From staff reports
Contributed
BACK TO SCHOOL â Barb Pieniazek, an English teacher at Jefferson County Joint Vocational School, is working with students in person once again after conducting classes remotely for months. The school resumed face-to-face instruction, making it the first time that juniors and seniors have been in school together since the COVID-19 pandemic struck and led to a shutdown last March and a hybrid learning format at the start of the school year.
BLOOMINGDALE For the first time in more than a year, Jefferson County Joint Vocational School has both juniors and seniors in the building after COVID-19 prompted a shutdown and altered their education.
From staff reports
BLOOMINGDALE The Jefferson County Joint Vocational School Board of Education has renewed the contract of its longtime treasurer after taking official action on Tuesday.
The board agreed to give Treasurer Karen Spoonemore a two-year deal, extending her tenure from Aug. 31, 2021, to July 31, 2023. Spoonemore has been with the school district for roughly three decades and Superintendent Todd Phillipson said she continues to bring a wealth of knowledge to her role.
“She does a great job and has had great audits and brings a lot of experience being a career tech treasurer,” he said.
Meanwhile, the latest construct from students in the Jefferson County Joint Vocational School carpentry program will be seeking occupancy as leaders plan to take bids later this spring.
From staff reports
RECOGNITION â Cookie West, who established the Lee Alexander West Spiritual Movement, presented a certificate of appreciation to Jefferson County Educational Service Center Superintendent Chuck Kokiko for efforts to help students gain an education during the COVID-19 pandemic. JCESC and nine school districts were recognized for their continued work to ensure students learn, be it in person or remotely.
STEUBENVILLE Local educators have been helping students navigate through learning amid the coronavirus pandemic, and those efforts have not gone unnoticed.
The Lee Alexander West Spiritual Movement honored nine area school districts and the Jefferson County Educational Service Center with the ninth-annual Lee West Award for their ongoing work to maintain education in person or remotely.
From staff reports
BLOOMINGDALE The Jefferson County Joint Vocational School Board of Education started anew with a blend of new and returning faces at its first meeting of the year.
The board reorganized in a special session on Tuesday and returned Larry George and Steve Bezak III as president and vice president, respectively, while Ruth Ann Bruzzese and William Hendricks were re-appointed and Ron Smyth replaced longtime member John Prokopakis. Prokopakis, who was not in attendance, was later recognized with a resolution of appreciation by the board for seven years of dedication to the school and its students.
Talks turned to COVID-related matters and the board conducted a brief executive session before approving a resolution to extend Family First Coronavirus Response Act benefits to employees to March 31.
Staff writer
BLOOMINGDALE As has been the case for just about everything during the ongoing pandemic, the Jefferson County Joint Vocational School’s adult education programs have had to adapt.
Rich Wilinski, the program coordinator, is hoping safety measures and new classes are going to bring people back into the programs this upcoming term.
While Wilinski understands the concerns about COVID-19, he wants anyone on the fence to know that safety precautions are in place throughout the JVS, including the adult programs, and he feels the staff has done an admirable job of making it a safe environment.
“We certainly understand people are concerned about COVID, we understand people might feel uncomfortable,” he said. “The joint vocational school has done a great job of trying to prevent the spread of COVID-19.