Indian River School District

Michelle Peeling, a 12th-grade English teacher at Indian River High School, was recently awarded the Horace Mann Abraham Lincoln Fellowship.

In voting for one of two seats representing District 4 on the Indian River School District Board of Education on Tuesday, May 12, incumbent board member and current board president Charles M. Bireley came out on top.

The Indian River School District has canceled its current-expense referendum, originally scheduled for June 11.

Unofficial results from the May 12 elections for one of two seats representing District 4 on the Indian River School District Board of Education, with a three-year term:

CHARLES M. BIRELEY (incumbent) : 552 votes - Winner (UNOFFICIAL)
HAROLD I. WALTERS: 460 votes

For some teachers, the “job” is so much more than a job. It is more like a passion or a calling, even. That’s definitely the case for Mary Litchfield, third-grade teacher at Southern Delaware School of the Arts. She not only teaches a grade level she loves and enjoys the students, she feels right at home teaching at a school with such a focus on the arts.

The Indian River School Board met at Sussex Central High School on Tuesday, April 28. Along with the standard agenda items, School Board officials also heard from a number of representative teachers from the district. Those teachers challenged the board to “appreciate the human factor” and “follow other local school district’s lead by paying teachers what they deserve.”

For Heather Moore, the early school years were not some of her favorites. “I struggled with school as a kid,” she admitted. “I didn’t enjoy it and I played sick so I didn’t have to go.” Well, all of that has turned around, as Moore was honored last Thursday, April 23, as the Indian River School District’s Teacher of the Year for 2009-2010, topping the list of 15 teachers, one from each school in the district.

For Pam Webb, second-grade teacher at Lord Baltimore Elementary, and LB’s Teacher of the Year, teaching there is a little like coming home.

The end of the school year is quickly approaching, with only a few more weeks until summer vacation arrives. Besides the obvious break from school, the end of the school year also means it’s time for students to show off what they have been up to all winter. Students at the Southern Delaware School of the Arts (SDSA) have been hard at work practicing for their upcoming musical performance of “Beauty and the Beast Junior,” and on April 24, the curtain is set rise.

Krystal Bush, special-education teacher at Phillip C. Showell Elementary School, was recently named the school’s Teacher of the Year.

Coastal flood advisory for Delaware beaches
Issued by the National Weather Service
Philadelphia, Pa., 2:27 p.m. EDT, Wed., Apr. 15, 2009

... Coastal flood advisory in effect from 10 p.m. this evening to 6 a.m. EDT Thursday...

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly, N.J. has issued a coastal flood advisory... which is in effect from 10 p.m. this evening to 6 a.m. EDT Thursday.

Selbyville Middle School were impacted on Monday, April 6, after lightning struck a transformer near the school in a severe thunderstorm felt across the area and knocked out power to the building.

The school was kept closed on Tuesday due a problem with the building’s electrical system, according to Indian River School District spokesman Dave Maull.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
939 AM EDT MON APR 6 2009

Mia Smith, now an 11 year-old fifth-grader at Lord Baltimore Elementary School, fondly remembers her days as a Project VILLAGE preschooler.

The thought of teaching high school might sound like a thankless task, but Will Revel, Indian River High School’s Teacher of the Year, feels rights at home.

The Indian River School District will host a Pre-School Family Night on Thursday, March 26, at Millsboro Middle School. The event will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Families and daycare providers in the Indian River School District are being invited to attend. Parents are being encouraged to bring their pre-school child to enjoy an interactive and informative evening.

If there’s one thing Linda Maxwell wants people to know about preschool, it’s this: It’s a place where a lot of learning goes on.

The Delaware State Police announced Thursday, March 26, that they are being inundated with telephone calls regarding a text message that has been circulating throughout Central and Southern Delaware and portions of Maryland.

In less than two months, voters will take to the polls again to pick who will sit on the Indian River School District’s school board. The entire Indian River School District, made up of five zoned districts, encompasses students at Indian River and Sussex Central high schools, as well as Georgetown, Millsboro and Selbyville middle schools, seven elementary schools and additional education facilities, such as the Howard T. Ennis School and the Southern Delaware School of the Arts.

When one first meets Shirley Truitt, it might be hard to believe she has been doing anything for 50 years, much less teaching elementary and middle-schoolers. She is a youthful, petite woman with bright eyes, a warming smile and a hearty laugh. She speaks fondly of her time teaching and still refers to her students as “my kids.”

Issued by the National Weather Service, Philadelphia, Pa., 5:40 a.m.:

A winter storm warning remains in effect until 2 p.m.

Contractors for a Cause, a foundation devoted to giving back to the community through the works of area contractors and their associates, has been a growing effort in recent years. From their Spring Gala and golf tournaments to their work with the Justin W. Jennings Foundation and Justin’s Beach House, the organization has proven a major contributor to the area’s reputation as a caring community. Now, they plan to take on another endeavor, presenting young minds with the opportunity to reach their goals through a scholarship program.

The Indian River School District has again received the Superstars in Education Award from the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce. The district’s “Home Grown by Indian River: An Administrative Development Model” program was among the six 2009 Superstars winners announced on Feb. 3. The “succession planning” initiative trains existing teachers and staff members to become administrators.

If you’re looking for something to do next Thursday, you might want to stop by Lord Baltimore Elementary School’s talent show. The show, which is sponsored by and benefits the music department, will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Indian River High School auditorium and promises an exciting variety of local talent.

There is little doubt that childhood obesity is becoming more and more problematic in American culture. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 percent of children (more than 9 million) between ages 6 and 19 are overweight or obese – a number that has tripled since 1980.