Carmichaels school board reorganization meeting held
CARMICHAELS – Carmichaels Area School Board held its annual reorganization meeting Tuesday evening with no changes. Thomas Ricco will continue as the board president and Melodie Berardi as vice president. Meetings will continue to be held at 7 p.m. on the third Thursday of the month in the high school resource room. Solicitor Sam Davis was retained for an additional year. Ronald Ferek will continue as the board’s legislative representative and Richard Krause as strategic plan representative.
In response to what is being deemed as a worldwide need for those trained in computer programming, Carmichaels Area High School students will participate from Dec. 8 to 12 in the international initiative, Hour of Code.
Although students receive computer instruction in the district, that instruction is primarily focused upon using technology already in place. Hour of Code will give students an opportunity to understand how to write the code that is behind the software they are using and potentially develop their own software.
Launched in 2013, Code.org is a nonprofit dedicated to expanding participation in computer science by making it available in more schools, and increasing participation by women and underrepresented students of color. Its website offers students and educators hourlong tutorials that teach how to write applications or games.
The board approved a natural gas contract with Direct Energy through its participation in Western Pennsylvania Natural Gas Consortium for the purchase of natural gas.
Carmichaels is one of more than 100 participating school districts in Southwestern Pennsylvania in the consortium from seven intermediate units. The consortium gives the participants leverage when securing proposals from gas suppliers and has saved consortium members more than $2 million for the 2012-13 fiscal year.
In other matters, the board hired Deborah Cech for an extra drama coach position in the district.