The Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation’s Farm-to-Fork program, an initiative that will put beef raised on school grounds into school cafeterias, reached an important milestone Thursday, November 10.

Construction of a shelter for the cattle is now complete. The shelter was officially moved to ground adjacent to the high school football field where the cattle will be raised.

Dan Peters, a local farmer and owner of Scrap Wood Sawmill in Rochester, offered to bring some of his own equipment and donate his own time to the project. Peters worked with students for three days a week over the course of two weeks to build the structure.

“Once they got into the groove of it, just get out of their way. The kids just did an awesome job,” said Peters, who has had a passion for agriculture his entire life.

The Farm-to-Fork initiative started as an idea in a political economic studies class about how to put a better quality meal on school cafeteria tables. The idea eventually turned into a plan to raise four calves to a certain weight, process the meat, and then use the meat in school lunches.

“Five years down the road, hopefully we are able to produce enough that we don’t have to buy any ground beef,” said Mike Jones, agriculture instructor and FFA advisor at the high school.

The school board is committed to supporting the project and funding the start-up costs including fencing, electricity, an automatic water system, calves, and feed. Community partnerships and grant money will be looked at to sustain the program in the future.

“This is the start of learning about where food comes from,” said instructor Jeff Shriver. “It’s the kind of thing I could see expanding from the agriculture classroom to an economics classroom, to a home-ec classroom, and then to a science classroom,” Shriver added.

Farm-to-Fork is something every student can benefit from regardless of their background. Shriver said having cows on the school grounds is a discussion starter within the community about sustainability and where food comes from.

Students taking an agriculture class or who are involved in FFA are sure to benefit, too. FFA members who may not have the space to raise their own animals or crops will be able to use the Farm-to-Fork program as part of their summer Supervised Agriculture Experience project, a requirement for any FFA member.

“It’s an excellent opportunity to use real-life experiences whether it’s balancing feed rations, looking at market prices to see what kind of price we’re buying them at, and then what their value would be if we were selling them even though they’re going to our cafeterias,” said Jones.

Assistant Superintendent Blaine Conley said he would like to have calves brought in by the end of the 2016 calendar year.

Tippecanoe Valley High School Student Council members Cora Alber (left) and Carissa Ziemek (right) work together to fill packs of food at the Feed My Starving Children event at the Gordon Recreation Center on October 5.

On Wednesday, Oct. 5, 130 Tippecanoe Valley High School and Burket Educational Center students had the opportunity to join with students from Wawasee High School to pack food for a good cause. The event, which took place at the Gordon Recreation Center at nearby Grace College, benefited Feed My Starving Children, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to provide nutritious meals to hungry children around the world. The students, after watching an educational and instructional video, had the opportunity to help pack, weigh, and seal bags of food, as well as transport them around the bustling Recreation Center as boxes filled up.

Faith Kamp, a ninth grader who participated in the event, was glad to help out. “I liked seeing the video showing how needy the kids [we were helping] are, and knowing that we helped them made me feel good,” she said. Micah Lukens, teacher at Burket Educational Center, was also proud to see some of his students taking time out of their days to go to the event. “Our students took a moment to see that others are in need,” he explained, “and it really made them appreciate what they have.” By the end of their shift, the combined efforts of all the students had not only had this effect, but also produced enough food to feed many children for an entire year; that is something to feel good about indeed.

This was not the first time this year that Tippecanoe Valley students have come together to help those in need. In September, Mentone Elementary hosted a giving drive that benefitted those who were affected by the tornado in Kokomo. The school collected a total of 1,440 items to be donated to those who needed them most. We are proud of our students’ generosity and willingness to give their time to such worthy causes!

Tippecanoe Valley Middle School has been recognized by the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) for the success of its Catch-Up Café, a program which ensures that students are completing their homework. As a nod to Indiana’s bicentennial, the IDOE has selected “200 Promising Practices” that are happening in Indiana’s schools; one of these is the Catch-Up Café, where students spend their lunch time eating and working on any missing assignments they have. While Catch-Up Café attendance is mandatory if a student has missing work, many students appreciate the café for helping them improve their grades and get themselves back on track. Since the Café was implemented last year, both the number of students failing classes and attending summer school has decreased, and students are more accountable for the completion of their homework.

The recognition of the Catch-Up Café by the IDOE and Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz means a lot to Tippecanoe Valley Middle School. Principal Scott Backus is especially proud of the Café. “We have worked hard at TVMS to look at our total curriculum.  While we have put the Café in place to help with student accountability, we are also looking at the quality of work being assigned and the skill needs of our students.  Working to eliminate “busy work” and holding kids accountable for the work we do assign is critical to our school improvement plan.  The Café is based on an idea we saw at another school.  We adopted it and tweaked it to make it fit our needs at TVMS.  We are not satisfied that it is the only answer to our students’ success, but it is one tool that we can use to help.  Our goal is 100% completed work for the year.  The Café is helping us get there.”

About Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation

Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation is committed to student success through the development of character, leadership, and literacy. We do whatever it takes to equip all students to be outstanding today, tomorrow, and beyond.

TVSC teacher Jeff Shriver, along with Stephanie Bibler, carry the Bicentennial Torch in honor of his late friend Scott Bibler. Behind them, Tippecanoe Valley football players and cheerleaders participate in the relay festivities.

Thursday morning, Sept. 29, the Bicentennial Torch Relay made its way through Kosciusko County, and one of Tippecanoe Valley’s own had the honor of carrying it at Warsaw Community High School. Current high school teacher and co-head football coach Jeff Shriver was selected to carry the torch in place of his late friend and colleague, Scott Bibler, who passed away in a plane crash a year ago. Scott’s wife, Stephanie Bibler, accompanied Shriver as he accepted the torch and carried it aloft through a tunnel of students who lined the street. Once Shriver and Bibler had passed, the students, including Tippecanoe Valley High School football players and cheerleaders and Akron Elementary fourth graders, fell into line behind them as they continued up the road.

Shriver was honored and excited to be selected as a torchbearer for the relay. “It was really an awesome trifecta,” he said of the experience. “First, to be able to participate in the celebration of 200 years of statehood was incredible. Second, TVSC and the football program have been a tremendously important part of my life. The inclusion of this year’s coaches, players and cheerleaders in the relay made the event extra special,” he explained. But those two things couldn’t touch the pride he felt in being selected to represent his friend.  “Most important to me was the ability to walk with Stephanie Bibler and our team and carry the torch in tribute, honor, and memory of Scott Bibler,” he said. It was certainly a day to remember.

VALLEY INSIGHT
By Brett R. Boggs
Superintendent of Schools
Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation

The information to be shared in this Valley Insight article comes from the March 2016 issue of Thriving Communities, Thriving State in an article titled, “Recommendations for Thriving Rural Communities”.  The Rural and Small Town Commission brought together 16 individuals from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors – people with an interest in small towns, rural communities, and unincorporated areas throughout the state – to identify common community challenges and opportunities and to develop strategies to address them over the next ten years.

After analyzing the issues important to 58 Indiana rural counties and small communities throughout the state, the commission found that throughout Indiana’s history, small towns and rural areas offer select economic and quality-of-life advantages.  They have consistently been wonderful places to live, work, and raise families.  Hoosiers in small towns and rural communities look out for each other and their communities.  In small towns there are many opportunities to get involved and exercise leadership.  Rural and small community leaders are more accessible and visible than leaders in other communities.  These assets position rural communities to effectively develop and exercise social capital in ways that would be difficult in larger communities.  Many of Indiana’s rural and small towns benefit from tremendous natural assets, a strong community and civic heritage, unique spaces and structures, and a history of civic investment.  All of these assets can serve as the basis for attracting a talented workforce, developing local business, and energizing local economies.

While rural and small towns have charm and economic potential, they face significant challenges.  The greatest demographic concern for many rural communities is the out-migration of rural youth to other places within the state and nation.  Many rural communities disproportionately lose population as rural-educated youth enter college and then to do not return to the community after college. This is a cause of economic development challenges for many rural communities and also diminishes the pool of emerging and potential leaders.  Many rural communities have also experienced the demise of local businesses and employment options in favor of broader regional options.

The commission found four priorities for making Indiana’s rural communities and small towns more successful.  To help rural Indiana communities thrive in the immediate future they must embrace:  1) Identifying, developing, and engaging strong leadership; 2) Entrepreneurship is the key to creating jobs and retaining young residents; 3) Increased access to and quality of education are critical to rural workforce development; and 4) For quality of life and quality of place, rural and small towns must think beyond the status quo.

In future Valley Insight articles I plan to address each of these priorities with a look at what Tippecanoe Valley is doing to ensure our small towns and rural community are thriving places for years to come.

VALLEY INSIGHT
By Blaine Conley
Assistant Superintendent
Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation

Over the summer months, teachers from Tippecanoe Valley participated in the Professional Learning Communities at Work Institute for four days, All Write Summer Institute for two days, IDOE training on the new high school science standards for one day, ACP training for two days, Project Lead the Way training for two days and the e3 Conference for two days.  The time away from their families is a sacrifice during the summer months and demonstrates the dedication teachers at TVSC possess in improving instructional practices to meet the needs of our students.

“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”  As we have completed the first few weeks of school, I’ve been reflecting on John Wooden’s quote.  The data shows that many teachers at Tippecanoe Valley continue to work during the summer months to improve their craft in preparation of the upcoming year.  These individuals exemplify our school corporation’s vision by doing whatever it takes to equip all students to be outstanding today, tomorrow and beyond.

When over 40% of the staff works to improve over the summer, how do we implement these strategies throughout our schools when the year begins?  It starts with what Peter Drucker wrote in The Effective Executive, “Organization is a means of multiplying the strength of an individual.”  Our teachers meet twice a week for 40-minute sessions before school during collaboration time as grade level and department teams.  Using the problem solving method, teams work to address the basic needs of students and then address academic issues.  Aligning curriculum, developing formative assessments and analyzing data are a few examples of how teachers at TVSC work collaboratively.  Individual teachers produce amazing results in their classrooms, but when they collectively work together, we achieve so much more.  The success of walking across the stage at graduation is a K-12 endeavor that takes teamwork, sacrifice and dedication from many adults working together.

In Carol Dweck’s work, Mindset:  The New Psychology of Success, the growth mindset vs. the fixed mindset is discussed in detail.  In a nutshell, the growth mindset focuses on a person’s belief that they have the ability to change their level of intelligence through the process of learning from one’s mistakes.  The fixed mindset is a belief that you can learn new things, but your level of intelligence cannot substantially change.  TVSC staff members work within their collaborative teams to meet students at their ability level and then challenge them through processes that focus on the growth mindset.

On October 2, 2015 four amazing men who positively influenced our community lost their lives in a tragic accident.  Those in education, no matter their roles, are nation builders as they work with students to develop greater intelligence through the growth mindset.  The time educators sacrifice from their families to help students become valuable contributors to society is appreciated by the community and demonstrates the values exhibited by those lost on that October night.

On Thursday night, Sept. 15, Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation honored the nine members of the Distinguished Alumni Class of 2016. Each honoree and his or her family members were invited to enjoy a delicious dinner prepared by middle school and Mentone cafeteria staff at Tippecanoe Valley Middle School. The dinner was followed by an interview portion moderated by local radio personality Rita Price.

This year’s class of Distinguished Alumni is made up of Greg Gibble, graduate of the class of 1978; the late Scott Bibler, graduate of the class of 1982; Mindy (Creighton) Truex, graduate of the class of 1983; Tim Doud, graduate of the class of 1988, and Lisa (Harger) Fear, graduate of the class of 1996. The other part of the group, recipients of the Legacy Award, is made up of a combination of graduates from Akron, Beaver Dam, Burket, Mentone, and Talma High Schools. Recipients include the late Ann (Kindig) Allen, who graduated from Akron in 1952; Lee Norris, who graduated from Beaver Dam in 1947; Norman Wagoner, who graduated from Talma in 1955, and Tim Harman, who graduated from Mentone in 1972.

Celebrations continued on Friday, when honorees gave presentations and ate lunch with students, in addition to touring Tippecanoe Valley High School. Finally, each person was celebrated and presented with a plaque during halftime of the football game. We are proud to have these Distinguished Alumni represent our schools and inspire our next generation of leaders!

Pictured, back row, L to R: Tim Harman, Tim Doud, Norman Wagoner, and Greg Gibble. Front row, L to R: Stephanie Bibler (wife of Scott Bibler), Lisa (Harger) Fear, and Mindy (Creighton) Truex. Not pictured: Lee Norris and a representative of Ann (Kindig) Allen.