Students take day off but teachers, staff continue work

Varnett students took a day off Monday but administrators and teachers were hard at work in developing their professional skills and exchanging teaching strategies before students return on Tuesday.

One key session involved training for those who needed it in the use of Promethean Boards, interactive whiteboards that allow an entire class to view what's happening on the computer screen that's hooked up to the board. The boards have been installed in every classroom and were on  display during the recent Open House/Parent Night activities at each campus.

Southwest Pre-K director Dora Morrow led a session on behavior management training and Dr. M. Annette Cluff, the district's superintendent, gave a review of policies and procedures as outlined in the 2012 Employee Handbook. Dr. Cluff also handed out incentive checks to teachers and administrators who helped Varnett meet the rigorous academic standards required under the No Child Left Behind Act. Campus and assistant campus directors at Southwest, East, Northeast and Pre-K also were rewarded. Varnett was among only 28 percent of districts in Texas to meet the federal standards. What's more, all three campuses individually met the standards, placing them among the 44 percent of campuses statewide to do so.