CREATIVE TALENTS — On Monday, the Brooke County Board of Education recognized local winners of the West Virginia Young Writers Contest, a competition open to fiction or non-fiction penned by youth in grades 3-12. On hand for the presentation were, from left, Lori McLaughlin, the school district’s director for elementary curriculum and instruction; Cheyanne Dully, winner for grades 7-8; Rylee Raineri, winner for grades 5-6; Caylee Campbell, winner for grades 3-5; and Carrie Ciccolella, the school district’s reading coach. -- Warren Scott

WELLSBURG — Local winners of a state contest aimed at encouraging writing and the planned digital mapping of schools to aid emergency personnel responding to an active shooter or other emergency were the focus of Monday’s meeting of the Brooke County Board of Education.

The board recognized five students named the best among local entries in the West Virginia Young Writers Contest, including one who placed third in her age group in the statewide competition.

Since 1984, the Central West Virginia Writing Project at Marshall University and the West Virginia Department of Education have held the contest, inviting youths in grades 3-12 throughout the state to submit works of fiction or nonfiction.

Organizers said entries are judged on organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and use of literary conventions, with length requirements ranging from 300 to 1,200 words depending on age group.

Amy Ludewig, a teacher and local coordinator for the contest, said she has recruited a handful of judges to select local winners from submissions provided by Brooke County teachers.

USING TECH TO TEACH — The Brooke County Board of Education also recognized Sara Lilly, a first-grade teacher at Hooverson Heights Primary School, for being named an i-Ready Extraordinary Educator for using the i-Ready computer platform to help pupils strengthen their math and reading skills. With Lilly, center, are Lori McLaughlin, left, the school district’s director for elementary curriculum and instruction; and Carrie Ciccolella, the school district’s reading coach. -- Warren Scott

The judges chose winners for five age groups: Deedra Groves, grades 11-12; Leah Duke, grades 9-10; Cheyanne Dully, grades 7-8; Rylee Raineri, grades 5-6; and Caylee Campbell, grades 3-4.

Groves also placed third among all high school juniors and seniors in the state for a touching story about her cat.

Duke wrote about a student who overcame difficulties in school, while Dully submitted her own murder mystery. It was her first attempt at such a tale but not her first story; Dully hopes to become a professional writer.

Raineri shared a memory of her first year on a softball team, for which she played left field, and Campbell wrote about her dream of one day owning and operating a cosmetology business.

As a state winner, Groves has been invited to attend a workshop conducted by a published writer and a luncheon in Charleston, and she will receive a monetary prize.

The board also recognized Sara Lilly, a first-grade teacher at Hooverson Heights Primary School, for being named an i-Ready Extraordinary Educator.

In her fourth year with Brooke County Schools, Lilly received the honor for her efforts to implement the i-Ready computer platform in her classes.

The application uses digital lessons and games to reinforce math and reading skills and also tests student progress from fall to winter to spring.

Lilly said the program is self-paced, allowing children to learn at their own speed, with a special classroom activity chosen by them as a reward for completing a certain number of lessons. She has also trained other teachers in using i-Ready.

Lori McLaughlin, the school district’s director of curriculum and instruction, said of Lilly, “She’s fantastic. She’s definitely a role model for teachers using i-Ready.”

In other business, Zach Querry, regional director for the Critical Response Group of Hamilton, N.J., addressed the board remotely, delivering a proposal for digital mapping of each school for use by emergency personnel responding to an active shooter incident or other emergency.

Querry said the mapping would be compatible with computer systems used by various emergency departments to ensure clear communication. The maps are created with satellite images and reflect additions or renovations made to the buildings since the original blueprints.

He said the company has mapped more than 7,000 school districts, including schools in 36 West Virginia counties, including Hancock.

John White, the district’s lead prevention resource officer, said the district will apply for up to $27,000 for the mapping from state funds made available through House Bill 3166, which mandates each school district implement such mapping for emergency preparations.

Querry told the board the company’s services will include a free tabletop exercise involving first responders, noting that a similar drill is planned for Ohio County in the near future.

Board Vice President Antoinette Perkins, a former schoolteacher, was told that if she were to report an emergency from her classroom today, 911 dispatchers could use the mapping to pinpoint her location in the school. Perkins replied, “I can’t wait to see this.”

Board President Ted Pauls thanked Querry for the presentation, describing it as impressive.

Also on Monday, the board:

Held a meeting to accept public comment on two proposed calendars for the 2026-27 school year but received none. School personnel will be asked to vote on the two calendars, with their choice to be considered by the board at its next meeting at 6 p.m. April 13. Both calendars are very similar, with the school year starting during the third week of August.

In related business, Superintendent Jeff Crook said the district will not have to make up five days, Jan. 26-30, when school was canceled due to a massive snowstorm on Jan. 25, during which Gov. Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency.

Crook said the district also received a waiver for an earlier day this year when plumbing work at Brooke High School forced the closure of all schools because the kitchen for the district’s breakfast and lunch program was without water. Other cancellations thus far have been made up through staff development and previously scheduled days.

Approved a three-year subscription with Franklin Covey Education for its Leader in Me program, a curriculum tied to Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” and aimed at encouraging leadership, responsibility, and other qualities among youth. The program, including materials and staff training, costs $83,550 for Brooke Middle School and $57,253 each for Hooverson Heights Primary School and Jefferson Intermediate School, covered entirely by federal Title I and IV funds and Franklin Covey itself.

Approved expenditures of $7,950 for a roll-up door and electric control for the high school’s Bruin Store counter and $8,400 for the annual test and inspection of the district’s fire alarm systems.