DATE: Sunday, June 29, 1997                 TAG: 9706270315

SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER      PAGE: 17   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: Nancy Young 

                                            LENGTH:   61 lines

SCHOOL BULETIN BOARD - CHESAPEAKE

Here's a look at what happened at Monday's School Board meeting:

Round one of GPA debate

Superintendent W. Randolph Nichols presented his proposal for requiring a minimum grade- point average of 2.0 for all students who wish to participate in Virginia High School League activities - primarily sports teams.

In addition to requiring a 2.0 GPA, Nichols plan - which he arrived at with the aid of a committee of parents, coaches, teachers and administrators - included mandatory study halls for students in danger of falling below a 2.0. He said it was critical to have a support system in place to go along with the new more stringent requirement.

Nichols said he and the committee still needed to study what the rules would be governing special-education and transfer students, as well as the logistics of the study halls themselves.

Nichols said that because this is such a sensitive issue he was recommending that the board hold public hearings and take all the time they needed to mull it over. Two public hearings will take place in August and September.

If adopted, the required GPA would not be implemented until the fall semester of the 1998-99 school year - although student orientation about the new rules would take place in the 1997-98 school year.

Several board members expressed support for the plan, but asked that they be given more information regarding how this has worked in other districts, including its effect on drop-out rates in those schools.

Chesapeake is the only school district in South Hampton Roads that does not have a policy requiring a minimum GPA for Virginia High School League activities. In addition to sports, VHSL activities include such things as cheerleading and the school newspaper.

Principal transfers

The board approved a second round of principal transfers Monday. Great Bridge High School and the Chesapeake Center for Science and Technology are among the district's schools that will have new principals next year.

James R. Glisson, previously principal at Indian River Middle School, will become principal at Great Bridge High School. He will be replacing Robert G. Robinson, who will become the district's assistant director for pupil discipline and student activities.

Glisson will be replaced at Indian River Middle School by Linda D. Scott, previously principal at the Center for Science and Technology. William O. Joe, previously assistant principal at Deep Creek High School, will replace Scott.

Carolyn F. Bernard, previously assistant principal at Great Bridge High School, will become principal at Crestwood Middle School. She will be replacing Cynthia W. Sparks, who will become a supervisor of instructional technology.

Special recognition

Monday's meeting had to be held at Great Bridge Primary because there just wasn't enough space in their normal meeting room in the school administration building to honor all the talented students and faculty they had on their list for special recognition.

Included on the list were students who were all-stars in academics and athletics, as well as national tournament winners in chess and forensics.

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