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RESA 8 N EWS

June 2015

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

Adolescent Health 2-3

Adult Base Education/

SPOKES 3-4

Audiology 4

County Bus Operator

Training 5

Finance 5

Head Start/Pre-K/

Early Head Start 6

IT Support 7

Medicaid Reimbursement 7

Personnel 8

Public Service Training 8-9

School Wellness 10

Special Education 10-11

Staff Development 12

WV Birth to Three 13

WVEIS 13

Around the Office 14

Around the Community 15

Upcoming Events 16

Regional Council 16

RESA 8 is now on Twitter!

Follow us @RESA_8

STAY IN TOUCH WITH RESA 8! RESA 8

109 S. College Street

Martinsburg, WV 25401

304-267-3595 · 800-367-3728

304-267-3599 (fax) www.resa8.org

Proudly serving the West Virginia counties of Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Mineral, Morgan and Pendleton

NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR NAMED AT RESA 8

We at RESA 8 are excited to welcome our new Executive

Director, Joan Willard! Joan comes to us from Morgan County

Schools where she has served as Assistant Superintendent

since 2007. She has also served Morgan County Schools as a

principal for eight years as well as the Director of Special

Education for ten. As a principal, Joan led two schools to

achieve the title of School of Excellence. Prior to her work in

Morgan County, Joan worked for Berkeley County Schools as

an IEP Coordinator and as a Special Educator.

Throughout her career, Joan has been affiliated with WVU and

now Western Governor’s University as a cooperating teacher

and site supervisor. She has been a mentor principal for

Morgan County Schools, served in the Lions Club, is a member

of Delta Kappa Gamma Honorary, and has been on the Board

of Directors for the FRN, Eastern Panhandle Training Center, EastRidge Health Systems, and

the Eastern Panhandle Boys and Girls Club. Recently, Joan was privileged to work with local

business representatives and community leaders to assure the passage of the Morgan

County Excess Levy. She believes it “takes a village to raise a child” and has a true

commitment to community involvement.

Joan was selected from twenty-three applicants for the position of Executive Director. She

was recently introduced to the staff by RESA 8 Regional Council Chairman, Dr. Bill Queen,

who said the council was confident the right person was selected for the job. Her wealth of

experience in education, leadership and community

partnership as well as her commitment to excellence in

everything that she does will help take RESA 8 to the next

level!

Joan will officially begin her employment with RESA 8 on July

1, 2015.

A WORD FROM OUR INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

It is now June, and we will soon begin a new fiscal year. The RESA 8 council has appointed a new

Executive Director, Joan Willard, who I am sure will lead RESA 8 in a new and exciting era. As for me, I

will be concluding my RESA 8 experience on June 30, 2015. This has been a most rewarding venture

for me. I have learned what a wonderful organization RESA 8 is, filled with dedicated and talented

individuals focused on providing the best service they can to our eight counties. I have received

tremendous support from our council, superintendents and the staff at RESA 8. I wish Joan and the

RESA 8 community the best in the years to come. Frank Aliveto

June 2015

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AD OL ES CEN T HE ALTH


ASSET BUILDING

This school year seventh grade students at Martinsburg South Middle School have had one class period per month dedicated to asset

building! The 40 Developmental Assets is a method of using positive experiences and qualities that help influence the decision making of

adolescents. Developed by Search Institute, this evidence based approach is widely used and serves as a reliable prevention tool. The

assets are common sense types of experiences that help children to succeed in life.

Donna Callar, a pilot, spoke on careers in aviation and career

goal setting to help the students to start thinking about their

future careers and what they need to accomplish their goals.

Wyoma McCray, retired physical therapist, spoke on healthy

decisions in nutrition with MyPlate and healthy lifestyles with

physical activity and sleep … balance!

Heather Canby, minister, spoke on the purpose and the power

of words. Chrissy Gibbons, community member and college

student, spoke on life goals and planning for the future.

Dawn Heatwole, RESA 8 EHS Disabilities Manager, spoke on

overcoming obstacles. She had a great activity where she

blind folded one student, had another guide them through a

“landmine” while all the other students screamed, yelled and

distracted the blindfolded student. This forced them to

block out all of the distractions and only focus on the

person guiding them to navigate their way.

RESA 8 News


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AD OL ES CEN T HE ALTH

RETIRED SENIORS AND VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION CEREMONY

Lori Lawson, RESA 8 Adolescent Health Coordinator, spoke at the Retired Seniors and Volunteer

Recognition Ceremony at the Berkeley Senior Center. The volunteers were recognized for helping

with the Asset Building Program at Martinsburg South Middle School

.

Lori also gave a short presentation

on the 40 Developmental Assets,

the importance of asset building

at home, in our schools and

community - 40 is a big number,

so it takes everyone working

together to build as many

intentional assets as possible in

our young people. Statistics show

the more assets a young person

receives the less risky behaviors

they will make and will help them

become better-rounded, productive,

caring adults.

For more information on the 40 Developmental Assets and/or to

volunteer to be as Asset Builder in our schools, please contact

Lori Lawson at [email protected] or 304-596-2655! We need

volunteers to make this program a success!!

Volunteers, RSVP employees and organizers, Lori Lawson,

Marge Ruth, Alexandria Cincinnati (Ms. Randolph County), and

Mary Jo Brown (Regional Coordinator for Senator Joe Manchin)

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AD U LT BAS I C EDUC AT I ON/SPOKES

SPOKES INSTRUCTIONAL TEAM WELCOMES NEW MEMBER

John Holmes, Regional Adult Education Coordinator, is pleased to announce Vanessa Clay as

the newest member of the SPOKES instructional team to Berkeley County.

SPOKES (Strategic Planning in Occupational Knowledge for Employment and Success) is an

academic and job preparation program in collaboration with the Department of Health &

Human Resources and WV Department of Education.

Vanessa has taught Adult Education for three years in a blended SPOKES/ABE classroom in

Pocahontas County. In addition to teaching, Vanessa is a Technology Integration Specialist

helping other instructors incorporate the best practices for

using technology in their classroom.

Vanessa recently earned her Master’s in Education

degree at Fairmont State University in a program called

Digital Media, New Literacies and Learning. Prior to Adult

Ed, she worked with several non-profit organizations

training young people in documentary media production

and leadership.

Vanessa is excited to be joining RESA 8 and can’t wait to

get started! In her off hours, she likes to spend time with

her “zoo of five” which includes her husband and three

kids.

June 2015


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AD U LT BAS I C EDUC AT I ON/SPOKES

ABE STUDENTS GRADUATE

It’s that time of year again - graduation season for Adult Education students in the eight county region!

Ceremonies were held in Berkeley, Jefferson, Mineral, Hardy, and Hampshire counties this spring with

family and friends of the High School Equivalency graduates in attendance. Graduates who received

their diplomas have passed all five sub-tests of the TASC (Test Accessing Secondary Completion™)

exam during the past year. TASC replaced GED® in the state of West Virginia.

A breakdown of graduates:

Berkeley County / Morgan County / James Rumsey Technical Institute 145 earned diplomas

Jefferson County 81 earned diplomas

Mineral County 23 earned diplomas

Hardy County / Grant County / Pendleton County 38 earned diplomas

Hampshire County 25 earned diplomas

Mr. Alan Sturm, Interim Superintendent for Jefferson

County, addresses the audience at the Jefferson County

Adult Education graduation.

AU D IOL OGY D R . M I K E Z A G A R E L L A , A U D , C C C / A

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RESA 8 AUDIOLOGIST GIVES PRESENTATIONS

Dr. Michael Zagarella, RESA 8 Audiologist, presented two continuing education

activities at the WV Speech & Hearing Association convention in Bridgeport. His first

presentation was titled Ethics 101: 50 Shades of Gray, which was an overview on

how to make an ethical decision and some ethical dilemmas that might be encoun-

tered by speech pathologists. In order to maintain licensure in speech pathology it is

now necessary to have two hours of continuing education in ethics during each two

year cycle.

His second presentation was Hearing Screening in the Schools. All children have their

hearing screened upon entering the school system and once or twice throughout their

school years. In most cases, the speech pathologist assigned to the school performs

this screening test. All children who are seen for speech therapy have their hearing

screened as part of the eligibility process. Dr. Zagarella explained the proper

procedure for performing hearing screening and reviewed the rules and regulations

governing this activity.

Dr. Zagarella has been the audiologist at RESA 8 for twenty seven years where he has

participated in or provided training for hearing screeners many times. He has been a

member of the WV licensing board for speech pathologists and audiologists for

seventeen years and is currently president of the board.

RESA 8 News

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COU NT Y BU S OPER ATOR TR AIN I N G


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BUS OPERATOR PROGRAM IS GROWING

The county school bus driver training continues to grow as the coordinators move

in a new direction. The program is slated to have a new set of guidelines and

processes in the next month that will standardize training statewide. This will allow

the program to become more efficient and cost effective for the individual counties.

FINANCE DIRECTOR PRESENTS TO 7TH & 8TH GRADERS

On April 15 and 16, RESA 8 Finance Director, Rebecca Hester, had the pleasure of speaking to all 7th and 8th

grade students at Pendleton County Middle/High School about finance and budgeting. The students learned how

to calculate interest rates for credit cards, understand minimum payments and how credit can be harmful if not

used properly. They also went over interest for savings accounts so they could see the value in saving their

money early and often.

On day two, they started with sample family budgets to show a realistic view of what their families income must

be spent on before "want" and "fun" items can be purchased. Then, each student created their own budget based

on income and expenses. Becky said, “I was impressed with how many 7th and 8th graders had jobs and chose

to save instead of going to the movies or buying a new fishing rod.”

According to Becky, the most enjoyable and interesting activity was telling the students they had won the lottery and having them list the

purchases they would make and how much they felt those items would cost. It was encouraging to hear them using the terminology

from the previous lessons. For example, one student planned to purchase seven Lamborghinis. The student next to him reminded him

that in the family budget example, if you had a vehicle, you also had to create budget line items for fuel, vehicle insurance and mainte-

nance.

Mr. Smith's classes focused, engaged, and were very well behaved. Becky said, “I sincerely appreciate the hospitality of Assistant Princi-

pal Hevener and Mr. Smith, along with his students. I look forward to returning again soon!”

DO YOU HAVE FINANCE QUESTIONS?

“Ask Becky!” is our RESA 8 newsletter segment dedicated to answering those

finance questions that everyone has. Submit your question to [email protected] for a

chance at having it answered by our Finance Director, Becky Hester, in our next RESA 8

newsletter!

Question: My daughter is in Pre-K and I want to know how to set up a college fund for her. What is

the best option?

Answer: The most popular college savings plan for young children and parents who want to get a jump start on their child's education

is a 529 plan. There are options when picking a 529 plan. There is a Prepaid Plan that allows you to purchase college tuition

at today's rates and a Savings Plan that invests the funds you contribute, similar to a mutual fund, with the investments be-

coming more conservative as the child reaches college age. The Donor is the person who sets up the 529 account and can

select automatic monthly contributions directly our of their bank account. Other contributors can also deposit money into

the account in lieu of a birthday gift, for example. The money can be used for a variety of college related expenses, including

tuition, fees, books, and any equipment required for study at an accredited college. With state tuition rates increasing every

year, this is a great start to ensuring your daughter can afford a college education. Requirements and available plans vary by

state. For more information, you can visit: http://www.irs.gov/uac/529-Plans:-Questions-and-Answers.

http://www.irs.gov/uac/529-Plans:-Questions-and-Answers

June 2015

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One of our EHS families wanted to

have a garden and grow some of their

own food. Karen Burns, EHS family

service worker and Lisa Fulton, the

family’s home visitor brought a tiller

and taught the family how to till a plot

of ground. Everyone in the family got

involved to plant the seeds.

SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISERS

On May 14 Berkeley County Head Start/Early Head Start held a 5K walk/

run at War Memorial Park. The event was scheduled in part to celebrate

the 50th Birthday of the Federal Head Start Program and 20th Birthday of

Early Head Start. There was a family picnic to honor our families and

sponsors. Donations had been collected to benefit selected community

agencies who continue to assist our children and families throughout the

year. Donations are to be presented to the agencies by June 30.

Parents, staff and children participated in the 5K. There was laughter,

exhaustion and great conversation throughout the event. Donations for

the event included face painting and balloon sculptures by Tricky Person

Productions and Glitterbugs. The event concluded with live music by

Tony. M. Music. Kitzie’s and Chick-fil-A provided the great eats!

Jefferson County held multiple fundraisers from March through May to

benefit Jefferson community agencies in honor of our birthdays and

Morgan County held a child art event creating wonderful placemats that

were donated to Starting Points and used for the Partners in Preventing

gathering on April 1.

CHILDREN’S DAY AT THE MALL WAS A SUCCESS

RESA 8 News


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IT SU PPORT

VMware® IN JEFFERSON COUNTY

Windows® XP support has died and is long gone, which was a big dilemma for all technology departments upgrading to a newer OS

(Operating System). Upgrading a few computers is simple enough, but when maintaining over 6000 workstations, it becomes a much

larger beast. Jefferson County decided to take a different approach to this -- virtualization.

To briefly describe virtualization, a computer running Windows® 95 can open the VMware® client and login to a Windows® 8 Operating

System with a county’s custom image. This can occur regardless of the computer resources the host computer has like CPU, RAM, hard

disk space or speed. In other words, virtualization eliminates physical requirements for resource intensive applications like Adobe®

Photoshop or Microsoft® Office 2013 might have. Virtualization alleviates the difficulties that come with upgrading workstations county-

wide.

A technology department with only a few members needs to be able to adapt to a constantly evolving environment. Virtualization, along

with other management systems like Active Directory® and SCCM (System Center Configuration Manager), allows us to rapidly update and

force changes remotely to a larger scope instead of working on single computers. This is the main objective that Jefferson County is

pushing for, but our infrastructure is under-going a complete overhaul to accommodate this.

Before we can fully utilize these benefits, we must remodel our infrastructure to accommodate these dramatic changes. We will be adding

all computers and users within the high schools and middle schools to Active Directory®, installing a new Deep Freeze®, and preparing

them for SCCM 2012. To achieve this, we have created a script that will accomplish all of these

things on the 1500+ computers we will be working on this summer. This is just a start, but we envi-

sion the entire county coming full circle.

Since the upbringing of the Harpers Ferry site, Jefferson County has reached the point to further

deploy VMware® throughout the county. As such, in the beginning of the Fall of 2015 the

Technology Department will be deploying virtual machines to all high schools and middle schools

with the goal of adding all elementary schools in the Spring of 2016. This will aid the Technology

Department with being able to update county workstations almost instantaneously and let students

learn on a computer with full administrative privileges.

For more information on this project, please contact RESA 8 technician Adam Kercheval

([email protected]) or Jefferson County Technology Director Paul Hercules

([email protected]). For more information about the RESA 8 IT Support Program, please contact Jill Woolcock ([email protected]).

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ME D IC AID RE IMBURS EM E NT

SBHS MEDICAID: FACING WIDE-SWEEPING CHANGES

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) approved the WV School Based Health Services State Plan Amendment (SPA)

12-006 which proposes to more accurately match and adjust Medicaid payments to the cost of services actually being provided. The SPA

has set forth numerous changes including allowed services, enrolled provider requirements, and potential sanctions surrounding a

necessary time study participation used in the cost reporting/settlement methodology.

Several program modifications were implemented within the 2014-2015 school year while others will begin 2015-2016 year.

The West Virginia Department of Education and the WV Department of Health and Human Resources will begin trainings across the state

to clarify and highlight the various changes by working directly through the RESAs. RESA 8 will host the first of these meetings on June 8,

2015, with extended invitations to each of their counties Special Education Directors, Finance Directors and employees that work directly

through the School Based Medicaid Reimbursement Program(s).

The significance of the wide-sweeping changes and impact on all LEA’s has prompted a great number of concerns and

questions. Overall counties have seen a considerable reduction in current reimbursements with a major increase in workloads and

paperwork to seek currently allowed Medicaid reimbursements. All program alterations are a result of federally mandated changes by the

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid with the largest conceptual change being the annual cost settlement process.

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

June 2015


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PU B L IC SERV IC E TR AI N I NG

Participants in the Vehicle and Machinery Rescue class

at the Mineral County Emergency Services Training

Weekend were given a “worst case scenario” of an

overturned vehicle with no means of entry to the

vehicle from either side. The car was literally

cut in half and folded over to gain access.

What looks like a truck on fire is actually a mobile

fire investigation lab from the Virginia Department of

Fire Programs. A simulated clandestine drug lab was

set on fire in the trailer for a class at the Pendleton

County Training Weekend. Students learned to

recognize a clandestine drug lab fire and how to

preserve evidence for law enforcement.

The RESA 8 reception

area was recently

updated!

Sometimes a small note can make a big

difference to brighten someone’s day! Try using

a simple hand-written note to spread some

kindness to a co-worker!

RESA 8 News


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PU B L IC SERV IC E TR AI N I NG

PUBLIC SERVICE TRAINING PUTS NEW MOBILE FIRE TRAINING UNIT IN SERVICE

RESA 8 Public Service Training is the proud owner of a brand new Mobile Live Fire

Training Unit (MLFTU). The MLFTU allows students to complete live fire training required

for Firefighter 1 certification by National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards.

Previously RESA 8 students had to travel to fixed facilities out of state to meet this

requirement. RESA 8 Public Service Training Coordinator David Plume commented “We

have been working on this project for years. Without exaggeration, this is the biggest

thing to happen to RESA 8 Public Service Training in the 6 years I have been coordinator.”

The MLFTU provides a training environment using propane to create multiple live fire

scenarios. Safety is a major concern because students are entering an Immediately

Dangerous to Life and Health (IDLH) environment. Before the NFPA required live fire

training for Firefighter 1 certification most firefighter’s first experience in a live fire

environment was at a real incident.

The MLFTU is essentially a sea container that is insulated and filled with training props

and sophisticated controls. In addition to the propane flames the unit is filled with smoke

from a state of the art smoke generator. The MLFTU comes equipped with a number of

other props for basic and advanced firefighter training. There are props for standpipes,

sprinkler heads, forcible entry, wall breaching, ladders, and much more. Jamie Weller,

Assistant Public Service Training Coordinator, has taken the lead in installing storage

boxes on the MLFTU and obtaining the equipment and tools needed to conduct live fire

training. For example, medical equipment is needed because NFPA requires medical

monitoring of participants before and after entry into the IDLH environment. Water

bottles, gas cans, tools, and personal protective equipment are also needed.

The MLFTU is being stored at the James Rumsey Technical Institute. As David Plume explained, “We signed a MOU that gives us a place

to store the MLFTU and makes it available for the Fire Service Program at James Rumsey. The Truck Driver Training Program at James

Rumsey will move the MLFTU to other locations.”

Draeger, the manufacturer of the

MLFTU, conducted a two-day training with ten selected RESA 8 Fire Service Instructors. These instructors will be the primary operators of

the MLFTU. Another training session for RESA 8 Fire Service Instructors certified them to conduct live fire training that meets the NFPA

standards.

Draeger asked permission to put the RESA 8

MLFTU on display at the Fire Department

Instructors Conference (FDIC) in Indianapolis in

April. Dave Plume said “We were glad to have

our unit on display at the largest fire

instructors conference in the nation. People from

all over the country got to see the West Virginia

Public Service Training Logo on the side of the

unit.”

After returning from FDIC the MLFTU went to the

Mineral County Technical Center in Keyser where

students in a FF 1 class at the school were able

to get their live fire training. Plume said “Before

we had the mobile unit students at MCTC

sometimes had to wait over a year to find an

opportunity to complete their live fire training

requirement and receive firefighter 1

certification.”

The RESA 8 Mobile Live Fire Training Unit is seen here as instructors

are being trained to operate this state of the art live fire training unit.

A look inside RESA 8’s MLFTU. Firefighters

must train in a live fire environment like this

to receive their level 1 certification.

June 2015

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SC H OOL WE L L N ES S


YOUTH SURVEYS TO GUIDE PLANS FOR MEETING STUDENT NEEDS

RESA 8 Regional School Wellness in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and The Office of Research have been working

since December to coordinate and complete the bi-annual Youth Risk Behavior Surveys and the Youth Tobacco Surveys in selected

participating schools throughout the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. High schools and middle schools from the Eastern Panhandle

were randomly selected and from there, students are randomly selected for the completely anonymous survey. Parents are given a

passive permission form if they wish for their children to opt out. This data is used to help guide the work that will be done to best meet

the needs of area students.

While these surveys are very similar in the manner they are conducted, they cover different topics. The YRBS survey helps determine the

risk behaviors that youth are taking part in the most and helps educators both in schools and in the community determine what the focus

of prevention should be for youth. For example, programs may be developed to target drug prevention or

pregnancy prevention in an area, or a focus may be on increasing physical activity among youth.

The YTS survey is strictly on tobacco habits that youth are taking part in. Those participating schools are as

follows: Jefferson High School, Hedgesville High School, Moorefield High School, Charles Town Middle

School, Shepherdstown Middle School, Martinsburg South Middle School, Martinsburg North Middle School,

Hedgesville Middle School, Capon Bridge Middle School, and Pendleton Middle School.

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RESA 8 PROVIDES CPI TRAINING TO BERKELEY COUNTY

On May 26, the RESA 8 Special Education Department provided CPI Refresher Training for nearly seventy Berkeley County Schools Special

Education staff members. CPI (Crisis Prevention Institute) is an international training organization that offers a variety of specialized

offerings to create a safe and respectful educational environment. The cornerstone of CPI is the Nonviolent Crisis Intervention program,

which is what our Special Educators in RESA 8 are trained in. The core philosophy of CPI is to provide for the Care, Welfare, Safety, and

SecuritySM of everyone involved in a crisis situation. The program’s proven strategies focus on de-escalation and prevention to give

educators the skills to safely manage behavior, while balancing the responsibilities of care.

Recently, CPI has changed its policies for trainers. Initially, trainers were

required to renew their certification every 4 years. This has now been

reduced to every 2 years. The cost of becoming a trainer and maintaining

the trainer status is quite significant. For example, the Instructor

Certification Program currently costs $2419.00, while the certification

renewal is $1119. Consequently, this can create quite a financial burden

to counties’ Special Education budgets.

RESA 8 has responded to this encumbrance by recently training two staff

members to be Certified Instructors of CPI. With our new Certified

Instructors, RESA 8 can now relieve this significant cost burden of

counties having to fund Certified Instructors. Instead, the RESA 8 Special

Education staff of Certified Instructors will now provide the CPI training to

our counties.

The RESA 8 Special Education Department encourages other counties to

take advantage of this cost-saving opportunity, just as Berkeley County

has, and we look forward to providing this service throughout the region.

If interested, please contact MaryAnne Sullivan Scott at

[email protected] or Andy Guthrie at [email protected].

Andy Guthrie, RESA 8 Regional School Support Specialist

giving CPI instruction at Ramer gym in Martinsburg.

RESA 8 News


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JIM HARRIS AND AMY KELLY PRESENT THE WV P.B.I.S. INITIATIVE

On April 8-10, 2015, the county Special Education Directors of RESA 8

met for their first annual “Closing the Gap” Planning Summit. During

the Summit, Jim Harris, MSW, Ed.S., and Amy Kelly, M.A., accompanied

by Mr. Andrew Nelson, M.Ed., ISA®-CI., presented the West Virginia

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Initiative to the

county Directors. Mr. Harris is the Associate Director of Training at the

WV Autism Training Center at Marshall University. He recently resigned

as the PBIS Coordinator. The new PBIS Coordinator at the WV Autism

Training Center at Marshall University is Amy Kelly. Mr. Nelson is the

Program Coordinator for the Eastern Panhandle Region of the Marshall

University WV Autism Training Center.

Jim and Amy provided the Directors with an overview of the PBIS

program and the documented success of this program throughout

the other RESAs in the state. To date, the RESA 8 counties have not

formally participated in the PBIS state initiative, but that’s about to

change! After the Planning Summit, East Hardy Early Middle School

under the guidance of school Principal Mr. Don Rhodes, and Mr. Bryan

Cooley, Deputy Superintendent/Director of Special Education of Hardy

County Schools, submitted a formal application to be part of the West

Virginia PBIS initiative and were accepted into the program on May 21.

Mr. Harris and Ms. Kelly were thrilled by the overwhelming response

from schools across the state applying to participate in the FY 16

state-wide PBIS Initiative. Due to limited space at the training facilities

and the necessary time and staff resources to support proper

implementation, a limit is placed on the number of schools accepted

into the program. Consequently, two qualifying RESA 8 schools that

applied (one from Grant County and one from Morgan County) were

not accepted into this year’s cohort. In the future, a plan us being

formulated to offer more localized trainings (e.g. RESAs) to broaden the

capacity for PBIS throughout the state. In doing so, more schools and

counties that are interested in implementing PBIS will be able to benefit

from participating in this program.

For the 2015-2016 school year, East Hardy Early Middle will spearhead

the PBIS initiative in RESA 8. The school team will attend a three-day

training in Charleston in late June to begin this exciting new journey.

RESA 8 is eager to expand its involvement in the PBIS initiative with

additional schools next year.

Top picture: Jim Harris and David Simanski discussing the positive

impact of the PBIS initiative throughout the state.

Middle picture: Andrew Nelson and Hal VanMetre discussing the

possibility of Berkeley County’s involvement in the state-wide

PBIS initiative, while Bryan Cooley and David Simanski work

diligently at the table.

Amy Kelly and Andy Guthrie discussing RESA 8’s determination and

commitment to participating in the state-wide PBIS Initiative.

June 2015


STAFF DE VE L OPME NT J O Y C E A S H W O R T H , P R O G R A M D E V E L O P M E N T C O O R D I N A T O R

3 0 4 - 5 9 6 - 2 6 4 8 · j a a s h w o r t h @ k 1 2 . w v . u s

A M Y H A D E R E R , P R O F E S S I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T C O O R D I N A T O R 3 0 4 - 5 9 6 - 2 6 5 0 · a h a d e r e r @ k 1 2 . w v . u s

RESA 8 SPONSORS ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP

Each year, RESA 8 sponsors a workshop for administrative professionals. This

year, the workshop focused on the challenges that reside in the workplace when

it comes to facilitating crucial conversations. Over the course of the day,

participants from the counties of Berkeley, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, and

Mineral as well as RESA 8 learned about strategies for having a successful crucial

conversation, as espoused in the book Crucial Conversations. Participants also

took part in activities to encourage a healthy state of mind and body through

cooperative group activities and basic yoga poses. By practicing relaxation

techniques, coupled with tips for tackling those crucial conversations head-on,

administrative professionals from the RESA 8 region are more than ready for the

challenges they might face in the workplace.

Crucial Conversation n. A discussion between

two or more people where (1) stakes are high,

(2) opinions vary, and (3) emotions run strong.

RESA 8 administrative professionals Tammy Albright,

Ramona Beddow, Sherry Barnett, and Sandi Harrelson

work to complete a cooperative task.

FAIR SEASON 2015

Did you know that RESA 8 sponsors regional fairs for science and social studies as well as a regional field day for mathematics in the

month of March each year? This year, over 540 students, representing all eight counties, participated in the regional fairs and math field

day.

The Senior Science Fair was held at Potomac State on March 11, 2015. Judges evaluated 66 projects (both individual and team) in 15

categories from 12 high schools in seven counties. Winners moved on to the state-level competition.

The Middle School Science Fair was held on March 17, 2015 at Shepherd University. Over 200 hundred students, presenting 182 projects

from 25 schools, participated in the festivities. Students placing first, second, or third in their county fairs advanced to this competition.

This year, 18 students earned first place awards and were invited to compete in the Broadcom Masters competition.

One hundred nine students from the counties of Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Mineral, Morgan and Pendleton took part in

a math exam that reflects the rigor of the Next Generation Mathematics Content Standards and Objectives. On March 24, 2015, students

competed to advance to the 41st Annual West Virginia State Mathematics Field Day on April 18 – 19, 2015 at Concord University in

Athens, WV. The state-wide event was sponsored in part by the NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium and the West Virginia Council

of Teachers of Mathematics.

RESA 8 wrapped up their Academic Fair season with the Regional Social Studies

Fair on Saturday, March 28, 2015 at Mussleman High School. One hundred fifty

students displayed and presented 136 projects in 9 social studies categories.

Additionally, high school students participated in the National History Day portion

of the fair. Roger Engle was the keynote speaker for the event. He spent the first

21 years of his life in the small town of Hedgesville, West Virginia, surrounded by

his grandparents, parents, siblings, and a large, extended family. After retiring

from a 30-year career teaching career, Roger began writing down memories from

childhood in his beloved hometown of Hedgesville, WV. Nearly a decade later,

those stories became what is now a multi-award winning book - Stories from a

Small Town: Remembering My Childhood in Hedgesville, West Virginia. Engle

shared words of wisdom and tales from his past in his moving speech to students

and their parents during the awards ceremony.

For more information about regional fairs or other Staff Development programs,

please visit www.resa8.org or contact Joyce Ashworth at [email protected]. Regional Middle School Science Fair:

Shepherd University Award Winners

http://www.resa8.org

RESA 8 News


E L I Z A B E T H L O Y , C O O R D I N A T O R 3 0 4 - 5 9 6 - 2 6 5 2 · e l o y @ k 1 2 . w v . u s

WV B I RT H TO THR EE

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WVEIS

WV BIRTH TO THREE IN THE COMMUNITY

Program Coordinator, Beth Loy, and Interim Service Coordinator, Melanie Ours,

attended an Autism Speaks awareness event on April 18 at the Petersburg Town

Park in Petersburg, WV. Participants offered activities for children and their families.

On May 16, Parent Partner, Laura Turman, again attended the Community Baby

Shower hosted by Jefferson Medical Center in Ranson, WV. The event was free to

expecting and new parents and allowed participants to meet with community

representatives and health care professionals to answer questions regarding birth,

baby and beyond.

Community events provide Birth to Three with an avenue to connect and share

information with families who may not be familiar with the program. West Virginia

Birth to Three provides services at no cost to families who have a child with a

developmental delay or who is not reaching developmental milestones.

West Virginia Birth to Three staff members reach out

to the community and take part in events for

families with young children.

Laurie Murphy, the RESA 8 WVEIS Specialist, recently attended the first Engrade Summit held at the Kanawha County Board of

Education. The summit brought many WV counties who utilize Engrade together for the first time to share information and ideas as well as

to learn about the many features of Engrade.

Engrade integrates WVEIS for student roster information and course/grading information. Once data is uploaded from WVEIS

teachers can enter assignments, grades, and attendance directly into Engrade. Administrators, teachers, students, and parents can then

access this information as needed.

During the Engrade Summit, topics discussed included the future of Engrade, Engrade report cards, and using the test/quiz

capabilities of Engrade district benchmark testing. Participants also viewed the newest portion of Engrade called Engrade Insight for

Teachers (EIT). EIT provides teachers who use Engrade with information about their students based on scores as well as assignment

rates and/or attendance. It provides a quick visualization for teachers to answer the question, “How is my class doing?”

At the end of the day, Engrade representatives discussed Engrade customer service procedures and then assisted the districts

with the configuration for the new school year. Engrade representatives hope to host this event on a yearly basis.

June 2015


AROUND THE OFFICE...

RESA 8 News


Be sure to check our online

calendar regularly for an updated

listing of all upcoming events!

www.resa8.org

AROUND THE COMMUNITY…

MARTINSBURG NORTH MIDDLE SCHOOL - “GET-A-LIFE” PROGRAM Some of RESA 8’s program leaders joined the students and staff at Martinsburg North Middle School in April to support their annual

“Get-a-Life” program. RESA 8 Personnel Coordinator, Shannon Johnson; Finance Director, Rebecca Hester; Regional Wellness Specialist,

Taylor Fullen; IT Manager, Jill Woolcock; Special Education Coordinator, Mary Anne Sullivan-Scott; and Technical Assistance Specialist,

Andrew Guthrie, assisted NMS Counselor, Melissa Sherman, in working with students. Below Mrs. Sherman shares about the program

and how it benefits students each year.

The Get-A-Life Program was developed by Joshua Groves from Fairmont State

University, GEAR UP Counselor. He presented at one of our WV State Counseling

Conferences in 2008, where I (Mrs. Sherman, School Counselor) received

information about the program. I began implementing the “Get-A-Life” Program at

North Middle School in the spring of 2011 with our 7th grade students.

This program is based on real life jobs, salaries, taxes, cars, houses, and other

expenses around the time the program was developed and around the Fairmont,

WV area. So we express to our students that although the numbers are accurate,

they may not be current to date and to our area.

The goal of the program is to

expose our students to life after

high school and express to them how important a postsecondary education could be

to their future. We want them to learn important skills and come out with a better

comprehension of what their parents/guardians/caregivers go through to support

them.

The process for the students consists of: the student receiving a “life card” that

explains the student’s career, salary, and family make up. The student takes the life

card with them to the library and visits the stations in the room to purchase housing,

groceries, car, gas, utilities, etc based on what their budget is for the month. The

student does not pick out their own card and they just get one card (because of time).

The student’s record their purchases on their withdrawal sheet and calculates as they

go. The bank is available for

the student’s to seek financial

assistance. The students really enjoy the event and many get in to the “role” of the

life card.

Since this program is all about experiencing “real life”, we reach out to our

community for volunteers to bring in adults working in the career available to the

students. The areas that the students visit (stations that are set up around the

room) during the event are: Bank, grocery store, doctor’s office, gas station, car

dealer, insurance (car, house, health, and dental/vision), utilities, real-estate, and

shopping center (furniture and house wares).

We also collaborate with our 7th grade Social Studies teachers, Health teacher and

FLEX teacher to help us get the information to the students and plan the event. For

example, we have a pre- and post- survey the students fill out, the Social Study

teachers take this time to work on their Economic lesson, and they do a follow up

lesson to talk to the students about their experience as well as give them a participation grade if they return their life card. The Health

and FLEX teachers assist with the planning and with the event.

We are fortunate at North Middle School to have the support from our Administration

and Staff to hold this event for our students. We enjoy watching them grow from this

experience and enjoy helping them through the process. It is a wonderful resource

to use to help develop educational, career, and financial awareness for the student

and their future.

- Melissa Sherman, NMS Counselor

June 2015


Berkeley County Manny Arvon, Superintendent

Dr. William Queen, Chairperson

Grant County Dr. DeEdra Bolton, Superintendent

Scott Miley, Board Member

Hampshire County Marianna Leone, Superintendent

Bonita Wilcox, Board Member

Hardy County Barbara Whitecotton, Superintendent

Loy Kesner, Board Member

Jefferson County Alan Sturm, Interim Superintendent

Mark Osbourne, Board Member

Mineral County Shawn Dilly, Superintendent

William Ludwig, Board Member

Morgan County David Banks, Superintendent

David Ambrose, Vice-Chairperson

Pendleton County Doug Lambert, Superintendent Sonny O’Neil, Board Member

WV Schools for the Deaf and Blind Dr. Lynn Boyer, Superintendent

Higher Education

Dr. Lynne Hannah, Shepherd University

WV Department of Education

Pat Homberg, Executive Director,

Office of Special Programs

WV Board of Education

Tina Combs

UPCOMING EVENTS AT RESA 8 RESA 8 2014-15 REGIONAL

COUNCIL MEMBERS

June 15, 2015

Firefighter 2

EMT Practical Skills Evaluations

American Heart Association First Aid

June 16, 2015 American Heart Association Heartsaver CPR

June 16-17, 2015 Kidstrong

June 18, 2015 Special Education Directors’ Meeting

June 18-19, 2015 TASC Exam (Grant County)

June 20, 2015 Firefighter 1

June 22-26, 2015 WVEIS Conference

June 27, 2015 TASC Exam (Jefferson County)

Rescue Core Prerequistes

June 29, 2015 EMT Practical Skills Evaluation

WVOEMS Written Examination

July 8, 2015 TASC Exam (Martinsburg)

July 10, 2015 TASC Exam (Martinsburg)

July 20-21, 2015 Pre-K Academy

July 21-23, 2015 Tech Conference

July 25, 2015 Rescue Core Prerequisites

July 31, 2015 Annual Administrators Conference

August 4-5, 2015 Substitute Teacher Training

August 5, 2015 TASC Exam (Martinsburg)

August 7, 2015 TASC Exam (Martinsburg)

August 11, 2015 Train the Trainer

August 24, 2015 EMT

August 24-25, 2015 TASC Exam (Mineral County)

September 5, 2015 EMT

September 9, 2015 TASC Exam (Martinsburg)

September 11, 2015 TASC Exam (Martinsburg)

September 12, 2015 Rescue Core Prerequisites

September 15, 2015 EMT

September 21, 2015 American Heart Association First Aid

September 22, 2015 American Heart Association Heartsaver CPR

September 24-25, 2015 System of Support Leadership Institute

September 28-29, 2015 Autism New Teacher Boot Camp

Be sure to check our online

calendar regularly for an updated

listing of all upcoming events!

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