LOGAN — By Trent Moore

Staff Writer

LOGAN — Good Hope Middle School Principal Wayne Weissend will be retiring at the end of October, after 34 years of service with the Cullman County Board of Education.

“He has been a great asset to the school and a long-time, dependable employee,” Superintendent Hank Allen said during Thursday evening’s board meeting at Harmony School. “We’ve been really lucky to work with him.”

Officially, Weissend’s final day is set to be Oct. 30.

“I’ve been at Good Hope a long time now,” Weissend said. “I’ve done everything from coaching, to teaching, to being a principal. I’ve taught  anything from first grade to 12th grade ... That helps you to be able to cross a lot of barriers.”

Looking back at his decades of service, Weissend said there are a lot of things he will miss about Good Hope.

“You always miss the people who work with you, because they’re the people you hired,” he said. “We had more like a family instead of a job. When some of us got hurt we were all hurt and all tried to help one another through tough times.”

The impact he was able to make in a student’s life was one of the great things about his job, Weissend said.

“I’ll miss the talks you have with kids that are bothered and with things happening at home,” he said. “Sometimes, the kids will tell me their dad told them I used to be his coach, too, and they just can’t believe it. It’s great to have that connection with the families.”

Weissend said he is also deeply appreciative of all the community support he has received as the school’s principal.

“The parents and everyone always supported me really well and that really gave our school a unique identity,” he said.

Once Weissend retires, Allen said the school board will officially post the job and begin looking for a suitable replacement.

Allen said the board has yet to decide if they will appoint an interim principal to fill the gap between Weissend and his replacement. If they do, assistant principal April Tucker would likely be a possible candidate.

Tucker, who has worked with Weissend for 14 years, said he truly meant a lot to the Good Hope community.

“He’s a great man and I thank him for giving me the opportunity to be an assistant principal and one of his teachers,” she said. “He will be missed.”

Even though he is retiring, Weissend said he’s not completely closing the door on working with the school system in another capacity.

“I’ve seen so many people retire and get back in it, so I‘m keeping my certificates in order and renewed, in case I change my mind,” he said. “I may try to come back and work in a different area part-time, or something. You never know what may come up.”

The school board also:

‰ Recognized bus drivers Roland Gay, Paul Talley, Mickey Gay, Doug Millwood, Mark Wells, Jeremy Smith, Jackie Mead and Ryan Waters for outstanding performance of attaining the Goal of Excellence in School Bus Safety Inspections for 2008 by having less than 10 percent major deficiencies in the entire school bus fleet.

‰ Recognized 2009 Cullman County School Bus Safety Poster division 1 winners:

— Grades K-2, winner: Samuel Contreras, first grade, Hanceville Elementary, Reba Whitaker’s class.

— First alternate: Evan Malcom, first grade, Hanceville Elementary, Reba Whitaker’s class.

— Second alternate: Summer Helms, first grade, Hanceville Elementary, Reba Whitaker’s class.

‰ Recognized 2009 Cullman County School Bus Safety Poster division 2 winners:

— Grades 3-5, winner: Katie Harbin, fifth grade, Parkside School, Kristie Walker’s class.

— First alternate: Mikah Hudson, fifth grade, Hanceville Elementary, Sherry Kretzschmar’s class.

— Second alternate: Alexander Stephens, fifth grade, Hanceville Elementary, Kim Brown’s class.

‰ Recognized 2009 Cullman County School Bus Safety Poster division 3 winners:

— Grades 6-8, winner: Tori Hart, eighth grade, Good Hope Middle, Michelle Tipton’s class.

— First alternate: Kelly Wilson, eighth grade, West Point Middle, Sharon Ferguson’s class.

— Second alternate: Justin Ryan, eighth grade, Hanceville Middle, Patricia Laney’s class.

‰ Recognized 2009 Cullman County School Bus Safety Poster division 4 winners:

— Special education, winner: Steven Thomason, fifth grade, West Point Intermediate, Beverly Jenkins’ class.

— First alternate: Stephanie Carmona, seventh grade, West Point Middle, Sharon Ferguson’s class.

— Second alternate: Matthew Cahoon, fifth grade, Holly Pond Elementary, Michelle Tipton’s class.

‰ Recognized 2009 Cullman County School Bus Safety Poster division 5 winners:

— Computer Aided Drafting (CAD), winner: Christian Morton, tenth grade, Career Center, Rick Garrison’s class.

— First alternate: Matthew Smith, tenth grade, Career Center, Rick Garrison’s class.

— Second alternate: William Allcorn, twelvth grade, Career Center, Rick Garrison’s class.

‰ Approved September 3 meeting minutes.

‰ Approved the resignation of Sharon Mosley, Scholar’s Bowl coach at Harmony School.

‰ Approved the resignation of Eric Dickerson, varsity softball coach at Cold Springs High School.

‰ Approved a leave of absence for Ruth N. Bradford, teacher’s aide at Hanceville Elementary School.

‰ Approved the voluntary transfer of David Miller from third grade teacher at Hanceville Elementary School to fourth grade teacher at Hanceville Elementary School.

‰ Approved the voluntary transfer of Michael Blankenship from special education aide at Child Development Center to special education aide at West Point High School due to a student transfer.

‰ Approved the voluntary transfer of Holly Bogard from special education aide (temporary) at Child Development Center to special education aide at Child Development Center.

‰ Approved the voluntary transfer of Dianne Barnett from counselor (9 months) at West Point Elementary School to counselor (9 months) at Career Center to replace Melissa Stewart-Ellenburg.

‰ Approved transfers from West Point Preschool to Jones Chapel Preschool (location change only – preschool moved) for Stephanie Coffey, Tammy Simmons and Cathy Collins.

‰ Approved the appointment of Jennifer Helton, third grade teacher at Hanceville Elementary School to replace Teri Pitts.

‰ Approved the appointment of Ginger Powell, counselor at West Point Elementary School to replace  Diane Barnett.

‰ Approved the re-appointment of Christine O’Leary, part-time systemwide Scholars’ Bowl coordinator.

‰ Approved the appointment of support employee Jamie Fowler as a Pre-K aide at Welti Elementary School.

‰ Approved the appointment of support employee Heather Lynn as a special education aide at Harmony School.

‰ Approved the appointment of part-time support employee Judy Huddleston as a special education aide at Holly Pond Elementary School.

‰ Approved the appointment of part-time support employee Mitch Mechaw as a custodian at West Point Intermediate School.

‰ Approved the appointment of part-time support employee Tammy Foust as a PE aide at Holly Pond Elementary School.

‰ Approved the appointment of in-school suspension/Saturday school instructors for the 2009-2010 school year, at a salary rate of $22-per-hour as needed:

— Hilly Harbison at Cold Springs High School.               

— Chesteen McWhorter at Good Hope Middle and High Schools.       

— Robert Whitlock at Good Hope Middle & High    Schools as an alternate.

— Mark Sloan at Hanceville Middle School.

— Leslie Needham at Hanceville Middle School as an alternate.

— Karen Rowell at Holly Pond Middle and High Schools.

‰ Approved substitute employees: Paula Edge, Anita Robinson, Jennifer Harradine, Wilda Kretzschmar, Nathan Helms, Thomas Moore and John Land.

‰ Approved after-school program substitutes: Jennifer Cofer, instructor and Cindy Bailey, instructor aide.

‰ Approved the contract changes for:

— Tammy Arrington, decrease hours from 40-per-week to 25-per-week.

— Sherry Motes, add Scholars’ Bowl coaching supplement at Harmony School.

— Cheryl Mangum, add middle school volleyball coaching supplement at Fairview Middle School.

— Laura Beth Dunkin, upgrade certificate to master’s degree.

— Carla Kaye Harper, upgrade certificate to Class AA (Sixth Year).

— Ashley Carr Hulsey, upgrade certificate to Master’s degree.

— Kimberly Lynn Johnson, upgrade certificate to Master’s Degree.

— Christi Leigh Stallings, upgrade certificate to Master’s Degree.

— Tabitha Renay Thompson, upgrade certificate to Master’s Degree.

— Allison Jill Tuggle, upgrade certificate to Class AA (Sixth Year).

‰ Approved out-of-state field trip requests from:

— Hanceville High School, on November 12-15 to Washington, DC for an FCCLA meeting.

— Vinemont High School, on November 11-15, to Washington, DC for an FCCLA meeting.

— West Point High School, on November 11-15, to Washington, DC for an FCCLA meeting.

‰ Approved Sharon Fike to volunteer as drama and theatre instructor at Good Hope School to be paid by the arts council grant.

‰ Approved a request from Kim Butler at Holly Pond High School to hire Lisa Holcombe, elementary secretary, to serve as the 2009-2010 cros country coach and receive the supplement. She will be replacing Sherry Chaney as coach during her maternity leave.

‰ Approved a reqest from Kim Butler, Holly Pond High School principal, for permission to allow assistant principal Steve Miller to serve as 2009-2010 softball coach and receive the supplement. There is no one else on the staff who is interested in filling this position.

‰ Approved a request from the Cullman County Education Association for one and one-half professional leave for the elected delegates to attend the 2009 A.E.A. assembly in Montgomery on December 3-5. Delegates include: Kim Brown, Janna Absher, Judy Duke, Ann Harris, Chad Gambrill, Tiffany Gambrill, Carol Mead, Sharon Wilborn, Shelia Mitchell, Vickie Skelley, Anita Kilpatrick, Michelle Bryant, Keith Kugler and Melba Wiegand.                               

‰ Granted approval to pay Wayne Weissend for 10 unused annual leave days.

‰ Approved a request from the Cullman Area Career Center to dispose of one Jackson Commercial dishwasher and one Sun Scope 1215 engine analyzer. Both items are worn out and not repairable.

‰ Approved a request from Good Hope High School to salvage 165 old lockers removed from the high school.

‰ Approved the 2009-2010 continuous improvement plans for Child Development Center, Cold Springs High School, Fairview High School, Vinemont High School and West Point High School.

‰ Approved the 2009-2010 sick leave bank committee: Judy Duke, Kristy Harris, Shirley Sowell, Keith Kugler and Mary Jane Leverett.

‰ Approved a real estate lease agreement with Jamie West and Mike Roper to lease Jones Chapel School as per lease agreement.

‰ Approved board policy D.011 career and technical education and D.012 cooperative education. There were no changes. The policies must be approved every three years.

Rejected a bid for Good Hope Middle School additions, due to the bid amount exceeding the budgeted amount.

‰ Approved a resolution for Alabama Association of School Boards Education media honor roll.

‰ Selected two board members to serve as delagates at the 2009 Alabama Association of School Boards delegate assembly on December 3-5 in Birmingham.

‰ Announced the next meeting for Thursday, Nov. 12 at 6:30 p.m. at the central office board room.               

‰ Announced the next work shop for Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. at the central office.                 



‰ Trent Moore can be reached by e-mail at trentm@cullmantimes.com, or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 225.