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

The Heart of a Teacher

This year’s monthly Valley Insight articles will focus on the people of the Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation as we celebrate the activities and accomplishments of our students, staff, parents, and the community. People are the most important part of any organization and we plan to share our “people stories” with you.

Why do teachers teach? I asked Tippecanoe Valley’s teachers to share their heart in responding to this question and received several touching responses. I wish I could share them all, but here are two. They provide true insight into “The Heart of a Teacher”.

“For me, the greatest joy of teaching is having great purpose in what I do every day.  The work of a good teacher is immeasurable in the lives of students, families, and colleagues. It truly can touch eternity.  We have an opportunity each day to create culture and to influence the thinking and the character of so many around us.  This makes teaching a great privilege and a great responsibility.  As I age and am more and more equipped to teach, my passion grows for the magic that happens daily in a classroom and in the minds and hearts of the students.  I am excited every day, not only about the content I bring to them, but about helping them grow as thinkers, servants, leaders, and world citizens of character.  But as we serve, we can never really give more than we receive.  Teaching and being in the presence of these amazing students keeps me young and gives me necessary and grand hope for the future.  Teaching is a calling and a blessing hard to define or articulate.  I love what Penny Kittle says about the profession in her 2005 book, The Greatest Catch: A Life in Teaching: “Teaching is about honor and goodness and mercy.  It really is.  And no one will be watching you most of the time.  You either live up to the calling of this profession, or you don’t, and most likely no one will ever know but you.”  When my career in teaching ends, if it ends, I want to say I lived up to a noble calling; I made a difference.” (Lois Buss – Language Arts Teacher – Tippecanoe Valley High School)

“I became a teacher because of the teachers I had while attending Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation. We have some of the most caring teachers around and really strive to do what is best for our students.  It’s because of those teachers, which inspired me, that lead me to this career path.  Teaching gives me so many joys in life both inside and outside the classroom. I get to help students strive for their dreams and see the joy on their face when they accomplish something. They are so proud, especially my special education students, there’s nothing better than seeing how happy they are because of the little things in life.  It’s because of their joy and them being successful I know I’m doing my job right. The students are what make it worth coming to work every day. They simply make my job enjoyable and I couldn’t have been happier with my career choice.  I’m happy to be a part of a school system that had a great impact on me and my education! (Melody Rockhill – Special Education Teacher – Akron Elementary School).

Every teacher has their own unique reasons why they chose teaching as a career. The one thing they have in common, though, is a calling to inspire and make a difference in the lives of the children they teach. That’s “The Heart of a Teacher”.

VALLEY INSIGHT – BRETT BOGGS – AUGUST 2015

First Day of School
Aug. 10, 2015

School Hours
Regular school hours at Akron and Mentone Elementary
Schools are 8:30 a.m. to 3:40 p.m.
Regular school hours at Tippecanoe Valley Middle School
are 8:15 a.m. to 3:20 p.m.
Regular school hours at Tippecanoe Valley High School are
8:25 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Meal Prices
Lunch Prices
Elementary/Middle School ………………………………………$1.60 per day
High School………………………………………………………………$1.65 per day
Reduced Price …………………………………………………………… $.40 per day
Adults ………………………………………………………………………….$3 per day
Additional Milk ……………………………………………………..$.25 per carton
Breakfast Prices
Full Price…………………………………………………………………… $.75 per day
Reduced Price ……………………………………………………………$.30 per day

Online Registration
New and returning students can register at www.tippecanoevalleyschools.com/enrollment.

Elementary Athletes
Fifth grade girls playing volleyball this fall will need a sports physical. Physical forms are located in the Akron Elementary School Office. Please turn this in prior to the start of the season.

School Safe Zone
Help us create a safer school zone! Report bullying by sending an anonymous report to us. Your reports are confidential and will be acted upon quickly. Thank you for making our schools safer!

Visit www.tippecanoevalleyschools.com and click on the School Safe Zone link in the bottom right-hand side of the page. TVSC also offers a Safe Schools Hotline, a telephone application (voice or text message) that allows students, parents and members of the community to report threats of violence, bullying, suicide, theft, gang activity, drug use, vandalism or any other concern at any TVSC school. When someone calls the number to report a threat or problem, the caller is prompted to leave a message along with any other important information.

The message is immediately transmitted via telephone, cell phone and email to the building administrators and the TVSC school resource officer. TVSC has the ability to manage the calls through a web site, where school officials can see and download call reports. A full transcript of the call is transmitted with each email so that the administrator has first-hand knowledge of the call received. A school administrator will evaluate the potential threat level and respond accordingly. If you have first-hand knowledge of a potentially harmful situation, please call the TVSC Safe Schools Hotline at (574) 387-3825.

Congratulations to Jane Hunn and Doug Heinold who have been named by the local chapter of the Air Force Association as their Chapter 411 Teachers of the Year. Mrs. Hunn has also been selected as the State of Indiana Air Force Association Teacher of the Year for 2015. Her nomination package has been sent to the Air Force Association National headquarters to compete for the title of 2015 Air Force Association National Teacher of the Year.

The Aerospace Education Awards presented by the Air Force Association are designed to recognize classroom teachers for their accomplishments and achievements in exciting K-12 students about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and preparing students to use and contribute to tomorrow’s technologies.

Mrs. Hunn will receive an AFA jacket, lapel pins, a citation, and $1,000. Mr. Heinold will receive a lapel pin, a citation, and $500.

Dr. Chuck Hassel, Air Force Association Chapter 411 President, joined us to present the awards to Mrs. Hunn and Mr. Heinold.

TIPPECANOE VALLEY REGISTRATION

The Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation announces its 2015-2016 registration dates and times for students attending any Tippecanoe Valley school – Akron Elementary School, Mentone Elementary School, Tippecanoe Valley Middle School, or Tippecanoe Valley High School. Registration will be held at each school from noon to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 28, and Thursday, July 30.

At Tippecanoe Valley High School, students entering grades 11 and 12 are asked to register on Tuesday, July 28. Students entering grades 9 and 10 are asked to register on Thursday, July 30.

High school students new to the district are to contact the high school office at (574) 353-7031, ext. 2420, beginning Tuesday, July 28, to schedule an appointment. Appointments will be made for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, August 3-5, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation also offers an online registration process for those who would like to complete all the necessary paperwork prior to registration. Visit http://www.tippecanoevalleyschools.com/enrollment for access to the online registration for new and returning students.

The first student day of the 2015-2016 school year is Monday, August 10.

TVSC builds in time for students to read at school each day, but research shows that this may not be enough. Students who read at home in addition to reading at school tend to have higher test scores. Here are some ways to incorporate reading at home this summer!

• Read the cereal box each morning
• Find a reading website or app that your child enjoys
• Look up information about a favorite subject on the computer
• Take regular trips to the library and join the summer reading program
• Start a book club with friends
• Model reading by reading in front of and to your children each day

Fifth grade girls playing volleyball this fall will need a sports physical. Physical forms are located in the Akron Elementary School Office. Please turn this in prior to the start of the season.

Kindergarten registration is still going on for the 2015-16 school year. Kindergarten parents may pick up a registration packet now through July 17, and again starting July 27. We look forward to welcoming your kindergartener into the Tippecanoe Valley Family.