Author Archives: Keith Lang

Schools celebrate Unified Game Day

This entry was posted in Akron, Mentone, News, TV High School, TV Middle School on May 10, 2017 by Keith Lang.

Schools throughout the Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation celebrated Unified Game Day on May 8 at the Tippecanoe Valley High School track.

Unified Game Day is part of Unified Champion Schools, a 12-week program recently launched by Special Olympics Indiana, with the focus of providing youngsters with different physical activities that lead to improved skills and fitness.

Students ages two to seven participated in activity stations during Unified Game Day, while students ages eight and up participated in track and field activities. A closing ceremony and awards program were also held.

The Unified Champion Schools program is designed to implement a physical education curriculum with activities that promote motor, cognitive, social and emotional skill development as well as inclusion of students with and without disabilities.

Unified Game Day was one of the last components of the program. The event gave students the time to demonstrate and celebrate the skills they have practiced and learned.

Video produced by Inga Omondi, instructional coach, Akron Elementary

Tippecanoe Valley honors four retiring teachers for decades of service

This entry was posted in Mentone, News, TV High School on May 9, 2017 by Keith Lang.

Four teachers who are retiring at the end of the school year from the Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation were honored on May 8 for their years of service.

The board of trustees recognized Lois Ann Buss, Tippecanoe Valley High School (TVHS) language teacher, Kim Eiser, Mentone Elementary first grade teacher, Brenda Vanlaningham, Mentone Elementary kindergarten teacher and Doug Heinold, TVHS industrial technology teacher. All four have a combined total of 131 years of experience teaching at Tippecanoe Valley.

“The greatest reward I have is living with purpose and passion in a profession where I have the opportunity to make a difference in the world. Teaching allows me to impact the lives of young people, and even to sometimes save a life,” said Buss, who started teaching at Tippecanoe Valley in 1980.

Buss taught French, Spanish and English, but also wore many extracurricular hats at times including cheer coach, French Club and junior class sponsor. She is also very excited to have recently acquired the title of “Nana”, and will be traveling to Michigan often to spend time with her first granddaughter. She will also begin teaching French part time at Grace College this fall.

Eiser says some of the most rewarding moments of her career include seeing her former students accomplish their goals and return for visits years after their days in elementary school. She completes a 35-year teaching career at Tippecanoe Valley, starting just a few months after graduating from Indiana State University.

“It has been a delight to see my kids turn into parents and to have their children in my class. The most important rewards are the lifetime connections that I have made with my students and colleagues,” said Eiser, who plans to travel, read more and possibly substitute teach during retirement.

The day to day interaction with kids and working with the teachers at Mentone Elementary is what Vanlaningham will miss the most. She calls the school her “home away from home” and will miss everyone, she said.

“I could not have asked for more from the kind, caring, fellow teachers here. Thank you is not enough for this great group of colleagues,” said Vanlaningham, who spent 28 years teaching at Tippecanoe Valley.

Vanlaningham is looking forward to being a full-time grandma and getting to go to more sporting events, grandparents’ days and just being available when needed. She doesn’t have any immediate plans for retirement yet, but says she would like to take more mission trips in the future.

“I guess once a teacher, always a teacher! Maybe just in a different capacity or country,” she said.

Heinold says the most rewarding part of his time teaching at Tippecanoe Valley are the former students he bumps into on a regular basis who have made a successful career from some of the skills, knowledge and advice they may have gained from the industrial technology classes they took at TVHS.

Heinold came to TVHS in 1985 to teach woodworking and drafting, among other things, and to coach football, baseball and wrestling. He will miss all of the people at Tippecanoe Valley the most, he says.

“I have worked with a lot of great people from administrators to students during my time here. I hope that I will never forget all of the good times that I have had from the classroom to the field. Tippecanoe Valley has been a great place to teach and coach all of these years,” said Heinold.

Heinold is hoping to still be able to use his skills for a while longer. He loves the computer drafting and robotics aspects of what he taught for the past decade. He also hopes to spend more time with his family during retirement.

“I hope to be able to consider myself a Tippecanoe Valley Viking for life,” he said.

Picture from left to right: TVSC Board of Trustees Vice President Stan Miller, TVSC Board Member Bryan Murphy, TVHS Industrial Technology Teacher Doug Heinold, TVHS Language Teacher Lois Buss, Mentone Elementary Kindergarten Teacher Brenda Vanlaningham, TVSC Board of Trustees Secretary Adam Heckaman, Mentone Elementary First Grade Teacher Kim Eiser, TVSC Board of Trustees Member Aaron Zolman and TVSC Board of Trustees President Todd Hoffman.

TVHS juniors graduate from Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy

This entry was posted in News, TV High School on May 4, 2017 by Keith Lang.

The Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy’s Class of 2016-2017 was honored on May 3.

A graduation ceremony was held at Vitale Events in Warsaw. 32 students from the high schools that serve Kosciusko County – Lakeland Christian, Tippecanoe Valley, Triton, Warsaw, Wawasee, and Whitko – were members of this year’s class.

Two Project Proud presentations were made, one featuring Tippecanoe Valley High School’s McKenzie Murphy, Susan Nickerson, and Olivia Trippiedi and their project, “Covered with Love”.

Photo from left to right: Tippecanoe Valley High School juniors Susan Nickerson, Madison O’Connell, Olivia Trippiedi, McKenzie Murphy, Jacob McDonald, and Camden Tucker.

TVSC announces Summer Food Service Program details

This entry was posted in Akron, Mentone, News, TV High School, TV Middle School on May 2, 2017 by Keith Lang.

The Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation announced on May 2 plans to participate in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).

Free meals will be made available to all children 18 years of age and under and to persons over 18 years who are enrolled in a state-approved educational program for the mentally or physically disabled. Free meals will be provided to all children without charge and are the same for all children. There will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; fax: (202) 690-7442; or email: [email protected].

This institution is an equal opportunity provider. Free meals will be provided at the sites listed below beginning May 30, 2017 and ending July 25, 2017.

For further information contact:

Blaine Conley, Assistant Superintendent

8343 S. State Rd. 19, Akron, IN 46910

(574) 598-2765

LISTING OF SITES WITH OPERATING DATES

SITE NAME

SITE ADDRESS

OPERATING DATES

Mentone Elementary School

301 E. Jackson St.

Mentone, IN 46910

Breakfast May 30^th thru June 21^st. No breakfast on June 16^th.

Lunch Monday-Friday from May 30^th – July 25^th.

No meals served on July 3^rd & 4^th.

Tippecanoe Valley High School

8345 S. State Rd. 19

Akron, IN 46910

Breakfast May 30^th thru July 25^th. No meals served at the high school on June 30^th & July 7^th, 14^th or 21^st.

Lunch Monday-Friday from May 30^th – July 25^th.

No meals served on July 3^rd & 4^th.

Community invited to attend Unified Game Day on May 8

This entry was posted in Akron, Mentone, News, TV High School, TV Middle School on April 28, 2017 by Keith Lang.

An event designed to help special needs kids become more active is taking place May 8 at the Tippecanoe Valley High School track.

The community is invited to attend Unified Game Day from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Students with and without disabilities will participate in the inaugural event.

“The ultimate goal is for these students to become physically fit, active and also someday hopefully participate in some type of Indiana High School Athletic Association-sanctioned event,” said school psychologist Jon Ekhoff.

Students ages two to seven will participate in activity stations during Unified Game Day, while students ages eight and up will participate in track and field activities. A closing ceremony and awards program will also be held.

“Students learn a lot of the basic skills they may not have developed naturally,” said Ekhoff.

Unified Game Day is one of the last components of the program. The event gives students the time to demonstrate and celebrate the skills they have practiced and learned.

Photo: Eighth graders Dakota and Shawnitta Webb (front row) along with seventh grader Carolyn Roth and eighth grader Cheyenne Barngrover (back row) practice the 50-meter dash for Unified Game Day.

Tippecanoe Valley to host community job fair on May 6

This entry was posted in Akron, Mentone, News, TV High School, TV Middle School on April 27, 2017 by Keith Lang.

Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation, in cooperation with WorkOne of Northern Indiana, will host a community job fair on Saturday, May 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Tippecanoe Valley Middle School commons.

Several employers will be present to share their career opportunities. Some of those employers include Acument Global Technologies, Bourbon Street Pizza, Consolidated Container, Craig Welding, D&D Electric, Flexaust, Four Winds Casino/Resort, KGP Logistics, Kroger (Rochester), Miller’s Health Systems, Rochester Metal Products, Subway (Mentone), Timbercrest, Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation, Topp Industries, Indiana Composites, Grace Village Retirement Community, United States Marine Corps, Whitley Manufacturing and more.

A variety of positions will be available – some part-time, full-time, temporary and seasonal. Attendees are encouraged to bring copies of their résumé and be prepared to fill out applications. Employers may also conduct interviews during the event.

Tippecanoe Valley is also hosting the job fair as a means of recruiting potential employees for teaching opportunities and employment in the following areas – bus driver, instructional assistant, cafeteria staff, and custodial staff.

There is no charge to attend the event. Tippecanoe Valley Middle School is located at 11303 W 800 S, Akron, IN, 46910. Attendees should enter through the main doors on the north side of the building.

VALLEY INSIGHT: Technology Enhances Tippecanoe Valley’s Mission

This entry was posted in News on April 27, 2017 by Keith Lang.

Written by Tippecanoe Valley Technology Team members Gwen Cooper, Matt Cavender, Brendan Marsillett and Keith Lang

At Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation (TVSC) we are dedicated to our mission: TVSC will do whatever it takes to equip all students to be successful today, tomorrow and beyond. The TVSC Tech Team is having an exciting and busy year rolling out and supporting new devices and programs at all levels in support of that mission. Here are just a few of those highlights.

At Akron Elementary and Mentone Elementary, the new Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Launch curriculum introduces students from kindergarten through fifth grade to computer science, engineering, and biomedical science among other areas through the use of hands-on activities and challenges. Each school has an iPad cart dedicated to PLTW Launch with specific apps that are used as part of this course.

At the beginning of the school year, Tippecanoe Valley Middle School (TVMS) rolled out its new in-house One-to-One program and each student was issued a new Dell laptop running Windows 10 to use during the school day. The devices stay at school overnight where they get charged to be ready to use for the next day. One key benefit from this program is the improvement it has brought to ISTEP testing. Before, students would have to cycle in and out of three computer labs, taking weeks to complete testing in order to get everyone through all the sessions. Now, since all the students are testing on their own school-issued devices, TVMS completed the first round of testing in two half-day sessions only, resulting in less stress for the students and less instructional time being lost.

At Tippecanoe Valley High School (TVHS), students were recently given their own TVSC email addresses to facilitate communication between the administration, the students, and the teachers. Thanks to the recent conversion to Office 365, our students now have access to all of the Office programs they use in their various classes through the Cloud, free of charge while they are students at TVSC. This means that, as long as students have access to the internet, they can login to Office 365 from any device, anywhere, and have access to any Office application, including online storage for any work created in Office 365. Students who do not have internet access at home will also have the ability to install Office 365 directly onto their device.

Looking to the future, our department is also gearing up for next school year with a major refresh of the 1:1 devices at TVHS. TVSC is in the process of acquiring new laptops that are both powerful and modern. These machines will also be equipped with Windows 10, which has a strong integration with Office 365, and will not only be easier to use than the previous ones, but also more reliable and less prone to damage.

Another addition will be the interactive multi-touch touchscreens replacing aging projectors at Akron Elementary and several classrooms at TVHS to provide a more dynamic and interactive learning environment for our students. This technology will enhance the ability of our teachers to meet the diverse learning styles of the students in today’s classroom.

Finally, one of our goals for next school year is to promote, coordinate, and increase the participation of our students at all levels in the Hour of Code event. The Hour of Code takes place every year in December, during Computer Science Education Week, and offers children of all ages an introduction to coding through age-appropriate, fun-filled activities.

Picture from left to right: Matt Cavender, Keith Lang, Gwen Cooper and Brendan Marsillett

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.

Akron Elementary online auction runs May 4 – 14

This entry was posted in Akron, News on April 21, 2017 by Keith Lang.

The Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation will offer a variety of items for sale to the public via online auction starting Thursday, May 4, and concluding Sunday, May 14. The items to be sold are primarily the result of phases #2 and #3 of the Akron Elementary School renovation and construction project scheduled to conclude in December 2017.

Interested individuals may bid on pieces of outdoor play equipment from Akron’s Head Start playground and the playground at the Burket Educational Center. Also to be auctioned are items from the 1987 wing (Art Room tables, Media Center wood tables and chairs, steel student hall lockers, classroom steel shelving, water fountains, and heavy duty tables and storage cabinets from the Staff Workroom.

Items to be sold from the kindergarten wing include classroom sink & storage units and folding vinyl doors. Commercial items from the kitchen/cafeteria include a three-door freezer, food warmer, serving area with electric warmers, milk coolers, food preparation tables of various sizes (butcher block and stainless steel), convection ovens, six-burner gas stove and oven, steamer, 2-door refrigerators, food grinder, meat slicer, and assorted carts.

Gym items to be auctioned include the wood gym floor (approximately 80’x120’), steel retractable bleachers (seat 700), scoreboards with a control panel, clear glass basketball backboards and goals, wall padding, ceiling mounted acoustic panels, a sliding net curtain & track, a gym divider curtain, volleyball posts & nets, volleyball post protectors, and a garage door & hardware. Locker room items include a chalkboard, steel restroom partitions, shower heads and stainless steel containment, and assorted steel partitions, sinks, toilets, urinals, and mirrors.

A dust collection system, wood working tables with attached vices, a drill press, a portable speaker system, a sound system with two speakers and an amplifier, and over 20 folding tables from the custodial storage area will be sold via the online auction.

Items to be sold from the Akron Elementary School Office include the main office counter and storage, storage from the office workroom, the intercom system, the wall-mounted staff mailboxes, four-drawer lateral filing cabinets, upholstered office chairs, and a Nurse’s Office bed and locking two-door medicine storage cabinet on wheels.

Items from the 1949 wing include classroom doors, wood classroom lockers & storage closets (6 rooms), black chalkboards, steel shelving, and aluminum classroom windows (6 classrooms and 4 smaller areas).

Miscellaneous items to be sold via online auction include bulletin boards, chalkboards, several two-door vertical steel storage cabinets, wood doors from classrooms and other areas, steel entrance and interior doors, and wood shelving. Restroom partitions, sinks, urinals, toilets, and mirrors from all restroom areas will be included in the online auction.

To participate in the online auction visit the Asset Auctions Online website at www.assetauctionsonline.com or Auction Zip at www.auctionzip.com. Questions about the online auction may be directed to Director of Asset Liquidation Auctions John Winkel at [email protected] or (317) 284-1420.

Anyone that would like to view the items in person prior to or during the online auction may arrange to do so by contacting Akron Elementary School Principal Chrissy Mills at [email protected] or (574) 598-2367, ext. 2325. Viewing will be scheduled to occur during the non-school hours of 4:00-5:00 p.m.

Winning bidders may pick up their items starting Monday, May 15, through Friday, May 26. The purchaser will be responsible for the removal of the items purchased. Items not removed by May 26^th will be removed by the contractor and set aside. The Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation will not be responsible for the condition of items removed by the purchaser or the contractor.

During the pick-up window of May 15-26, an additional point of contact will be Tippecanoe Valley Maintenance Director Todd Glenn at [email protected] or (574) 265-1308.

Please note that items from the 1987 wing’s west and north classrooms and the west student hall lockers will be sold in this auction, but will not be removed and available for pick-up until Monday, October 2.

TVHS senior to play football at Trine University

This entry was posted in News, TV High School on April 19, 2017 by Keith Lang.

Tippecanoe Valley High School senior DeSean Heckman will continue his academic and football career at Trine University.

Front row left to right: Sister, Nykole McGuire, Brother-in-law James Zimmerman, DeSean, Mother, April Grossman, Step-father, Matt Grossman

Back row left to right: Taneisha Brown, TVHS Athletic Director, Duane Burkhart, TVHS Assistant Principal, Jon Hutton, Former Head Coaches, Jeff Shriver and Aaron Norris, Brother, Quentin Aldridge

K21 Health Foundation awards grant to TVHS

This entry was posted in News, TV High School on April 18, 2017 by Keith Lang.

The Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation board of trustees approved at its April 17 meeting a grant to fund biomedical science classes at Tippecanoe Valley High School.

The K21 Health Foundation awarded the corporation with a $28,237 grant to fund instructor training, classroom supplies and the implementation of Project Lead the Way Biomedical Sciences curriculum.

“This curriculum is important because it exposes students to early education in medical fields that they might not otherwise be aware of,” said K21 Health Foundation Grant Coordinator Holly Swoverland.

Students enrolled in the program will develop skills essential to careers in the orthopedic industry– a main component of the Kosciusko County economy. Coursework will mirror engineering tasks employees experience in the workforce, as well as critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

“We’re also in the process of making this a dual-credit course for students. This grant will help expand our science department, which has really been limited to biology, chemistry and physiology,” said TVHS Assistant Principal Jon Hutton.

There are currently 22 students signed up for the class for the upcoming school year. The high school is also planning to add a second-level course for the 2018-2019 school year. Students will also have the option to take two additional advanced-level courses through the Warsaw Area Career Center.

“We hope to see kids taking advantage of the opportunities this curriculum provides in order to help them determine possible future career plans in a medical field and so they are more prepared when they seek higher education,” said Swoverland.

Author Archives: Keith Lang

Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation Launches New Website