Tippy Valley High School’s Renovation A Work In Progress
February 23, 2022 at 3:04 a.m.
Tippy Valley High School’s Renovation A Work In Progress
By Leah Sander-
Fanning Howey Project Manager Michael Schipp gave an update on design plans for the project to the Tippecanoe Valley School Board at its regular meeting on Monday.
Fanning Howey is the chosen architecture firm for the project. Plans for it have included adding an auditorium, a bigger weight room, a new fieldhouse, an expanded agriculture area and new seating at the pool.
Bids for the project will be opened on April 12 and awarded on April 18.
Schipp updated the Board Monday on utilities for the project.
"We're actually relocating (the waterline and storm sewer) around the perimeter of the addition all the way completely around the fieldhouse," he said. "That sets you up not only for this project, (but) your next project and your next project after that. We've positioned it and worked with our civil consultants so that any future work long past my tenure ... you won't have to come back and revisit site utilities.
"We are introducing an underground storage tank ... just by the well location and that has to be for your fire suppression system," he said.
Schipp also said plans are to reuse the wood floor in the existing fieldhouse for the new one. He said they did have to drop the number of seats in the auditorium slightly, but more than 630 people will still be able to sit in there.
He said three new boilers that will be installed as part of the project are smaller than current ones and more energy-efficient.
The Board also heard its annual update on Tippecanoe Valley Middle School from TVMS Principal Scott Backus and staff.
TVMS staff members Robin Heckman and April Stiles gave an update on Viking Vittles, which provides food to families of TVMS students.
"Right now we're serving 30 families, 30 different kids are taking meals home," said Heckman. "We've tried really hard to make it balanced meals ... and usually enough for a meal that the kids can make as well. That's important to me because I know some of these kids are the ones that have to cook it."
"We recently had two generous donations to the Viking Vittles program, one for $500 and then the Grace United Methodist Church out of Rochester donated $2,237.50," Stiles said.
The latter donation the board accepted at the meeting.
Backus also mentioned the school's Catch Up Cafe, which allows kids who are behind on homework to work with school staff to get caught up, and the school's involvement with Unified sports.
The latter includes the school offering a sports activity for both students with and without special needs. Due to its commitment to such activities, the school was recognized as a Unified Banner school for the past few years.
Backus said the school plans to continue its involvement with Unified sports.
In other business, the board:
* Approved hiring Akron Elementary School instructional assistant Serena Smith.
* Approved Ben Shriver as TVHS boys golf coach.
* Accepted the resignation of Akron instructional assistant Maria Deniston and Mentone Elementary School instructional assistant April Jones and custodians Alec Whitted and Vera Whitted.
* Accepted $256 from DonorsChoose for a portable speaker system for TVHS activities.
* Accepted two Project Lead the Way grants for Mentone and Akron elementary schools. They are $2,500 each and will be used to further STEM education in the schools.
* Heard an update on TVHS student activities from senior representative Jaeda Carpenter and junior representative Abby Bowers. The student council is to have its Snowball Dance soon and is planning for its annual week-long fundraiser for Riley Hospital for Children. Three students also recently won gold for participating in the district solo and ensemble music competition.
The board's next regular meeting is 6 p.m. March 21 at TVHS.
Fanning Howey Project Manager Michael Schipp gave an update on design plans for the project to the Tippecanoe Valley School Board at its regular meeting on Monday.
Fanning Howey is the chosen architecture firm for the project. Plans for it have included adding an auditorium, a bigger weight room, a new fieldhouse, an expanded agriculture area and new seating at the pool.
Bids for the project will be opened on April 12 and awarded on April 18.
Schipp updated the Board Monday on utilities for the project.
"We're actually relocating (the waterline and storm sewer) around the perimeter of the addition all the way completely around the fieldhouse," he said. "That sets you up not only for this project, (but) your next project and your next project after that. We've positioned it and worked with our civil consultants so that any future work long past my tenure ... you won't have to come back and revisit site utilities.
"We are introducing an underground storage tank ... just by the well location and that has to be for your fire suppression system," he said.
Schipp also said plans are to reuse the wood floor in the existing fieldhouse for the new one. He said they did have to drop the number of seats in the auditorium slightly, but more than 630 people will still be able to sit in there.
He said three new boilers that will be installed as part of the project are smaller than current ones and more energy-efficient.
The Board also heard its annual update on Tippecanoe Valley Middle School from TVMS Principal Scott Backus and staff.
TVMS staff members Robin Heckman and April Stiles gave an update on Viking Vittles, which provides food to families of TVMS students.
"Right now we're serving 30 families, 30 different kids are taking meals home," said Heckman. "We've tried really hard to make it balanced meals ... and usually enough for a meal that the kids can make as well. That's important to me because I know some of these kids are the ones that have to cook it."
"We recently had two generous donations to the Viking Vittles program, one for $500 and then the Grace United Methodist Church out of Rochester donated $2,237.50," Stiles said.
The latter donation the board accepted at the meeting.
Backus also mentioned the school's Catch Up Cafe, which allows kids who are behind on homework to work with school staff to get caught up, and the school's involvement with Unified sports.
The latter includes the school offering a sports activity for both students with and without special needs. Due to its commitment to such activities, the school was recognized as a Unified Banner school for the past few years.
Backus said the school plans to continue its involvement with Unified sports.
In other business, the board:
* Approved hiring Akron Elementary School instructional assistant Serena Smith.
* Approved Ben Shriver as TVHS boys golf coach.
* Accepted the resignation of Akron instructional assistant Maria Deniston and Mentone Elementary School instructional assistant April Jones and custodians Alec Whitted and Vera Whitted.
* Accepted $256 from DonorsChoose for a portable speaker system for TVHS activities.
* Accepted two Project Lead the Way grants for Mentone and Akron elementary schools. They are $2,500 each and will be used to further STEM education in the schools.
* Heard an update on TVHS student activities from senior representative Jaeda Carpenter and junior representative Abby Bowers. The student council is to have its Snowball Dance soon and is planning for its annual week-long fundraiser for Riley Hospital for Children. Three students also recently won gold for participating in the district solo and ensemble music competition.
The board's next regular meeting is 6 p.m. March 21 at TVHS.
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