By Shannon McFarlin WENK/WTPR News Director
Paris, Tenn.—A group of fifth graders had the adults’ minds reeling at Tuesday night’s Paris Special Schools District (PSSD) board of education meeting as they showed off their Rubik Cube skills.
Meeting at Paris Elementary School, five students in the school’s RTI program taught the adults in the room how to quickly solve the Rubik’s cube. The students, Abigail Black, Roany Clendenin, Noah Harber, Bryson Whitaker and Layla Ortiz, challenged staff members to solve the puzzle in three minutes. Of course, the kids were on top of the challenge.
Gifted and Talented Teacher Karen Goodman described “Teaching with a twist” and showed how solving the Rubik’s cube also helps with math and algebra challenges.
PES Principal Dr. Chip Gray said the RTI—which stands for Response to Intervention–program was started four years ago at the school by teaching foundational skills to the lowest percentage kids, but has expanded into a “more intense” program that reaches all the students working together.
The Rubik’s Cube project is funded by a Plus Endowment grant.
In other business, the board approved a recommendation from Director of Schools Dr. Norma Gerrell to expand the toddler preschool class and increase the price of the toddler and preschool daycare classes offered to teachers.
The toddler class is for children 18 months to three years old and fall enrollment for the class will be 16. A second classroom will be opened across the hallway from the current toddler class, she said. Current price is $65 a week and the board approved increasing to $75 a week.
The preschool class is for ages three to five. Fall enrollment will be 19. Current price is $55 a week and the board approved increasing to $65 a week.
Raising the prices by $2 a day will pay for the additional teacher needed with the expansion, she said. She said even with the increase in cost, the daycare offered at the schools is a bargain for teachers.
Board Chairman Richard Edwards noted that the daycare programs were the brainchild of former Director of Schools Mike Brown. “He developed it and it’s just a great benefit for our teachers for us to offer day care for those children and they’re getting a bargain,” he said.
The price increase will be effective in the fall, Gerrell said.
- The board also approved beginning the bid process for parking lot repairs at Rhea School. Maintenance Supervisor Jason Coffield said all asphalt at the school will be resealed and restriped and should be done by June 30.
- The board also declared its opposition to the Education Savings Account Program, which is akin to a voucher program with public funding. Gerrell said voicing opposition as a body “helps the community to know and gives teachers confidence that we stand with our public educators.”
