Yankton High intern and Title I events highlight student engagement; district updates curriculum review schedule

A Yankton High School senior and interns program participant told the school board she has enjoyed serving as a para-intern at an elementary school and that the experience helped clarify her interest in teaching lower elementary grades.

“I love being there,” Eva Paulson Reyes said, describing daily tasks such as helping small groups during math lessons and preparing classroom materials. Presenters and board members praised the internship program and noted Reyes also serves as president of the district’s Educators Rising chapter.

District staff also reported a fall Title I family informational series that included interpreters, volunteer high-school students supervising children during sessions, and roughly 75 attendees across the district’s four buildings — an increase from about 20 attendees the previous year. The Title I events aim to explain how Title I instruction works and how families can support learning at home.

The district outlined curriculum work: it has started committees for foreign language and art (year 1), is in year 2 evaluating resources for science, music, physical education and health, and is in an implementation year for social studies resources approved in April. Staff also noted smaller, targeted reviews such as handwriting for kindergarten and first grade and supports for students with IEPs.

District staff described a new reading resource called CAPIT (a mnemonic-based program to teach letter formation and sounds); presenters said early grades and emergent readers have responded positively.

Board members and staff thanked the student intern and staff presenters; the board offered no formal action on these reports.