Nathan Straus Photo A drawing was held for free bikes for students at Brownsboro Intermediate School on Wednesday, December 17, the winners were: Amber Walker, Troy Tullos, Peyton Cates, Brent Hughes, Debra Quijas, Bailey Wilmeth, Ashley Blackett, Justin Kyle, Katie Robertson, Chris Delaney, Mary Shelby Gage, Kilby Lawson, Tyshanna Warren, Seth Wilkerson, Lexi Barclay, and Oscar Guerro. Congratulations to each winner! An apparent lightning strike during a passing storm in early December resulted in a considerable amount of damage at the Murchison School.

During their regular meeting Thursday evening, December 18, members of the Murchison School Board of Trustees reviewed a list of storm related issues. Some of the problems were temporary, however several were more concerning and the full extent of damage incurred has yet to be completely assessed.

Trustees learned the lightning strike initially caused a power failure throughout the majority of the facility. Subsequently school officials have had to address problems within the school's fire alarm system, intercom, interior and exterior lighting systems, air conditioning and heating equipment, as well as the failure of at least four phones.

It was reported the alarm systems and lighting issues have been successfully addressed. However, repairs are still being made to correct problems within the air-conditioning system and replacements for the damaged phones have only been ordered.

These issues have forced additional funds to be moved into the School's maintenance and repair accounts. Fortunately, the recent downward eased pressure on the transportation budget and School officials indicated this would help compensate for the unforeseen storm damage.

Trustees questioned if the School's insurance policy would cover any portion of the storm related issues. Officials stated they had investigated this possibility and were informed the present policy did not include coverage for such incidents. This concerned several Board members and School officials were encouraged to double-check this with insurance authorities to be very sure some compensation might not be warranted.

STUDENT COUNCIL CONVENTION

After recently returning from a special convention at the State Capitol, three members of Murchison's Student Council and their faculty representatives delivered a brief presentation to the Trustees.

It was first explained the gathering brought together student councils from across the State and centered upon sharing perspectives about how each school might enhance their participation with conservation initiatives. Board members learned the convention was organized into a variety of classes, lectures and other offerings designed to both inform and inspire. Numerous ideas for recycling projects were shared with the students, as well as fun ways to organize local initiatives and participate with future statewide "Green Week" activities.

Because so many classes were scheduled simultaneously throughout the daylong event, the Murchison contingent chose to divide up, in order that they might participate in the most number of activities possible. As they were still fresh from the experience of meeting new friends and trying to absorb a tremendous amount of new information, the students chose to each share just one of their most inspiring moments with the Trustees.

Council President Chloe Bragdon told the Trustees one of the most interesting program she attended included a simple and easy-to-do project to create "Spirit Shakers." She outlined how with some paint, streamers and a few other easy to obtain items, discarded plastic soda bottles could be transformed into fun noisemakers for future school pep rallies and athletic events.

Vice-President Kelsie Hornsby said her favorite class taught how to fashion useful bags for teachers. She indicated this project not only provided ideas about conserving useful materials, but offered a way for students to express sincere appreciation for their teachers' day to day efforts.

Council Secretary Presley Slaughter shared that she most enjoyed one of convention's social "ice-breaking" pro- grams. This event had students from across the State joining in the singing of songs and participating in other simple activities designed to develop new friends and relationships beyond the participants ' respective towns and school districts.

Council Advisors Mrs. Lisa Hargrave and Mrs. Emily Foster said they were very happy with how naturally and enthusiastically Chloe, Kelsie and Presley joined in the program's activities. They also said they were personally impressed with several of the program's motivational speakers, new fund raising ideas, as well as with the opportunity to have their students visit the State Capitol and museums in the Austin area.

In conclusion, Mrs. Hargrave and Foster noted the Trustees and community members could take pride in this year's student representatives and thanked all who were involved for helping to make this opportunity possible. They further indicated such events should be considered a worthwhile expenditure and encouraged the Board to continue Murchison School's participation with similar student conventions in the future.

AEIS REPORTS AVAILABLE

Every year students participate in Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) testing to both assess individual skills and determine how well each school is doing in providing education to all district students. Results from 2007- 2008 testing at Murchison School have now been published and Trustees devoted a significant portion of their meeting to a review.

Overall, statistics indicated Murchison School is doing very well. Across the board student scores achieved a "Gold Performance" rating in Reading and Science assessments. Math skills among last year's Fifth grade classes showed some need of improvement, but exemplary scores among other grade levels indicated this may have only been a temporary aberration.

The AEIS report is quite detailed and examines a broad range of standards beyond just classroom performance. Aspects of the assessment take into account attendance figures, drop out and completion rates, as well as identified ethnic and economic factors. In addition to grading past performance, the AEIS program establishes goals to ensure each school works toward continual improvement in every area.

Copies of the 2007-2008 AEIS report are available to parents and other interested members of the community. To obtain a copy of the report or for further information contact Murchison School officials at 903-469- 3636