School Calendar Set

Published 2:28 pm Tuesday, April 9, 2013

CUMBERLAND -The Cumberland Middle/High School Complex Cafetorium was filled to standing room only during the recognitions portion of the school board meeting on March 11, with almost an hour spent recognizing and congratulating Cumberland students and teachers for their hard work and achievements so far in the current school year.

The board also completed some business during their meeting, approving the superintendent's proposed school budget (see article in March 27 edition of The Herald or online at farmvilleherald.com) and unanimously approving the school calendar for the upcoming year.

The approved calendar is based on four nine-week long grading periods and includes the following highlights, according to board packet:

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– The first day for students is August 8.

– The first semester ends December 19.

– The second semester begins January 6, 2014.

– The last day for students is May 21, 2014.

According to the packet, the calendar includes 180 instructional days.

Ten teacher in-service/workdays are also scheduled, “to be used for staff development to improve teacher delivery and student learning, classroom preparation, open house/registration and collaborative workshops with other school divisions.” New teachers also have two additional in-service days for attending the New Teacher Institute.

The board also unanimously voted to move their regular October meeting, which falls on Columbus Day, to the 21st.

Two plans for the upcoming school year were presented to the board as a first read: The Career and Technical Education Local Plan; and The Special Education Annual Plan, Title VI-B and Title VI-B Incentive Plan.

Special Education Supervisor Bernice Ford, upon questioning from Chairman Ginger Sanderson, District One, stated that the number of special education students has declined. Sanderson pointed out that the decline was consistent with statewide trends.

Sanderson also encouraged parents or other individuals with questions to feel free to view the plan on the Board Docs portion of the school's website.

Meet The Community

The school board recognized James Pendleton “Penny” Baber during its Meet the Community portion of the March recognitions. Baber was born in Cumberland, graduated from Cumberland High School and has maintained a private practice in the county since graduating from the Law School at the University of Virginia in 1961, according to a recognition read by Elizabeth Jamerson, school board clerk and the school's supervisor of human resources.

Baber served the county as Commonwealth's Attorney from 1968 to 1984 and has been Commissioner of Accounts since the mid-1970s, according to the recognition.

Jamerson also included some personal notes, adding that Baber was “married for 52 years to his high school sweetheart Carolyn Stonnell, whom he met in the first grade.”

“I don't think of myself as a special person in this county, but I have been here my whole life. I have never lived anywhere else, though I've been to a lot of other places,” Baber said, following the recognition.

“And I do have a very deep and abiding attachment to this piece of geography and I love it very much. And I thank you,” he concluded.

Meet The Staff

Phyllis Langhorne, Cumberland County Public Schools Business Manager, was also recognized during the March meeting. Langhorne has worked in the finance office for 24 years, according to the recognition.