At the virtual Whitehall-Coplay School Board meeting Oct. 12, Dr. Sandy Rex, WCSD director of curriculum and instruction, recognized eighth-grade student Neiv Sinha and seventh-grade student Vihaan Sinha. The Sinha brothers are members of Junior Mensa Honor Society, a global high-IQ society that only accepts participants who have IQs at or above the 98th percentile.

Neiv and Vihaan have been members since they were in the third and fourth grades. According to Neiv, their mother thought the organization could “open new doors and opportunities” for them. They have met NASA scientists, astronauts, writers, innovators and other individuals at regional and national gatherings.

Vihaan recently had his poem “Light at the End of the Tunnel” published in the fall issue of Young Mensan Magazine. Vihaan read the board his poem, which is about the COVID-19 pandemic.

In other news, the board voted in favor of Vietnam War veteran John Wieand’s proposal to fly the POW/MIA flag on the Whitehall High School flagpole year-round, along with the American flag.

Also at the meeting, Jalyn Jimenez, Whitehall High School Student Council president, updated the board on Homecoming and school spirit week. Participants can send photos of their school spirit attire, such as for red, white and blue or breast cancer awareness days, to WHS’ Instagram page.

At the Homecoming game Oct. 15, 28 candidates were recognized as the royalty court and were introduced on the 50-yard line.

Jimenez informed the board of the Pennsylvania Society of Student Councils’ virtual leadership safari, which was held Oct. 29 and 30 and hosted by Mountain View Junior Senior High School in Kingsley. WHS students Mackenzie Laub, Arizona Marakovits, Alexis Quach and Mikayla Warren were selected to present at the conference.

Correspondence to the board included a letter from Louis Bodish, Coplay Borough Council president, thanking WCSD for its donation of outside field lights.

The board approved the resignations of Melissa Rosario, paraeducator at Whitehall-Coplay Middle School; Mary Frantz, districtwide technology help desk/PC technician; Amy Stinner, paraeducator at Zephyr Elementary School; Elizabeth Messerli, fifth-grade teacher at Zephyr Elementary; Sara Janoski, paraeducator at WHS; and Jennifer Kloss, cafeteria monitor at Zephyr.

Approved retirements include Michele Abraham, secretary to the supervisor of buildings and grounds; and Susan Geissinger, WCMS secretary.

New appointments include temporary professionals Amy Stinner, fifth-grade teacher at Zephyr, at the rate of $55,214, and Brooke Minnich, nurse at WCMS, at the rate of $51,048; salaried substitute Sarah Talianek, guidance counselor at WHS, at the rate of $54,869; Roscaline Lesisko and Cathy Wisser, districtwide nurse assistants, at $25 per hour; Ashley Davis, nurse paraprofessional at Gockley Elementary School and WCMS, at $18.44 per hour; paraprofessional Isabel Szoke, fourth-grade inclusion at Zephyr, at $19.59 per hour; Nawal Gerges and Jessical Atiyeh, ESL at Zephyr, at $18.44 per hour; Sara Issa, ESL at Steckel Elementary School, at $18.44 per hour; Donna Gaetaniello, emotional support at Steckel Elementary, at $18.44 per hour; cafeteria monitors Rawaa Hanna at WCMS at $13.10 per hour, Jennifer Kloss at Zephyr at $13.10 per hour, Elizabeth Wiltraut at Gockley Elementary at $13.10 per hour and Audrey Cox at WHS at $13.55 per hour; and bus driver Nicole Pryda, salary rate in accordance with the bus driver’s agreement.

The board approved Mikayla Ninos as volunteer assistant field hockey coach.

The next school board meeting will be 7 p.m. Nov. 9. Committee meetings on finance/personnel, education/student activities and operations/transportation will be held Nov. 23.