By Courtney Taylor
news@wbcowqel.com
Galion High School staff shone Tuesday night at the school board meeting as Athletic Director Kyle Baughn and French teacher Violeta Chinni both shared presentations regarding students.
Baughn spoke on the stats and success of the 23 sports at Galion. The girl’s tennis team finished the season with a 14-4 record, and the boy’s tennis team had a 12-6 record, which is their best season in 20-plus years. The boy’s swim team was MOAC and Sectional Champions, and the baseball team was Sectional Champions and beat the number one ranked team (Jonathan Alder) for the first time. The pep rallies and mascot program through the cheerleaders has gotten a positive response, and Baughn hopes to expand upon those. Also, the school’s two new sports teams, soccer and bowling, have also elicited enthusiastic feedback.
“Overall, we’re truly blessed with great kids involved in sports. I’m really thankful for the year our athletes have had,” said Baughn.
His goals for upcoming years is to make the stadium more handicap accessible and decrease the number of athletes who play only one sport.
Chinni brought her plan for a class trip to New York City before the board for approval. Chinni has already taken her students on two trips in as many years to New Orleans and Quebec. This trip will be from June 4-6, 2018, and was approved by a unanimous vote.
“Our New York City trip will provide our students with a combination of French-themed cultural experiences intertwined with traditional NYC tourist attractions. Students will have an opportunity to see the Statue of Liberty, a gift from France to the United States, explore pieces of French artworks at the Museum of Modern Art, enjoy French cuisine in some of the renowned NYC French restaurants, and hear part of the tour of the United Nations building entirely in the French language. Our students will also have an opportunity to enjoy traditional NYC attractions such as promenading down Times Square and Fifth Avenue, seeing a Broadway show, and the top of the Rockefeller building for 360 degree views of the New York City skyline,” said Chinni.
Other business included the accepting of donations from multiple donors. Walmart has donated $500 for the Weekend Backpack Program, and The Children’s Hunger Alliance donated $5,000 for the Summer Feeding Program. Also donated was $5,000 from the Hessenauer Trust for Galion Music/Marching Band, and $500 from Galion Kiwanis for the annual spring track meet.