Monday, May 20, 2013
Board member says board members had no choice in recent school lunch price increase, but hopes district will use extra revenue to improve school lunches.
Dear Editor, Most read the story of how lunches for students who pay full price will increase by 5 cents next year. For elementary school students the cost of a lunch will rise to $1.80 and for middle and high school meals the cost will be $2.05. That increase follows a 10-cent increase this year, and a 5 cents last year. Students who are served lunch fall into three categories. Students from lowest income families receive their lunches for free, others buy their lunch at a reduced cost and the remaining pay full price. The federal government subsidies the free and reduced lunches the district serves through the National School Lunch Program. A couple of years ago the federal government realized some districts were using their free and …
Monday, May 13, 2013
Police, educators: Parents often unaware when prescription meds begin disappearing from family medicine cabinet.
Prescription drug abuse often begins in the teenage years, according to and law enforcement local educators. Captain Chad Brooks, Narcotics Officer with the Pickens County Sheriff's Office, School District of Pickens County Superintendent Dr. Kelly Pew and Pickens High School Principal Marion Lawson recently served on a panel convened to discuss prescription drug abuse in Pickens County. The panel was part of the “Red Zone Rally” sponsored by the Prescription Drug Abuse Alliance to raise awareness of this issue in the community. “One of the common sources for this is the family medicine cabinet at home,” Brooks said. “It's easy access for them. People don't think about locking this stuff up for their kids and unfortunately, that's how the …
Monday, May 6, 2013
Petition is asking school district to name stadium at new Pickens High School after soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice.
A group wants the new Pickens High School stadium to be named after a Dacusville soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. A petition has been started at Change.org seeking the honor for Pfc. Barrett Austin. Austin, 20 died April 21 in Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries sustained when his vehicle was attacked by an enemy improvised explosive device in Wardak Province, Afghanistan on April 17. He was laid to rest with full military honors on Wednesday. The petition was begun last week by Nancy Penchev, and has more than 1,100 signatures so far. “Barrett Austin sacrificed his life protecting the United States of America,” the petition reads. “In return for his selflessness we should honor him by renaming the football stadium at …
Friday, May 3, 2013
Pickens Elementary School's Darlene Sutton has been named South Carolina Teacher of the Year for 2013-2014
Darleen S. Sutton, a first grade teacher at Pickens Elementary School in the School District of Pickens County, has been named the South Carolina Teacher of the Year for 2013-14. “Last night was an exciting event for all of South Carolina’s teachers of the year," Superintendent Dr. Kelly Pew said Thursday. "I am so proud that Darleen Sutton was recognized South Carolina’s Teacher of the Year. "She will represent the excellence of Pickens County and South Carolina’s public educators," Pew continued. "She is a wonderful teacher to her students and mentor to her colleagues. I am honored to know her and to have had the opportunity to work with her in Pickens County.” State Superintendent of Education Mick Zais said, “After parents, the …
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Danny Barrett named new Director of Operations. Janice Ward named new Coordinator of Secondary Education
Two school district employees will be stepping into new leadership roles in the coming year. Danny Barrett will be the new Director of Operations and AITS Special Projects, and Janice Ward has been chosen as the new Coordinator of Secondary Education. Barrett currently oversees the technology installation projects as the district’s E-Learning Specialist, and Ward is an assistant principal at Daniel High School. Barrett comes to the position with 35 years of experience in technology design, installation and maintenance at South Carolina ETV and the school district. He will manage building maintenance, grounds maintenance and technology installation in his new role. “I would like to express my appreciation to Dr. Pew and the School Board for…
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Liberty Middle School's assistant principal will begin new duties this fall.
Wanda Tharpe has been chosen to lead Dacusville Middle School beginning in the 2013-2014 school year. Tharpe comes to DMS from Liberty Middle School, where she has served as an assistant principal since 2006. Prior to her time at LMS, she was a social studies teacher at Wren Middle School for ten years. “I look forward to working with Mrs. Tharpe as principal of Dacusville Middle School. She is committed to public education and works well with students, parents, faculty and staff,” said Dr. Kelly Pew, district superintendent. “Wanda is uniquely qualified for the position with 17 years of experience in middle school education. She has proven herself as an educator and administrator during her time at Liberty Middle School, and we look …
Lockheed Martin hosting Upstate eighth graders as they use gliders to explore force, motion, weight and lift.
8th grade students from across the Upstate are set to compete in the 2013 Glider Challenge Competition this Thursday, April 25. The competition will be hosted by Lockheed Martin at the South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center (SCTAC) in Greenville County from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. The event is the capstone of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education program for 8th graders in Pickens County. In the Glider Challenge, students explore the relationship between force and motion and the effects of weight and lift on the glider. Most importantly, they learn how to work in small teams to solve a problem and accomplish a goal. “We believe it is essential for students to learn how to work with others to solve …
Friday, April 12, 2013
Public meeting will be held Tuesday, May 7.
The School District of Pickens County invites public input regarding its 2013-2014 federal projects. A public meeting is scheduled at The Curtis Sidden Administrative Building at 1348 Griffin Mill Road, Easley on May 7, 2013 at 5:00-6:00 p.m. The meeting will focus on the Title II project on Teacher Quality, the Title III project regarding English Speakers of Other Languages and the Carl D. Perkins Vocational-Technical Education Act and the McKinney-Vento legislation regarding homeless children. The meeting will also focus on the Title 1 project entitled “Improving the Achievement of the Disadvantaged.” The Title I project serves students in schools that have a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunch and who may, …
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Former Liberty High School principal Randy Gilstrap and bookkeeper Beua Denard face several charges each, including embezzlement, following April 2011 arrests.
Two former Liberty High School employees charged with several financial crimes have applied for pretrial intervention. In April of 2011, former LHS principal Randy Gilstrap and bookkeeper Beua Denard were arrested on several charges related to misuse of funds. The arrests came after an initial school district investigation. District officials placed Gilstrap on administrative in February 2011. District officials then requested the Liberty Police Department investigate. Liberty Police asked the State Law Enforcement Division to step in. Gilstrap was charged with embezzlement of public funds, breach of trust and financial transaction card fraud. SLED warrants alleged that Gilstrap embezzled embezzled more than $10,000 from the School …
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Dr. Kelly Pew says non-sectarian prayer policy at board meetings "has no bearing on the right of our students to pray or not pray at our schools."
Superintendent Dr. Kelly Pew has issued a statement following the board's adoption of a non-sectarian prayer policy concerning invocations at school board meetings. The issue has drawn large crowds at recent board meetings, who have urged the board and the district to fight for sectarian prayer all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary. Pew's statement is below: “On Monday, March 25, the board of trustees adopted a policy that would allow board members to deliver non-sectarian prayers at their meetings if they choose. This policy is a change from the previous practice of inviting students to deliver an invocation. “The policy applies only to the official invocation at the beginning of ten Board meetings each year, and has no bearing on…
Pickens Resident
11:11 am on Monday, May 20, 2013
This is ridiculous, my kids eat lunch at their school and I pay full price for them. The food is horrible. The problem is the waste, we are spending and astronomical amount of money on food being prepared for it to be thrown away. You look at the menu offered, HELLO, kids DO NOT eat collard greens. Thursday I was at school and ate lunch with my daughter, I thought she was having chicken and rice… more ›