Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

New website live for Wakefield-Marenisco School District

By P.J. GLISSON

[email protected]

Wakefield — The board of education for the Wakefield-Marenisco School District learned Monday the district’s new website is up and running.

“I think I addressed all concerns to date,” said Jason Gustafson, who created the new site and added if any new suggestion occurs, “I can try to make that happen.”

Gustafson is a third grade teacher for the K-12 school and will be superintendent in the next school year.

The new website, http://www.wmschools.org, welcomes viewers with an exterior view of the school, as well as several snapshots of students of various ages participating in school activities.

The site also includes a location map, a full staff directory, a general calendar, and an athletic schedule.

Copies of the school newsletter, the Cardinal Quarterly, are posted along with information on the booster club and safety issues.

Breakfast and lunch programs are explained, along with a summer meal program.

Available for download are student and parent handbooks and annual education reports.

The site also includes photos of each graduating class throughout the school’s history.

Superintendent Cathy Shamion reported even though the board has known for a year of her plans to leave, she will submit her official resignation this month.

Board president Brad Dalbec asked when the district will seek a new third grade teacher to replace Gustafson, and Shamion said the position will be posted in the spring.

Shamion added the 2018-’19 school calendar will be presented at the next meeting. For now, she made it clear tthe next school year will not start until after Labor Day. “The idea of going pre-Labor Day is out of the question for a number of reasons,” she said.

She added, however, that a pre-Labor Day start date might be open for discussion for the following year.

In other action, the board:

—Reviewed mid-term quarter three academic reports.

—Scheduled committee meetings to discuss contract negotiations for general staff and for Gustafson’s projected new role as superintendent.

—Scheduled a committee meeting to determine updates to be done on the student handbook, which will be printed this summer.

—Voted to pay $3,305 for refinishing the gym floor.

March meetings are as follows:

—A PTO meeting on March 5 at 6 p.m.

—The board will have a work session on March 12 at 5 p.m.

—A regular meeting will be on March 19 at 5 p.m.