During her report to the Wawasee school board at the board’s regular monthly meeting Tuesday evening, Joy Goshert, director of instruction and curriculum, informed the board Wawasee will host a LearnZillion design workshop. LearnZillion is an online resource to help with learning in math and language arts.

Lisa Ernsberger and Kristi Harris, Wawasee teachers, have been chosen to be on this summer’s “dream team” for LearnZillion where they will be working on free kindergarten through eighth grade math curriculum. Harris participated in the LearnZillion “challenge” to address family engagement and was one of six people from across the U.S. to agree to host a local design workshop.

The workshop is scheduled for 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 30, in the Warrior Room at Wawasee High School. Invitations have been extended to families, administrators and teachers to participate in designing ideas LearnZillion can implement to be a better resource to families. A representative from LearnZillion plans to attend in addition to someone from Intentional Futures.

Also during her report, Goshert noted Wawasee Middle School was granted approval for pencil and paper ISTEP+ testing. Goshert added there have been significant online disruptions for ISTEP+ at Milford School, North Webster Elementary and Syracuse Elementary, in addition to confusion concerning some of the online tools provided to help students with testing.

Other agenda items included:

• A total of 589 completed the corporation calendar survey and those included parents, staff, students and local business owners.

• Wawasee High School juniors and seniors participated in the GPS to Success College and Career Fair held April 14 at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center at Grace College.

• The school board approved a $12,500 grant from the Dekko Foundation for the Early Career Options Challenge summer program.

• Girls and boys swim team members from WHS who competed in the state finals were recognized.

• WHS Key Club members, though none were able to attend the board meeting, were recognized for awards won at the state leadership convention.

• Milford Middle School sixth-graders Nyla White, Casey Yankoski, Alex Greer and Erin McGreevy were recognized for their ICare initiative where they started a project to help kids in a hospital pediatric ward with toys, blankets, cards and letters. The four students will attend a board meeting in the future.

• Dr. Tom Edington, Wawasee superintendent, noted CSX Railroad plans to widen the Oak Street railroad crossing in Syracuse by 8 feet to allow for a sidewalk to be installed.

• The WHS Choir was recognized for singing the national anthem at a Fort Wayne Komets hockey game.

• North Webster Elementary functional skills teacher Audrey Fireline was nominated for an Indiana University Armstrong Teacher Educator Award for 2015-16 but was not selected.

• Susan Mishler, principal of WMS, was accepted into the Indiana Principal Leadership Institute.

• The Skyward student management software system was approved by the school board to replace the Harmony system, which has experienced problems in recent years.

• A new Wawasee Area Career and Technical Cooperative agreement was approved and will only include Wawasee and Fairfield, not West Noble, though students from West Noble will still attend classes at Wawasee. West Noble has joined another cooperative.

• Staff personnel recommendations approved included retirements for Diana Grossnickle, special education teacher at WHS; Deb Fitzsimmons, Syracuse Elementary special education teacher; and Pam Schumm, WHS science teacher.