DASD School Board meets, accepts the retirement of Human Resources Director. An article by Glenn Schuckers.

It was a bit of a surprise at the March meeting of the DuBois Area School Board when W.Edd Brady, the district’s Director of Human Resources, announced his retirement. Brady has been in that position for the past six years and there was no discussion of his retirement at the previous week’s work session.

Also at the meeting, Superintendent Wendy Benton said that there had been some questions regarding the money in Student Activity funds, but when she looked into them in more detail the reason is that there are a number of funds for many activities from the Yearbook to National Honor Society. While the total looks high, she said, she is satisfied that all the money is being put to use for the benefit of the students at the high school.

Three groups of students gave presentations to the board. They were all students from the high school and all part of groups that represent different areas of performing arts. The faculty advisor, Dorothea Hackett introduced each of the groups who then went on to explain what the groups are and what activities they take part in.

The first group was the “Poetry Out Loud” who explained how they compete in poetry performances which are more than just the recitation of poetry. The group competes with students from other schools and the DuBois team won the local and regional competition and came in fifth in the statewide competition. 

The second group to talk to the board was the International Thespian Society Troupe 6949 State Conference Representatives. They explained that their society allows students who are active in dramatic events in their schools to gather and meet other students with similar interests and share those interests. 

The last group was represented by current high school senior and president of the Book Club, Leah McFadden. She talked about how active the Book Club is at the high school, currently numbering some twenty-eight students. She went on to say that the Club is active with the eighth grade students when they tour the high school by having a recruiting table to introduce the incoming students to their club. 

During the presentations current Student Representative to the Board, Julia Wirth, was presented with awards from each group, and following the presentations Superintendent Wendy Benton said how important Ms. Hackett, who is also an English teacher at the high school, has been to the lives of the students there.  

Benton and Board president Larry Salone went on to congratulate Wirth and all the students who took part in the recent musical production, Rock of Ages, which they described was “brilliant.” Benton said those students are “the role models that younger students look up to and they are fine representatives of our school.”