As they prepare to take their invention to Harrisburg, members of the Oil City Area High School STEM team presented their project, a cup that converts ice and snow to drinking water, to school board members Monday night.
The team of Zack Bensink, Michael Horn and Grant Turner took first place at the Governor’s STEM regional competition and will compete at the state level May 9 and 10.
“The task was to invent something to improve the lives of people in Pennsylvania,” Bensink said.
The cup can be used by outdoorsmen to keep food or coffee warm as well as allow them to spend more time in the woods without having to carry water, Bensink said.
Before getting down to business Monday, the board opened with a moment of silence for middle school English teacher Jessica Stephens and retired junior high science teacher Charles Robert Zerbe, both of whom passed away last week.
Monday’s meeting was attended by members of the newly formed high school drama club, for whom the board approved opening a student activity account.
English teacher William Sheatz is serving as faculty advisor for the drama club, along with music teacher Jeff Brown as co-advisor.
The board voted to continue with Nutrition Group as the district’s food service management provider for the 2019-20 school year. The contract is for $1,089,351.30.
The panel also approved the general operating budget for Riverview Intermediate Unit 6 for the fiscal year July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020 in the amount of $1,347,517. The Oil City district’s contribution is $15,091.
The board approved the following personnel items:
— An extended school year program from July 1 to 31 with Kyle Hamilton, learning support teacher; Joanna McElhattan, speech therapist; and Tracy Berry and Susan Whittemore, paraprofessionals.
— Elaine Matticks as guest teacher
— Teresa Wilson as day-to-day substitute paraprofessional
— Shannon Roberts, Robert Evans, Scott Cartwright, David Graham and Savalla Yeager as volunteer track coaches, retroactive to March 4.
— Tim Wice as softball coach
— Keith Clingler as assistant baseball coach and John Strawbridge as volunteer coach.
The board will next meet April 22 with a work session beginning at 6 p.m. and the voting meeting to follow at 7 p.m.
