Miracle Tree program helps 122 Tippecanoe Valley families

This entry was posted in News, TV High School on by .

Christmas is a little brighter this year for more than one hundred families in the Tippecanoe Valley area after receiving assistance through the Miracle Tree program.

Miracle Tree is sponsored by Mill Creek Missionary Church and has been going strong for years in the Rochester area. Tippecanoe Valley teachers Darren Parker and Crystal Heckaman helped expand the program this year after noticing a growing need for it in the their school district.

“Our school corporation makes a great effort to care for kids at Christmas time, but we had so many programs going in so many directions. We wanted to combine all of our efforts into one massive project,” said Heckaman.

122 families in need were shopped for this Christmas. Families who expressed an interest in receiving help this year were assigned a number. Those numbers were then placed on ornaments and hung on trees inside Bell Memorial Public Library in Mentone and Akron Carnegie Public Library in Akron. The numbers let sponsors know how many children were in each family. Sponsors were then provided a wish list for the family they selected.

All of the gifts were presented to the families on December 14 at a special event that included food and activities for children.

The Tippecanoe Valley High School Student Council was one of the largest sponsors this year, adopting 10 families. Financial donations allowed the student council to purchase $100 worth of gifts for 48 people. In previous years, the student council would take elementary students shopping for Christmas, but decided on a new approach this year through the Miracle Tree program.

“We had a great crew of  students, staff, high school student council members, Mill Creek Missionary Church members, and  people in the community that came out to set up, serve food, help with various activities, and help tear down,” said Heckaman.

Several area businesses including The Log Cabin in Rochester, Viking Foods in Akron, Kroger in Rochester, Jarrety’s Place in Rochester, and photographer Shelly Craig donated their time and resources to help with the event.

Tippecanoe Valley grad speaks to students about military experience

This entry was posted in News, TV High School on by .

A Tippecanoe Valley graduate who recently completed basic training for the U.S. Army, returned to school to speak to students about his experience.

Tommy VanMeter graduated from Tippecanoe Valley in 2016 and recently finished basic training in Fort Benning, Georgia. VanMeter spoke to students on December 21st at the Burket Educational Center about how his short time in the military has already impacted his life in a positive way.

“We are very proud of Tommy for his service. His picture will now be up on the Military Wall of Fame in Burket,” said instructor Micah Lukens.

VanMeter is planning to continue working towards the title of infantryman, a title the U.S. Army says is responsible for defending the United States against any threat by land, as well as capturing, destroying and repelling enemy ground forces.

According to the U.S. Army’s website, job training for infantryman requires 14 weeks of One Station Unit Training, which includes Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training. Part of this time is spent in the classroom and part in the field.

During his time in basic training, VanMeter earned the title of expert shooter by hitting 36 out of 40 on his shooting.

Revised Tuesday Exam Schedule

This entry was posted in TV High School on by .

Revised Exam Schedule:

You may not leave school and return to take a exam.  You may still come late and leave early if you have an exemption.

 Tuesday, December 20

1st period Exam        8:25 – 10:25

2nd period Exam      10:30 – 12:30

VS-Lunch       Freshman/Senior    12:35 – 1:00

                       Sophomore/Junior   1:05-1:25

7th period Exam     1:30 -3:30

VALLEY INSIGHT: Marketing Public School Districts

This entry was posted in News on by .

Written By Aaron Leedy, Director of Marketing, Public Relations, and Grant Writing aaron-leedyfor the Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation

In recent years, attracting new students and retaining current ones to public school corporations has become just as competitive as businesses competing for customers. Just like the success of a business depends on the revenue from shoppers, a public school corporation can’t operate without funding from state and federal governments. The money a corporation receives depends on the number of students enrolled, so “selling” a corporation to parents and students is increasingly common especially as the education landscape continues to evolve.

In Indiana, parents can send their child to any public school they want to without having to pay tuition. On top of that, charter schools are another option competing to fill seats. It’s only natural nowadays for public school corporations to market and highlight the positive stories happening in their schools to help retain current students and attract new ones.

This is the first year for Tippecanoe Valley’s newly-created public relations, marketing, and grant writing position. A role like this was almost unheard of for a small, rural district less than a decade ago. It used to be that only large school corporations with thousands of students in highly-populated areas established public relations and marketing positions.

One reason for this new position at Tippecanoe Valley is to create and distribute the content that busy teachers and administrators simply do not have time to do. Tasks like creating newsletters, drafting press releases, handling social media pages, responding to media requests, seeking grant funding for projects, developing marketing plans, updating school websites, and taking photographs and video of school events were things that would get done in what little spare time they had left at the end of the day, if at all.

This new role frees up that extra time so a teacher can spend more time on what is most important: the student. It also provides a cohesive approach for the staff when handling things related to marketing and public relations.

A lot of great things happen at each Tippecanoe Valley school on a daily basis. There are so many stories from our teachers and students to tell, that no matter how much content we create, we feel like we’ve only scratched the surface of what’s happening.

The intent of this new position at Tippecanoe Valley is simple and true to the district’s vision. We’re here to inform the public and market our schools by sharing what is being done in our schools to equip all students to be successful – today, tomorrow, and beyond.

Valley Insight is a recurring monthly article written by administrators on a variety of topics related to education and the Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation. Articles will be posted to the district’s website and also shared with the local media.

Two outgoing Tippecanoe Valley board members honored for service

This entry was posted in News on by .

Two members of the Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation board of trustees whose terms expire at the end of this year were recently recognized for their service and dedication to the school district.

David O’Brien and Tom Craft were both honored and presented with plaques at the December 12th school board meeting. Their current terms end on December 31, 2016.

Having served a total of 16 and one-half years, O’Brien’s first of four terms began on July 1, 2000. He served as a school board representative on several corporation committees. O’Brien is also the current school board president.

Craft’s term began on January 1, 2013. Both have demonstrated commitment to continual growth by regularly participating in training opportunities provided by the Indiana School Boards Association.

The district appreciates the dedicated service both O’Brien and Craft have provided to the Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation.

The terms of newly-elected members Adam Heckaman and Aaron Zolman will officially begin on January 1, 2017. They will be sworn in at the January 16th school board meeting. The meeting will be held at the Burket Educational Center beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Tippecanoe Valley board of trustees honors three staff members for excellence

This entry was posted in Mentone on by .

The Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation board of trustees honored at its December 12th meeting three staff members for their hard work and dedication to the district.

Sheila Kindig, a computer lab instructor at Akron Elementary School, and Samantha Bradford, secretary at Akron Elementary School, are the recipients of the Tippecanoe Valley Pillar Award for Outstanding Support Staff.

Kindig is in her 20th year at Akron Elementary School. She started as a substitute teacher before being hired to work in the computer lab.

“The best part of my job is working with and getting to know every student at Akron. It’s fun to see them come in as kindergarten students and watch how much they grow, change, and learn as they move through the grades at Akron and on to TVMS,” said Kindig.

Bradford began working at Akron Elementary School in 1997 as an instructional assistant. Eight years ago, she became the school’s secretary and is currently in her 19th year at Akron. Her colleagues describe her as always helpful, fun to be around, and easy to laugh with.

The board also recognized Karla Hayden, a reading interventionist at Mentone Elementary School, as the recipient of the Tippecanoe Valley World Class Teacher Award.

“Karla Hayden exemplifies self-sacrifice, continually reads about current educational practice in her field, and is an instructional leader who cares deeply about the success of many components of Mentone Elementary.  Her collaborative spirit and concern for all Mentone students are evident in her actions on a daily basis,” said Mentone Elementary School Principal Randy Dahms.

Tippecanoe Valley board of trustees honors three staff members for excellence

This entry was posted in Akron on by .

The Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation board of trustees honored at its December 12th meeting three staff members for their hard work and dedication to the district.

Sheila Kindig, a computer lab instructor at Akron Elementary School, and Samantha Bradford, secretary at Akron Elementary School, are the recipients of the Tippecanoe Valley Pillar Award for Outstanding Support Staff.

Kindig is in her 20th year at Akron Elementary School. She started as a substitute teacher before being hired to work in the computer lab.

“The best part of my job is working with and getting to know every student at Akron. It’s fun to see them come in as kindergarten students and watch how much they grow, change, and learn as they move through the grades at Akron and on to TVMS,” said Kindig.

Bradford began working at Akron Elementary School in 1997 as an instructional assistant. Eight years ago, she became the school’s secretary and is currently in her 19th year at Akron. Her colleagues describe her as always helpful, fun to be around, and easy to laugh with.

The board also recognized Karla Hayden, a reading interventionist at Mentone Elementary School, as the recipient of the Tippecanoe Valley World Class Teacher Award.

“Karla Hayden exemplifies self-sacrifice, continually reads about current educational practice in her field, and is an instructional leader who cares deeply about the success of many components of Mentone Elementary.  Her collaborative spirit and concern for all Mentone students are evident in her actions on a daily basis,” said Mentone Elementary School Principal Randy Dahms.

Left to Right: Board Members Stan Miller, Todd Hoffman, Tom Craft, Bryan Murphy, and Dave O’Brien

TVSC board of trustees approves 2017-2018 school calendar

This entry was posted in News on by .

The Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation board of trustees approved the 2017-2018 master school calendar at its regularly scheduled meeting December 12.

Superintendent Brett Boggs said the calendar is almost identical to the current 2016-2017 school calendar, with only minimal differences between the two.

The newly-approved calendar features 91 days of school for students in the first semester and 89 days of school in the second semester. School will begin on Monday, August 7, 2017 and end Thursday, May 17, 2018.

10 emergency make-up days prior to graduation are built in. The calendar also features a three-day Thanksgiving vacation for students, an 11-day Christmas break, and a week off in the spring.

To view the calendar, click this link: tvsc-school-calendar-2017-2018

Tippecanoe Valley board of trustees honors three staff members for excellence

This entry was posted in News on by .

The Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation board of trustees honored at its December 12th meeting three staff members for their hard work and dedication to the district.

Sheila Kindig, a computer lab instructor at Akron Elementary School, and Samantha Bradford, secretary at Akron Elementary School, are the recipients of the Tippecanoe Valley Pillar Award for Outstanding Support Staff.

Kindig is in her 20th year at Akron Elementary School. She started as a substitute teacher before being hired to work in the computer lab.

“The best part of my job is working with and getting to know every student at Akron. It’s fun to see them come in as kindergarten students and watch how much they grow, change, and learn as they move through the grades at Akron and on to TVMS,” said Kindig.

Bradford began working at Akron Elementary School in 1997 as an instructional assistant. Eight years ago, she became the school’s secretary and is currently in her 19th year at Akron. Her colleagues describe her as always helpful, fun to be around, and easy to laugh with.

The board also recognized Karla Hayden, a reading interventionist at Mentone Elementary School, as the recipient of the Tippecanoe Valley World Class Teacher Award.

“Karla Hayden exemplifies self-sacrifice, continually reads about current educational practice in her field, and is an instructional leader who cares deeply about the success of many components of Mentone Elementary.  Her collaborative spirit and concern for all Mentone students are evident in her actions on a daily basis,” said Mentone Elementary School Principal Randy Dahms.

Public invited to attend Mentone and Akron elementary music programs

This entry was posted in Mentone on by .

Elementary school students throughout the Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation are gearing up for their annual holiday music programs.

Akron Elementary’s Christmas music program has been rescheduled for Thursday, December 15 at 7:00 p.m. in the school gymnasium. Doors will open at 6:30.

The Akron program will feature kindergarten, second grade, and fourth grade students singing songs and dancing several folk dances. The theme is “Sing Merrily, Sing for Joy!”

Students in first, third, and fifth grades at Mentone Elementary are also preparing for their annual Christmas music program. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 13 with the program beginning at 7:00 in the gym. Students should report to their classrooms for lineup.

Both music programs are open to the public. There is no charge to attend