Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
Frigid temperatures during Christmas break led to frozen pipes at three of the five county schools – which could have had a disastrous outcome if it not for the school systems’ maintenance crew.
Superintendent Terrence Beam recognized the crew at the January 3 Pocahontas County Board of Education meeting and thanked them for sacrificing their time off to ensure the schools did not suffer water breaks.
“Rather than call out someone as a contract worker, [director of maintenance Ron Hall] asked Darrin McKenney, Jamie Walker and Chris Irvine to work,” Beam said. “We appreciate so much of what they did. They gave up their Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to be up there and try to get that water taken care of.”
The crew worked long hours to fix the frozen water situation at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School and Marlinton and Hillsboro Elementary schools.
At MES, principal Philip Anderson also assisted with the clean up and was on hand to help however the crew needed him.
Beam also recognized Hall for organizing the effort in a swift manner.
“He’ll say ‘it’s part of my job,’ but he went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure all of this was done,” Beam said. “The fact that our maintenance guys were willing to come out and do that – I can’t thank them enough for what they did.”
In student recognitions, Beam said the agenda included a list of winners from the county literature fair, regional literature fair, county math field day and county spelling bee. Those winners were:
County Literature Fair
Division 1, Kindergarten through second grade
Fantasy, Class: first place, Gina Hardesty’s class, HES – “The Wolf Who Cried Boy;” and second place, Michelle Murphy’s class, MES – “The Rainbow Fish.”
Adventure, Individual: first place, Boone Cassell, MES – “Horace;” and second place, Joseph Taylor, GBEMS – “The Berenstain Bears Visit the Firehouse.”
Adventure, Pair: second place, Michael Friel and Mason Albaugh, MES – “The Secret Shortcut.”
Fantasy, Individual: second place, William Trainer, MES – “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.”
Fantasy, Pair: first place, Jerzie Jackson and Isabella Eilers, MES – “Pig the Fibber.”
Historical Fiction, Individual: second place, Titus Rittenhouse, GBEMS – “Johnny Appleseed.”
Realistic Fiction, Individual: second place, Easton Robertson MES – “Those Shoes.”
Realistic Fiction, Pair: first place, Marcyann Goldizen and Adalyn Beverage, MES – “Freckleface Strawberry.”
Book Series, Pair: second place, David Walton and Garrett Broce, MES – “Charlie the Ranch Dog.”
Non-Fiction Information, Individual: second place, Tyler Taylor, GBEMS – “Turkey Tales.”
Division 2, Third through fifth grade
Adventure, Individual: first place, Harlow Brown, GBEMS – “Ginger the Stray Kitten;” and second place, Victor Dean, MES – “Jangles.”
Adventure, Pair: first place, Alivia Morgan and Colton Propst, GBEMS – “The Muddy Elk;” and second place, Grayson Barlow and Konrad Lowe, MES – “The Legend of the Ghost Buck.”
Fantasy, Individual: first place, Hunter Hefner, HES – “I am Slappy’s Evil Twin;” second place, James Goldsberry, HES – “The One and Only Ivan;” and third place, Kendall Taylor, GBEMS – “The Twits.”
Fantasty, Pair: second place, Ace Gregory and Easton Smith, MES – “Dog Man and Cat Kid.”
Historical Fiction, Individual: first place, Madelyn Rittenhouse, GBEMS – “Cleopatra;” and second place, Noah Sharp, GBEMS – “Medal of Honor.”
Historical Fiction, Pair: first place, Levi Irvine and Jackson Tankersley, HES – “I Survived Hurricane Katrina.”
Mystery, Individual: first place, Jennifer Taylor, GBEMS – “The Pony-Crazed Princess;” and second place, Leah Long, MES – “The Zack and Zoe Mysteries.”
Realistic Fiction, Individual: first place, Marcus Bauserman, GBEMS – “Bridge to Terabithia;” and second place, Amanda Stanley, HES – “A Candy Corn.”
Realistic Fiction, Pair: first place, Abigail Taylor and Kya Arbogast, HES – “The Fourteenth Goldfish;” and second place, Bailey Goodwin and Alana Bennett, MES – “Wonder.”
Book Series, Individual: first place, Shelldon Maitland, MES – “The Last Firehawk.”
Informational, Individual: second place, Jase Hamilton, HES – “Bermuda Triangle;” and third place, Makiya Burns, MES – “Saddlebreds.”
Informational, Pair: first place, Skylar McLean and Karilana Boyd – “Pumpkin’s Story.”
Biography/Autobiography, Individual: first place, Brennon Armstrong, HES – “Henry Freedom Box;” and second place, Cora Baldwin, GBEMS – “I am Jane Goodall.”
Poetry, Individual: first place, Autumn Hively, HES – “Inside Out and Back Again.”
Division 3, Sixth through eighth grade
Adventure, Individual: first place, Trey Sattler, GBEMS – “Where the Red Fern Grows.”
Adventure, Pair: second place, Levi Hill and Raylan Sharp, MMS – “The Last Kids on Earth and the Zombie Parade.”
Fantasy, Individual: first place, Zara Fanning, MMS – “If We Were Giants;” and second place, Johnna Bennett, GBEMS – “Wishtree.”
Fantasy, Pair: first place, Izabella Arbogast and Shalynn Ramsey, MMS – “Harry Potter;” and second place, Katherine Canoy and Dixie Thompson, MMS – “Coraline.”
Historical Fiction, Individual: first place, Griffin Taylor, GBEMS – “I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916;” and second place, Harley Bennett, MMS – “Old Yeller.”
Historical Fiction, Pair: second place, George Shifflett and Cade Wagner, MMS – “The War Below.”
Mystery, Individual: second place, Isabella Grogg, GBEMS – “Remedy.”
Mystery, Pair: first place, Cloe Woody and Sophia Doss, MMS – “Skeleton Creek: Ryan’s Journal;” and second place, Tristan Sizemore and Julian Dennison, GBEMS – “Bunnicula.”
Realistic Fiction, Individual: first place, Haiven Brown, GBEMS – “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School;” second place, Nadiya Kerr, GBEMS – “Sparrow;” and third place, Addison Hamrick, MMS – “If I Was Your Girl.”
Realistic Fiction, Pair: first place, Emma Anderson and Carrigan Hicks, MMS – “Because of Winn-Dixie;” and second place, Dominick Barnes and Luke Taylor, MMS – “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Meltdown.”
Science Fiction, Individual: first place, Gavin Jordan, MMS – “Five Nights at Freddy’s – The Twisted Ones;” and second place, Maia O’Doherty, GBEMS – “The Giver.”
Science Fiction, Pair: first place, Eli Beezley and Colton Cassell, MMS – “Horizon.”
Poetry, Individual: first place, Austin Price, GBEMS – “The Crossover.”
Poetry, Pair: first place, Emma Sacca and Savana Sharp, MMS – “The Crossover.”
Non-Fiction Informational, Individual: first place, Aliyson Taylor, GBEMS – “The Man Who Wanted Seven Wives.”
Regional Literature Fair
Division 1, Kindergarten through second grade
Best in show and first place in Fantasy: Gina Hardesty’s Class, “The Wolf Who Cried Boy.”
Fantasy, Pair: first place, Jerzie Jackson and Isabella Eilers, MES – “Pig the Fibber.”
Adventure, Individual: third place, Boone Cassell, “Horace.”
Realistic Fiction, Pair: first place, Marcyann Goldizen and Adalyn Beverage, “Freckleface Strawberry.”
Division 2, third through fifth grade
Adventure, Individual: third place, Harlow Brown, “Ginger the Stray Kitten.”
Adventure, Pair: second place, Alivia Morgan and Colton Propst, “The Muddy Elk.”
Book Series, Individual: second place, Shelldon Maitland, “The Last Firehawk.”
Historical Fiction, Individual: third place, Madelyn Rittenhouse, “Cleopatra.”
Historical Fiction, Pair: first place, Levi Irvine and Jackson Tankersley, “I Survived Hurricane Katrina.”
Mystery, Individual: third place, Jennifer Taylor, “The Pony-Crazed Princess.”
Poetry, Individual: second place, Autumn Hively, “Inside Out and Back Again.”
Realistic Fiction, Pair: second place, Abigail Taylor and Kya Arbogast, “The Fourteenth Goldfish.”
Informational, Pair: first place, Skylar McLean and Karilana Boyd, “Pumpkin’s Story.”
Division 3, sixth through eighth grade
Adventure, Individual: second place, Trey Sattler, “Where the Red Fern Grows.”
Fantasy, Pair: first place, Izabella Arbogast and Shalynn Ramsey, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.”
Historical Fiction, Individual: third place, Griffin Taylor, “I Survived the Sharks – Attack of 1916.”
Mystery, Pair: second place, Cloe Woody and Sophia Doss, “Skeleton Creek: Ryan’s Journal.”
Poetry, Pair: first place, Emma Sacca and Savana Sharp, “The Crossover.”
Realistic Fiction, Individual: third place, Haiven Brown, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School.”
Realistic Fiction, Pair: second place, Emma Anderson and Carrigan Hicks, “Because of Winn-Dixie.”
Science Fiction, Individual: second place, Gavin Jordan, “Five Nights at Freddy’s – The Twisted Ones.”
Science Fiction, Pair: first place, Eli Beezley and Colton Cassell, “Horizon.”
Non-Fiction Informational, Individual: second place, Allyson Taylor, “The Man Who Wanted Seven Wives.”
County Math Field Day
Fourth Grade: first place, Jonathan Burgess; second place, Jaxon Cassell; third place, Levi Irvine; fourth place, Alivia Penno; and fifth place, Zack Mason.
Fifth Grade: first place, Jarrell Clifton; second place, Autumn Hively; third place, Easton Smith; fourth place, Ace Gregory; and fifth place, Hunter Lundmark.
Sixth Grade: first place, Eli Beezley; second place, Madeleine Burns; third place, Ezra Bond; fourth place, Zara Fanning; and fifth place, Hailey Goldsberry.
Seventh Grade: first place, Willa Hardy; second place, Irelyn Withers; third place, Hemi Hammons; fourth place, RT Hill; and fifth place, Tristan Sizemore.
Eighth Grade: first place, Allyson Taylor; second place, Cash Beers; third place, Camden Gregory; fourth place, Charleigh Halterman; and fifth place, Tanner Smith.
Ninth Grade: first place, Paul Jordan; second place, Gavin Malcolm; third place, Wade Garber; fourth place, Ramona Hardy; and fifth grade, Nolan Street.
Krypto Royalty: elementary, Easton Smith; middle, Levi Hill; and high school, Max O’Ganian.
County Spelling Bee Winners
First Place, Jarrell Clifton, Marlinton Elementary School; second place, Nadiya Kerr, Green Bank Elementary-Middle School; and third place, Bailey Goodwin, Marlinton Elementary School.
In personnel management, the board approved the following:
• Employment of Lisa M. Dennison as substitute teacher for Pocahontas County Schools, at state basic pay, based on degree and experience, for the 2022-2023 school year, as needed.
The next board of education meeting will begin with a Local School Improvement Council meeting at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, at 3 p.m.
