The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

There was a School Board Meeting held in the computer room. The new Student Council gave the school board members the goals they hope to achieve during the next school year.

The Booster club's report is the new football room's lockers have been purchased will be installed by the Booster Club before the football season is here.

Maintenance projects have been started. The Annex/Weight room has a new floor. It was a big project removing all the weight machines. The Gym floor has a 10' X 15' section that has been removed due to warping. Both the insurance company and experts from the flooring company tried to determine how the floor got warped. Their best guess is that humidity came from the boy's locker room through a small opening on the floor. However, they don't know for sure. That section of the floor will be fixed, and then the whole floor will need to be sanded, re-stained, and refinished. Hopefully, it will be completed by July 4th.

There are several maintenance projects at the F.E. Miley Elementary School. The library at the grade school received a new floor and has been repainted. Both the 3rd & 4th-grade classrooms flooring will be replaced as well as the office area.

Travis is continuing to work on the new fob for the door entrance and the new phone systems.

Big Sandy schools are required to follow the regulations of the Federal Act CIPA (Children Internet Protection Act). "Schools and libraries subject to CIPA may not receive the discounts offered by the E-rate program unless they certify that they have an Internet safety policy that includes technology protection measures. The protection measures must block or filter Internet access to pictures that are: (a) obscene; (b) child pornography; or (c) harmful to minors (for computers that are accessed by minors). Before adopting this Internet safety policy, schools and libraries must provide reasonable notice and hold at least one public hearing or meeting to address the proposal."

"Schools subject to CIPA have two additional certification requirements: 1) their Internet safety policies must include monitoring the online activities of minors; and 2) as required by the Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act, they must provide for educating minors about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms and cyberbullying awareness and response."

"Schools and libraries subject to CIPA are required to adopt and implement an Internet safety policy addressing: Access by minors to inappropriate matter on the Internet; The safety and security of minors when using electronic mail, chat rooms, and other forms of direct electronic communications; Unauthorized access, including so-called "hacking," and other unlawful activities by minors online; Unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personal information regarding minors; and Measures restricting minors' access to materials harmful to them."

All head coaches have now been hired for the Big Sandy Pioneers athletic programs. Travis Baumann has been hired as the new girl's head coach in basketball. Thomas Dilworth will repeat as head coach for the boys' basketball program. Wendy Taylor is the new head coach for track, Tucker Taylor for the Pioneer/FB Wrestling program, and Larry Jappe is once again the head coach for Pioneer Football. Tucker Taylor is the assistant. The assistants for the basketball programs have not been hired.

They have Interviewed a math teacher, but that teacher has also interviewed at other schools. Kelly Haaland, Big Sandy Superintendent, said, "the worst year, to get teachers. No one wants to teach."

Although Big Sandy needs a new English teacher, none have yet been interviewed.

There will be a School Board Convention on July 18th.