The Math Teams from Akron and Mentone Elementary Schools performed extremely well in the recent M.A.T.H. Bowl Competition. Akron’s Math Team tied for first in the state in their division of 127 schools. Because of the tie breaker, Akron was awarded second place. Mentone’s Math Team placed sixth in the state in the same division.

Again, there were 127 schools in our division from throughout the state that competed in the M.A.T.H. Bowl. To have our two elementary schools both place in the top 10 is simply outstanding!!!

Congratulations to the Akron and Mentone Elementary School Math Team members and coaches. Well done! We are so very proud of you!

It is not a stretch to say the world we live in today is a very different than it was even 10 years ago. As society changes and the values of society shift, schools have to find ways to make sure kids are prepared to go out into society and be successful. Projecting the skills and dispositions of value for kids 10 years into the future is a tough task!

Our challenge is to make sure students are ready for the world. Respecting others, being responsible, and being ready for what is expected are keys to success in life. This is why they are the core of The Viking Way at Tippecanoe Valley Middle School (TVMS). These are valuable skills and every student must develop a value system that includes them if they wish to be successful now and in the future.

Students must have an attitude that no matter how challenging a situation they can persevere, think and attack the challenge. As a school, we work hard every day to help students develop this skill. The development of GRIT has to be a two-way endeavor. Many times kids are quick to give up because they see a challenge as too hard, not fun for them, or not a priority. As adults, we can all affirm that not everything in life is easy. GRIT, the ability to persevere, is a key to success in the future, no matter what that future brings.

The job of a teacher is also a challenge today. It is a thankless job that is bombarded with negativity and painted by some as “failing.” My job is to make sure our staff meets all of the legal, statutory and policy driven expectations of the State and the Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation (TVSC). However, I feel it is also my job to make sure my staff understands our true purpose and keeps focused on our “WHY”.

The TVMS staff completed a study of Lead…for God’s Sake by Todd Gongwer this semester. The book generated some very interesting discussion about the current realities of teaching and the current status of society in general. It provided great professional discussion and helped us set our priorities for the year.

The book is the story of a basketball coach who is struggling to get a team of talented young men to perform and also how a janitor named Joe showed him that fear and reward aren’t always the best way to lead. Our true heart and the relationships we develop are critical to leadership.

Teachers did not become teachers only to help kids pass a test. Society is telling us that a single measure defines us. I disagree. What defines us is the CARE we put into our kids, the BELIEF we have in their abilities, and the EXPECTATION we have for ourselves and the kids we serve.
Today’s society needs respectful, responsible, ready, gritty, and caring human beings. We are working hard at TVMS to equip our kids with these skills. With the help of caring parents and a concerned community, we will make sure our Vikings are ready for whatever the future throws their way!

This article and many more written by Mr. Backus can be found on his BLOG.

Tippecanoe is planning ahead. Please mark Monday, March 21, at 7 p.m. on your calendars. Both buildings will be holding their kindergarten round-up. We look forward to seeing you there. Please continue to visit our website for more information.

Typically, the response I receive from people when asked if they would ever want to be a school board member is, “No way!”  They say there is not enough money in the world for them to be on the board. They say it is a thankless job and that all everyone does is complain to board members. Some of the time they are right, it can be thankless job.  Yes, people do complain about everything from an athletic coach, a teacher, the administration, all the way to not having Wi-Fi in the gym during a basketball game.

The majority of days make being a school board member well worth it. I personally got on the board to be involved with my boys’ education, and I thought what better way than to run for the school board. I didn’t have an agenda or a teacher or coach in mind that just had to go. I just wanted to be involved with the decisions that affect my kids’ education. I have included below what our current school board said when asked why they ran for office:
Mr. Dave O’Brien became a school board member, “To try and bring positive change to the school system. I didn’t like the direction the school was going in and I wanted to get involved.”

Mr. Tom Craft became a school board member, “To change things where changes needed to be made to make it better for our kids.”
Mr. Todd Hoffman became a school board member, “To bring new and fresh ideas to the board room and to be a voice for the community’s concerns!”
Mr. Stan Miller became a school board member because, “I wanted to be more involved in my kids’ school to try to make it the best it can be. I enjoy being able to help make positive changes for our schools.”

As you can see from their responses, the primary reason for being a school board member is to make our schools the best they can be for the benefit of our kids.  Anyone attending a school board meeting will see that is what we are trying to do, within the State established guidelines and mandates. It is not an easy job, but when you see improved test scores, rising student achievement, growing student leadership, and have parents writing letters to our administrators saying they are glad their kids go to school at Valley, that’s what makes it all worthwhile. That is why you should consider becoming a school board member.  It’s a great way to make and keep Tippecanoe Valley’s schools the best they can be for our kids, our staff, and our community.

Construction will commence this spring on the new Akron Elementary. The new building will consist of a renovated existing classroom wing and the addition of office, classroom, cafeteria, stage, gymnasium and supporting spaces. The school is anchored by a central courtyard allowing natural light to fill the interior of the building. The new west facing office and entry pays tribute to the original school by reusing existing engraved limestone as a new entry focal point. Similarly, a new covered entry to the cafeteria and gymnasium honors Akron’s past by salvaging existing limestone and coursing it into the new masonry wall for permanent display. Inside the school shared student break out space is intermingled throughout both classroom wings allowing small group opportunities out of the classroom. The stage is centered between the cafeteria and gymnasium and opens to each side allowing for a variety of functions including presentations, performances, plays and other events. The design of the educational space looks to the future and includes interactive digital teaching boards, wireless connectivity, sound reinforcement and flexible instructional space. The building design includes energy saving features such as LED lighting with occupancy sensors, mechanical heat recovery systems and future photovoltaic panels.

The holidays are a great time to teach children compassion and empathy for others. It is easy for children to be excited to receive gifts, but how do we develop the same enthusiasm for giving? Here are some examples of how you can involve your child in the joy of giving.

• Let your child shop for a few gifts for others using their own money
• Do a holiday craft or bake cookies to give to neighbors or friends
• Let your child wrap a few gifts themselves
• Have your child make cards for others
• Give your child the opportunity to present the gift to someone so they can see the joy it brings
• Volunteer in a local soup kitchen or participate in Toys for Tots

Parents and teachers share the same goals for children and students: they want each individual to do their best. This will happen when parents and teachers work together in a number of ways:

• Keeping lines of communication open between parents and teachers
• Parents help by setting aside time for schoolwork at home
• Teachers can send newsletters, create blogs, make phone calls and send report cards
• Parents can attend parent/teacher conferences to make sure that parents, teachers and students are all on the same page
• Parents can volunteer in the classroom or building
• Parents can help the teacher by letting them know about things happening at home
• Teachers and parents can work as a team to provide the best for students

Don Craig, a 1963 graduate of Tippecanoe High School, went on to take a 13-week course at Hobart Welding School in Troy, Ohio. “I was a bit more advanced than most of the students,” he says in recognition of the work he’d already done with his father, the late George Craig. “Dad had a welder in our summer kitchen,” he recalls. “I think it was mostly for a hobby but then he started to do work for area farmers.”

Don began working for his father the fourth week of February 1964. “He gave me one paycheck and said, ‘From now on you’re going to be part owner.’”

Now majority owner and president of Craig Welding and Manufacturing, Inc., the sprawling complex that grew from his father’s lone welder, Don likes to say the firm can do anything and everything. “We have engineers who can manufacture anything a customer wants,” he said.

With 52 full-time and six part-time employees, Craig Welding has become noted for its steel sales and portable welding.

“We’re here to help the community,” Don says. Proof of that can be seen in the entry to the office at 5158 No. 825 East where citations and certificates of appreciation line the walls.
Don’s favorite day of the year is the annual open house. “You don’t have to be a customer of ours to attend,” he said. “But if you come, you’ll meet people you haven’t seen in 20 years.”

This year’s open house was August 22 and, as usual, featured grilled fresh pork loin.

As for any obstacles he’s encountered, he said, “Just the ups and downs of the economy— just like everyone else.

After receiving an honors diploma from Tippecanoe Valley High School in 1997 where she was salutatorian, Aura Strohschein continued collecting diplomas: bachelor’s degrees in departmental honors in French and in music from Ball State University and a master’s degree of Music Performance, suma cum laude, from the University of Toledo. She currently is working on a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Piano Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Iowa. In addition, she participated in the International Student Exchange Program at the Université de Charles de Gaulle in Lille, France, and received the médaille de vermeil in piano and deuxième prix in chamber music from the Conservatoire National de Région de Lille.

Strohschein has made presentations and done research in various fields of music throughout the United States and appeared in special programs in England, France, Mallorca, Germany, Austria and a number of American cities.

She began teaching piano and flute in a studio in her Akron home and has since taught in Iowa, Ohio, Louisiana and Indiana in addition to working as a teaching assistant at Lycée Fénélon in Lille, France.

Despite her collection of diplomas and degrees, she says she is especially famous for making lemon crème pie out of life’s lemons.

“Well, possibly as a pianist, linguist, teacher, traveler and for making people smile,” she added while flashing one of her own radiant smiles. “I’ve had to learn not to allow the past or others’ opinions determine my destiny. That has meant overcoming doubt and fear, learning to be who I am and not who others want me to be.”