The Daniel Boone School Board has approved a resolution that designates Sept. 25 as Gold Day in the district. The resolution also reaffirms that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
The unanimous action was taken at the board’s Sept. 11 Committee of the Whole meeting. Board member Connor Kurtz was absent.
Christopher Winters, president of the National Children’s Cancer Consortium, introduced the resolution, along with the parents of Aidan Dunion, Douglassville, who died of brain cancer in August 2014, when he was four years old.
The resolution states that September is “a time to honor and remember the children whose young lives were taken too soon, and the families facing childhood cancer today to help rally support to give children with cancer better outcomes.”
“He was supposed to be a student – sitting in second grade this year,” said his mother, Tara.
Patrick and Tara Dunion founded Aidan’s Avengers to “raise awareness and funding for research programs that focus on Pediatric Brain Tumors with an emphasis on DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma), and to provide financial peace of mind for families affected by Pediatric Brain Cancer.”
Aidan’s Avengers will hold its 3rd Annual Superhero 5K Family Walk on Sept. 30, from 8 a.m. to noon, in Douglassville.
“We urge staff, students, businesses to engage in a day of gold on Sept. 25,” said Winters, adding, “wear something that is gold – and send the message that we need to do more.”
“This is completely an awareness thing – no fundraising involved,” said Patrick, adding, “Key Club members volunteer at events. This costs the district nothing.”
Following two Monday night discussions about study halls – 64 percent of seniors have 10 or more study halls a week – the board directed the administration to survey students on the study hall issue.
In the meantime, board members will meet with High School Principal Preston McKnight for a “Scheduling 101” session to better understand the scheduling process.
McKnight said study halls could be reduced by incorporating science labs into science classes, reducing the number of periods from nine to eight, or offering online learning opportunities during study halls.
“Is there a problem?” asked member Tamara Twardowski.
“Before we solve the problem, is there one?”
McKnight said “a majority of kids are thankful [to have study halls] due to football, cross country practice.”
“We have a substitute service now,” said Superintendent James P. Harris, “and the MOU now with the DBEA (a memorandum of understanding with the Daniel Boone Education Association).”
The MOU approved by the board on Aug. 28 allows DBEA members to cover classes (during their scheduled preparation time) for members who are absent, at $28 per covered class.
“The second thing we have to deal with is scheduling – filling the gaps with internships, co-ops – working with the DBEA on some sort of active learning, online learning,” said Harris.
Board members approved 6-2 to add an additional fourth grade section at Amity Elementary Center (AEC) due to increased enrollment.
Members Carol Beitz and Richard Martino opposed the motion.
AEC Principal Dane Miller said the eleventh section would allow class sizes to be 24 to 26 students per class, instead of 27.
“As of Aug. 18, all sections and grades were within our guidelines,” said board President Michael D. Wolfe.
“In April and May (when budget was prepared), we had almost 11 sections, but they were on the low side, and we decided to eliminate one, then we got more kids in.”
