By Marcia Barnes
Staff Writer
Plans are going forward for the new Hayesville Middle School. There will be a dedication for the new school’s flag pole called the Gibson Memorial Dedication from 8:30-9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 9.
The event will be followed by former NASA astronaut Ron Garan speaking to Hayesville’s Middle and High School Students in the high school gym.
Both events have been sponsored by the local American Legion post and donations from the community. Clay County Board of Commissioners also helped to pay for the flagpole in honor of long-time band director, Jennifer Gibson who died Sept. 14, 2021.
Superintendent Dale Cole and the board received appreciation for their confidence in LS3P architectural firm from Scott Donald, senior project manager of the firm which has been selected to design Hayesville’s new school. Maggie Carnevale who serves as LS3P’s Asheville Office Leader also was present to thank the board.
Donald said, “We’re ready to get started when you are. We’re ready to do a good job for you.”
Cole said, “A proposal of contract was mailed to me today from LS3P.”
Following a brief address to the board by Donald and Carnevale from LS3P, Karissa Teague, Hayesville High School assistant principal was introduced by Principal Stacey Overlin. Teague said she was happy to be a part of the school. She began her position as assistant principal on Friday, July 1.
First on a list of reports at the Monday, Aug. 22, meeting was a proposal of partnership between Participate Learning, Gear Up program and Hayesville Middle School. Freebird McKinney, Participate Learning Director of Partnership Development gave an overview of Participate Learning’s objectives:
• Understand the importance and impact of global education and Participate Learning’s mission to “Unite the world through Global Learning.”
• Walk through our integration resources to model how we align your school’s priority initiatives with the global leaders framework.
• Take a look at the core components of the global leaders framework to inspire your staff and students to pay attention to the world around them, feel connected to those they share it with and take action to make it a better place for everyone.
Cole said that having a theme for kindergarten through 12th grade is a great way to create and give learning more of a purpose. He said three themes which might be considered are science, technology, engineering and math; entrepreneurship; and citizenship, local, state and global.
“Last year we started a global program at the middle school that gave us the idea, we haven’t committed to anything,” Cole said. “Before we move any further we just wanted to put it out there in front of the public and the board.”
Board members Kelly Crawford and Reba Beck commented, Crawford saying that the benefits sounded really good.
“It seems to me that the concepts kind of dovetail with what we have started,” Beck said.