Following a closed session. the Harrisonville School Board gathered Dec. 18 for the final time in 2012. Board members managed to swiftly make their way through the agenda, including regular business, informational items, and student recognition awards &#x2014; in 30 minutes. </p><p>Kicking off the meeting was Dan Erholtz, principal of McEowen Elementary School, who presented several of his students to the board for recognition in the month of December. The following students from McEowen were honored for their hard work related to school citizenship, academics, and athletics:</p><p> Three students were recognized for their fundraising efforts in Hoops for Heart (held Dec. 1), an event that raises money for the American Heart Association and awards schools with free physical education equipment based on how much they raise. This year, the school raised $3,111 for the cause. Among the students recognized for their hard work were: Riley Mathew, who raised $205; Aliyah Hasam, who raised $131; and Abby Mainard, who raised $127. According to physical education teacher and coach David Hix, the school has participated in the program for the last nine years, raising more than $20,000 for the American Heart Association in total.</p><p> At the Elks Hoop Shoot, Kobe Norris was honored for placing first in the Boys&#x2019; 8-9 Division while Colby Knowles took the top spot in the Boys&#x2019; 10-11 Division.</p><p> Fifth graders Ryan Anderson (first place) and Evan Filer (second place) were recognized for becoming this year&#x2019;s Spelling Bee champions. The pair will now move on to represent their classmates in the middle school spelling bee. During a school-wide assembly on Dec. 12, Anderson beat out 33 other finalists for the championship.</p><p> Serving as an excellent example of the Reader&#x2019;s Workshop curriculum in action, Kyron Beavers read an excerpt from his critical thinking writing exercise to the board. Designed to teach students to identify traits of main characters, Beavers demonstrated a keen understanding of the assignment&#x2019;s concept as well as a knack for the written word in his analysis on &#x201C;Chasing Lincoln&#x2019;s Killer,&#x201D; in which he identified character traits of John Wilkes Booth as well as provided evidence of his findings.</p><p>Following the student recognition awards, board member Chris Bell updated the group on the Missouri School Boards Association activities. Tim Ryan, assistant superintendent, presented the 2012-13 transportation program review. In closing, the school board voted to enact a study session to review curriculum, finances, and faculties on Jan. 22, 2013.