Valley Recognizes Student, Athlete and Faculty Recommendations
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Kathy Cone-kcone@timesuniononline.com
AKRON – Accomplishments of students, faculty and athletes were celebrated at the Tippecanoe Valley School Corp. trustees meeting Monday evening. Superintendent Brett Boggs, in an emotional outpouring of appreciation for the varsity girls basketball team, cited the players for demonstrating the core values of the corporation’s vision and mission statement of character, leadership, collaboration and achievement. Boggs said the school started the year in a bad direction and was under threat of being derailed, but they, the players, turned it around. “I want to thank you for the pure joy and the feeling that you brought here. For representing those qualities for yourself, your family, school and community,” he said. Taylor Trippiedi, winner of the Patricia L. Roy Mental Attitude Award, added, “We had a lot of goals this year but nothing would have happened without our community. Thank you so much.” More accolades came from Coach Chris Kindig and Athletic Director Duane Burkhart, who said of the girls, “What an incredible journey it’s been. They are very deserving. Not only are they great basketball players, but great human beings.” Students participating in youth service organizations, too, were recognized at the meeting. Principal Michael Bendicsen introduced members of Fulton County Youth Leadership Academy, Kosciusko County Youth Leadership Academy and Kosciusko Endowment Youth Services. Explaining how KYLA works, member Austin Nickerson said that the program connects students leaders with leaders in the community. For example, students met with a county council member who allowed them to see and to understand things not experienced otherwise. Shayla Hoffman, for FCYLA, said her group was similar and explained the application process, and Shay Merley told the board that one of KEY’s activities was reading to second-graders. Band director Janell Riner showed slides of the band’s trip to Memphis to perform in the Liberty Bowl. Those students were able to sightsee, visit museums and Elvis Presley’s Graceland home. Science teacher Larry DuBose was recognized by the board for winning a trip for 150 students to the Glass Barn in Indianapolis. Bendicsen told the trustees that the high school will institute an advanced placement, dual-credit English course next semester. This will be a combination honors course and credit class. Bendicsen also talked about high school graduation rates and the differences in how his school, and the state, calculate the numbers. For instance, he said that for the 2013-2014 school year, 128 students started senior year and 126 graduated. That would be a 98 percent graduation rate, according to him. The state, however, counts every student entering freshman year and measures that number against the graduation number. The state came up with a 79 percent graduation rate. The differences in this case, explained Bendicsen, include students who drop out, enter alternative programs, get a GED or transfer to another school. Tippy Valley doesn’t keep track of students once they leave, but Bendicsen said he would start so his numbers match the state’s. “It’s my fault. I didn’t keep records,” he told the board. Bendicsen added that more programs to assist students would be instituted, such as basic skills classes and help from Bowen Center to address emotional issues of the students. Akron Principal Chrissy Mills, who is also ISTEP testing coordinator, said testing for the third through eighth grades was finished. The test was shortened from 5 hours, 50 minutes to 2 hours, 55 minutes. Third-graders still have to take the IREAD-3 test, which determines whether or not they move on to the next grade. Test dates are March 16 for practice, March 17 actual test day, and makeup day is March 18. The board was asked by patron Julie Canada if there was any data showing whether or not changing the length of school days was beneficial. Canada asked, “Since we’ve been doing this for three years, I wonder if you can measure its success?” Boggs explained there is no data for this, but research shows a later start for older students, as well as a longer day, are conducive to learning. In other business, the board: • Accepted a $1,000 donation from the K21 Health Foundation in tribute to director Rosy Jansma, which will go toward the corporation’s mental health task force. • Hired Jenna Burton, special education teacher, and Trent Nolen, custodian, both at the high school; Dedra Ruff, cook, and Jenifer McQuinn, instructional assistant, both at the middle school. • Approved Greg Prater as high school junior varsity baseball coach. • Accepted resignations from Holli Mares, high school custodian; Abigail Schwendeman, high school special education teacher; Billy Gillman, Akron Elementary custodian; and Camille Sherow, Mentone Elementary instructional assistant. • Approved Sunday afternoon facility usage at Mentone Elementary. • Heard first reading of an addition to school policy regarding outside activities for staff. • Approved publication of a notice of project hearing on construction projects. • Was presented the school calendar for the 2015-1016 school year. The first student day is Aug. 10.
