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The ADVANCE, January 20, 2021 /Page 3A
Montgomery Schools:
COVID Cases Up Slightly
The number of CO
VID-19 cases in Mont
gomery County schools is
up slightly Superintendent
Hugh Kight said last week.
Reporting to the Mont
gomery County School
Board, which met for a
regular session on January
11, Kight related that num
bers are higher than before
Christmas break but not
the highest they have been
since school began in Au
gust.
A COVID update is
sued Friday January 15,
revealed that 41 students
were quarantined but 24
of this number returned to
school on Tuesday. The up
date noted that six students
and one staff member test
ed positive for the virus, but
no teachers tested positive
for the virus. One teacher
was quarantined for expo
sure.
“Praise God we are still
able to have school,” Kight
stated in the report issued
Friday. So far, the Mont
gomery County Schools
have not paused classes be
cause of the virus. “We will
continue to use our safety
protocols to help keep our
students as safe as possible.
Currently, our virtual stu
dent numbers are 68.”
In other business, Kight
reported that the system is
in the process of updating
old bus cameras with new,
advanced camera systems
with multi views and au
dio. Also, rubber has been
installed on the new school
track and lines have been
completed. Final inspection
took place on January 13.
The board approved of
ficers for 2021-2022. Dr. Jim
Paul Poole will continue as
board chair and Henry Price
will serve as vice-chair. The
board also voted to extend
COVID-19 leave for em
ployees through March 31.
Employment issues in
cluded Board approval of
the resignations of Cammie
Dailey, counselor at MCHS,
Jonathan Hardeman, agri
culture instructor, and Cin
dy Savant, media specialist,
effective in June. The board
approved the retirement
of paraprofessional Ruby
Woods, effective May 21,
and the hiring of substitutes
TaQuana Phillips, teacher,
Linda Mercer, food service
and Patrina Sherill Smith,
food service.
Sales
continued from page 1A
Michael Salem. In the $3
million club were: Nancy
Peterson, Ann Todd, Tiffany
Sittle, Jessica Rowe, Darla
Kicklighter, Mary Whitson,
Pat Mitchell, Arlene Davis,
Tammy Gibbs, Dale Atkins,
Ross Kelly, Debra Willis-
Joiner, and Jeannie Whit
field.
$1 million sellers were:
Teresa Varnedore, Chris
Kight, Joshua Landmon,
Patsy Youmans, Greg McK
enzie, Deborah Rowland,
Bill Clark, TelenaNeeSmith,
Will Routh, Lehman Routh,
Shirley Somers, Chelcey
Pevey, Pat Hadden, Johnnie
Varnedore, Robbiette Kick-
lighter, Donald Head, Greg
Williamson, Jenna Phillips,
and Al Murray.
Nancy Peterson of Tom
Peterson Realtors said, “We
are a relationship focused
agency. We are a full service
agency and handle all as
pects from listing and selling
to property management
and everything between.
“We don’t want to boast
or brag, that is not who we
are, but we pride ourselves
on staying in touch with
our clients throughout the
process. We are customer
service oriented and that is
what makes the difference
for us. We want everyone
that we deal with to feel
important. We are very per
sistent and we have the ex
perience when it comes to
understanding the market
and all aspects of the pro
cess.”
Sara Brown stated, “I,
along with all of my agents,
focus on relationships. We
treat all of our clients like
family, just as we would like
to be treated if we were go
ing through the process.
Beyond the sale, we keep in
touch, we go to lunch, we are
still there for our clients.
“We also are very com
munity involved. We want
to be a part of this commu
nity, and we want people to
know we truly care about
this community that we all
live in.
“We want our clients to
be happy with the process
and we want them to be
confident enough to send
their family and friends to
us as well. We all work really
hard and we are always on
call. We put in lots of hours
for those we work with.”
The ABBR is hoping
that 2021 will be another
great year, and all of the li
censed agents look forward
to helping members of this
community find their dream
homes.
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The 1999 movie 7he Matrix in
troduced the phrase “take the blue
pill or the red pill,” which has devel
oped a cult following. The phrase re
fers to a choice between remaining
in blissful ignorance about life, rep
resented by the blue pill, or facing
life-changing and
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In The Matrix,
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Vidalia City Board of Education
Extends COVID Leave Benefit
By Rebekah Arnold
Contributing Writer
Sick leave related to
COVID-19 has been ex
tended for employees of
the Vidalia City School
System. The City School
Board approved the mea
sure at its regular monthly
meeting on January 12.
The Families First
Coronavirus Response Act
(FFCRA) expired at the
end of December; how
ever, the Board considers
its use of CARES funding
to extend the sick leave
benefit to be well placed.
The benefit will provide
10 days of COVID-related,
paid leave as needed to em
ployees through the end of
the 2020-2021 school year.
School Superinten
dent Dr. Garrett Wilcox
said, "Even though the
federal government has
discontinued the COVID
leave time, we felt it was
fair to allow our employ
ees, who have not used this
time, to still have access to
the leave time, if needed,
through the rest of the
school year, as we continue
to combat this virus."
Additional CARES
funds will be allocated to
the school system in 2021.
There are restrictions on
the use of these funds, but
the Board will consider
adding extended school
days or summer sessions
for students who would
like supplemental instruc
tion focused on literacy.
Also, CARES funds may
be used for upgrades in
technology that are due in
some areas of the system.
Communications Di
rector John Koon issued
a press release regarding
the Board’s approval of the
2021/22 school year calen
dar. The calendar includes
176 days of instruction
that will begin on August
6, 2021 and end on May
25, 2022.
The calendar also in
cludes a five-day break
during Thanksgiving and
a 12-day break during the
Christmas holidays. Spring
break will take place April
4-8, 2022.
To view the 2001-2022
school year calendar, visit:
www.vidaliacityschools.
org.
The Board approved
the repair of tennis court
surfaces at the high school
and at the middle school
for a total of $45,000. The
work will be done by an
eco-sustainable contrac
tor who has worked on the
school courts in the past.
SPLOST funds will be
used for this project.
Assistant Superin
tendent Ginger Morris
and Technology Director
Sabrina Wiggs reported
on the system’s use of Go
Guardian that has allowed
teachers to see what stu
dents are doing online dur
ing in-classroom and virtu
al instruction. The purpose
of Go Guardian is to pro
tect the student from inap
propriate content online.
The program has been
purchased for teachers in
grades K - 12, with the roll
out of use starting at J.R.
Trippe Middle School.
Training for all personnel
will be ongoing, but the
program is user friendly.
Wiggs reported that
over 540 students have
benefitted from the use of
this program. “The teach
ers are saying it’s wonder
ful. Dr. Reid at Trippe said
that they have gained in
structional time because
teachers can keep the kids
on task. A Special Educa
tion teacher said it is help
ing her to be able to freeze
a screen and see where the
students need assistance.”
Morris thanked the
board, saying, “All the
principals agreed that Go
Guardian is one of the best
purchases that you have
made for them.”
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