Eastern Pulaski Schools Elated Over ISTEP Scores

Posted on Author WKVI

The ISTEP scores were released yesterday by Indiana State Schools Superintendent Dr. Tony Bennett and Eastern Pulaski School Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman says the students did very well on the state standardized test.

“They did absolutely outstanding,” said Klitzman. “In terms of English and Language Arts, these are the percentages of students that passed the state test, third grade 95.4, fourth grade 92.2 and fifth grade 97.8. In Math, third grade 93.8, fourth grade 96.7 and fifth grade 97.8. In our middle school, they did well and they showed good growth.”

And that’s not even the best part!

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Eastern Pulaski School Corporation Plans Summer Maintenance Projects

Posted on Author WKVI
Dr. Robert Klitzman
Dr. Robert Klitzman

The Eastern Pulaski School Corporation’s maintenance staff is working hard on quite a few projects this summer, and Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman explained that the majority of these changes include digital upgrades.

“We’re continuing our project at the middle school and high school of changing the HVAC controls from pneumatic to digital,” explained Klitzman. “We are in the process of hanging all of the projectors in every classroom at the elementary level. They will be able to hook them up to their computers and basically bring the world into their classroom via the internet and help with student learning in that case.”

The regular deep-cleaning is also underway to get the classrooms and all of the school facilities ready for the start of another school year in August.

Eastern Pulaski School’s Scoreboard To Go Wireless

Posted on Author WKVI
Dr. Robert Klitzman
Dr. Robert Klitzman

The Eastern Pulaski School Board has approved a partnership with the Winamac Athletic Booster Club in order to upgrade the sports scoreboard to a wireless model.

Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman explained that the pair will split the cost.

“The school corporation will use Capital Projects funds and the Booster Club will come up with the rest of the money,” stated Klitzman. “They’re looking at making the soccer field, the baseball field, the football field, the indoor basketball court, and volleyball scoreboards all wireless. The total cost of the project is $8,600. The board has committed $4,300 if the Booster Club can come up with the rest of the money.”

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Eastern Pulaski Schools Proud of ISTEP Test Results

Posted on Author WKVI

Dr. Robert Klitzman
Dr. Robert Klitzman
The Eastern Pulaski School Board dissected the preliminary ISTEP test results this week and Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman said the students did exceptionally well.

“In terms of reading, our third, fourth and fifth grade students all performed better,” stated Klitzman. “We went from the lower-90s to the mid-upper-90s across the board. We’re in 90s at our sixth grade level and both our seventh and eighth grade showed some good scores.”

The students also did well on the math portion of the ISTEP test.

“At the elementary level, every single grade level went up into the mid-90s. In science we went up, fourth grade had a 94 percent. In social studies in the fifth grade, they are at 95 percent. Excellent scores!” exclaimed Klitzman.

Klitzman said that there was also some improvement in the high school.

“At the high school level, there was good improvement in our Language Arts area. That was a target of focus for us so we’re very pleased with that, and we’re still taking steps to bring up our other areas as well.”

Eastern Pulaski Schools To Dismiss Early For The Summer

Posted on Author WKVI
Dr. Robert Klitzman
Dr. Robert Klitzman

Students in the Eastern Pulaski School Corporation will be wrapping up classes this week. Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman said that the students were able to get out early this week due to the lack of school closures in the winter.

“One of the most unusual winters we’ve had,” said Dr. Klitzman. “I think most would agree with me that in terms of snow it’s been a great winter. Kenny Becker [Highway Superintendent] is excited about it. He probably has a lot of salt left. Nonetheless, we have no make-up days so our last day for students is Wednesday, May 23. It’ll be a full day of school; seniors are in school, everybody’s in school for a full day on the 23rd. Graduation for the Class of 2012 will be Friday, as that’s our tradition, at 7 p.m. ET in the high school gym. Because we’re getting out early, our summer school schedule will start the end of May.”

Eastern Pulaski Schools Approve Several Retirements

Posted on Author WKVI
Dr. Robert Klitzman
Dr. Robert Klitzman

The Eastern Pulaski School Board members approved several retirements during their meeting this week. Elementary teacher, Brenda Roberts, will be retiring at the end of the school year after 37 years in the education field and Middle School Secretary, Dorothy Malchow, is retiring after 27 years at the corporation. Superintendent Dr. Klitzman also announced the retirement of the Middle School Principal.

“Mr. Stan Good, after 25 years in education – all at Eastern Pulaski Schools – and as our Middle School Principal for 18 years, is retiring,” said Klitzman. “He is going to stay in the education arena, but in a private sector helping different areas through a corporation that seems to find its niche on those students that are not functioning as well as they should in the traditional setting of a school. It’s more of an alternative selection.”

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Valedictorian and Salutatorian Named For Eastern Pulaski Schools

Posted on Author WKVI
Tyler Abbott
Jordan Morning

The Eastern Pulaski School Board members recognized this year’s Valedictorian and Salutatorian of the graduating class of 2012 at their meeting this week. The Board recognized Valedictorian Jordan Morning and Salutatorian Tyler Abbott. Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman said the board and their families celebrated their accomplishments throughout their entire high school career.

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Memorandum Of Understanding Approved By Eastern Pulaski School Board

Posted on Author WKVI
Dr. Robert Klitzman
Dr. Robert Klitzman

The Eastern Pulaski School Board members approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the Eastern Pulaski Teacher’s Association during their meeting Monday night. Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman says the agreement would affect new employees coming to the corporation.

“We would not pay more than five years at the Master’s level,” explained Klitzman. “As I told the Board, this would have an impact and give people a choice. I think it would greatly expand our pool of candidates because teachers know full well that once they reach a certain portion on a salary schedule, it’s going to be harder for them to change jobs just because of that price tag. If the teacher has a job someplace else, and this would be my assumption, and they say, ‘You know what? I’d rather be at Eastern Pulaski Schools because it’s closer or because I want a change in assignment and I’m willing to take less money to do that.’ Then, it’s a win-win situation. If they’re not, then they stay in the job they have.”

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Eastern Pulaski School Board Discusses Summer School

Posted on Author WKVI

Eastern Pulaski School Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman talked about summer school with the School Board this week.

“As it is true the last few years, it will be very limited because the funding for summer school is very limited,” explained Dr. Klitzman. “We’re going to offer one of our most popular ones, Summer P.E. Summer P.E. is open to any high school student and any student entering high school, which means our 8th graders. We typically get 50 to 60 kids into that program and it’s a wonderful situation in that it’s a block of time so students will have three-and-a-half hours in the morning to go somewhere and do something that is going to take more than a typical 50 minute class period.”

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Eastern Pulaski School Board Discusses Student Conduct

Posted on Author WKVI
Dr. Robert Klitzman
Dr. Robert Klitzman

Eastern Pulaski School Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman gave a special report to the School Board Monday night concerning student conduct and student discipline.

“I spent some time going over what we’re doing K-12 in relation to having proper student behavior, discipline, character and those types of things,” stated Dr. Klitzman. “We talked about what teachers are doing in the classroom and some of our formal instructional packages that we have to offer our students that we can show that are being done. We talked about supervision and some of the next steps that we’re going to be taking in terms of education and in terms of a community-wide effort to help get a handle on some of the more blatant types of misbehavior that are happening.”

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Eastern Pulaski Schools under Fire for Bullying

Posted on Author WKVI

More than 20 students, parents, and other members of the Eastern Pulaski Schools community spoke out at the recent school board meeting against bullying in school, which has gotten out of hand.

Parents expressed their anger at the corporation for doing what they feel is a minimum to prevent or discipline bullying in the school system.  Several parents said that their children are afraid to use bathrooms or even attend extracurricular activities for fear of bullies.

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Eastern Pulaski Schools to Work on Safe Routes to School

Posted on Author WKVI

Thanks to the Safe Routes to School Committee at the Eastern Pulaski Schools Corporation, children walking or riding bicycles to school may not be so uncommon in the future. Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman explained that the committee is currently working on a planning grant designed to show different routes to the school that can be enhanced and improved on in terms of accessibility and safety. Klitzman says that these improvements could encourage more parents to allow children to walk or ride their bikes to school.

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Eastern Pulaski School Corporation Shows Pride in Kindergarten Program

Posted on Author WKVI

The Eastern Pulaski School Corporation held their regular day-time meeting Monday, and Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman says one of the things they’re most proud of is the progress they’re making with their kindergarten program. Klitzman says that seven students are picked at random to showcase their reading skills to the board members by reading to them.

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Eastern Pulaski Schools, Town of Winamac Constructing a Safe Route to School

Posted on Author WKVI

The Eastern Pulaski School Corporation and the Town of Winamac are working together to construct a safe route to school. Eastern Pulaski School Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman explains where the route would be located.

“It’s the dovetail off the pathway trail that used to be the railroad tracks that they made into very nice bicycle, running and walking path,” said Dr. Klitzman. “What they want to do is take roadways from that pathway that lead to school and do everything they can to make it safe and useable. It’s a wellness thing. That’s so students can walk, or run, or ride their bike safely to school.”

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Driver’s Education Class to Cease at Winamac High School

Posted on Author WKVI

This is the last year that an instructor from Eastern Pulaski Schools will be teaching a Driver’s Education course during the regular school day. Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman said this was a planned move on the school board’s part.

“This was decided a couple of years ago to phase it out,” explained Dr. Klitzman. “Driver’s Ed teacher, Mr. Nick Tribby, has already signed up with an outside company and is in fact teaching Driver’s Ed in the evenings and after school. Another one of our teachers, Mr. Casey Hines, has signed up. It will not be through Winamac High School. It will be through this new company that does this, but there will still be those opportunities for the driver’s training program.

Eastern Pulaski School Corporation Administrators Begin Teacher Evaluation Training

Posted on Author WKVI
Dr. Robert Klitzman
Dr. Robert Klitzman

The Eastern Pulaski School Board got an update this week on teacher evaluation training from Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman.

“It’s very complex and it’s brand new,” stated Dr. Klitzman. “Before you can evaluate any teachers, you need to go through a series of training. There are four training sessions and we have now gone through two of them. It’s designed to give feedback, very specifically, with data, with evidence, on what a teacher is doing and how they can perhaps do something differently to have a greater impact on student learning, or highlight, celebrate and recognize the good things they are doing. Ultimately, these evaluations are going to be tied to their compensation.”