•November 4, 2015•

Matt Schoaff is a principal of action. That is one reason every student at Okaw Valley High School toured major businesses and industry in the area on October 30.

Schoaff explained that four busloads of high school students left Bethany heading to places such as Mid-State Tank, Agri-Fab and Hydro-Gear in Sullivan, to MasterBrand Cabinets in Arthur and to TCCI in Decatur.

“We had kids in welding internships for the first time at Agri-Fab last year,” Schoaff said of Okaw Valley’s commitment to training.  “Our major goal is to graduate kids to be productive citizens.”

“Not another school is doing this,” he emphasized.

Doing things is what Schoaff is good at.

Last year he noticed that many of the schools in the area have common issues relating to curriculum. So a professional learning group became his goal to let educators in different districts share successful teaching curricula in five different subjects.

Arthur, Shelbyville, Oakland and Windsor joined Okaw Valley to explore curriculum issues with math courses in August.

That experience went well so Schoaff stepped it up this year, inviting more schools and setting aside a weeklong curricula series. Read More

Compiled by Bekki Ferguson-Stevens

25 Years Ago This Week

Cadet Bruce A. Gannaway, son of Jeffrey L. and Patricia A. Gannaway of Windsor, received practical work in military leadership at the U.S. Army ROTC advanced camp in Ft. Riley, Kan. Gangway is a student at Eastern Illinois University.

The Sullivan High School marching band captured first place among Class C schools in field competition during the Arthur Marching Knights and Arthur Music Boosters fourth annual “Bandfest 90” competition Saturday in Arthur. Bethany High School took second place among Class D schools. The Sullivan and Bethany flag corps both placed second in their auxiliary divisions.

Bethany teacher Jane White Hendricks is one of a select group of American teachers to be honored by her toughest critics, her former students, in the inaugural edition of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.

Quarterback Jason Kottwitz got great protection from Paul Riley, Chad Reed and the rest of the Redskin offensive line Thursday during the Redskins 40-20 win against St. Teresa. The victory gave Sullivan the playoff berth they have worked toward all year and sends them up against the undefeated Casey-Westfield Warriors on Wednesday with a 7 p.m. first-round game at home.

The CYF group at the First Christian Church of Sullivan will host its annual Holiday Bazaar Nov. 10 at the church. Organizers for this year’s sale of baked items and crafts include Ruth Erickson, Marian Crawford, Dorothy Hall, Anna Jane Sager and Virginia Reed.

Sullivan freshman Amy Bishop has participated in three cross country invitational meets this season for Lake Land College. Bishop placed 15th out of 23 runners at the Parkland College meet and improved her time at Danville Area College where she placed 29th out of 60 runners. She also participated in a meet at Spoon River College.  Read More

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C.E.F.S. Economic Opportunity Corporation recently hired Kim Adair of Louisville as the new Central Illinois Public Transit Program Director.

•October 28, 2015•

C.E.F.S. Economic Opportunity Corporation has announced the hiring of Kim Adair as the Central Illinois Public Transit (CIPT) Program Director. As CIPT Director, Adair will serve as a key member of the agency management staff and will be responsible for the day-to-day management, leadership and operation of the C.E.F.S. Central Illinois Public Transit Program to ensure effective accountability, oversight and outcomes of the transit operations with funders, grant recipients, partners, local communities and riders.

Adair was previously employed with the North Dakota Department of Transportation for four years where she held the position of Public Transit Section Manager. Prior to that position she was employed by the Paducah Transit Authority for 13 years, first as Assistant General Manager followed by General Manager, and during this time Paducah Transit Authority was awarded the 2010 Rural System of the Year by the Community Transportation Association of America. Adair obtained her Bachelor of Science degree from American InterContinental University with a major in business management. She lives in Louisville with her husband Barry and son Brodie. The couple also has three grown children who live in North Dakota and Kentucky. Read More

•October 28, 2015•

By Mike Brothers

Future goals are a step closer to being for Sullivan schools following a special October 21 planning meeting.

This special meeting of the Unit School District No 300 board invited participation from attending members of the public, teachers and administration in an effort to best determine the future course of education in the district.

“Overall the comments were not as negative,” Supt. Brad Tuttle began. “We have made progress on original goals, and we’ll be looking at new goals.”

Tuttle explained the planning session information will be put together by Illinois Association of School Boards Field Service Director Larry Dirks, who is helping guide the district.

The group was asked to evaluate the school district’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as ground work toward establishing goals.

Dirks explained the role of the school board was to use the members connection to the community to learn how the schools may best serve community needs.

“This is how you can teach the values of your community in the schools,” parent Monte Johnson, commented on how that information translates to the schools.

Dirks agreed pointing out the school board members then translate that into policy.

Policy manual delegates authority to the superintendent to implement it. Read More