GALION, Ohio — Galion’s Board of Education gave longtime board member Robert Zeisler a final farewell Thursday evening.
Zeisler retired after serving the district’s board for 12 years. He said it’s been a fun tenure.
“I’ve really enjoyed it. There’s been some tough times but there’s been a lot of good times. I think this is a great district,” said Zeisler, fighting back tears. “I really do. Staff, students, everybody.”
The board presented Zeisler with an honorary plaque, presented by board president Jennifer Kuns and Superintendent James Grubb.
Grant Gaverick, who ran unopposed for the position in November will fill the seat as a new board member. Garverick, an attorney in Galion, has been involved with the high school’s mock trial program for 20 years. He’s been involved with the school system for about 27 years with his own children, nieces and nephews.
The board also approved of a high school trip to Quebec City in May. Galion’s high school French teacher Violeta Chinni provided the specifics of the trip.
“This year we’ll have 24 students with six chaperones,” said Chinni. Last year, she said, she took a trip to New Orleans and took 47 students. This year’s trip to Quebec City still has room for two additional chaperones, said Chinni.
The students have already started gearing up for the trip with fundraisers and class projects designed to help them speak the language.
“Quebec City will be a full immersion. I want them to be able to speak the language as much as possible with the locals,” she said.
To help raise funds, the students designed bookmarks with pictures of their last trip to New Orleans on them. They sell for $1 each; Kuns bought one after Chinni spoke with the board.
The board also heard from sixth grader Genevieve Mann. She talked to them about the cafeteria’s waste.
“I’m concerned about the cafeteria,” she began. “I counted that we have 12 bags of waste each day. I have some ideas on how to help with this major environmental disaster.”
She suggested the board eliminate the use of styrofoam trays because of their carcinogen nature. She then suggested the school begin a compost system in which waste goes back into a garden.
“The garden can make food for our community,” said the prepared sixth grader.
To conclude, she suggested the board look into different funding options through grants from federal programs and bureaucracies like the USDA.
“These are all valid points and definitely something we’re going to look into,” said an impressed Grubb.
The board scheduled a reorganizational meeting for Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. in the middle school’s library. Zeisler’s replacement will be sworn in and the board will appoint a board president.
