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

New Phone System Coming to Tippecanoe Valley in January

The Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation (TVSC) is pleased to announce that over the holiday break, all TVSC schools and facilities will be transitioning to a new Voice over IP (VoIP) phone system.  The new system will be operational as of Tuesday, January 5, 2016, replacing an aging phone system that can no longer be updated or in many cases repaired due to failure. The new phone system will allow TVSC to maintain the highest level of service to its patrons.

Please note that all phone numbers throughout the district will be changing to a 598 prefix, making calls to any school a local call for most patrons. The new numbers will be: Akron Elementary School (574-598-2367), Burket Educational Center (574-598-2600), Mentone Elementary School (574-598-2590), Tippecanoe Valley Middle School (574-598-2200), Tippecanoe Valley High School (574-598-2100), Tippecanoe Valley Bus Garage (574-598-2490), and Tippecanoe Valley Administration Office (574-598-2759).   Staff phone extensions will also change.

TVSC eagerly anticipates the many benefits that will accompany the installation of this new phone system.

Pictured left to right: Todd Glenn, Director of Maintenance TVSC, Randy Dahms, Mentone Elementary Principle, Christopher Pieri, NIPSCO Major Accounts Manager.

Akron, IN – Christopher Pieri, NIPSCO Major Accounts Manager, recently presented Randy Dahms, Mentone Elementary School Principal, and Todd Glenn, Director of Maintenance, Tippecanoe Valley School Corp, an energy savings rebate check for $3725. The rebate was for the first phase of an energy savings project at Mentone Elementary School. The project consisted of replacing inefficient fluorescent classroom lights with “dimmable” LED retrofit kits. The “Little Vikings” Preschool fluorescent lights were also replaced with new fixtures. The second phase of the project, which is presently underway, is the replacement of all “high bay” gymnasium lights with LED fixtures. This part of the project will provide an additional $4500 energy savings rebate, making the total rebate $8225.

Overall, the project will reduce affected area power consumption by more than 50%, provide a one year pay-back, eliminate bulb replacements, and best of all greatly improve the quality of lighting for our students, staff and patrons.

TVSC Maintenance Staff, Todd Howard and Matt Cavender, installing LED light fixture.

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.”

SCHOOL NEWS RELEASE

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Tippecanoe Valley Approves Pay Increases for Substitute Teachers

The Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation (TVSC) announces recently approved pay increases for substitute teachers. Based on one’s level of education, the rates range from $70 to $85 per day.

Quality substitute teachers are an important asset and require special attributes to enhance the learning process. The best substitute teachers demonstrate the desire to work well with children ages 5-18, relate well to all students, inspire a love of learning, and have a good sense of humor. They must be flexible, dedicated, patient, kind, fair, and consistent.

TVSC is currently accepting applications from qualified and caring individuals for positions in substitute teaching. Opportunities are available at all grades (K-12) at Akron Elementary School, Mentone Elementary School, Tippecanoe Valley Middle School, and Tippecanoe Valley High School.

Applicants must have at least a high school diploma and a valid Indiana Substitute Teaching Permit or a valid Indiana Teaching License. Individuals applying for an Indiana Substitute Teaching Permit from the Indiana Department of Education may do so by going to https://license.doe.in.gov/

Applicants for a position in substitute teaching in the Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation may contact Dawn Rowland ([email protected] and 574-353-7741, ext. 1000) at the TVSC Administration Office at 8343 South State Road 19, Akron, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.