Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By P.J. GLISSON
Wakefield — The Wakefield-Marenisco Board of Education voted Monday evening to reinstate a Life Skills course as an elective for students in grades 10, 11 and 12, beginning in the next school year.
According to superintendent Jason Gustafson, the course will be similar to a home economics course offered by the school years ago, but the approach will be modernized.
“We thought focusing more on the financials would be most useful,” said Gustafson, regarding school officials who discussed the course development.
“It is critical that our students have a strong understanding of financial living skills before they leave our school building as seniors,” he added Tuesday.
He noted, however, that the course also will include traditional components of “house management.”
Gustafson said co-teachers for the course will be Christopher Tweiten, who teaches Social Studies for grades 7-11 and careers for grade 12, and Amanda Lopac, who teaches English Language Arts for grades 7-12.
In other news, Gustafson reported to the board that plans are in place to convert the current first grade classroom into an area that will hold the main school office, as well as an office for the head teachers and a room for board of education meetings.
The superintendent said Integrated Designs Inc., of Marquette, met with the building and grounds committee last week to complete the architectural design of the new areas.
Gustafson, who said bids will be issued soon for the summer project, expects the new office area to be operational by the start of the next school year.
Currently, the school office, head teacher’s office, and board meeting room all are on the second floor, while the first grade classroom is on the first floor, near the main entry.
“I am very excited to have the opportunity to move the school office and board room to a more accessible location,” said Gustafson Tuesday. “The new location will also improve school security by allowing for improved visibility of those entering and leaving the school.”
The board also:
—Learned from Gustafson that a public hearing will be held on April 23 at 3 p.m. Central Time at the office of the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District in Bergland. The hearing will address the request by all GOISD schools to start the 2019 school year in the week before Labor Day.
—Learned from Gustafson that organization of the master schedule for 2019-2020 will begin soon, pending results of the April 23 hearing noted above.
—Learned from Gustafson that Angelo Luppino Construction, Inc. of Iron Belt, Wis., has scheduled summer installation of a sidewalk entering the football field. The cost will be $16,927.
—Voted to schedule summer resurfacing of the school gym floor by Baseman Bros., Inc. from Ixonia, Wis. The company’s bid was for $3,423. Trustee Dan Obradovich suggested that fundraising should be considered as a partial means of funding this expense in the future.
—Learned from Gustafson that progress is occurring in exchanging the school’s current fluorescent bulbs for 1,500 LED bulbs provided by the city of Wakefield as part of an energy optimization plan. The superintendent said unneeded ballasts from the school’s original lighting scheme no longer will be used. “We are very grateful to the city of Wakefield for donating the LED bulbs to our school,” he noted.
—During board comments, heard board president Brad Dalbec commend Gustafson for his work in the district since beginning his new role last summer. “He has done a fantastic job of smoothly transitioning into his role as superintendent,” said Dalbec. “The transition has been seamless.” Other board members agreed.
The school’s spring break will be from April 1 through April 5.
The board will meet next on April 15 at 5 p.m. at the Marenisco Town Hall. Each year, the board holds two of its monthly meetings in Marenisco.
