Jeffrey Treadway, left, a music teacher at Jefferson Elementary, was recognized by the Wood County Board of Education Tuesday night after representing Wood County Schools in the 137th Rosebowl Parade on New Year's Day in Pasadena. Treadway was one of four from West Virginia selected to perform with the Saluting America’s Band Directors Band, which included 329 marchers from across the United States. Also pictured is Superintendent Christie Willis. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

PARKERSBURG — Jeffrey Treadway, a music teacher at Jefferson Elementary, was recognized by the Wood County Board of Education Tuesday night after representing Wood County Schools in the 137th Rosebowl Parade on New Year’s Day in Pasadena.

Treadway was one of four from West Virginia selected to perform with the Saluting America’s Band Directors Band, which included 329 marchers from across the United States.

“There were over 900 applicants from across the United States and Mexico,” Treadway said. “And I was one of 350 that were selected to march in this parade.”

He said preparation for the day took months as he had to memorize all five pieces of music for the parade before arriving in California. He said once he arrived his focus then shifted to the physical demands of the event.

“Once we got out there, we focused just on the marching because there was a lot involved,” Treadway said.

Derek Sandy, a senior at Parkersburg South High School, speaks to the Wood County Board of Education Tuesday night. Sandy is part of the Student Advisory Council where students from throughout the district can voice their concerns about events, about their facilities, and their experience as students. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

He said attending the parade rekindled his love of performing and made him feel like he was “back in the high school band.” He expressed pride in representing Wood County Schools and hopes his personal experience will inspire his students to pursue more musical opportunities.

“I come back reinvigorated, re-energized, hopefully to inspire my students to continue music,” Treadway said. “It’s just important they stick with it, because there’s all kinds of opportunities at the middle school and high school level.”

Members of the Student Advisory Council Derek Sandy, a senior at Parkersburg South High School, and Aven Pifer, an eighth-grader at Edison Middle School, spoke to the board about their experiences with the council.

Sandy said the advisory meetings create valuable collaboration among students from different schools.

“It’s been nice to get another of my peers from the county to throw these ideas back and forth, things that we could see, improvements, stuff like that. It’s been really nice,” Sandy said.

Aven Pifer, an eighth-grader at Edison Middle School, speaks to the Wood County Board of Education Tuesday night. Pifer is part of the Student Advisory Council where students from throughout the district can voice their concerns about events, about their facilities, and their experience as students. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

Pifer highlighted Edison’s academic and extracurricular success, including strong showings in math field day and the science fair, as well as ongoing community service such as packing food bags and supporting Secret Santa efforts.

She said the council gives her a meaningful platform to advocate for improvements — such as replacing worn bleachers in Edison’s gym — while reinforcing her pride in her school.

“I like being on this committee because I can share all of my ideas with people, so they can listen and then make changes to our school,” Pifer said “And I really love the experience of being at Edison, because I always have fun and I always look forward to going to school.”

The council will continue giving the board updates throughout the school year, ensuring student feedback, celebrations and concerns are being heard.

Jason Hughes, director of Wood County Technical Center and Caperton, and lead counselor Gwen Justice talked to the board about getting equitable access to work-based learning for all Wood County seniors.

Hughes said the Career Work Skills Training (CWST) programs – traditionally limited to placements in school offices – are being broadened, with new flexibility from the West Virginia Department of Education.

“They see the need to expand that out to all work-based learning,” Hughes said. “They’re still going to be CTE students under CWST… they’re just going to document their work-based learning in our system. And so our participation goes up, and our work-based learning goes up, and they’re having meaningful experiences.”

Justice said she approached the task of setting up this system with a clear goal: equitable access to work-based learning for all Wood County seniors.

She outlined the three key student groups who will benefit:

* CTE completers who are ready to apply their skills in the workforce.

* College-bound students with rigorous course schedules who want real-world experience to confirm their career choices.

* Students who need to work to support their families and require abbreviated schedules.

Justice said she has been building partnerships with employers locally, statewide and even nationally to help find students a place they can work and learn. She said to support placements she has been holding meetings with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, Workforce West Virginia, the West Virginia Department of Energy, the West Virginia Rural Water and Wastewater Association, and CommuniCare, which is expanding into Wood County.

Information on how students can participate and how interested business can get involved can be found on the school’s website.

“All students in Wood County are going to benefit from this work-based learning opportunity,” Justice said. “This initiative helps the student, the school and the county.”

Superintendent Christie Willis said the Assistant Superintendent of Academics and Leadership position will be posted as a vacancy, not a new addition. She said the role became vacant when the previous holder moved to the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources. She said since 2018, Wood County Schools has consistently had three assistant superintendents, so this posting maintains the existing structure rather than expanding it.

“I know sometimes people, when they see something posted at central office, they think that it’s an add. It is not an add,” Willis said. “This is not an additional position.”

Douglass Huxley can be reached at dhuxley@newsandsentinel.com