SHERBURN– Some of the Martin County West School Board meeting on Monday evening was a presentation about the proposed curriculum for social and emotional learning. Jana Brackey, a social worker from the elementary school, and Michelle Baker, the principal from Trimont school, gave a presentation about the Character Strong curriculum for elementary students entitled PurposeFull People. Before the presentation, a resident using the public comments time requested the school board review the curriculum more and not add more work for the teachers about things that are taught in the regular curriculum already. The presenters reported that other school districts also have the social-emotional curriculum and that they compared and reviewed several kinds of this curriculum since this spring. They reported that the curriculum would help students deal with things that have come up in school and would tie into the Maverick Pride matrix and grades 1-6 character education lessons. All teachers would be talking about the same character lessons and using the same tools and language. In the elementary school it would be part of the morning meetings. Each lesson is usually about 15-20 minutes long and would promote positive social skills like respect, responsibility, gratitude, empathy, perseverance, honesty, cooperation, courage, and creativity. Lessons are meant to be shared in the student’s life at home and at school.

Later in the meeting, the board approved the curriculum and as part of that, they asked for review and data collection to report back about the success or failure of the lessons before approving another year of the curriculum.

Superintendent’s report included that there are 655 students in the district. The South Central Service Cooperative SPOTLIGHT Award went to Brooklyn Bakker, Kristie North, Alicia Swanson and Tanya Schmidtke. She discussed the District Advisory Committee with 20 members (9 staff, 10 alumni, some parents, some school board and others) which do strategic planning. This committee is required by state education programs. The board approved the bylaws presented for the committee.

In other news:

— The board scheduled 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 10, for the special meeting to canvas results of the election.

– The board declared as surplus equipment two scoreboards from the elementary school.

— The company, ISG, which will be doing surveys of the school’s facilities, will report in November.

– Reports from Principals included the Book Fair at the high school this month which has a Facebook page; College Month at the high school; Candy sales at the elementary schools to help pay for field trips and special events; Fire department visits and drills with soft

and hard lockdowns; Pride Tower filled so there will be a special fall event, and elementary principals attendance at the new principal meetings, and continuing Student of the Month.

– The Community Education and Recreation report targeted new lessons and events planned such as Game Club every month, Red Bull youth wrestling through CER, upcoming classes for dance and cheerleading and 55 alive driving. A class in CPR and AED is in the works.

– The board accepted with thanks the donations from 3M for school supplies of over $6,000 for each Sherburn school and $3,000 for STEAM and $100 from the UCC Women’s Guild in Welcome.

– The next regular school board meeting will be on Nov. 21, with a presentation about the World’s Best Workforce at 6:15 p.m., and then the regular meeting at 6:30 p.m.