The Taylorville Kiwanis Club honored the club’s Spiritual Aims chair, and heard from the interim Taylorville School Superintendent, their club’s weekly meeting on Tuesday at the Taylorville Moose Lodge.

Long-time Spiritual Aims chair Dick Wamsley (right) was presented a certificate of appreciation for his many years leading that committee.  Wamsley has planned the club’s annual Prayer Luncheon each May for over 30 years.  Kiwanis president Chuck Martin (left) made the presentation.

Program speaker for Tuesday’s meeting was interim Taylorville School Superintendent Deborah Philpot who talked about her career and the challenges all schools, including Taylorville, have experienced post-COVID.  Philpot shared with Kiwanis members that the district is being proactive by having social and emotional counselors in all buildings to help students cope with continued struggles in learning. 

She added that in the 2021-22 school year, of the just over 22-hundred students in the district, the absenteeism rate was 26-percent and they’re continuing to get that number down so more students can be in school to learn.

Philpot also that cell phones and bullying are other challenges the Taylorville School District is dealing with, as are most districts.  She wrapped up her remarks by saying she and the T-S-D staff work every day to make school a positive influence in kids’ lives.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club is part of global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.  Weekly meetings are held Tuesdays at noon at the Taylorville Moose Lodge.  For information on the club, go to taylorvillekiwanis.com.