Program focuses on mental health needs of Gilman students

Mental Health Navigator, Stephanie Goebel, presented a K-12 grade 7 mindset program to the Gilman School Board on Monday night. This program is a half an hour a week that is designed to promote self-awareness, selfmanagement, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. The staff will have a training on the program starting the 28th of January.

The 7 mindsets are:

• Everything is possible-which gives children the courage to go after their goals.

• Passion first-pursue the goals in life that you love.

• We are connected-embracing everyone and find ways to work together to support everyone.

• 100% accountable-controlling your own happiness.

• Attitude of Gratitude-focus on what you’re thankful for.

• Live to Give-you’ll get everything you want out of life, as long as you are willing to help others first.

• The time is now-don’t focus on the past, or worry about the future, focus on today.

Goebel added “Each lesson is developmentally appropriate activities with videos, discussions, they are split into 3 different courses of Remember and Understand, Analyze, and Applying. Kindergarten will do course 1, first grade will do course 2, and second grade will do course 3. The courses never repeat but they will instill the lessons that the students learn over time.”

K-2 has a group of courses 1-3, grades 3-5 have a group of courses, and then middle and high school have a their own group of courses. Each of these courses grow as the students grow.

This program will hopefully start the beginning of February.

In other business:

_ Thirteen students elementary students, seventeen students in the middle school, 16 students in the high school are out due to COVID-19. The district continues to use Taylor County Health Department guidelines with the 5-5 rule.

_ Two book studies are going on in the district. The first is “Atomic Habits”, which is about building good habits and breaking bad habits. Fourteen students are taking part in that book study. The second book study is “You’re Going to Love this Kid”, a book on autism, which starts on Wednesday January 19.

“Doing these book studies are very exciting not just for the students, but for the staff as well,” said Superintendent Walter Leipart.

_ Leipart reported there are a total of 287 students in the district for this year.

_ Phonemic Awareness practices are going to be taught in the 4K-3rd grade classes. The practice will be able to help the students achieve their Language Arts goals. Phonemic Awareness is the thinking process of putting words together. The hope is to improve the student’s reading ability.

_ Carpet replacement in the library and offices is said to be completed by summer.

_ Boiler problems have been resolved.

_ Commercial water test was done on the facility, to resolve the “knocking” sound in the pipes. Leipart made sure to point out that the water is safe to drink.

_ New shipment of desks and chairs came in. New course offerings for 2022-2023 school year are: For the Agriculture Department

• Power and Technology

• Agriculture Terminology For the Science Department

• Biochemistry (dual credit course for both high school and college credit)

• Anatomy and Physiology to replace Advanced Biology

• Freshwater Science To promote a well-rounded education in the Gilman School district students will be required to take one half credit (one semester) course of every required elective that the school provides. For example: all kids will be required to take one semester at minimum of an art course to be able to graduate.

Community member, Lynn Rosemeyer thanked the board for letting the Future Farmers of America (FFA) to present their conference trip at the November meeting.

_ A motion was made to not limit the number of education spaces by grade, or special education space by program or services in the district for the 2022-2023 school year.

_ A resolutions to authorize the school district budget to exceed revenue limit for four years for nonrecurring purposes and to provide for a referendum election on the question of the approval of a resolution authorizing the school district budget to exceed the revenue limit for four years for non-recurring purposes were read and approved by the board.

On site educational informational meetings will be held on February 15 and 17.

Leipart said “Meetings will start at approximately 5:30 p.m., these nights are also nights of events, so if community members would like to come and get some information before a basketball game, they can certainly do that.”