First up on the agenda for the Salem City School Board at its Tuesday, May 14 meeting was the recognition of Employee Appreciation Week. Teacher Appreciation Week, established by the National Congress of Parent Teacher Associations in 1984, was celebrated May 6-10. Teachers are central to the school division’s core mission of teaching and learning, and the school board said that it deeply values their contributions.
Though teachers are an integral part of the educational system, the board believes that every employee plays a vital role in educating Salem’s young people and deserves recognition for their efforts.
In celebration and in conjunction with Employee Appreciation Week, the school board continued its tradition of showing gratitude by gifting employees a choice of a padfolio, utility tote, or clear stadium bag, each featuring the division’s logo. These gifts were distributed to all employees who requested one during the week of May 6-10 to honor their service.
Secondly, the board recognized Isaac Presson for his outstanding achievement in winning the overall Top Jazz Soloist at the Music in the Parks competition.
The Pride of Salem marching band traveled to Williamsburg recently, to participate in the Busch Gardens Music in the Parks competition, joining 22 schools from South Carolina to New Jersey. The jazz band competed on a Friday night at Bruton High School, performing three jazz pieces, each featuring an improv section where students improvised their solos. Among all the jazz bands, Isaac Presson was recognized as the Top Jazz Soloist for the weekend and received a medal during the award ceremony. Additionally, Presson was honored with the Louis Armstrong Award at Salem High School for his exceptional talent as a jazz musician.
Recognitions also went to SkillsUSA winners. Students from Salem High School participated in various local and regional events to qualify for the state SkillsUSA conference, where they competed against peers from other schools in a range of skills. SkillsUSA features a diverse array of competitions, including fantasy make-up, drones, and crime scene investigation, beyond the traditional areas of cars and welding. The students invested many hours perfecting their skills, and 22 of them earned the opportunity to compete at the state level.
Four students from Salem High School stood out with remarkable achievements resulting in gold medals: Connor Clinevell won in principles of engineering and technology, Sam Clause in poster design, Clara Gunter in essay writing, and Laylah Gerrol in customer service. Each of these students secured first place in their respective categories, earning the prestigious Gold Medal. Furthermore, Connor and Laylah have qualified to compete in the National SkillsUSA competition in Atlanta, June 24-28.
The board also celebrated the achievements of students and staff featured in the magazine, “Delphi.”
On March 15, 2024, Salem High School’s renowned literary art magazine, “Delphi,” was honored with a Silver Crown Award for the 2023 issue by the prestigious Columbia Scholastic Press Association at Columbia University in New York City. This marks the fifth CSPA crown award for “Delphi” and the first under the leadership of its editor, Anne Hayden Hall.
The theme of the 2023 “Delphi” issue is “Enjambment,” with a cover designed by student Maisie Page. The cover was recognized as the best in the commonwealth by the Virginia High School League and received high praise from the CSPA judges.
Additionally, Anne Hayden Hall and Lei Chan received national recognition from CSPA for their contributions to the 2023 “Delphi.” Anne Hayden earned a second-place Gold Circle Award for her interview with poet and Salem High School alumna Allie Hoback, while Lei Chan received a Gold Circle Certificate of Merit for her portfolio of photographs featured in the magazine.
Lastly, the board approved a resolution honoring the Salem High School Debate team:
RESOLUTION NUMBER 265
A RESOLUTION HONORING THE SALEM HIGH SCHOOL DEBATE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM
WHEREAS, teaching and learning form the foundation of a school’s endeavors; and
WHEREAS, Head Coach Mark Ingerson successfully expanded the school’s Forensics Dynasty into the arena of Debate and captured the school’s first State Debate Title on April 27, 2024; and
WHEREAS, the team’s 21-13 victory over Rock Ridge High School during Class 4 competition at James Madison University was fueled by junior Claire Rawlins and senior Kaylee Christley; and
WHEREAS, the powerful duo went undefeated and captured the Policy Debate title during five rounds of the near 90 minute competition; and
WHEREAS, Rawlins and Christley compiled a record of 10 wins and only 1 loss in VHSL competition while winning the Region, Super Region, and State championships; and
WHEREAS, Rawlins is now the first student in Salem history to win both a Forensics event title and a Debate event title in the same academic year; and
WHEREAS, seniors Lebron Parsell and Hannah Gordon placed 2nd and 3rd respectively in Lincoln-Douglas debate; and
WHEREAS, junior Rebekah Steinweg contributed to the win with a 3rd place finish in Congressional Debate, and
WHEREAS, sophomore Luke Stovall and senior Lance Toapanta placed 3rd in Policy Debate; and
WHEREAS, junior Charlie Bain and freshman Dylan Hancock also competed in Congress Debate at the state championships in Harrisonburg; and
WHEREAS, Alex Wong served as the Debate Team’s Assistant Coach helping the students throughout the year with speaking, argumentation, and writing skills; and
WHEREAS, junior Kaelyn Henzey provided support to the team throughout the season in her role as team manager; and
WHEREAS, the Salem High School Debate Team brought recognition, honor, and pride to Salem High School and the City of Salem; and
WHEREAS, the City of Salem School Board believes that strong extracurricular activities are an integral part of its educational program; and
WHEREAS, the City of Salem School Board believes this team represents the school division’s most essential functions of teaching and learning;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the City of Salem School Board hereby expresses its congratulations and appreciation to Mark Ingerson and the members of the Salem High School Debate Team for their accomplishments; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be presented to the coach and each team member and that a copy be placed on display at Salem High School
COURTESY PHOTOS
