Written by Pam Mort, parent of a TVHS graduate

I am the mother of a 2017 graduate of Tippecanoe Valley High School.  I would like to say THANK YOU to all the teachers for doing such a great job with our children and to share my feelings about a couple of the activities and teachers that touched my child’s life in a significant way.

Let’s begin with the Viking Guard. Band is not just a class…it is a way of teaching discipline, guidance, acceptance and being a secondary family. With that thought in mind Miss Janell Riner is the second mother to all of these kids. I want to say thank you to her for making each and every single one of them feel like they belonged and like they should take pride in their work, in their community and in their accomplishments. She will be a part of our lives for many years to come and she should know that she touched each of the kids in the band both in mind and in heart!

The dedication that Mr. Mark Williamson and Mrs. Katie Williamson show and the personal time they take for the students is amazing! From allowing them to be creative and use their imagination to the encouragement and teaching of life skills these two teach our children some of the most wonderful skills needed to make their lives successful and to help change the world for the better. They teach them that all things are possible if you try and that the world is only limited by what limits you place upon yourself. They teach them to be accepting of others and of their own faults. They teach them to laugh at mistakes and yet learn from them at the same time. They encourage the students to use their imagination to see things in ways that maybe others don’t see and to think outside the box. These are important life skills and ones that will allow them to do great things with their lives.

Mr. Jeff Shriver’s total support of the students is awesome! His work with the Archery Club outstanding! He takes these kids and his time before school and teaches them to work as a team! He shows them that people from all walks of life can bond together with encouragement and commitment to succeed. He takes pride in their accomplishments and encourages them to know that no one is perfect and that they don’t need to be as long as they do their best. He supports them, praises them and guides them when they need it while still allowing them to make their mistakes. There is no judgement in his interactions. He shows the kids respect and treats them as young adults, not in a negative way but in a positive way. That respect is mutual and evident in everything they do.

It is the dreamers of the world that will make the changes and growth we need to succeed as a people and it is people like the above mentioned teachers that create those dreamers! THANK YOU!

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.