Just approved by the Harrison County Board of Education and Superintendent Dr. Mark Manchin, a new countywide tutoring program is being implemented through the remainder of the school year. That process, said Richard Iaquinta, co-organizer, will serve as a trial period for a program to be launched during the 2015-2016 school year.

 

Organizers are searching for former or retired Harrison County educators who would be interested in serving as volunteers at Harrison County elementary schools.

 

To date, about a dozen former educators have signed up to help with the program, Iaquinta said. The flipside of the organization has been identifying which schools are interested in hosting the program and coordinating the teacher volunteers.

 

“We’re letting the principals work it out with the retired teachers on the time and how long they want to spend there,” he said. “They could come in for two hours, two days per week – or one day per week or every other week. Each volunteer has the option and we’ll try to assign them the same student every time they come in to tutor.”

 

Iaquinta explained why he and fellow retired educator Shirley Brown proposed the program.

 

“One of the reasons we wanted to do it is that math and reading scores in our primary grades are problematic for the simple fact that some of the kids do not have a grasp of the concept,” he said. “We felt that we could work with them. Students having math or reading problems could do some individualized work on numbering or division or whatever skill they are weak in.”

 

Progress sheets would be kept on each student, Iaquinta added. The program will start in elementary schools and possibly branch to middle schools.

 

“We’re primarily focusing on the first few grades of learning to read and learning math concepts; that sort of thing,” Iaquinta said.

 

The following are elementary schools and principals who have expressed interest in utilizing the program. Former and/or retired educators who would like to serve in those schools can contact administration directly, Iaquinta said.

 

“We’re trying to get this started as a trial period between now and the end of the school year to get it going, so we will have things in place to get started again at the beginning of the new school year,” Iaquinta said.

 

Wilsonburg Elementary School; Principal Laura Dick 304-326-7640

Simpson Elementary School; Principal Loria Reid 304-326-7060

Lumberport Elementary School; Principal Vickie Luchuck 304-326-7020

North View Elementary School; Principal Danielle Gillum 304-326-7560

Norwood Elementary School; Principal Dora Stutler 304-326-7050

Lost Creek Elementary School; Principal Laura Trent 304-326-7040

Johnson Elementary School; Principal Vicki Huffman 304-326-7109

Adamston Elementary School; Principal Tammy Leaseburg 304-326-7070

Big Elm Elementary School; Principal Julie Mancini 304-326-7280

Nutter Fort Primary School; Principal Joan Oliveto 304-326-7520