The Salisbury Township School Board held a meeting Sept. 14 to recognize retirees, approve new hires and hear from Salisbury students about the activities, clubs and special events taking place district wide.

To start off the meeting, proclamations were read honoring two individuals who are retiring from the district.

Kimberlee Pavkovic has served the district as an administrative assistant at the high school for 29 years and as Salisbury High School principal Heather Morningstar pointed out she is a Salisbury institution. Pavkovic is a lifelong Salisbury resident having started school in the district at the age of 4, graduating and then serving the district as an employee.

Superintendent Lynn Fuini-Hetten thanked her for her dedication to the district and remarked that if there was ever a question about what was happening in the high school Pavkovic was the person to contact.

Susan Bast, an administrative assistant at Salisbury Middle School for 24 years, was credited by Principal Ken Parliman for being helpful, personable and engaging which, in turn, creates a welcoming culture at the middle school.

He remarked she is an exceptional worker and an even better person.

Several board members commented on her accommodating nature and thanked her for her dedicated service.

Among the employees who are also retiring but not present at the meeting are custodian Michael Gollie, seven years, utility maintenance custodian, John Miller, 22 1/2 years and custodian Heiman Richie, 17 years of service.

Fuini-Hetten expressed the district’s appreciation for all their years of dedicated service.

High school student representatives Nolan Gejda and Claire Nichols report fall sports are in full swing and student athletes are looking forward to their senior nights.

The Salisbury Football Booster Club will sell shirts, hats and hoodies at all remaining middle school, JV and varsity football games. All SHS athletic home events will be held at the stadium and will be streamed on the Salisbury Athletics YouTube channel.

The theater club held auditions for “Radium Girls” which will be performed Nov. 10-13. Many clubs have held their first meetings and look forward to engaging students to become involved.

The senior and junior classes are selling Gertrude Hawk candy bars as a fundraiser.

Spirit Week is scheduled Oct. 11-15. A pep rally will be held during the school day Oct. 14 which will be followed by the homecoming parade 5 p.m. and the homecoming football game 7 p.m.

The homecoming dance will close out spirit week and will be held Oct. 15. A dual enrollment interest meeting for parents will be held 6 p.m. before the SHS open house which will be held 6:30 p.m. Sept. 22.

SMS students Makenna Jones and Ella Roset gave the board an overview of events taking place at the middle school. A schoolwide magazine fundraiser is underway and many clubs are holding their first meetings.

The seventh grade class will be attending the Renaissance Faire Oct. 5 and the eighth grade class will be going to the Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center Oct. 21.

Students council is planning spirit days two times a month. The first spirit day theme will be Pajama Day.

Salisbury Elementary students Michelle Curcio and Lochlan Newman report students are happy to be back in school to see their friends and teachers.

Kindergarten orientation was held Aug. 29 and all students attended school Aug. 30. The first T-shirt day was held Sept. 9 and it was also the day kindergarten students and their families enjoyed a PTO-sponsored Popsicle playdate.

Open house for parents and guardians of kindergarten and first grade students was held Sept. 8 and Sept. 14 was open house for parents and guardians of students in second through fourth grades.

Picture day at SES was scheduled Sept. 19.

During the curriculum and technology portion of the meeting, the board approved the intervention grid which was presented at the workshop session by SES Principal Zach Brem and Assistant Superintendent Kelly Pauling. The grid is a multitiered system of support which will be implemented in an effort to identify struggling students based on data generated from assessments and screenings to provide targeted instruction in both reading and math. Providing enrichment opportunities for students who do not need interventions is also part of the plan.

Joseph Gnall, operations committee chairman, moved to approve a coordination of care agreement with Magellan Behavioral Health, the closing of the Class of 2022 activities fund and the approval of Barbacane Thornton Company to perform the annual local audit for the year ending June 30. The motion passed.

The board accepted the resignations of Elena Zervos, full-time special education teacher, SES, Krista Makhoul, part-time instructional assistant, Laura McGinley-Fellechner, part-time instructional assistant and Lisa Grim, cheer coach, SMS.

New hires approved by the board include Amanda Whitehead, part-time districtwide nurse assistant, Fernando Trinidad, mail courier, Christopher Butynskyi, full-time long-term substitute English/Social Studies teacher, SHS, Krystle Maxwell, part-time instructional assistant, Devin Kelly, full-time special education teacher, SES, Christopher La’Ron Mazyck, full-time custodian, SHS and Tyce Mazyck, part-time second shift custodian, SES.

Coaching staff approved for hire include Dillon Trenge, assistant football coach, SMS and Robert Fiedler, wrestling coach, SMS.

Also approved as new teacher mentors are Christopher Adams for new teacher George Pavlou, Anne Ruiz will mentor Butynskyi and Dara Ackerman with new hire Devin Kelly.

Sam DeFrank attended a Sept. 1 board meeting at Lehigh Carbon Community College. He reported on the community college’s articulation agreements with 66 Pennsylvania colleges. Through this program students can complete two years of study and matriculate to a 4-year college as a junior with all credits accepted. This program is seen as an excellent way to make college more affordable.

Fuini-Hetten also remarked how the guidance office works hard to make students aware of not only this program but also the early college and the dual enrollment programs as well.

In her Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit report, board member Laura McKelvey mentioned a Salisbury student was extremely happy to receive an adaptive bicycle through a partnership between the IU and another organization to provide adaptive bicycles for children with special needs.

Board President Sarah Nemitz reported Lehigh Career and Technical Institute has seen record enrollments this fall. Currently there are 138 Salisbury students enrolled in programs at LCTI; 130 students participate in half day programs and eight are in full day programs.

In October LCTI will hold an open house and eighth grade student tours. Adults can also participate in adult education classes in programs ranging from six weeks to nine months.

In her superintendent’s report Fuini-Hetten noted several staff members who were recognized for their many years of service. Devoting 30 years to the district are teachers Lori Fortunato and Diane Kasaczun.

Employees recognized for their 20 years of service include Earl Heminitz, Jennifer Kowalski, Susan Mixa and Matt Tobias.

She also noted a change from the state in that it is no longer requiring districts to report COVID-19 cases. The district wanted families to be aware the COVID-19 Dashboard will be removed from the website and if there is a spike in cases noted by the nursing staff it will be communicated to families.

Another change for families is the roll out of the Gov. Tom Wolf’s new program to provide free breakfast to all Salisbury students beginning Oct. 3.

Applications are continuing to be accepted for the Salisbury Township School District Wall of Honor until Oct. 1.

A reminder September is Suicide Prevention Month and a suicide and crisis line has been established. Simply dial “988” to be connected with suicide prevention and mental health counselors.

In closing, Fuini-Hetten noted the district is currently in need of instructional assistants, a custodian and substitute teachers.

The next work session meeting will be 7 p.m. Oct. 5. A finance committee meeting will be 7 p.m. Oct. 13 and the next board meeting will be 7:30 p.m. Oct. 19. All meetings will be held at the administration building, 1140 Salisbury Road.