(by Don Meador, Public Relation Coordinator, Allen County Schools)
Work has started on a facelift to the 29-year old James E. Bazzell Middle School. However, little disruption to student-learning is anticipated in the 2016-17 school year.
“We are working the renovation in phases involving six to seven classrooms at a time,” explained James E. Bazzell Middle School principal Melissa Towery. “We have moved teachers from classrooms and relocated them. In order to do that, three temporary classrooms have been built in the library. We still have the library but it’s about a third of the size. The other teachers have been moved to classrooms downstairs at the end of the hall and I also had a couple of other open rooms. We will rotate classrooms. When one section of rooms is complete, we will move their teachers back in and then move another group into the temporary classrooms while work is underway on the next phase.”
Towery is very optimistic that the work will not distract students during the $8 million renovation.
“Hopefully the renovation will not impact the students a whole lot,” Towery said. “They will only move once. We are trying to make this as simple as we can. They will be some noise but I think we can work around it. My goal is that it’s not going to impact instruction at all. I feel like my task is to ensure that everyone still gets the same level of instruction as always, if not better.”
As the learning process continues, Towery notes that students will see teachers push ahead with current programs designed to improve learning and education objectives.
“We are not starting any new initiatives but we still working on our literacy strategies and our growth mindset ideals,” Towery explained. “We also want to try and carry on as much as we can with the Leader in Me ideas that our seventh graders learned last year (at the Allen County Intermediate Center). They have been immersed in it for a year and we would like to continue with that good work reminding them of those ideas.”
Helping the teachers achieve their goals---and consequently helping students to learn---will be aided this year by the work of the school’s new instructional coach. Veteran educator Sherry Long moves from a seventh-grade Language Arts classroom into the newly-created role. Towery believes Long’s new role is a win-win for teachers and students.
“I am so excited about this,” Towery said. “In a sense, Mrs. Long has been in this role already. A lot of teachers would come to her and ask her about doing a lesson and get her input. In a way, she has already been doing this for a while but now it’s what she will be doing solely. To have her as a resource to the teachers is going to be a huge for our school.”
As the school year gets underway, Towery reminds parents to “ask their kids questions” as part of staying informed. Asking questions each evening not only helps the students recall information learned but serves as a way for the parents to stay informed about the happenings at the school.
“The middle school kid is notorious for not wanting mom and dad involved,” Towery pointed out. “They often go home and say nothing or give vague responses. But, we have a lot of different resources to keep connected with parents. We are going to try and start using Twitter more to send out information. We also have a Facebook page which our PTO started. I would also encourage all parents to sign up for the Parent Portal to see grades for their child. I also encourage parents to email teachers. A lot of times when a teacher has 100 kids, they may not email out what they are doing but if a parent emails them, they will respond.”
Towery will welcome two new teachers to the school. Sarah Fisher, a product of the SKY Teach program at Western Kentucky University, replaces retiree Kathy Graves in the eighth-grade math classroom. Jason Grissom comes to Bazzell after 14 years in the Warren County School District. Grissom will replace Long in seventh-grade Language Arts.
The new staff also included several new coaches in the middle school athletic program. Current Allen County-Scottsville boys basketball coach Hilton Isable will serve as football coach and Kelsi Pardue, 2012 Kentucky Miss Softball, has taken over as the softball coach. The boys basketball team will be under the leadership of Chris Carter, a position Carter previously held. Stephen Allen will assist Carter.
The middle school will also see the addition of a full-time School Resource Officer (SRO). Brad Emery will serve daily in the role. Emery will help provide security for the building with his full-time status also providing the opportunity to build relationships with students.
Power to the middle school is currently disconnected as workers replace electrical infrastructure with a new pole and transformer pad. This process is expected to be completed by early in the week of July 25 which will allow the building to be ready for seventh grade orientation at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 28. Eighth grade orientation is scheduled for Monday, August 1 from 5 until 7 p.m. at the school. School starts August 4.