Pictured is a mural, located in the kindergarten wing at VEW painted in the 1960’s
From the Bath Rotary Club,
On October 17, Kelly Houck, Bath Rotarian and Bath Central School District Superintendent, and Brett Ryan, Vernon E. Wightman Primary School Principal, led Bath Rotarians on a tour of the newly renovated areas of VEW and definitely displayed their RAM pride.
The Rotarians first viewed the renovations to the bus loop entrance which has increased security and access to the building. The addition of door-locking mechanisms and other security upgrades has allowed the district to address concerns with security. In addition, a full ramp has been added to this area ensuring that all students, team members, and visitors can access the building through the same entrance instead of anyone with mobility challenges having to use a different entrance.
Bath Rotarians recently toured the newly renovated areas of the Vernon E. Wightman Primary School in Bath. Standing left to right in Row 1 are: Brandi Graham, Tess McKinley (also a member of the Bath Central School District Board of Education), Nancy Latour, Cheryl Muller, Dave Stewart, and Kelly Houck (Bath Central School District Superintendent). Standing left in right in Row 2 are: Brett Ryan (VEW Principal), Mike Slovak, Bill White, John Gould, Don Snyder, Terry Bilancio, Brandon Graham, Eddie VanStine, and Jay Maslyn.
The local Rotarians also viewed the new drop-off vestibule which was added in order to increase security measures and change the traffic flow not only to address security concerns but also to create a more efficient path for this very busy area of the school. In this area the VEW office space was also remodeled so that the VEW Principal, Assistant Principal, and Counselor were all located in one place.
The group was pleased to see the new nurse’s suite which was built across from the main office. This allows for the VEW students to receive support services in a more central location and provide easy access for students, team members, and parents. The new suite allows the school nurse to meet more fully the various medical needs the students may have daily.
New bathrooms were installed by the cafeteria. Previously, there we no such facilities in the area which made it very challenging for the littlest RAMS.
Finally, the Rotarians were excited to view the new STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) Suite. The space is beautiful and was constructed to be a fully multi-purpose space that supports all hands-on activities and learning opportunities for students, team members, and local residents. The space can be divided or used as one large group instructional space; it is also equipped with all the technology needed to create an optimal learning experience. Other classroom enhancements and modifications were also made to meet the needs of today’s diverse learners.
At the conclusion of the tour, the group returned to Superintendent Houck’s office in order to enjoy a lunch of assorted wraps, a tossed salad, fresh fruit, chips, brownies, cookies, and bottled water, provided by the Bath Central School District.
At the end of the lunch, Houck stated, “Having our partners from the Bath Rotary Club join us today at the Bath Central School District has allowed us to demonstrate truly the definition of community collaboration; working together today creates the best tomorrow possible.” Those Rotarians who were able to attend this weekly club meeting were indeed grateful for the day’s tour and lunch and are most proud to be residents of a community with such an outstanding school system and staff. They are also most proud that Kelly Houck is not only an outstanding superintendent but also an active Bath Rotarian.
Anyone interested in more information about the Bath Central School District should contact Superintendent Houck at: khouck@bathcsd.org.
