Los Leaving The District
At its School Board meeting on October 18, District Superintendent Leslie Whitcomb announced that the District’s Business Manager Michael Los has taken another job with BOCES/Questar III and will be leaving his job at the New Lebanon District. The District has hired Kevin Fottrell as its new Business Manager. He will start work officially on October 26, but he has been visiting the school and spending time with Los to begin the transition. Fottrell was at the School Board meeting, and affably greeted all in attendance.
School Resource Deputy
New Lebanon CSD’s new School Resource Deputy (SRD), Ian Boehme, came to the School Board meeting to introduce himself to the Board. Deputy Boehme replaces former SRD K.C. Bauhoff, who the Sheriff’s Office promoted to Investigator this summer.
“I am excited about working in New Lebanon CSD and building relationships with students, school district officials and the community,” said Deputy Boehme. “I look forward to getting into the classrooms, talking with students and providing a safe learning environment.”
Deputy Boehme is a nine-year veteran with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and for the past three years served as SRD for the Taconic Hills Central School District. He is also a member of the Sheriff’s Office Accident Investigation Team and Marine Patrol. Before becoming a Deputy Sheriff, Boehme served two years with the Village of Chatham Police Department. After graduating from Chatham High School in 2004, he went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Empire State College. He now lives in Gallatin with his wife Stephanie and their two dogs, Levi and Lilly.
Deputy Boehme’s time will be shared between the New Lebanon Central School District and the Chatham Central School District. The Sheriff’s Office currently provides this service at no cost to the District.
Deputy Boehme said a drug search dog did a search of the school last week and found nothing. The District’s Safety Plan has been updated, and he has been setting up drills to improve the school’s emergency preparedness. He will also be in the classrooms, teaching units on such topics as binge drinking, prescription drugs, and cyber-bullying.
District Superintendent Leslie Whitcomb said the school had a visit from PESH, which is the Public Employees Safety and Health Bureau of the State Department of Labor. They found some minor things that needed to be corrected, such as unlabeled switches, an electrical junction box that needed a cover, and corrections to such things as fire exit signs and an eyewash station. Whitcomb said everything will probably be corrected before the letter from PESH even arrives, because the inspectors told her verbally what they had found. Business Manager Michael Los said it has been 14 years since PESH dropped by the last time, so they are probably OK with PESH for another decade or so.
Walter B Howard
WBH Elementary Principal Andrew Kourt said a “Trunk or Treat” event is planned for Tuesday, October 31 from 5 to 6 pm at the Walter B. Howard Elementary School parking lot. Kids will trick or treat from car to car around the parking lot. The public is invited.
Kurt said the Elementary School Read-a-Thon is in progress, and this year he promises to dress as a pirate and make the rounds of the school spewing his best pirate banter if the kids make their reading goal.
He reminded everyone that a “Special Friends” day is being planned in November, in which students invite a grandparent or any special friend to join them at the school for a special lunch.
Sports
Athletic Director Josh Noble said the Boys Basketball team has solid numbers but the girls Modified and Varsity basketball teams are challenged to get enough players. He said each team has about ten players. The swimming team is quite large and mostly female, which probably explains the low numbers on the girls basketball teams.
Noble also said a donation had been received from Blossom Hasher in memory of Maura Olga Stouter, and it had been used to purchase a new volleyball net and new pads for the gym. Noble said the new pads “look sharp.”