The Southern Local Middle School Principal’s Advisory Council was introduced during the regular Southern Local Board of Education meeting Nov. 11. The student panel meets regularly and is working to promote student council and create activities. Members include, from left, Lydia Tsesmilles, Sadie Plunkett, Gemma Jackson, McKenzie Sloan, Ellieannia Madden, Miah Cote and Nevaeh Todd. Not pictured are Nikyah Rickerd and Jorden Sevek. (Submitted photo)

SALINEVILLE – Members of the new Principal’s Advisory Council at Southern Local Middle School made their introduction during the Southern Local Board of Education meeting Nov. 11.

The student panel was coordinated by junior high school Principal Jordan Wrask and meets to discuss and plan ideas to promote school culture. Members include McKenzie Sloan, Gemma Jackson, Sadie Plunkett, Lydia Tsemilles, Ellieannia Madden, Nevaeh Todd, Miah Cote, Nikyah Rickerd, and Jorden Sevek, and most of them were on hand when the board met at the Williams Collaboration Building in Salineville. The students had a chance to inform leaders what they were all about.

“This is a new group of students who meet regularly to share ideas, identify ways to improve school culture, and make sure every student has a voice in our school community,” said Wrask.

He had submitted a survey seeking interested pupils and the group has already met and will also collaborate with gifted students to produce a newsletter. PAC members also addressed the board and shared their hopes and plans for the future.

“For our first project, we focused on school spirit,” said Nevaeh Todd. “We talked about how to make school more fun and connected for everyone. One big idea was to bring back more theme days and pep rallies–things that make students feel proud to be here.”

“We’re creating a student survey to find out which theme days students actually want,” added Sadie Plunkett. “We’re also starting a Kindness Board in the hallway — a place for students to leave encouraging notes for each other.”

Representatives Lydia Tsemilles, Ellieannia Madden and Neveah Todd added that they were trying to make school spirit more positive, wanted every student to feel heard and included, and were finding ways to make advisory more engaging. Member Gemma Jackson said the survey results were being reviewed at the Nov. 13 PAC meeting and other events included the Veterans Day assembly, Sadie Hawkins Dance and Thanksgiving break.

“We want to recognize two students who have shown leadership and kindness: Kaidynn Edmond at the middle school and Aiden Davis at the high school,” added McKenzie Sloan.

“We’re proud of how this group has stepped up to represent their peers. Thank you for supporting our student leadership at Southern Local Middle School,” noted Miah Cote. “We’re just getting started.”

Meanwhile, officials discussed an upswing in student attendance. Superintendent Tom Cunningham had reported on activities at Southern Local Elementary, where students were treated to a visit from Tada the Magician as a first-quarter attendance reward. Board President Scott Hart asked about the latest numbers and district Treasurer Greg Sabbato said 68 percent of students missed less than 13 hours of school during the first quarter of this school year, which is an improvement from 51 percent at the same time last year.

“The correlation is the more you’re here for learning in the classroom, the better your grades and the more you can learn,” Sabbato said.

“We made a big initiative on upgrading our attendance,” added Cunningham. “It makes a huge impact on many things, particularly our academic focus. The kids can’t learn if they don’t come to school, so that has been a big issue.”

Board member Jean Pastore asked if the figure included tardy students and leaders said it did.

“If you look at attendance rates from last year to this year, we’re averaging almost 15 to 20 students less who are absent,” Cunningham responded.

Officials also approved a series of personnel matters, including the hiring of substitutes Elizabeth McKinnon, Josephine Lee, Melody Felton, Trista Furbee, Errin Smyth Furbee, Natalie Champion, and Brooke Hohlbaugh; approving memorandums of understanding with the Southern Local Teachers Association adding an elementary yearbook advisor to the list on non-athletic supplemental positions and provisions with SLTA and Utica Shale Academy members; approving supplemental contracts for Amanda Vernon for robotics and Jody Lockhart as a testing administrator for the first semester of the current school year; revised a job description for teacher’s aide; approving job descriptions for a classroom behavior specialist and bus driver; approving one-year contracts for Ernanie Black as a five-hour cafeteria worker at the high school, Elizabeth Roberts as a six-hour cafeteria worker at SLES, Lonnie Fields as a paraprofessional, and Angela Martin as a paraprofessional; approving a continuing contract for Whitney Tsesmilles as EMIS coordinator/fiscal consultant; approving Andy Plunkett and Lance Weston as junior high boys’ basketball coaches, Rich Sloan and Charity Sloan as junior high girls’ basketball coaches, Skyler Lasure as junior high wrestling coach, Stephen Grimm as varsity assistant boys’ basketball coach, Nikki Kellogg, Brian Spahlinger, and Cory Boyle as volunteers for girls’ basketball, Mark Witherow as JV girls basketball coach, Justin Gerren as varsity assistant girls basketball coach, and Thomas Terdina as volunteer girls basketball coach for the 2025-26 school year; hiring Toby Warner as a classroom behavior specialist; naming Ryan Smith for a Virtual Learning Academy (VLA) elementary music grading position for the online Indian Academy; and approving a USA staffing agreement with Nick Woods and also contracting him for pest and vegetation control remediation at the Shale buildings.

In other matters, the board:

– Heard from Ron Sismondo, director of curriculum and professional development at the Jefferson County Educational Service Center, that three district teachers received Best Practice Grants for their classroom projects. Tiffany Scheel, Jessica Coleman and Tracey Richards each gained $700 for their respective plans, which included a “24” math challenge, supplying the new Wigwam Cafe run by the career-based intervention (CBI) students, and a science of reading program;

– Heard a series of updates from district personnel, including new firewall software at Southern Local and the Utica Shale Academy’s Hutson Building to block cyberattacks; the acquisition of two new buses which will be inspected and soon be in use; fire protection system upgrades and winterization of Wigwam Stadium; and the positive results of an evacuation drill on Oct. 28 as well as camera upgrades in the school building;

– Learned from Wrask that a new middle school robotics team was underway and teacher Tiffany Scheel was creating a 24 and academic challenge teams for future competitions;

– Heard from Cunningham that SLES fifth-graders were headed to Camp Fitch while the first Special Persons breakfast was held and Pete the Penguin from Youngstown State University was also paying a visit. He and Hart both praised the Veterans Day assembly held that morning while Cunningham added that a curriculum improvement council meeting was set for Dec. 4 and an online College Credit Plus program was set for Nov. 18 in conjunction with YSU and Kent State University. More details would be promoted on the school’s social media;

The next meeting was set for Dec. 9 at 6 p.m. with the venue to be determined.