Great Bend USD 428 Director of Teaching and Learning Tricia Reiser has worked with the district’s teaching coaches to design and offer a wide variety of summer courses for teachers.

“We did a survey and asked staff what (classes) they want us to provide,” Reiser told the school board on Monday. Training will be available during the afternoons in June, which will allow staff to take part in the summer school programs in the morning.

“It was hard to provide professional development during the year due to COVID,” Reiser said.

Programs offered include math curriculum training, trauma informed teaching and teacher clarity, which is part of the visual learning strategy. There will also be refreshers on how to use online tools such as Flipgrid and Padlet.

Some courses will be offered in June and July for college credit through Baker University. One of the courses, “Becoming the Math Teacher You Wish You’d Had,” will be taught by Eisenhower Elementary Principal Joann Blevins.

Contributions approved

Reiser’s report on professional development was presented at last Monday’s Great Bend USD 428 Board of Education meeting.

In other business, the board approved the following contributions:

• GBHS received $25.52 from Ohiopyle Prints in merchandise royalty funds.

• GBHS Booster Club received $100 from the University of Kansas Health System.

• GBMS Robotics Club received $1,050 for SAFE prize drawings from DCCCA Inc.

• GBMS Booster club received $30 for student lanyards.

• GBMS received $200 from Isern & Carpenter Law Firm.

• Helping Hands Preschool received $276 from the Sherry Viles Memorial Fund.

• USD 428 received $75 from the Local Contribution School District Checkoff Program, a program that allows Kansas taxpayers to designate an amount on their income tax refund (or amount owed) as a donation to a Kansas school district.