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Weimar ISD approved changes and updates to its campus and district improvement plans during its board meeting, Monday, Oct. 20.
Principals from each campus presented their changes before the board, then superintendent Chase Seelke discussed district- wide changes. Seelke said not a lot changed in the district improvement plan and that most of the changes are included in the campus improvement plans. However, he highlighted technology improvements, the Teacher Incentive Allotment and standardized testing scores.
“We need to increase our ‘Meets’ and ‘Masters’ which we had talked about before when STAAR scores came out and our TELPAS, which we also talked about,” Seelke said. “Both the elementary and junior high came up with a TELPAS improvement plan for their campuses.”
Across all three schools, campus improvement plans reported the introduction of school resource officers (SROs) instead of local police and the Texas Teacher Incentive Allotment, a state-backed financial program to encourage teacher recruitment and retention. The SROs will be responsible for daily security, weekly door sweeps and enforcing closed-door policies. Majority of the changes fell under the goals of efficient use of district resources, enhancing technology use and access, and academic and post-graduation student success.
High school
Weimar High School Principal Stacy Heger announced expanded strategies for College, Career and Military Readiness (CCMR). WHS will enroll in Texas College Bridge as an additional effort to boost student’s preparation for college math and English courses. The school will also submit students’ industrial-based certification dates into their graduation plans within the year that they are earned.
“The goal of this CCMR Readiness Plan is to prepare WHS students for post-graduation success in college, a career or military,” Heger said. “… Of course, our CTE department is working very closely with our seniors and all of our students to have ‘completer’ status for accountability measures.”
Heger also added professional development for teachers for English and English Language Learner Support to increase the number of students achieving a “Masters” level on their STAAR assessment and student growth on TELPAS.
“We are hoping once [Career Counselor Codi Pesak] gets us OK with the money…we would like to have Saturdays where we will focus on TELPAS to help these kids pass this test and grow where they need to grow in that area,” Heger said.
WISD also started a 1:1 technology program this year, starting with the Class of 2029, to integrate technology into the learning process. The program strives to improve critical thinking, collaboration, and 21st century skills.
Junior high
Weimar Junior High Principal Skye Anderle announced that WJH will push the career exploration class from eighth grade down to seventh grade. Eight graders will now have Career and Technical Education classes focused on typing and data sets and health and speech through the newly introduced iCEV curriculum for CTE classes.
Anderle said that WJH wants to expand their playground equipment by trying to add an outdoor volleyball net.
Elementary
Weimar Elementary School Principal Kristy Janecka emphasized her school’s efforts to recognize students for excellent character and work. Every four weeks, select students will receive recognition for a new character trait. At the beginning of the board meeting, a student from each class received an award for the trait of kindness.
“[Recognized students] get to pick who they want to have lunch with on campus [like] a teacher, custodian, whoever they want to have lunch with,” Janecka said. “That’s been really special, and so many of them pick their previous year’s teachers.”
Janecka also touched on an expanded homework lab for students to work on assignments before school. Janecka, interventionist/ dyslexia instructor Ellen Luchak and special education teacher Shannon Seifert will oversee the lab that will run Monday through Friday from 7:30-7:55 a.m.
The soccer field will feature new painted lines and replaced nets. Janecka said the school will also install an outdoor volleyball net and an outdoor trashcan at the request of many students.
WES also introduced math and reading screening at the beginning, middle and end of the school year for students grades first through fourth. The screening seeks to identify student support needs to achieve annual growth measures for at least 60% of students.
Using supplies from Texas Education Agency Title 1, WES will annually purchase a grade level set of Chromebooks for first graders to use in first through fourth grades while at WES.
