Mentone Uses Crowdsourcing To Help Craft School Calendar
November 19, 2019 at 4:02 a.m.
By Amanda [email protected]
Tippecanoe Valley Superintendent Blaine Conley said during Monday’s board meeting that they used a program called Thoughtexchange, which is a platform to help leaders crowdsource answers to questions in real time. Conley said teachers, staff and parents were all given the opportunity to share their thoughts on what the school board should take into consideration when setting the 2020-21 school year.
Of the 111 teachers and staff and the 276 parents who took part in the survey, having the Wednesday before Thanksgiving off was right at the top of the list, along with Christmas break and a later school year start time.
“We know that our staff members and parents felt very strongly about having that Wednesday off before Thanksgiving,” Conley said. “The start late or early was also a hot issue, to start school after Labor Day and be done by Memorial Day.”?
But, to have two weeks off at Christmas and to still fulfill the 180 days in school requirement, “that just isn’t possible,” Conley said.
The e-learning days were also a hot button issue, with Conley saying that about 20% of students said they didn’t have internet access at home.
The first student day of the 2020-21 school year is Aug. 12. That’s moved back from this year’s Aug. 9 first day, Conley said.
“If we continue to move it back, we’d have to have finals after Christmas break,”?he said, adding that’s not a good idea.
Students also will get the Wednesday before Thanksgiving off next year.
“We heard loud and clear that’s important,” Conley said.
Christmas break will run from Dec. 21 through Jan. 4.
“It’s important for our students and families to have that break,”?he said.
And graduation is set for June 6. Eight emergency make-up days are put it in at the end of the calendar. The calendar will give students 87 days in the first semester, and 93 days in the second semester.
“We will continue to use this tool,” Conley said of the Thoughtexchange program. “It allowed people to voice their opinions. We can’t please everyone, but we really tried to make the changes.”
The board also
;
• Thanked Lori Tilden-Geiger, TVSC director of marketing, public relations and grants, for her work on the Valley Hometown Fund Grant awards and Kosciusko Endowment Youth Services (KEYS) grants. KEYS grants recipients included Akron Elementary teacher Kayla Rassi for $728 to buy books for independent reading; $1,199 for Mentone Elementary teacher Lacey Jones to help with her sensory path for social emotional regulation area; $447 to Mentone Elementary teacher Sarah Kreft to buy reading games for second grade; $600 to Mentone Elementary teacher Emilie Rospoop to purchase escape room kids for her classroom; $539 to TVHS teacher Jennifer Roden to create reset spaces for students; and $191 to TVMS teacher Cathy Olson to purchase headphones for the special education students.
• Accepted donations from Atwood Lions Club for $500 for the Boomerang Backpacks program; $4,600 from Kerlin Motors for Drive Your School; $500 from Dan Ransbottom on behalf of Echoes of the Past; and $24,000 from family and friends of Scott Bibler for the Bib’s Billfold fund. $15,000 of the donation to the Bibs Billfold fund will go to teacher grants available to all teachers, coaches and staff within TVSC. The applications, due in December, will be reviewed by the Sweet Sassy Golf Classic Committee and be voted on for the fund distribution. $6,500 of the donation will be set aside for student needs funds at each school within the corporation. The funds will be available to meet any type of student need. Conley said an example of use of that money could be if a student’s family has a house fire. “We could go and help that family with this money,”?he said.
The remaining portion of the donation – $2,500 – goes in the teacher/staff recognition fund that, for example, will be used to provide meals for staff members during parent-teacher conferences and celebration and recognition meals, Conley said. Conley seemed emotional while thanking Stephanie Bibler, Sara Boganwright and Leslie Brouyette at Monday’s meeting.
• Heard student reports from Valeria Jiminez and Mackenzie Costello that students are starting a Miracle Tree for Christmas for families to be adopted. They also said National Honor Society has started a “penny war” between buildings and all proceeds from that will go to Helping Hands.
Students are also planning on wearing red today in support of the Red for Ed teacher protest rally at the Indianapolis Statehouse for higher pay. The students said they will be passing out red cards for students to write notes to teachers about what they appreciate about them and then those notes will be hung in the teachers’ workroom.
The next Tippecanoe Valley School Board meeting is 6 p.m. Dec. 16 at Mentone Elementary School.
Tippecanoe Valley Superintendent Blaine Conley said during Monday’s board meeting that they used a program called Thoughtexchange, which is a platform to help leaders crowdsource answers to questions in real time. Conley said teachers, staff and parents were all given the opportunity to share their thoughts on what the school board should take into consideration when setting the 2020-21 school year.
Of the 111 teachers and staff and the 276 parents who took part in the survey, having the Wednesday before Thanksgiving off was right at the top of the list, along with Christmas break and a later school year start time.
“We know that our staff members and parents felt very strongly about having that Wednesday off before Thanksgiving,” Conley said. “The start late or early was also a hot issue, to start school after Labor Day and be done by Memorial Day.”?
But, to have two weeks off at Christmas and to still fulfill the 180 days in school requirement, “that just isn’t possible,” Conley said.
The e-learning days were also a hot button issue, with Conley saying that about 20% of students said they didn’t have internet access at home.
The first student day of the 2020-21 school year is Aug. 12. That’s moved back from this year’s Aug. 9 first day, Conley said.
“If we continue to move it back, we’d have to have finals after Christmas break,”?he said, adding that’s not a good idea.
Students also will get the Wednesday before Thanksgiving off next year.
“We heard loud and clear that’s important,” Conley said.
Christmas break will run from Dec. 21 through Jan. 4.
“It’s important for our students and families to have that break,”?he said.
And graduation is set for June 6. Eight emergency make-up days are put it in at the end of the calendar. The calendar will give students 87 days in the first semester, and 93 days in the second semester.
“We will continue to use this tool,” Conley said of the Thoughtexchange program. “It allowed people to voice their opinions. We can’t please everyone, but we really tried to make the changes.”
The board also
;
• Thanked Lori Tilden-Geiger, TVSC director of marketing, public relations and grants, for her work on the Valley Hometown Fund Grant awards and Kosciusko Endowment Youth Services (KEYS) grants. KEYS grants recipients included Akron Elementary teacher Kayla Rassi for $728 to buy books for independent reading; $1,199 for Mentone Elementary teacher Lacey Jones to help with her sensory path for social emotional regulation area; $447 to Mentone Elementary teacher Sarah Kreft to buy reading games for second grade; $600 to Mentone Elementary teacher Emilie Rospoop to purchase escape room kids for her classroom; $539 to TVHS teacher Jennifer Roden to create reset spaces for students; and $191 to TVMS teacher Cathy Olson to purchase headphones for the special education students.
• Accepted donations from Atwood Lions Club for $500 for the Boomerang Backpacks program; $4,600 from Kerlin Motors for Drive Your School; $500 from Dan Ransbottom on behalf of Echoes of the Past; and $24,000 from family and friends of Scott Bibler for the Bib’s Billfold fund. $15,000 of the donation to the Bibs Billfold fund will go to teacher grants available to all teachers, coaches and staff within TVSC. The applications, due in December, will be reviewed by the Sweet Sassy Golf Classic Committee and be voted on for the fund distribution. $6,500 of the donation will be set aside for student needs funds at each school within the corporation. The funds will be available to meet any type of student need. Conley said an example of use of that money could be if a student’s family has a house fire. “We could go and help that family with this money,”?he said.
The remaining portion of the donation – $2,500 – goes in the teacher/staff recognition fund that, for example, will be used to provide meals for staff members during parent-teacher conferences and celebration and recognition meals, Conley said. Conley seemed emotional while thanking Stephanie Bibler, Sara Boganwright and Leslie Brouyette at Monday’s meeting.
• Heard student reports from Valeria Jiminez and Mackenzie Costello that students are starting a Miracle Tree for Christmas for families to be adopted. They also said National Honor Society has started a “penny war” between buildings and all proceeds from that will go to Helping Hands.
Students are also planning on wearing red today in support of the Red for Ed teacher protest rally at the Indianapolis Statehouse for higher pay. The students said they will be passing out red cards for students to write notes to teachers about what they appreciate about them and then those notes will be hung in the teachers’ workroom.
The next Tippecanoe Valley School Board meeting is 6 p.m. Dec. 16 at Mentone Elementary School.
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