Greencastle-Antrim staff preview curriculum changes, mock-trial club and intramural program; board to vote next meeting

Greencastle-Antrim School District curriculum coordinators presented a year-in-review and asked the board Sept. 18 to consider formal approval of multiple curricular revisions and program proposals at the district’s next board meeting.

Jen Faith, who said she works with grades 3–5, described a student-led proposal to create a mock-trial club at the high school and that the club’s adviser will be "Mr. Faith" (as listed in the packet). Sawyer Allen, the student who helped draft bylaws, attended the meeting and described the club’s goal to "provide students with exposure to the field of legal studies through meaningful hands-on activities," with future intent to compete in Pennsylvania Bar Association mock-trial events.

District staff also presented an intramurals plan and a job description for three stipend-based intramural coordinator positions — one each at the elementary, middle and high school levels. Presenters described intramurals as low-pressure, after-school activities emphasizing fun, participation and skill-building; staff asked the board to approve the job description at the next meeting so the district can post and hire those positions for this school year.

Math and science coordinators summarized summer curriculum work: Courtney Kelly said the district developed common assessments in Performance Matters for multiple grades and created three new high-school math course outlines — Elements of Algebra I, Algebra I (semester 2) and Geometry — intended to offer additional pacing and supports for students on different trajectories.

Janelle (primary school coordinator) and Missy Shewey (6–12 ELA and social studies coordinator) described continued refinement of foundational skills, new unit realignments and development of stage 2 common assessments and stage 3 learning activities. Staff said the curriculum is an iterative process: teams define stage 1 learning goals, create common assessments in Performance Matters to measure those goals, then design learning activities. Laura (Superintendent) reminded the board that Performance Matters houses the district’s common assessments and that the district will run an internal curriculum audit to verify standards coverage before units are published.

Staff asked the board to take formal votes on club approval, the intramurals job description and listed course/unit revisions at the next meeting; no formal votes on these items occurred Sept. 18.