Whitehall-Coplay School District Superintendent Dr. Robert Steckel introduced the new middle school principal to school board members during their meeting Nov. 21.

Whitehall-Coplay Middle School Principal Sherry Holub was most recently principal of Bangor Middle School. She has 20 years of experience in education and has been an administrator since 2006.

Steckel also welcomed newly appointed Supervisor of Information Technology Paul Wieder, a WHS graduate.

“He’s made a tremendous impact on our district, and we’re looking forward to continuing to grow with him,” Steckel said.

Also at the meeting, Student Council President Alexis Quach and other members spoke to the board about the state leadership conference they attended Nov. 3-5 at Boyertown High School.

Quach and Mikayla Warren, vice president, each won Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils Distinguished Student Leader awards. To receive the award, Quach and Warren had to put in more than 40 service hours, attend a summer leadership camp and write essays on leadership.

“While at the conference, the council won the Keystone Council Award - which we applied for during the summertime - and it’s given to the council for the recognition of excellence in leadership, development, council organization, council activities and whatnot,” Ethan Guzenski said.

Alondra Ayala said it was a good opportunity to connect with other students to see how Student Council works at other schools and said the experience helped her grow.

“I presented a workshop, too, and it helped a lot with my public speaking skills, and it’s just an overall really good experience that I hope we get to experience again in future years,” Ayala said.

Quach reported they will host the region I conference 8 a.m.-2 p.m. March 10, 2023, at Whitehall High School. This will allow all WHS Student Council members, rather than a select few, to attend a conference. School districts in Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Berks and Schuylkill counties are invited to attend.

Another upcoming Student Council event is elementary movie night 7-9 p.m. Dec. 9 in the WHS auditorium. They will show a short Scooby-Doo movie, make holiday crafts with the children and offer snacks.

Quach also added the WHS football team won the game Nov. 18 during the state playoffs, and the Marching Zephyr Band won second place in the Cavalcade of Bands championships.

Board President William Fonzone Sr. thanked Quach for her leadership and Student Council members for their efforts.

The board also approved a motion to amend item 13.A to include the addendum to personnel items attachment, being recommended by the superintendent, due to the emergent difficulty in filling a psychologist position and because the district received the psychologist’s acceptance after the 24-hour Sunshine Law agenda requirement.

The board authorized Fox Rothschild LLP to enter into an agreement for the property located at 1350 MacArthur Road, further identified as parcel ID 549778245577 1, setting the assessments of the property at $6,179,500 for tax year 2022 and $5,677,100 for tax year 2023 and for each subsequent tax year until a change in the property’s assessment pursuant to applicable law.

The board authorized Fox Rothschild LLP to enter into an agreement for the property located at 1177 Sixth St., further identified as parcel ID 549893788632 2, setting the assessments of the property at $5,816,000 for tax year 2022 and $5,088,000 for tax year 2023 and for each subsequent tax year until a change in the property’s assessment pursuant to applicable law.

The board approved the graduation date of June 5, 2023, per the agreement with PPL Center; the reading internship agreement with Kutztown University; and the St. Luke’s agreement for medical services.

The board also approved the job description for an academic coach. The coach will work to “develop and coordinate a high-impact student-athlete development and support program aimed at fostering positive youth development and growth through sports.”

Approved resignations include Candace Zona-Slaw, school psychologist at WCMS, effective Dec. 19; Stephanie Feliz, bus driver, effective June 13; Nicole Velazquez, cafeteria monitor at Zephyr Elementary, effective Oct. 25, though she will remain in her position as substitute bus driver; and Lea Rossanese, special education paraprofessional at Steckel Elementary, effective Nov. 4, because she has accepted a salaried substitute special education teacher position at Steckel.

Approved retirements include Cynthia Forster, reading specialist at Zephyr, effective Jan. 1, 2023, and Candace Shultz, full-time principal’s secretary at Zephyr Elementary, effective Feb. 3, 2023.

New appointments include Wieder, supervisor of information technology, an Act 93 position, at $65,000 prorated, effective Dec. 1; Holub, WCMS principal, an Act 93 position, at $126,500 prorated; Rossanese, salaried substitute special education emotional support teacher, at $53,718 prorated, effective Nov. 7; Cassandra Herr, supervisor of math and science, an Act 93 position, at $104,000 prorated; Natalie Schlofer, WCMS TPE emotional support teacher, at $55,640 prorated; Noah Borgman, WCMS TPE art teacher, at $53,718, as of Nov. 22; Samantha Kozza, PE school psychologist, at $65,626 prorated; Laurie Ganey, PE school psychologist at WCMS, at $64,426 prorated; Asma Alkhoury, Steckel part-time cafeteria monitor, at $14.25 per hour, as of Nov. 9; Jennifer Hendricks, part-time cafeteria monitor at Gockley, at $14.25 per hour, effective Nov. 7; and Andrea Helman, part-time cafeteria monitor at Zephyr, at $14.25 per hour, effective Nov. 8.

The board acknowledged the transfer of Christopher Creyer, salaried substitute at WCMS, to social studies salaried substitute at WHS, as of Jan. 3, 2023; the transfer of Marianne Wied at Gockley from full-time reading paraprofessional to part-time special education learning support paraprofessional, at $20.42 per hour; Nada Tabarani, from attendance secretary to WHS main office secretary, with a prorated annual salary of $36,052, as of Nov. 22; Laura Dearing, part-time cafeteria worker to full-time assistant cook, at $22.65 per hour, from Nov. 22 to June 23, 2023, or until the return of employee 021350; and Monica Bachman, part-time assistant cook to full-time assistant cook, at $22.65 per hour, from Nov. 22 to June 23, 2023, or until the return of employee 046160.

Laura Goldfeder was appointed club adviser of Mathletes, with a stipend of $537.18.

The board approved staff to teach in the 2022-23 after-school program fall cohort, which is being paid for out of the ESSER III or ESSER III 7% set aside, as presented at the Aug. 22 education committee meeting.

Gockley teachers include Gayle Ganser, Lori Girardi, Sheila Kocher, Erin Reichenbach, Kristin Roman and Kevin Swartz. Steckel teachers include paraprofessional Diana Bet, Nicole Demjan, Chelsea Heckman, Tanya Jarvis, Caroline Martin, Michele Muenker, special education teacher Ieasha Nelson and Stephanie Steinberg. Zephyr teachers are Victoria Bobyak; Amanda Dennis; Danielle Hacker, special education; Sarah Hirschman, special education; Christine Laudato; David Lengyel; Tiffany Lengyel; Mark Mihalko; Pamela Silverthorn; and Kyle Stout.

WCMS teachers include Lisa Barr, special education; Alicia Blick; Jamie (Brobst) Biro; Jeri Bonenberger; Laura Counterman; Miranda Dangler; Katherine DeSalva, special education; Amberly Drey; Mark Fatzinger; Lori Galucy; Lisa Gierula; Emily Hadersbeck; Brian Legutko; Deborah Luff; Samantha Neas; Julie Rutt; Vincent Santamaria; Stephanie Simock; Kayla Snyder, ESL; Rhiannon Sorrentino; and Alex Varghese. WHS teachers are tutoring coordinator Nicole Seng, Steven Adams, Kelly Beltzner, Christina Bueti, Nicole Capuano, Michael Cavanaugh, Mark Freeman, Jeffrey Lear, Theodore McMahan, Sarah Peterson, Gabrielle Smith and Victoria Ziatyk.

WHS Homework Club special education teachers include Kara Buote, Rachael Burkhardt, Erin Dolan, Jessica Englert, Natalie Schlofer, Jennifer Stancombe and Allison Stewart. After-school library teachers are Elizabeth Burnett, Christina Figueroa, Mark Freeman, Theodore McMahan, Fiana Spangler and Sean Werner. After-school ESL/special education program teachers, paid from ESSER III, 7% set aside, include Kayla Snyder, ESL, and Leasha Nelson, Danielle Hacker, Kara Buote, Rachael Burkhardt, Erin Dolan, Jessica Englert, Natalie Schlofer, Jennifer Stancombe and Allison Stewart, special education teachers.

Also during the meeting, the board granted tenure to WCMS teacher Miranda Dangler.

New 2022-23 coach appointments include Keegan Connelly, assistant wrestling coach, volunteer. Resignations include Tyler Miller, head track and field coach, effective Nov. 17.

The next school board meeting will be 7 p.m. Dec. 19.

A board reorganization meeting will be held 4 p.m. Dec. 5, followed immediately by committee meetings on finance/personnel, education/student activities and operations/transportation.