PARKERSBURG - Teachers, administrators and service personnel with Wood County Schools spent Friday taking part in a blitz of training sessions throughout the county.
The majority of teachers Friday participated in training for the new Lions Quest program. Judy Johnson, director of curriculum and instruction for Wood County Schools, said all but five schools are adopting the new youth development program, which helps students in kindergarten through 12th-grade develop positive life skills. The program is slated to begin in early November.
Teachers who did not participate in the Quest training met in departmental groups, such as math or art, to work on classroom strategies and professional development.
Teachers weren't the only Wood County Schools employees attending training sessions Friday. Service personnel throughout the district gathered for lessons on safety, diversity and to hold interdepartmental meetings.
Sue Woodward, assistant superintendent of school services, said school secretaries gathered at the Caperton Center to discuss building access and safety. The training was led by the district's new coordinator of safety and energy management, Patrick Sole.
"It was the first time the secretaries had a chance to sit down and talk about the problems we may encounter when people come to the school and want in and may be angry or not allowed in for some reason," Woodward said.
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- ?Many Wood County Schools teachers participated in training on Friday, mostly for the new program Lions Quest that is being implemented in the school system.
- ?Others attended sessions on math, art and classrooms development.
Sole talked about building security and procedures for handling crisis situations, Woodward said.
In Mineral Wells, Franklin Elementary Center counselor Aaron Ellis spoke with about 80 teacher aides about diversity and conflict resolution.
Ellis said though the district asked him to speak on diversity, he approached the subject from a different angle.
"I don't believe in diversity. Diversity is looking at our differences, and those differences can be what keeps us apart," he said. "I prefer to address our similarities, those things that we have in common which can bring us together."
Some of the service personnel training had a more technical air, such as with the district's custodial staff.
"Our custodians did pesticide recertification and asbestos awareness training," Woodward said. Those who did not require the specialized training took part in safety classes which addressed things such as back injuries, proper lifting techniques and ladder safety.
All of our people were busy" Friday, Woodward said, "and it was valuable training."
