NEW CUMBERLAND — A new organization is being created at one of the county’s middle schools to encourage kindness and community service.

During their meeting Monday, the Hancock County Board of Education authorized the addition of a Kindness Club at Oak Glen Middle School.

Superintendent of Schools Dan Enich noted he had spoken with school Principal Derek Van Dyke prior to Monday’s meeting to discuss the club, and offered his recommendation.

“This group would do a variety of services,” Enich said.

Among the activities for the club, as described Monday, would be to create ways to recognize students who might otherwise not receive any, decorate lockers, organize community service projects or other school pride activities, and participate in cleanup projects on school grounds.

“It’s all volunteers,” Enich said

In other business Monday, the school board approved a contractual agreement for meals between the school district and The Children’s Academy for the 2025-26 school year, approved a series of items – including two conference room tables, 31 chairs, and one rolling office table, all from Oak Glen Middle – as surplus approved a request for an overnight trip for the Oak Glen High baseball team to travel to Myrtle Beach, S.C. from March 30 to April 2.

Also approved was a slate of personnel changes, including:

The resignation of Tyler Warrick as physical education teacher at Weir High, and Tiera Woolmaker as a countywide substitute teacher;

Unpaid leaves of absence for Karly Food, countywide speech-language pathologist, from Aug. 17 to Jan. 5, and McClay Toomey, pre-school at New Manchester Elementary from Aug. 19 to Jan. 5;

The assignments of Kasey Peterson and Hailey Deagal as countywide substitute teachers, and Alexis DeMarco and Sabrina Sauer of countywide substitute speech-language pathologists;

The assignment of LaDonna Smith as a mentor at the John D. Rockefeller IV Career Center;

Teaching in lieu of planning periods for Janet Arehart, Laura McMillin, Carrie Gillette, Adam Howell, Stacy Swartzmiller, and Kayla Violet. Board President Chris Gillette abstained from the vote as his wife was among those approved.

The assignment of Cassandra Butto and Tabatha L. Lane as substitute aides and Margaret K. Jarnigan as substitute cook;

The transfer of Paula Cline from LPN/supervisory aide at Oak Glen Middle to LPN supervisory aide at Allison Elementary School, and Susan Kim Spell from LPN supervisory aide at Weir Middle to Cook II at Weir High.