Published: March 11, 2008 02:41 am            

PISD hears about Story’s innovative program

Instructors, parents and students involved in Story Elementary School’s Destination ImagiNation program gave a presentation on the teams’ recent success at a regional tournament to Palestine Independent School District Board of Trustees Monday night during the regular school board meeting.

Story’s DI teams are made up of students in grades 3-5 who are in the Gifted and Talented program,facilitated by GT teacher and DI coordinator Jennifer Sparks.

During the Destination ImagiNation Creative Challenge Competition, East Regional Tournament held March 1 in Mesquite, Story’s teams had 100 percent success with all three teams bringing home medals. This was the district’s first year to participate in the program.

Destination ImagiNation is a community-based, school-friendly program that builds participants’ creativity, problem solving, and teamwork in enjoyable and meaningful ways. The goals of Destination ImagiNation are for participants to foster creative and critical thinking. Students learn and apply the creative problem solving method and tools while developing teamwork, collaboration and leadership skills.

Students do 100 percent of the work, but trained adults are utilized as team managers. Rusty Stone’s Switch team won second place in their competition; Virgil Buell’s Chorific team won fifth place and certificates of commendation in their competition; and Sparks’ Obstacles of Course team won fifth place in their competition.

“The judges really commended Palestine because all three teams brought home medals,” Sparks said. “It’s a great program that can be utilized not only for students in these grades but for grades one through 12 and the university level.”

Parent Phil Berry said he was very excited to see the students’ enthusiasm and dedication.

“This program helps them develop lifelong skills, critical thinking skills,” Berry said. “It teaches them how to learn.”

Parent Kathi Masonheimer said her daughter Grace was enthusiastic about a program that is student-driven, and commended teachers Sparks and Buell for their going the extra mile for the program.

School board member Michael Bennett said he was amazed with the talent of the children after watching the presentation of the challenges the children faced.

“It was nice to see parents excited, grandparents excited about the program,” Bennett said of the full house that came to watch the DI presentation. “I like the idea of kids thinking and working together — we need to promote that.”

Also during the board meeting, a handful of donations were approved, including a $17,000 donation by Palestine High School graduate and Minnesota Vikings NFL football player, Adrian Peterson and Nike, for new jersey uniforms for the PHS football program.

Board of trustees discussed three proposed 2008-09 calendars during the meeting, deciding to send two of the proposed calendars to the school campuses to get input on what the staff preferred.

The trustees also voted to change the school board meetings from the second Monday of each month to the third Monday of each month starting in September 2008.

School board member Dr. Michael Gorby suggested the change due to the city council also meeting on the second Monday of each month.

“We want to welcome the community. I think more of the community would be here if the city council and school board didn’t meet on the same night,” Gorby said. “There are people in the community that wish to attend both public meetings.”

Also at the meeting, the board:

l RECOGNIZED Junior Rotarians for the month, Danielle Brooks and Justin Baldovino.

l RECOGNIZED PHS Students of the Month Janae Demar and Clinton Curley.

l PRESENTED Youth & Government awards to PHS and Palestine Middle School students

l APPROVED minutes of the Feb. 11 regular board meeting

l HEARD property/casualty insurance presentation by Kerry Sims of Property Casualty Alliance of Texas

l REVIEWED bills paid for February

l APPROVED donations

l HEARD the financial report

l APPROVED monthly investment report

l HEARD tax collection report

l APPROVED budget amendment

l APPROVED adoption of textbooks

l DISCUSSED TEA update

l APPROVED Emergency Operations Plan for 2008-09

l APPROVED election judges for the Board of Trustee election on May 10

l RENEWED contracts for teachers and other professional full-time contract employees

        

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