been able to make several other upgrades to our technology around the building as well. “We are excited for students to be back in the building,” shared Conrad Prugh, superintendent.
DENT-PHELPS R-III
Dent-Phelps R-III students and families attended Open House Aug. 17 that included some new staff faces this year. Serving as principal for the 2023-24 school year is Dr. Karla Tiefenthaler. New teachers include Gabby Lopez, fourth grade; Jami Phillips, fifth grade social studies; Larissa Brown, sixth grade ELA; and Lizzy Norfolk, seventh and eighth grade science. New non-certified staff members include Jeffrey Pogue, maintenance/ bus mechanic; Jeramie Kaffer, custodial; Faith Light, paraprofessional; and Tami Henson, paraprofessional.
The district hosted training this year for new teachers, guest teachers, and veteran teachers in order to meet state requirements related to student academic achievement, behavior management, dyslexia, and critical thinking. Safety training included CPR, First Aid, CPI, and Intruder Training in partnership with Spearpoint, LLC.
NORTH WOOD R-IV
North Wood R-IV School is a K-8 district located north of Salem on Highway 19. The district’s school motto, “EVERY child matters...EVERY Day” continues to be a major focus for all staff. The school's enrollment is 195, including the preschool program.
The district has several new staff members for the 2023-24 school year. We would like to welcome Katie Sapp, Lauren Prugh, Sammi Combs, and Rose Campbell to the district. Katie and Lauren bring valuable years of experience to the classroom. Mrs. Sapp will be teaching fifth graders and Prugh will be working with the kindergarten students. Sammi Combs will be working in the Parents as Teachers (PAT) role and assisting students in the library. Rose Campbell will be working as a paraprofessional in grades three through five.
Current professional development will include LETRS training in the science of reading, data-based decision-making, developing assessment capable learners, PbiS, and customer service. Staff will continue working on developing the CSIP plan with input from all stakeholders. All key stakeholders meet three times a year to assist with strategic planning. Meetings in August, February, and May help guide the decision-making process for the entire district.
Since receiving state level recognition, our PBIS program is in full swing and always working to get better! Our theme this year is “Rounding Up Our Leadership” where we will focus on the 7 Habits of Leadership. Each month we will have a different Habit focus with character education classes, activities, and rewards to promote the social/emotional growth of our students.
The staff at North Wood have been working via a Healthy Schools, Healthy Communities grant to address the health and wellness of staff and students. Prior to securing this grant opportunity, the district developed the Panther Elite Program, which combines morning workouts and obstacle course racing to foster competitiveness, fitness, and sportsmanship within the student body.
SALEM UE
There have been several exciting changes and new additions to Salem Upper Elementary this year. Branden Piatt has replaced Melanie Wisdom after her retirement as Upper Elementary Principal. We have gained a full-time Speech Language Pathologist with the hire of Mia Billings. Laine Schafer has moved from her position as a second-grade teacher into the Title Reading position. Replacing her in the classroom is Amy Terrill.
Lisa Jones left second grade to move into the librarian position shared between William Lynch and Upper Elementary. Alaena Tyler will be replacing her in second grade. Hannah Brown will be teaching third grade with us. Courtney Snyder will be teaching fourth grade ELA this year. We also have Leslie Jones teaching fifth grade math and Hailee Buckland teaching fifth grade writing. Macie Strange will be joining us as a paraprofessional and Kelly Tinker is moving from the high school to be a paraprofessional.
There has been a shuffling of offices in order to create room for a larger meeting space for families. Teachers are working on a new system for Response to Intervention (RTI) to help meet the variety of academic needs as well as preparing their classrooms for a year of learning. The building is brightly painted, freshly waxed, and sparkling clean, ready to welcome our students to an exciting new year!
Salem Middle School
“Salem Middle School is gearing up for a fantastic 2023-2024 school year. Our custodian crew has worked hard to prepare the building for the return of faculty, staff, and students,” shared new SMS Principal Dr. Rachel Green.
Teachers have participated in various instructional training throughout the summer and are excited to engage all SMS students! Many new faces are joining our SMS faculty and staff, so stay tuned to our Salem Middle School Facebook to learn more about these outstanding Salem Tigers!
Salem High School
The high school staff has been busy this summer. The custodians and maintenance crews have been cleaning and fixing the buildings from top to bottom. They have worked hard repainting, waxing, and making all the necessary repairs needed to start the year off right. Our teaching staff has also been working hard all summer. They have been attending lots of workshops and trainings.
We have several new teachers this year: Tomi Black will be teaching business; Amy Quick, chemistry, Jackson Mitchell, weight training/health; Neal Myers, special education; Meg Swords, music and band for middle school and high school; and Kimberly Thompson, special education.
We also have several teachers who have moved to the high school. Jerry Adkins will be teaching Social Studies; Jennifer Bass, English; Josh Gorman, alternative; Bekah Hayes, weight training/health; Phil Karr, PE/credit recovery; Hazel Krewson, supervising ISS full-time; Kristi Steelman, counselor; and Cody Woody, high school full-time teaching PE/credit recovery. Additionally, Jody Heavin has moved to the role of principal and Lacie Kolbe has joined the staff as the new assistant principal.
