Valley School Honors Retiring Teachers; Receives Board Award
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
MENTONE – Among recognitions Monday evening at the Tippecanoe Valley School Board were two retiring teachers and the board itself. Retirees include Mentone Elementary second-grade teacher Sally Bales and Akron Elementary third-grade teacher Janet Morgan. Bales has served 37 years in education, all at Valley. She began her career in 1977 teaching primary reading at Akron. The following year she moved to a second-grade classroom where she taught for several years. In 2005, she moved to Mentone Elementary to become an elementary math coach. In her years at Mentone, she taught fifth and second grade. When Superintendent Brett Boggs asked her if she had anything to share, Bales said only, “Thank you.” Morgan has 38 years in education counting substituting and full-time. Of those, 36 were at Tippecanoe Valley, with 30 being full-time employment. She substituted in the Davenport, Iowa, School Corp. and the surrounding area for a year. She then taught third grade at Triton. Upon moving to Akron, she substituted from 1978 to 1984. In 1985, she started teaching second grade, and switched to third grade in 2007. Her only comment about retiring was, “It’s sad, but it’s rewarding, too.” Boggs also recognized the school board for being honored as an “Outstanding Board” during the recent regional meeting of the Indiana School Boards Association. The designation resulted from the board’s participation in the ISBA Certification Awards Program which recognizes individual board members and school boards for their voluntary participation in ISBA and other school board training. Boggs said board Secretary Dave O’Brien accepted the award on behalf of the school board. Mentone Elementary Principal Angie Miller recognized her school’s student council, office helpers, spelling bee participants, students with perfect IREAD-3 scores, No Bully Bulldogs, Spell Bowl and Math Bowl teams and the Mentone Running Club. In other business, the board: • Saw a presentation on the how registration for the 2014-15 school year will be online. It will be the first time Valley parents have had to register their students online. • Reviewed a seclusion and restraint policy. The board will vote on it at the June meeting. • Reviewed revisions to the school board policy on vacations and holidays for full-time 12-month employees. It also will be voted on at the June meeting. • Announced upcoming regular meetings will be June 9, July 14 and Aug. 11 at the administration office, all at 6:30 p.m. The Capital Project Fund workshop will be at 7:30 p.m. June 23 at the administration office. • Announced graduation will be June 8, with the baccalaureate at 2 p.m. and commencement at 2:45 p.m. • Honored Tippecanoe Valley High School senior Anna Higgins for serving as a student representative to the board.
