For the first time since school started back in August, the group called CAST (Communities and Schools Together) met Wednesday morning at the Education and Administration Center in Frankfort to discuss transportation, health services and had demonstrations on what school nurses and secretaries do on a daily basis.
CAST meets eight times in a calendar year — four before graduation in May and four after school resumes in August. Meetings are held almost everywhere within the district of the Community Schools of Frankfort. Half are held at the Education and Administration Center, while one each is held at Frankfort High School, Frankfort Middle School, Blue Ridge and Green Meadows Elementary Schools and Suncrest Elementary School.
“Bringing in all the speakers that we can, visiting the schools, having directors talk about their programs, having the secretaries and school nurse present really gives the community a great sense of knowledge to hear what’s happening in the whole district,” said CAST Director Lola VanDyke, who is also is the district’s Title I Director.
Wednesday’s presentation had a segment on what the school nurses do from Suzanne MacOwen, who is the nurse at Green Meadows. She specifically addressed all the items and diseases that students have including diabetes, asthma, bone fractures, nose bleeds, bruises and cuts, bumps and rashes, headaches, stomach troubles, physical education and recess injuries, handling students’ medication needs, hygiene, clothing and shoes along with dental problems. She added the best cure all for a lot of things is an ice pack.
“We’re there to give the kids a hug, be a mother to the staff and a grandmother to the kids,” said MacOwen. “The big thing is to show them that we care. Some of them don’t get that at home. We’re constantly educating kids and the staff and trying to build self-esteem in the students.”
School secretaries were next on the list and they demonstrated how hectic their lives are from the beginning of the day through lunch until dismissal.
One question that was asked is how do the secretaries handle people at the door wanting in.
“We have told our secretaries they can deny entrance to anyone for whatever reason,” said Superintendent Don DeWeese.
Transportation Director Dave Fouse followed that segment with an array of statistics about schools in the district along with facts and figures on the district’s fleet of buses. There was also a brief tour of the bus garage facility.
Fouse said of the district’s 3,255 kids, they bus over 2,000 everyday with every route being triple routed with the exception of country routes.
“We go four miles west, three miles east and five miles north,” said Fouse. “Our buses average 224,000 miles a year.”
Fouse added the state mandates that buses are on the road no longer than 12 years. He also said weather and rust are the biggest issues for the buses.
Probably one of the most staggering statistics Fouse gave was the age of the buildings in the district. He said despite the recent renovation, Frankfort High School is still 56 years old. Frankfort Middle School is next at 31 years old, Suncrest is 22 years old while Blue Ridge and Green Meadows are beginning their 11th year in operation.
DeWeese added the next major renovation will be at Frankfort Middle School.
The next meeting will be held at Suncrest on Wednesday, October 24, at 10 a.m. Topics that day will include programs at Suncrest plus reports on technology and food services.