DINGESS — Dingess Elementary School was host to three other schools in the Tug Valley area for presentation of reports from Local School Improvement Councils in a special meeting Jan. 26.

Besides Dingess, encouraging reports came from LSIC’s at Kermit K-8 School, Lenore K-8 School and Tug Valley High School for the 2009-2010 school term.

Mingo County School Superintendent Dwight D. Dials was present for the meeting along with Assistant School Superintendent Randy Keathley, Rita Ward, Pre-K-6 curriculum director, and the Dials’ executive secretary, Debra Sheppard.

All of the schools have similar educational goals. For instance, Kermit K-8’s goals call for all subgroups of students reaching mastery or above to annually improve by 3 percent. Secondly, a goal calls for the percentage of students reaching mastery or above to annually improve by 3 percent in the area of writing assessments.

Kermit K-8’s Goal three is for teachers to increase their use of technology for student achievement by utilizing the smart board technology and handheld for assessment. Teachers also are to become proficient at using access e-mail accounts for communication.

Dingess Elementary, which boasts that it is “A great place to learn,” also notes that the school staff is dedicated to preparing students for lifelong learning.

At Dingess, there is the belief that “all children can learn regardless of various backgrounds, experiences and mental capacities. Furthermore, to build viable learning, as educators we will constantly examine the implicit connection between the intentions of schooling and our social culture content.”

One of the Dingess school’s goals is for the percentage of students scoring at or above the master level I in Reading/Language Arts and in Math on the WESTTEST and WV Alternative Assessment, “to equal or exceed the statewide starting point for adequate yearly progress (AYP).”

The Dingess school will strive to receive additional instruction in writing through creative writing classes, computer program writings, and journal writing activities. Other programs that support the school’s efforts to increase academic achievement are Compass Lab, the use of the Internet, Waterford, Bridges, Accelerated Reader, and other skill-based software.

The school also expects to increase parent involvement through implementation of “Balanced Literacy.”

“The Ranger Roundup,” a Title I newsletter printed by Lenore K-8 School, published Principal Sabrina Runyon’s letter to all of the Lenore K-8 learning community. She cited “tremendous improvements” within the school the last six years, attributing that to the schools’ improving staff, involved parents/guardians and hardworking students.

“Lenore K-8 hopes to have more community involvement to help our students be life ready for the Global 21 word in which they live,” stated Runyon.

“Although changes are sometimes misunderstood and difficult, putting children first will always prove to be worth any discomfort we may experience.” She thanked the learning community for its continued trust and support.

Lenore K-8 highlights noted that its students are to participate in Marshall University’s and West Virginia University’s Middle School Honor Bands; The school recently honored the men and women “who have fought to bring us the freedoms that we enjoy in the United States,” and the Title I staff has been training to help Lenore K-8 become even stronger in academic excellence.

Tug Valley High School’s mission statement declares the intention to “enable students to achieve mastery of 21st Century skills to successfully participate in all facets of life.”

Tug Valley High also “is committed to developing and continuing to sustain literate, competent, productive citizens for the 21st Century.

Tug Valley High also aims for a safe, healthy and effective learning environment. Its report cites offerings of its curriculum and instruction; parental and local business involvement; volunteer and mentoring (after-school tutoring, credit recovery, college preparatory counseling group and financial aid workshops for seniors).

Tug Valley’s community activities include Midget League, reunions, LSIC meetings and sports. Football field repairs are on the agenda. School organizations include Beta Club, drama, Key Club, Raze Crew, sports teams, yearbook, newspaper, prom committee and Prostart.

All of these four schools have similar goals and needs.

The Kermit K-8 school report noted that, with the help of School Superintendent Dials and the Mingo County Board of Education, “Reading First,” the Mingo County leadership initiative, and business resources, the school now has Intelli-boards, Elmos and Laptop computers for most of its classrooms.

Kermit’s praise report also quoted Dr. Steven Paine, state superintendent of schools: that the school’s challenge “is to provide instruction that is not only relevant, engaging and meaningful but that also includes the world-class rigor necessary to prepare our students to be competitive in the 21st century workplace.”

“We, at Kermit K-8, are ready to step up to this challenge, realizing that we have to provide our students with the technological tools,” said the LSIC report.

The report further cited what was termed “a major setback” as a result of the recent loss of one of its two computer labs. One of the computer labs had to be given up to accommodate the Special Education Department, seriously affecting the ability to meet program demands, it was stated.

The Kermit report praised the efforts of the school board in addressing Kermit K-8’s safety needs. The school now has a secure front entryway for the building with other entryways kept locked at all times. Anyone seeking to enter the building must do so through the front door. No one is allowed past the second set of front doors without a visitor’s pass.