Madison County Public Schools is currently evaluating the Positivity Project’s character-based curriculum, which allows K-12 teachers to use 15 minutes a day to develop a common vocabulary and confident, empathetic program for students. Representatives from all four district schools have met and feel the program could be a good fit for the district, but more work needs to be done on it before it goes to the school board for consideration. MadRaoo graphic courtesy of the Positivity Project.
Madison County School Board members have unanimously voted to maintain the current policy regarding advertising for the county’s breweries and wineries and not to implement the recommended changes from the Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA).
Policy KJ currently states: “Individual schools may not endorse or imply endorsement of any product. All requests for endorsement must be directed to the Superintendent or his designee. School organizations must obtain approval from the superintendent before placing advertisements in school publications. If clarification of the policy is needed, the superintendent will consult with the Superintendent. Commercial entities whose source of revenue is the sale of intoxicants may not advertise in school publications.”
The proposed amendment would have removed the last sentence from the directive.
In July, board member Charlie Sheads Jr. considered that “breweries should not advertise in school publications, but the board decided to wait a month while Superintendent Anna Graham investigated why the VSBA was proposing the change.
Sheads, a member of Madison County’s Capital Improvement Projects Committee – which consists of two school board members, two board members, Graham and County Administrator Jonathon Weakley – meets monthly to discuss current and future projects for the county.
Sheads updated the board on progress made this summer, including on the high school boilers and the water valves at Waverly Yowell Elementary School.
He also informed members about two pressing issues related to high school sports.
“The roof of the press box on the football pitch needs to be replaced and we need new visitor stands.”
For years, school and district administrators have moved bleachers for baseball games, but Sheads said the bleachers “were not designed to be moved.”
Alternatives could be a separation of baseball and football by moving the baseball facilities to Hoover Ridge Park.
Concerns have also been raised about the possible relocation of the high school track, as it will soon need to be repaved.
Member and Vice Chairman Chris Wingate thanked staff for renovating the sports center adjacent to the football and baseball complex with new lockers and other upgrades.
“It will still smell when the high school guys use it, but overall the gym looks really great,” Wingate said.
Russell W. Biber, a Brightwood resident and pastor of Oak Park Baptist Church, was the only person sitting in the high school auditorium Monday night, praying at the start of the new school year before reprimanding Wingate over the county’s character-building program.
Wingate said the committee met Monday and all four schools in the district agreed to use the Positivity Project curriculum, which emphasizes the strengths of 24 characters.
Wingate added that further investigation would be needed before the matter could be brought before the board.
