Health care

Cullman High school students planning to work in the health care field will soon learn from local medical practitioners through a partnership with Cullman City Schools. 

The Cullman City Board of Education approved separate clinical site agreements Tuesday for its Medical Professional Academy Healthcare Science Program with the following organizations: Cullman City Primary School, Cullman Area Mental Health Authority, Cullman Cosmetic & Family Dentistry, Waldrop Chiropractic Clinic, Hospital Discount Pharmacy (Central), Dr. Rex Adams Dental Office, Compton’s Veterinarian Hospital and Cullman Fire & Rescue.

CHS Principal Kim Hall said students will start observing and performing duties this semester, and the program will continue into next school year.

“It’s something we’re very excited about,” said Superintendent Susan Patterson during Tuesday’s school board meeting.

The school board previously approved an agreement with Cullman Regional to allow students to observe and shadow physicians and medical staff there.

In other business, the school board honored the Bearcats 6A indoor track and field state champions: Ann Carol Braswell and Garrison Hill, both on pole vault; Anna Franklin, silver medalist on pole vault; Tanner Jackson, silver medalist on shot-put and Joey Franklin, Eli Wilhite, Edgar Medina, and Dylan Warner, the bronze medalists 4×800 relay team. The team’s coaches are Kristen Barnett and Trent Dean.

In other business Tuesday, the Cullman City Board of Education:

• Heard public comment from Kevin Binkowski who requested the school board consider establishing a seventh and eighth grade girls’ volleyball team. Comparable school systems, like Hartselle, have one, but Cullman does not.
• Recognized Scott Lochrige and his group of student athletic trainers: Carson Riley, Ella Thomas, Shelby Waid, Keslynn Grimmett, Ava Cox, Leah Bowden, Kaiya Restor, and Jordan Campbell. March is National Athletic Training Month.
• Approved February 21 meeting minutes.
• Approved of February 21 payroll of $1,896,604.90, invoices paid of $1,306,135.36, financial statements and bank reconciliations.
• Approved the following Head Start items:

1. Expenditures Report for February
2. Health/Nutrition/Disabilities/Enrollment Report for February.
3. Second Trimester Outcomes Report.
4. Second Trimester CLASS Scores.
5. ERSEA (Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment, Attendance) Guidelines.

• Approved salvaging the following technology items from West Elementary: Old Samsung box TV, HP Deskjet 920C printer, HP Compaq computer, Dell monitor/mouse/keyboard, six NEO 2 keyboards, five HP 2133 Laptops
• Approved the Bearcat News Network crew to travel to Emerson, Georgia to broadcast the Cullman High School Baseball Team in the tournament at Lake Point on March 24 – 25.
• Approved Cullman High School’s HOSA Future Health Professionals organization to travel to Buffalo River in Waynesboro, Tennessee for a canoeing trip to research common outdoor injuries and outline the appropriate treatment for each injury. They will also prepare a first aid kit with the appropriate supplies needed for treating illness/injuries. The trip is tentatively scheduled for April 28.
• Approved Head Start PreK teacher job description. This item was brought back from the Policy Review Committee for consideration.
• Approved Head Start PreK auxiliary teacher job description.
• Approved revised Head Start teacher job description.
• Approved of the revised Head Start disabilities teacher job Description.
• Approved revised Head Start instructional assistant job description.
• Approved Cullman City Head Start salary schedules. All of the job descriptions and salaries were brought back from the Policy Review Committee.
• Approved 2017-2018 Breakfast Lunch Agreement between Cullman City Primary School and Cullman City Head Start.
• Approved Occupancy Agreement between Cullman City Head Start and Cullman City Board of Education beginning August 1 through July 31, 2018.
• Approved purchase of systemwide janitorial supplies from Dade Paper Company for the 2017-2018 school year.
• Approved purchase of systemwide copy paper from Strickland Paper Company for the 2017-2018 school year.
• Approved letting bids for a combined oven at West Elementary School and accept the lowest responsible bidder. Approval has been received from the ALSDE for this equipment purchase. This item will be brought back for ratification.
• Approved contracting with the following Cullman City Primary School teachers to attend a highly specialized dyslexia training with Brain Spring Learning on July 24-26: Jana Thrasher, Sara Beth Norrell, Savanna Ponder, Tracie Kirkwood, Jane Ann Chambers, Emily Price, Kelly Pinkard, Margaret Baker, and Kathryn Privett (Local School Funds).
• Approved contracting with Katherine Earnest to provide special education evaluations beginning February 27 to September 30 (General Fund Source).
• Approved contracting with Holly Abbott, Head Start Education Manager to work a maximum of five days this summer to prepare for the 2017-2018 school year (Funded by Head Start).
• Approved contracting with Lori Andrews to provide special education services as needed from May 29-August 2.
• Approved contracting with Lucy Littrell to provide special education services as needed from May 29-August 4.
• Approved contracting with Adam McGee to provide special education services as need from May 29-August 2.
• Approved contracting with Kristen Gragg to provide counseling duties at Cullman Middle School, not to exceed 20 days, during the summer.
• Approved contracting with Stacey Tankersley to provide nursing services for Cullman High School Prom which was held March 11 (Funded by CHS Prom Budget).
• Approved contracting with Ann Davis, Lorene Howell, and Sabrina Jackson to strip and wax floors at Central Office during the summer.
• Approved contracting with Jacob Miller to assist with summer maintenance duties at Cullman City Head Start during the summer (Funded by Head Start).
• Approved contracting with Aaron Avery to provide landscaping and other maintenance duties at Cullman City Primary School during the (Funded by EDP Funds).
• Approved personnel considerations.
• Received superintendent’s report.

The next regularly scheduled board meeting is 5 p.m., Tuesday, April 18 in the Central Office Board Room. The Board Retreat is scheduled for April 9-10 at Renaissance Ross Bridge Hotel & Spa in Birmingham.