Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
With its third year about to start in August, the Nature’s Mountain Classroom program has grown leaps and bounds since its founder, Tracey Valach, created the outdoor adventures educational program.
Valach gave an update on the program at the Pocahontas County Board of Education meeting July 18, sharing parental input and the schedule for the 2023-2024 school year.
She started by sharing results from a parent survey which revealed that 100 percent of the parents who took the survey agree that the program is a good use of school time and also that their children are safe while on adventures through the program.
“I work really hard to bring on people who are professionals in the area that we are recreating and also teaching to make sure that we’re always keeping safety first,” she said.
Not only do the parents agree that the children are benefitting from the program, but they are enjoying the outdoors more and utilizing the recreational areas in the county, as well.
“We’ve also increased – by 94 percent – interest in outdoor activities,” Valach said. “This is a new one we added this year, 86 percent of parents who took this survey said that this program has inspired them to be recreating and coming back to nature, and trying adventuring again. That, to me, is just really special and not an outcome that we initially thought to achieve.”
Since the inception of the program, Valach was compensated for her time through the board of education, but she explained this year, Snowshoe Mountain Resort has added her time to the funding that it provides for the program.
“They are actually going to pay my time to do this for the county as part of a Snowshoe position, so the non-profit will stay completely separate,” she explained. “They’re not changing what they’ve done, which is massive. A half a million dollars annually, what we get in kind and then the ten thousand dollars that they give us annually toward all the safety items all the kids received.
“That was a big surprise,” she added of the salary.
During Valach’s presentation, superintendent Lynne Bostic shared that there is a buzz in the state about the Nature’s Mountain Classroom program and several entities are interested in learning more about the program and possibly finding more funding sources for it.
Bostic said she recently attended a superintendents’ meeting where she met West Virginia Tourism secretary Chelsea Ruby, who was impressed with the program. During the discussion, Bos-tic said Ruby told her there might be grant opportunities through West Virginia Tour-ism for the program.
As for the program itself, the 2023-2024 schedule is chock full of adventures for all Pocahontas County students.
Playground Adventures for preK through first grade will include Project Wild, offered through the U.S. Forest Service. The animal-based program will have children learning about ecosystems and habitats in the county.
“This year we also bought a fleet of strider bikes,” Valach said. “We’re going to up the ante on that end and create some courses for the kids and do more hands-on programming with our Playground Adventures.”
Students at Pocahontas County High School will assist with creating activities for the younger students.
The Adventure Pocahontas program, for second through fifth grade, will continue with exposing students to an outdoor adventure, as well as activity-based learning.
Second grade will learn to ski; third grade will focus on hiking; fourth grade will kayak and snorkel; and fifth grade will go mountain biking.
“I feel like this year is going to be the easiest years for Adventure Pocahontas ever,” Valach said. “Our parents can’t wait to be part of this program again. I’m working with [Brian] Smith from Marlinton’s fourth grade on being more mindful and intentional about some of the content standard alignment, so that we know we’re meeting them.”
Pocahontas Explorers will have two overnight adventures for the middle school students.
This year, sixth grade will be joined by eighth grade for the Science Adventure School at Boys Scouts of America Summit Bechtel Reserve in Glen Jean.
The seventh grade students will go camping at Camp Thornwood and also go through the hunting safety program to get their hunter safety certification.
The hunting safety portion was added to the program with the help of Peggy Stull, who made the request to include the certification for seventh students. Stull lost her grandson, Kaiden, in a hunting accident, and wanted to ensure that all students in Pocahontas County understand the importance of hunter safety.
Stull organized the hunting safety non-profit in memory of Kaiden to raise funds for the cost of students taking the hunter safety test.
“I’m really excited about another year,” Valach said.
The board thanked Valach for the update and her continued efforts in providing the program to all students in the county.
In updates:
• Superintendent Lynne Bostic shared information from director of maintenance and transportation Duane Gibson and director of food services Julie Shiflet.
Bostic said Gibson reported a new school bus was delivered on June 30. Gibson also told Bostic there were several programs that used the school buses this summer and that there were 17 trips in June; 19 in July; and three scheduled for August.
In maintenance, Bostic said Gibson shared that the new HVAC systems at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School and Marlinton Middle School are progressing, however, the boiler replacement and roof project at Marlinton Elementary School have yet to start, due to a delay in material delivery.
From food service, Bostic said Shiflet shared that there were two summer meal sites – at Pocahontas County High School and MES, which provided meals for summer programs. She added that PCHS is getting a new electric salad bar purchased with grant funding and GBEMS is getting a new washer/dryer combo and shelving.
In miscellaneous management, the board approved the following:
• To continue with the Adventure Pocahontas program, incorporating all grade levels into the county curriculum, for the 2023-2024 school year, including the following overnight travel requests for Nature’s Mountain Classroom, Pocahontas Explorers – August 29 – September 1: sixth and eighth grade, science adventure school, Summit Bechtel; and September 11-13: seventh grade, camping at Camp Thornwood.
• Memorandum of Understanding Agreement between Glenville State University and Pocahontas County Board of Education regarding field placements, internships/student teaching and residency, effective August 1, for the 2023-2024 academic year.
• Memorandum of Understanding Agreement between the Pocahontas County Family Resource Network, a service provider for the West Virginia Department of Rehabilitation and Pocahontas County Board of Education, to participate in a Work-Based Learning Experience program providing youth clients, ages 14-21, real-world work experience for 14 days or up to 40 hours of work, whichever comes first, per client, for the 2023-2024 school year.
• Agreement between Pocahontas County Board of Education and Pocahontas County Parks and Recreation regarding the use and funding of the Wellness Center, retroactive to July1, continuing until June 30, 2024.
• Updated Policy 3120.12 – Substitutes in Areas of Critical Need and Shortage.
• Pocahontas County Schools to use the Restricted Substitute Waiver for additional substitute teachers for the 2023-2024 school year, as needed.
In personnel management, the board approved the following:
• Requested transfer of Richard F. McLaughlin as teacher of music at Pocahontas County High School and Marlinton Middle School/PCHS band director/MMS band director to teacher of music/band director at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, at state minimum salary based on degree and experience plus an additional $750 supplement for the band director portion of the position, effective for the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment is 205 days.
• Requested transfer of Devan E. Gum as librarian/media specialist at Pocahontas County High School to teacher of multi-subjects at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, at state minimum salary based on degree and experience plus equity, effective for the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.
• Employment of D. Julian Rittenhouse as Community in Schools Site Coordinator at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, effective for the 2023-2024 school year for part-time employment of 77 days.
• Resignation of Janessa K. Hatfield Bell as cafeteria manager at Hillsboro Elementary School, retroactive to June 21.
• Employment of William Brown as teacher of special education multi-categorical/autism, at Hillsboro Elementary School, at state minimum salary based on degree and experience plus equity, effective the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.
• Requested transfer of Jeanette D. Wagner as teacher of English/language arts at Marlinton Middle School, to Community in Schools Site Coordinator at Marlinton Elementary School and Marlinton Middle School, at state minimum salary based on degree and experience plus equity, effective the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.
• Employment of Kimberly Ballance as custodian IV at Marlinton Middle School, at state minimum service personnel salary, effective for the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment is 261 days.
• Requested transfer of Krystal Sharek Beers as teacher of special education multi-categorical/autism at Pocahontas County High School to teacher of science at Pocahontas County High School, at state minimum salary based on degree and experience plus equity, effective the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.
• Resignation of Jimmie A. Ryder, Jr., due to retirement, as school bus operator for Pocahontas County Schools, retroactive to June 30.
• Resignation of Michael C. Murphy, due to retirement, as school bus operator for Pocahontas County Schools, retroactive to June 30.
• Resignation of Travis Keatley as mechanic for Pocahontas County Schools, effective July 17.
• Employment of Kristy Tritapoe as director of elementary curriculum, instruction and federal programs including special education and Pre-K/head start for Pocahontas County Schools, at state minimum salary based on degree and experience plus equity, effective July 24, for the remainder of the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment is 245. Term of employment shall be 261 days each year thereafter.
• Requested transfer of Sarah E. Hamilton as executive secretary/accountant III for Pocahontas County Schools to professional accountant for Pocahontas County Schools, at state minimum salary based on degree and experience plus $4,000 supplement, effective July 3, for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. Term of employment is 261 days.
• Employment of Julie Markley as special education classroom aide/bus aide at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, at state minimum service personnel salary, effective for the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.
• Requested transfer of Silas Satler as school bus operator for Pocahontas County Schools from his current run to a new run, at state minimum service personnel salary, effective for the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.
• Requested transfer of Cory Rexrode as school bus operator for Pocahontas County Schools from his current run to a new run, at state minimum service personnel salary, effective for the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.
• Employment of Jeanette Wagner and Michelle Wilfong as teachers for early literacy initiative – summer program for Pocahontas County Schools, at daily rate of pay, up to 10 days as needed, retroactive to five weeks during June 21 to August 4, up to two days per week with two additional days scheduled for preparatory instruction.
• Employment of Erin K. Murphy as Battle of the Books coordinator – summer program for Pocahontas County Schools, at daily rate of pay, up to 14 days as needed, retroactive to June 21 to August 5, excluding July 4.
• Resignation of Chloe Schaffner as assistant girls basketball coach for Pocahontas County High School, effective July 21.
• Resignation of Jeffrey Barlow as assistant girls basketball coach for Marlinton Middle School, retroactive to June 1.
• Resignation of Melissa Nelson as head girls basketball coach for Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, retroactive to July 7.
• Resignation of Melissa D. Taylor as assistant girls basketball coach at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, retroactive to July 3.
• Abolishment of position teacher of alternative education at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, retroactive to June 30.
• Creation of position teacher of alternative education/interventionist at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, at state minimum salary based on degree and experience plus equity, effective the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.
• Creation of position teacher of special education multi-categorical/autism at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, at state minimum salary based on degree and experience plus equity, effective for the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment remains 200 days.
• Abolishment of position executive secretary/accountant III for Pocahontas County Schools, retroactive to June 30.
• Creation of position executive secretary/coordinator of personnel, at state minimum service personnel salary, effective July 19, or upon completion of service personnel testing, for the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment is 248 days. Term of employment shall be 261 days each year thereafter.
• Abolishment of position itinerant special education classroom aide/bus aide at Marlinton Elementary School, retroactive to June 30.
• Abolishment of position itinerant special education classroom aide/bus aide at Hillsboro Elementary School, retroactive to June 30.
The next board meeting will be Tuesday, August 8, at 6 p.m., at the board of education conference room.
