Category Archives: Mentone

Family sponsors sought for Tippecanoe Valley Miracle Tree program

This entry was posted in Akron, Mentone, News, TV High School, TV Middle School on November 14, 2017 by Keith Lang.

Anyone looking for a way to give back this Christmas season can sponsor a family in need within the Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation through the Miracle Tree program.

Miracle Tree has been a holiday tradition in the Rochester community for more than a decade thanks to the Mill Creek Missionary Church, but because of an increase in the amount of people from the Tippecanoe Valley area seeking assistance, the decision was made last year to expand the program.

Trees were set up on Saturday, Nov. 11, at Bell Memorial Public Library in Mentone and also Akron Carnegie Public Library in Akron. Families throughout the Tippecanoe Valley community who have expressed an interest in receiving help this year were assigned a number. Those numbers were then placed on ornaments and hung on the trees. The number lets a potential sponsor know how many children are in each family and their ages.

“Each family has a wish list for the sponsors to use when shopping, filled with clothing sizes and toys requested,” said Darren Parker, an instructor at Tippecanoe Valley High School and a member of Mill Creek Missionary Church.

If a person, business or organization is interested in sponsoring a family, they simply take an ornament from the tree and give it to the circulation desk at either library. The sponsor is then provided a wish list for that family with items the children might want for Christmas.

Sponsors wrap the gifts they purchase and then return them back to a community location specified on each wish list. To avoid any confusion, there are specific instructions on each wish list on how to mark the gift after it has been wrapped, so organizers know which gift belongs to which family and child.

Gifts must be returned by Friday, Dec. 8. There is no limit to the amount of money a sponsor can spend on a family. Gifts will be distributed to each family on a special night in December. The church will cater a meal, provide activities for the children and take family pictures.

122 families with children attending a Tippecanoe Valley school received assistance through the Miracle Tree program last year.

EL Literacy Night featuring Jose Jurado

This entry was posted in Akron, Mentone, News, TV High School, TV Middle School on November 8, 2017 by Keith Lang.

Jose Jurado started school without knowing a single word of the English language and later became a role model for his two younger siblings by being the first person in his family to go to college. The 2009 Tippecanoe Valley graduate holds a computer engineering degree from Purdue University. His professional life has taken him from the Midwest all the way to Connecticut after landing a job with the sports network ESPN as an internal application developer. Jurado is actively involved at ESPN by helping develop a supportive work environment for Hispanics and Latinos. He is also a member of the Tippecanoe Valley Distinguished Alumni Class of 2017!

Mentone 5th graders rake leaves for “Be a Good Neighbor Day”

This entry was posted in Mentone, News on November 3, 2017 by Keith Lang.

Fifth graders at Mentone Elementary School are taking a hands-on approach when it comes to giving back to their community.

Friday, Nov. 3rd, was the school’s second annual “Be a Good Neighbor Day.” It was started last year as a way for the school to increase community involvement. Nearly 80 students went to several homes throughout Mentone to help rake leaves for elderly residents, or for people who needed some extra assistance with household chores.

“As a principal of an elementary school, you want to provide kids with a lot of wholesome experiences as they go from kindergarten to fifth grade. This is one of those times that will be a good memory for them,” said Principal Randy Dahms.

The kids were split into several groups. Half of the groups went around to different homes on a bus provided by the corporation, while the other half worked at homes within walking distance around the school.

Dahms worked with fifth grade teachers last year to help organize the community service day. A simple project such as raking leaves is easy for elementary-aged kids to handle, he says.

“I’m hopeful we can expand this to more grade levels working on different service projects in the future,” said Dahms.

https://www.facebook.com/201649846662868/videos/862556587238854/

Mentone Elementary and TVHS receive “A” letter grades

This entry was posted in Mentone, News, TV High School on October 26, 2017 by Keith Lang.

Mentone Elementary School and Tippecanoe Valley High School received “A” accountability letter grades from the Indiana Department of Education for the 2016-17 school year.

The IDOE released on Oct. 4 the 2016-17 School Accountability Grades. According to an IDOE news release, nearly 25 percent of schools in Indiana improved one or more letter grades, with the total number of A rated schools increasing by close to six percent. Overall, 62 percent of schools received an A or B.

“I am encouraged by the results of our current accountability grades as an indication of the great education Indiana students are receiving,” said Dr. Jennifer McCormick, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction “Our work, however, is not finished. As a Department we will continue to partner with stakeholders from the state level to the local community to ensure every school is successful and every student is academically prepared for the future.”

Established in 1999, the General Assembly passed Public Law 221-199 which created a performance-based accountability system. In response to this legislation, the State Board of Education (SBOE), IDOE, and the Education Roundtable collaborated over the next two years to establish the administrative rules outlining the accountability system. These rules were finalized and in place by the end of 2001. In 2015, SBOE established new metrics for Indiana’s student-centered accountability system. The metrics when into effect beginning with the assessment of the 2015-16 school year.

To view the 2016-17 School Accountability Grades, please visit: www.doe.in.gov/accountability/find-school-and-corporation-data-reports. For more information on the Indiana’s student-centered accountability system, please visit: www.doe.in.gov/accountability/indiana-student-centered-accountability.

Both Mentone Elementary School and Tippecanoe Valley High School received “B” letter grades for the 2015-16 school year.

Picture: A banner hangs in the foyer of Mentone Elementary School announcing the school’s “A” accountability letter grade accomplishment.

Mentone Elementary 1st Nine Weeks Honor Roll | Fall 2017

This entry was posted in Mentone, News on October 20, 2017 by Keith Lang.

Congratulations to all of the students who made the honor roll!

Mentone Fire Department talks to kids about fire safety

This entry was posted in Mentone, News on October 11, 2017 by Keith Lang.

Students in kindergarten through second grades at Mentone Elementary School got the chance to learn about fire safety the week of Oct. 9 through 13.

Four firemen from the Mentone Fire Department visited the school on Oct. 11 as part of Fire Prevention Week. The kids got an up-close look at a fire truck that was parked outside the school. They were able to walk around the truck and learn about how it operates and see inside each compartment.

The firefighters also gave them a demonstration inside the school about the gear they wear on calls and how it helps protect them. They also talked to the students about how to call 9-1-1 for help, how to create an escape plan in case there is a fire, and how to properly and safely get out of a burning building. The firefighters also ate lunch with the students and helped with a fire drill in the early afternoon.

Fire Prevention Week is a nationwide event that runs through Saturday, Oct. 14. This year’s theme is “Every Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out.”

You can see video of the kids’ experience by visiting the Mentone Elementary School Facebook page.

Newman Construction donates $1,000 to Tippecanoe Valley

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

Rob and Patti Newman of Newman Construction made $500 donations at the Oct. 9th school board meeting to Mentone Elementary School Special Education (Cathy Olson’s class) and the TVHS Building Trades class!

For the last couple years, Cathy Olson (primary special education teacher at Mentone Elementary School) has taken her students to Magical Meadows. While at Magical Meadows, students have the opportunity to ride horses. Magical Meadows specializes in therapeutic horseback riding and the Mentone students get to enjoy this experience. Mr. and Mrs. Newman’s donation of $500 will go to offset the cost of this program.

Mr. and Mrs. Newman are also donating $500 to the Tippecanoe Valley High School Building Trades class for the purchase of construction equipment.

Mrs. Newman has served the Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation for many years. People who donate to causes such as these care deeply about our school corporation and the lives of children we serve. We are grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Newman for their generous support of Tippecanoe Valley students!

Pictured left to right are Rob Newman, Patti Newman, Cathy Olson, and TVSC Board President Todd Hoffman

Parent-teacher conferences set for Oct. 12

This entry was posted in Akron, Mentone, News, TV High School, TV Middle School on October 5, 2017 by Keith Lang.

Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation will host parent-teacher conferences at each TVSC school – Akron Elementary School, Mentone Elementary School, Tippecanoe Valley Middle School, Tippecanoe Valley High School, and the Burket Educational Center – on Thursday, October 12, from 4 to 8 p.m.

Conferences at the high school will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. in the main gym. Parents of high school students do not need an appointment to meet with his or her teacher. Just show up to meet with teachers during this time. If you can’t make it to the high school parent-teacher conferences Thursday evening, contact the school and set up an alternate date and time to meet with teachers.

Parents of Akron Elementary, Mentone Elementary, and TVMS students that have yet to schedule a conference are encouraged to contact the office of their child’s school to arrange one. Any parent unable to participate in a conference on Thursday, October 12, is encouraged to contact their child’s school to arrange an alternative date and time.

Students will attend school as usual on Thursday, October 12. School will not be in session for students on Friday, October 13. Fall Break will be observed on Monday, October 16. School will not be in session. School resumes for students on Tuesday, October 17.

TVSC will also be participating in an AdvancED accreditation visit during the fall of 2017. A parent survey will be available on the website from October 2^nd-20^th. Computer labs will be available during parent-teacher conferences at each school. Those who have internet access may take the survey from home. We look forward to analyzing the results of the survey and working to improve our school corporation.

Libraries offering Valley bracelets for $5

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

Tippecanoe Valley High School and Tippecanoe Valley Middle School libraries are currently selling Pura Vida handmade Valley-themed bracelets to help raise money to meet a matching grant from the Dekko Foundation.

The $20,000 Dekko Foundation grant will help transform the school libraries into collaborative learning centers. The project will offer students different types of collaborative learning areas to complement the books and standard tables the libraries currently have. Students will be able to choose from small group areas that vary by size and function. Large technology screens will offer opportunities for students to work on group PowerPoints. White boards will create areas for brainstorming class project ideas and tall tables will be available for students working on art homework or poster boards for class assignments. Soft seating options are also included for individual/paired reading spaces, too.

The Fulton County Community Foundation has also joined in helping to support the project by awarding the school corporation a $10,000 grant to help reach the $20,000 matching Dekko Foundation grant goal. Aside from the Pura Vida bracelets, the libraries are planning other fundraisers throughout the school year. A dance was already held at the middle school to help raise money. The bracelets are $5, with 50% from each purchase going to the TVHS and TVMS library projects.

A total of 100 bracelets will be for sale in each Tippecanoe Valley school. A second style will arrive in early October with 100 additional bracelets per building. The goal is to raise a total of $1,000. Bracelets can be purchased in the library.

Category Archives: Mentone

Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation Launches New Website