The current school term in Schuylkill County has not reached the mid-point but the Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29 School Board adopted the school calender for 2010-11 school year in action taken at its monthly meeting held Monday evening at the Maple Avenue Campus in Norwegian Township. The first day of school will be Monday, Aug. 30, 2010, and the last day, Thursday, June 2, 2011.

Special dates for the school calendar are as follows:Aug. 25 and 26, 2010, Inservice Days for teachers only; Sept. 6, Labor Day, schools closed; Sept. 7, schools reopen; Oct. 11, Inservice Day, teachers only; Oct. 12, schools reopen; Nov. 25, 26 and 29, Thanksgiving Day Recess, schools closed; Nov. 30, schools reopen; Dec. 24, 2010, through Jan. 2, 2011, Christmast Holidays, schools closed; Jan. 3, schools reopen; Jan. 17, Inservice Day, schools closed; Jan. 18, schools reopen and it is the 90th day of school; Feb. 21, President's Day, schools closed; Feb. 22, schools reopen; April 21, 25, 26 and 27, Easter Recess, (also will be snow makeup days), schools closed; April 28, schools reopen; May 30, Memorial Day, schools closed; May 31, schools reopen; June 2, last day of school; June 3, Inservice Day, teachers only.HiringsAnne Grabowski, Potttsville, as a Training and Consultant (TAC) Education Consultant at $47,065 per year; Tara Mistysyn, Pottsville, full time teacher aide at Maple Avenue Campus at $8.25 per hour; Regina Sofsky-Casella, Tamaqua, long term substitute teacher in the Early Intervention Program at $41,265.Part-time teacher aides at $7.75 per hour: Amy Britton, Williamstown and Nicole Kibler, Tower City, both at Williams Valley Elementary; Danielle Heckman, Pottsville, Schuylkill Technology Center; John Donton, Cressona; Shari Phillips, Schuylkill Haven, and Angela Hoppes, Pottsville, Maple Avenue Campus; Amelia Crespo, Ashland, Early Intervention Program; and Cynthia Patton, Orwigsburg, at Schuylkill Haven Elementary.Michael McCormick, Middleport, as a part-time bus aide at $7.75 and Cheryl Nemeth as a mentor teacher under a professional contract.Substitute teachers for Special Education, Robert Pickett and Abigail Knoblach, Tamaqua; Frank Parano, Nesquehoning; Tina Burns, Andreas; Ashley Grube and Kristine Kelly, Orwigsburg; John Korab, Tower City; Kristine Maurer, PIne Grove; and Amy Stetts, Frackville.Substitute teachers for preschool, Abigail Knoblauch and Robert Pickett, Tamaqua; Bridget Gaughan and Ashley Guzinsky, Shenandoah; Ashley Grube, Orwigsburg; Kristine Maurer, Pine Grove; Frank Parano, Nesquehoning; and Amy Stetts, Frackville.Substitute teachers for technology center, Abigail Knoblauch and Robert Pickett, Tamaqua; Tina Burns and Mary Ann Weiksner, Andreas; Frank Parano, Nesquehoning; Bridget Gaughan and Ashley Guzinski, Shenandoah; Ashley Grube and Kristine Kelly, Orwigsburg; Barbara Malafarini, Barnesville; Kristine Maurer, Pine Grove; Amy Stetts, Frackville; and Anne Evans, Ashland.The board approved a budget for Title 1 Non-Public ARRA at $48,634.10; approved expenditures of $15,000 for the Artists in Education Program and acknowledged receipt of the 2009-2010 Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities grant in amount of $42,853 for the following districts, Mahanoy Area, Minersville Area, North Schuylkill, Pine Grove Area, Saint Clair Area, Schuylkill Haven Area, Shenandoah Valley, Tri-Valley and Williams Valley.ContractsCharles Orth, Ashland, to provide an annual Fire Safety Course for the preschool/daycare staff at $30; a one-on-one service contract as requested by Minersvilel Area and Shenandoah Valley.Approve agreement with Bloomsburg University for the purpose of the IU supervising student teaching placements and practicum opportunities for Bloomsburg University students who are pursuing certification in special education.Continue an additional five year agreement with Pennsylvania State University-Mont Alto to provide fiedwork education for Occupational Therapy Assistant students for physical therapist assistant students.Accepted the proposal from Honeywell in amount of $8,600 to perform maintenance and diagnostic service on the chiller at the Maple Avenue Campus. Accepted the proposal from Boyer Swimming Pools Inc, in amount of $13,881.29 for remediation service to the drain system to bring the swimming pool into compliance with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act.Entered into two contracts with American Red Cross of Pottsville to provide first aid certification training for preschool staff and for Counsel House and Operations Plus staff at costs of $2,060 and $1,560 respectively.Accepted a grant for Advanced Manufacturing and Information Technology with Lehigh/Carbon Community College in amount of $23,620.Approved a Co-Op facilitator service agreement to provide service and contracts with the technology center for staffing and related expenses. A grant of $!03,741.10 was received through ReDCo (Regional Development Corporation.Dr. Willliam R. Davison, Pottsville Area School Board, presided.