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WELLSBURG -- Monday's meeting of the Brooke County school board had a full agenda, with the board taking time to recognize many students for their performance in academic and athletic competitions and received an update on partnerships forged with local colleges.
Aided by assistant principals Sean Blumette, Alfonso Zambito and Meredith Hood, Brooke High School Head Principal Michael Lewis delivered the school's school improvement council report to the board.
Required by the state Department of Education, such reports outline efforts to improve upon various aspects of schools.
In the report, Lewis and Hood noted an ongoing partnership with West Virginia Northern Community College, through which more than 100 students have earned associate degrees through instruction by Brooke teachers who qualify as adjunct professors for the college.
Hood noted in addition to WVNCC courses offered at the high school, many online courses also have been completed by Brooke students.
"We offer more dual enrollment credits through WVNCC than any other school in the Northern Panhandle," said Lewis.
They added four Brooke students are enrolled in Brooke Collegiate Academy, a pilot program through which they are earning college credits from Bethany College.
Pending a financial agreement between the two schools, the high school is preparing to send more students to Bethany in the next school year.
Plans call for the students to be transported by school bus to the college campus in the morning and return to the high school by lunch, Hood noted.
Lewis said such programs help to engage upperclassmen at risk of becoming disinterested in their high school coursework while saving their families much money in college tuition.
The board also recognized top finishers in competitions testing their knowledge and skills they acquired in vocational courses.
The students are members of the Brooke Middle School chapter of Technology Students of America and Brooke High School chapters of Future Business Leaders of American and Skills USA.
Advised by Jami Packer, Keith Huntzinger and Chris Mockbee, the TSA members placed third for Chapter of Excellence at the state TSA conference held in March in Ripley, W.Va.
The following members also gained distinction as individual competitors:
≤ A.J. Pintus, who placed first first in foundations in computer aided drafting, second in video game design, and third in problem solving.
≤ Pierce Ferrell, who placed first in data science and analytics and third in both problem solving and flight.
≤ Jacob High, who placed first in foundations of information technology and delivering a prepared speech and second in VEX robotics and video game design.
≤ Xander DeSimone, who placed second in foundations of information technology, VEX robotics and video game design.
Also top finishers were Jocelyn Golick, who placed second in video game design; Liam Helt, who placed third in video game design; and Ryan Gill, who placed third in foundations of information technology; and Mariah Phillips, who placed fourth in fashion design.
Teams competing in the event's technology bowl competition, which tested students' knowledge of technology, past and present, included: Pintus, High and Gill, who placed first; and DeSimone, Helt, Phillips, Golick, Kaleb Shreve and Hunter Darling, who placed second.
Brooke High School FBLA students who were top finishers in the state FBLA competition held in March at Marshall University were:
≤ Clayton Brown, who placed first in Accounting II and second in entrepreneurship.
≤ Mikayla Childers, who placed first in database design and applications; and fourth in graphic design.
≤ Camryn Harris, who placed first in E-business and introduction to business procedures.
≤ Grace Huntzinger, who placed second in health care administration and fourth in sports and entertainment.
≤ John Baricska, who placed second in networking infrastructures and fourth in graphic design.
≤ Abigail Dillon, who placed third in securities and investments and fourth in sports and entertainment management.
Also top finishers were: Anthony Bado and Noah Alexander, who placed first in banking and financial systems; Alyssa Jezierski and Johnna Lahita, who placed first in business ethics; Lucas Neel, who placed first in business law; Abigail Irwin and Hillary Smith, who placed first in international business; Zachary Ely, who placed second in business financial planning; Greg High, who placed second in marketing; Hannah Buterbaugh, who placed third in hospitality and event management; Madison Burge, who placed third in introduction to business concepts; Lorelei Costlow, who placed third in political science; Josie Pennybacker, who placed fourth in sports and entertainment management; Roger Yang, who placed fourth in business calculations; Tyler McMahon, who placed fourth in organizational leadership; and Alaina Bilby, who placed fourth in sports and entertainment management.
Chad Haught and Adam Haught, the group's advisers, noted that for the second consecutive year, the Brooke High School group is West Virginia's largest FBLA chapter, with 151 members.
Advised by Tom Bane, the school's Skills USA chapter returned from the state conference held in March at Fairmont State University as a Gold Chapter of Distinction, an honor going to chapters that have undergone leadership training.
The following students also earned medals: Thomas Olenick and Louis Delatore, gold for mechatronics; Brady Mercer and Shane Thoma, silver for interactive applications and video game development; Christian Packer and Samuel Mockbee, silver for additive manufacturing; Savannah Rice, silver for medical terminology; and Lorelei Costlow, bronze for delivery of a prepared speech.
The board also honored Ava Bolen for scoring 1,000 points as a basketball player at the high school and for being selected for the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference All-Star Game and named an All-State Honorable Mention.
Amy Serevicz, her coach, said Bolen came close to attaining 1,000 rebounds, falling short by only 43 that may have been made if not for a halt to games spurred by the pandemic.
Teammate Angelina Lippoli was named to the OVAC All-Star game, it was noted.
Also recognized were the following Brooke High School wrestlers:
≤ Tyler Wise, the Class AAA regional champion for his weight class who also placed third in both the OVAC and state tournament.
≤ Xander Eltringham, who placed third in his class at the regional competition and eighth for the OVAC conference.
≤ Aubrey Moore, who successfully defended her title as state champion for her weight class at the girls state wrestling tournament.
Also recognized were: Sophie Diaz and Ember Giglio, who placed third and fifth, respectively, at the state tournament.
Joey Rea, who placed third in his class at the regional level; Garrett Moore and Gavin Moore, who each placed fourth in their classes at the regional level.
The athletes were coached by Doug Sizemore.
Coached by Kelsie Blumette, the following Brooke High School swimmers were recognized:
≤ Ella McCullough, who placed third in two OVAC events, second and third in two regional events, and sixth and and seventh in two events at the state championship.
≤ Lyla Horvath, who placed third in both an OVAC and a regional event and seventh in a state event.
≤ Faith Farrell, the regional 50 yard freestyle champion who also placed third in regional event and OVAC events and fifth in a state event.
≤ Ella Dietrich, who placed third in regional and OVAC events and seventh in a state event.
≤ Dameon Rea, who placed third in a regional event and fifth in an OVAC event.