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Board Of Education Honors Employees

By Staff | May 14, 2014

Pictured are “Twenty Five Year Club” members Pamela R. Christy, Lorna A. Briggs, Brenda L. Fisher, and Deborah S. Fluharty, with Board President Mike Blair. Not pictured is Mark D. Lemasters.

Five Wetzel County Board of employees were inducted into the “Twenty-Five Year Club” at the board’s May 5 meeting. These members included Lorna A. Briggs, Pamela R. Christy, Brenda L. Fisher, Deborah S. Fluharty, and Mark D. Lemasters.

Briggs began working for Wetzel County Schools in 1989 as a half-time custodian at Hundred High School and then transferred to Valley High School the same year. In 1990, Briggs transferred to New Martinsville School as a full-time custodian. During the 1994-1995 school year, Briggs transferred to Magnolia High School as a custodian, where she remained until June 2005 when she transferred back to NMS as a custodian, where she remains today.

Briggs is also the head custodian at NMS and will be retiring on June 30.

Christy graduated from Hundred High School in 1983. She received a bachelor’s degree from West Liberty State College in 1987. Christy began teaching seventh and eighth grade mathematics at Short Line School in 1988 and did so until she resigned in 1999 to take a teaching position at Skyvue Elementary School in Ohio for one year. In 2000, Christy returned to Wetzel County School as a seventh and eighth grade math teacher at SLS, where she remains today. Christy also received her masters degree in counseling from the University of Dayton in 1992.

Fisher is a graduate of Valley High School and began working for Wetzel County Schools as a substitute aide in 1984 and continued to substitute as an aide until 1989, when she was hired as an aide at Short Line School. Fisher has remained an aide at SLS ever since. She is currently the library/media at SLS.

Pictured is Wetzel County Superintendent Dennis Albright with March’s employees of the month, Jessica Ferrell and Bruce Ensinger. Not pictured is Jill Fox and Johnny Haught.

Fluharty is a graduate of Valley High School and began working as a substitute cook for Wetzel County Schools in 1988. She began working as a school secretary at Short Line School in 1991. Fluharty is presently still at SLS as a school secretary.

Lemasters graduated from Magnolia High School in 1984. He received his bachelor’s degree from West Liberty State College in 1988. Lemasters began substitute teaching for Wetzel County Schools in 1988. He worked as a long-term substitute teacher at SLS and VHS during the 1988-1989 school year. In 1989, Lemasters began teaching science at VHS, where he remained until 2000 when he transferred to MHS as a science teacher and where he remains today. Lemasters received his masters degree in secondary education from West Virginia University in 1998.

In another matter, Superintendent Dennis Albright presented March’s board employees of the month, which included service personnel members Johnny Haught and Jill Fox, as well as professional personnel members Jessica Ferrell and Bruce Ensinger.

Assistant Superintendent Jay Yeager stated that the 2014-2015 school calendar has been revised again, as Wetzel County Schools needed 85 days for the first semester and only had 83. The board was told they could get by with 84 however. Thus, December 23 was made an instructional day. Yeager stated that schools would probably go ahead and have special activities done on this day though, using accrued bank time.

Also, June 19 must be listed as an OS day, as well as a holiday; the board cannot use this day as a makeup day.

Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Pre-K, and Title I Shane Highley stated that he, Treasurer Jeff Lancaster, and Director of Ancillary Services Brian Jones had contacted several environmental agencies concerning athletic facility upgrades at Valley High School that were proposed to the board on April 21. Highley stated he had spoken to two people-a soil biologist and geologist and another geologist-from West Virginia University who advised the French drainage system would divert water adequately. However, the geologists advised against a retaining wall, as it would probably not work.

In another matter, Superintendent Albright stated on May 2 he had had the opportunity to attend an academic pep rally at Magnolia High School. “They did a very nice job to get kids to prepare for the WesTest,” he said. “There was a lot of genuine enthusiasm, banners and activities.” (See related photos on page 6B.)