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School levy a path to better educations

Dear voters of Randolph County:

As the five-year term of the Randolph County Excess Levy comes to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support of its passage and to share with you what the levy has done not only for the students of Coalton Elementary School, but also for the Roaring Creek community at large.

Students at Coalton Elementary School greatly benefited from the classroom materials, supplies, educational opportunities and supplemental activities the levy provided. Furthermore, the facility improvements funded by the levy greatly improved our building and grounds, which directly impacted many community programs, events and activities.

Most importantly, levy funds were used to provide every student with classroom materials and supplies. The materials and supplies needed for just one student throughout the course of a school year can cost upwards of $100. Levy funds purchased everything from standard supplies such as pencils, pens, notebooks, folders, markers, crayons and glue to those items you do not traditionally think about, but are indeed necessary to run an elementary school classroom. These items include tissues, baby wipes, hand sanitizer, paper goods, and replacement preschool mats etc.

Furthermore, as Twenty-first Century Learners, our students benefited from the curriculum materials and supplemental activities that the levy enabled us to provide. This included science kits, manipulatives for hands-on reading, writing, and math stations, Scholastic News magazines, musical instruments, and classroom library materials. Presentations by field experts including musicians and character education guest speakers, and materials for reading challenges and Positive Behavior Support Program challenges were also funded by the levy.

Twenty-first Century Learners must also be skilled in the use of technology. The levy allowed us to install two new stationary computer labs, two mobile laptop carts, and an IPad lab. Technology hardware and software purchases for individual classrooms included Smart Boards, projectors, document cameras and intervention software programs.

The educational trips funded by the levy also expanded students’ knowledge of our West Virginia culture, heritage and natural habitats through visits to the State Capitol, the West Virginia Cultural Center, Cass Scenic Railroad, and the West Virginia Wildlife Center. Their knowledge of the arts and sciences was enriched through trips to Carnegie Science Center, Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences, and several local plays and musicals.

Finally, levy funds were used to fund multiple facility improvements which benefited not only our students but also the community groups and organizations that regularly use our building and grounds. These improvements included restroom and playground renovations, paving in three parking areas, along with interior and exterior painting. The funds also enabled us to replace all of our students’ desks and chairs, the cafeteria tables, and the computer lab furniture. Last but not least, the funds were used to install new lockers, new windows and blinds, and several marker boards and bulletin boards.

The levy enabled us to provide a higher quality of education for our students in an improved facility. It fostered a sense of confidence and pride within our school community. The classroom supplies and supplemental materials and programs it provided helped us to increase our students’ mastery of the curriculum. Our children are now better prepared to move on to the next grade level because they are not hindered by a lack of resources. As a result of the levy, students are now receiving an education comparable to programs offered in the wealthiest of school districts.

Again, I would like to thank you for your support of the Randolph County Excessive Levy over the past five years. You have helped to make a difference in Randolph County because education is the most powerful tool we have in changing our future.

Amy Jo Rowan Smith,

Principal, Coalton

Elementary School

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