By Larry Austin
Island Dispatch Editor
Two new signs will be installed in the Grand Island Central School District to recognize the service of Grand Island's veterans.
Grand Island High School Assistant Principal Robert Julian told the Grand Island Board of Education during its meeting Monday that a pair of 8-foot by 4-foot vinyl signs thanking vets will be installed in about four weeks. "They're going to be on display in the high school and middle school gymnasiums," Julian said.
The signs, which include all five military seals, say: "In gratitude for all those who have served our country. Thank you."
Julian told the trustees that district administrators and Superintendent Brian Graham had the idea about the signage in preparing for the second annual Veterans Parade prior to Veterans Day.
ASI Signage of Grand Island is making the signs for the district.
Ambassadors reports
Student ambassadors from GIHS and VCMS mentioned in their reports to the board the upcoming holiday charitable endeavors students will undertake.
Skye Dreher, public relations liaison of Connor Middle School, told the board that "in the spirit of giving" the school will conduct two food drives, one a peanut butter and jelly drive that concludes this week, and a second nonperishable food drive during lunch periods. Spirit Week at VCMS this week will culminate with Family Fun Night on Friday. Dreher said the event will include a fundraiser for Smile Train, an organization that provides surgeries for children with a facial deformity. The surgeries will give the children the "same opportunities as other children to eat, speak and smile," Dreher said.
GIHS ambassador Eve DiCarlo, the student representative on the high school's Shared Decisionmaking Team, noted in her report that a GIHS bulletin board will advertise the school's upcoming charitable work.
"We look forward to the month of December when Student Council, DECA, and Interact will display information about their annual holiday food drive," she said.
DiCarlo also said that on Dec. 9, 64 GIHS students from the DECA business club will take part at Lockport High School in regional competition.
"I'd also like to thank our teachers, staff, administrators, and students who are focused on charitable projects and efforts to support the needy in the weeks ahead," Graham said. "We are always continuously impressed with the amount of charitable support generated by our students, teachers, administrators, and staff on Grand Island."
Security
Vice President Sue Marston said the topic of school security and after-school sign-in procedures was brought up at a PTA meeting she attended.
On the suggestion of Trustee Glenn Bobeck, the board decided to add an open forum on the topic to the agenda of the Jan. 14 meeting. Bobeck said holding the open forum is a better way to approach the issue "than to form a committee."
"We can always dialogue with the public if we so choose," Bobeck said.
The board also tasked Graham with providing a summary of data on the school resource officer activity for consideration in advance of the budget season.
The board will hold two capital project public hearings, both at the Professional Development Room of GIHS: Thursday, Dec. 20, at 6 p.m.; and Thursday, Jan. 3, at 6 p.m.
