By Donna Thornton/News Editor
The Etowah County Board of Education hired a new band director to lead the Southside High School and Rainbow Middle School bands at its Jan. 8 meeting.
The new director of bands, Matt Weaver, had already been on the job for a few days before the board’s actions.
Former director of bands Nathan Haskew left Southside when the holiday break started in December to accept a job at Muscle Shoals Middle School, and the school system’s goal was to have a new director in place when classes resumed in January.
Weaver is a native of Chatsworth, Ga., and a 2012 graduate of Jacksonville State University with a BA in Music Education.
At JSU, he served as a section leader for the Marching Southerners and participated in a number of performance and competitive ensembles.
There will be a Pride Music Association meeting at 7 p.m. Jan. 14 in the high school auditorium, and parents, students, staff and other interested parties are invited to meet Weaver.
In other action the board recognized Max Hefner, a seventh grader at Rainbow Middle School as student of the month; Kim Hamby, teacher at Highland Elementary School, for having the Teacher Website of the Month, and Wanda Gilliland, fourth-grade teacher at Highland School for receiving a $700 Target field trip grant.
She said a parent had suggested going to Montgomery, because students had not taken a trip to the state’s capitol in some time, and the grant will make that trip possible.
The board will hold a public town hall meeting at 7 p.m. Jan. 14 at Glencoe City Hall to discuss a construction project at Glencoe Elementary School.
The board will have drawings of the construction project – expected to begin in the spring — will be available for viewing at the meeting.