Upgraded security system approved for Amboy schools

BY BONNIE MORRIS, Editor
Posted 3/24/21

AMBOY – A new surveillance camera system was approved during the March 18 Amboy Board of Education meeting. Board members accepted a bid of $31,890 from Jendy Solutions to replace the existing camera system at Amboy High School.

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Upgraded security system approved for Amboy schools

Posted

AMBOY – A new surveillance camera system was approved during the March 18 Amboy Board of Education meeting. Board members accepted a bid of $31,890 from Jendy Solutions to replace the existing camera system at Amboy High School. 

Superintendent Joshua Nichols said with this upgrade, the surveillance systems at all district school buildings will be linked together. “If there is an emergency, police will be able to access our cameras remotely and see what’s going on before going into the building,” he noted. “The new cameras will also show a clearer image than those we have now.”

PRINCIPALS’ 

REPORTS

Amboy High School Principal Janet Crownhart congratulated March Student of the Month Madelyn McLaughlin. 

Curriculum and School Improvement

● National Honor Society is offering tutoring after school virtually. Students can access a Google Meet from the school website. Crownhart said the link has also been shared with students and staff.

● For transitional planning, AHS brought in a veterinarian and a pilot/geographer/college instructor on March 9, a former golf pro and golf coach on March 15, and a police officer on March 16. 

They spoke with students during homeroom about their chosen career paths. The high school welcomes anyone else who would like to speak or record a video about their career path.

● The final choice of ELA and math curriculums at AHS is StudySync from McGraw Hill for ELA and Savvas Realize from Pearson for math.

School Activities

● AHS has reached the thresholds needed for the 5-Essentials survey with 96 percent of students, 100 percent of teachers, and 19 percent of parents taking part.

● The FFA Parliamentary Procedure team scored 1st place at the Section 2 competition on March 3. The team includes 1st place chairperson Kelton Schwamberger, and floor member placings, 1st-Dana Merriman, 2nd-Andruw Jones, 3rd-Emma Dinges, 4th-Mason Ely and 5th-Lauren Althaus. They will advance to the District 1 contest on April 7.

● National Honor Society was finally able to have their formal induction ceremony on March 7.

● A blood drive will be hosted by the Spanish Honor Society on Wednesday, March 31 from 1-6 p.m. at the Community Building.

● On March 11, all students were shown the bus evacuation video and on March 16 a tornado drill was held.

Amboy Junior High Principal Andrew Full 

Curriculum and School Improvement

●On March 3, the School Improvement Team met with Anji Garza from the ROE to discuss the 2021-2022 schedule, summer school, grading, SEL, RtI and IAR.

●On March 8, the School Improvement Team met with Anji Garza to finish the IQF.

PBIS

● On Feb. 22, the monthly PBIS celebration/assembly was held over Google Meets and the following awards were handed out:

Students of the Month

5th Grade- Maddie Clarida and Henry Klein.

6th Grade- Gage Mumm and Kylee Anderson.

7th Grade- Kierra Karlson and Nick Noble.

8th Grade- Gloria Parker and Fabian Arteaga.

P.E.- Brody Christoffersen and Kaitlyn Dempsey.

Clipper P.R.I.D.E.- Fabian Arteaga, Emily Reed-Dempsey, Molly Hassler, Logan Ketchum, Henry Nichols, Hailey Cagle, Haleigh Stenzel, Aarav Patel, Amelia Moan, Dakota Beach, Grady McLaughlin, Tyler Huggins, Ethan Shephard, Sierra Rhodes, Chase Montavon, Caden Hummel, Wyatt Hoffman, Jenna Blaine, Caden Hermeyer, Carter Phelps, Hunter Spiegel, Braden Shoemaker and Michael Hood.

Faculty and Staff Recognition Winners- Tina Lindenmeyer and Ashley Platz.

School Activities

● Volleyball started on March 1 with coaches Ashley Platz and Jackie Owensby.

● Track started on March 16 with coaches Katie Bulfer and Ben Schott.

● 5C2 is collecting items for local animal shelters as this month’s service project.

Principal Joyce Schamberger, Central Elementary 

PBIS

● Student of the Week certificates were handed out. Third quarter PBIS celebrations will be held on March 26. Pizza will be served in the classrooms.

School Activities

● Report cards went out on March 12.

● March 7 was the first drive-through Pancake and Sausage Breakfast. Schamberger thanked everyone who made this a successful fundraiser. 

● On March 8, Central invited 131 students as guests at the Principal’s Breakfast. All students who sold 10 or more tickets for the Pancake and Sausage Breakfast fundraiser earned an invitation to the Principal’s Breakfast.

● Spring parties will be held on Friday, March 26 at 1:30 p.m.

● On March 26, students who achieve their reading goals for the month will be rewarded with a “Mystery Kit” complete with magnifying glass, notebook and pencil.

● All mandated drills were completed as of March 12.

● Preschool screenings will be held on April 7 and 8. Please call the school for an appointment.

● A virtual Spring Concert is scheduled for Thursday, March 25. 

● Plans are being made for summer school.

OTHER BUSINESS

● Nichols said the maintenance department has been very busy with repairs and has done “a very nice job” keeping the school buildings functioning. 

● Work is progressing on the new building and workers plan to start on the roof on April 12. 

● The ag surplus sale at the high school received 56 total bids and raised $4,086 on 14 items that were no longer needed. Proceeds from the sale will be used to purchase lumber for student projects. 

● The 2021-2022 school calendar was approved. Nichols said the calendar will go back to a regular schedule. 

● AHS math teacher Jessica Arellano reported on the new math and English curriculums purchased by the district. She noted that there has been quite an increase in failing grades this semester, mostly due to remote learning. Summer school will be offered in several subject areas, which will be especially important for seniors to help them make up credits so they can graduate on time. 

PERSONNEL

Following closed session, the board accepted the resignation of Aaron Fassler as English Language Arts teacher at Amboy Junior High, effective at the end of this school year.

They granted tenure contracts to fourth-year probationary teachers, contract renewals to tenured teachers and to non-tenured probationary teachers. They also approved support staff contract renewals and the employment of summer help.

The next regular board meeting will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 22 at Central School, not at AJHS as previously scheduled. All meetings are open to the public.