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Mercer County students showcase writing, science and arts at board meeting
Summary
Students from Mercer County Intermediate and other district schools presented writing projects, science demonstrations and arts performances during the board meeting; staff highlighted gains on state KSA scores and new classroom supports including Eureka Math Squared and daytime ESS intervention.
Students from across Mercer County took center stage at the Board of Education meeting, demonstrating classroom projects and instructional initiatives as part of the principal’s report and a school showcase.
Assistant Principal Leslie Floro opened the academic portion of the evening with data from the Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA), saying the building’s overall composite score was 63.7 (a district “yellow” rating). Floro noted a 4.8‑point year‑over‑year increase in reading and math combined and a 1.8‑point gain in science/social studies/writing, and said the EL subgroup scored 75.6. She described curriculum changes meant to sustain growth: Eureka Math Squared for math and a new reading curriculum, plus targeted practices the staff call "wind time." Floro also described daytime ESS, a pull‑out intervention staffed in part by retired teachers that she said expanded support for 111 students per day.
Students then demonstrated district literacy and science practices. Third‑ and fifth‑grade pupils read samples organized with the district’s “foursquare” writing strategy and explained how they used claim/evidence/reasoning (CER) in science assignments. Fifth‑grader Josiah Chenault showed a website he built for a social studies project, while other students presented a Veterans Day poem and an Appalachian music piece performed on the dulcimer.
Teachers and presenters emphasized hands‑on and project‑based learning. Floro and classroom teachers highlighted social studies projects that offered choice (poster, diorama, children’s book, brochure, digital projects or essays) and said those options help engage students with different learning styles. Club participants described extracurricular offerings, including a cooking club (nutrition through MyPlate lessons) and an agriculture club that maintains a chicken coop and donates eggs to staff.
The district’s high school National Honor Society also announced a DanceBlue mini marathon fundraiser with a $10,000 goal to benefit the University of Kentucky hematology/oncology clinic and pediatric cancer awareness.
The board paused for a short photo recess after the presentations; the superintendent’s report and routine business followed.
