7-2014 - Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation

JULY, 2014
The Mt. Vernon
Messenger
Elementary Student Day
Extended for 2014-2015 School Year
Mt. Vernon Community
Boyland’s recommendation and extended
On February 24, 2014, Dr. Lori Boyland
the elementary student day to 2:15 p.m. No
from Ball State University presented the
changes were made on the middle and high
findings from her three year study of the
school dismissal times.
time changes implemented during the 2011Dr. Boyland recommended two other
2012 school year and the effect on student
items for the Board to consider when the
attendance, behavior, and achievement.
district’s financial situation improves. She
Dr. Boyland’s work revealed that the later
recommended that the elementary startstarting time for the high school and middle
ing times be moved to 8:00 a.m. and that
school students had a very positive effect on
the Board restore the Intermediate School
all these factors under consideration. The
(grades 5-6) program. The Board took those
findings for the earlier start for elementary
recommendations into consideration for the
students were positive as well. As a result
3-5 year strategic plan that they are curof Dr. Boyland’s research, the Board voted
rently developing. The starting and ending
to continue the elementary and secondary
time for students will be as follows for the
starting times as they were for the last three
2014-2015 school year:
years. Dr. Boyland also made a couple of
other recommendaSCHOOL
START TIME
END TIME
tions. She noted the
need for additional
Mt. Comfort Elementary
7:45 a.m.
2:15 p.m.
mathematics instrucFortville Elementary
7:45 a.m.
2:15 p.m.
tional time at the
elementary schools
McCordsville Elementary
7:45 a.m.
2:15 p.m.
and suggested addMt. Vernon Middle School (6-7) 8:30 a.m.
3:20 p.m.
ing 15 minutes to
Mt. Vernon High School (8-12) 8:35 a.m.
3:30 p.m.
the student day. The
Board accepted Dr.
School Board Names New Member
At their June 16, 2014 school board meeting, board members
approved the appointment of new member Brian Tomamichel. He
will fill in the remainder of the term vacated by departing board
member Shelton Oakes. Mr. Tomamichel hopes to represent a
younger segment of the Mt. Vernon community. As a father of an
eight month old daughter, he wants his child and future children to
have the best education they could get, and hopes to make current
decisions that will reflect that in the future.
Mr. Tomamichel was compelled to join the school board during
the recent referendum process. He got involved and was a vocal
proponent of the referendum citing his work experience as assistant business manager at
Beech Grove City Schools and their successful 2009 referendum. He believes his experience
in the schools and working with superintendents will help with the position.
There is plenty of work ahead for the Mt. Vernon School Board beginning with the search
for a new superintendent since Dr. Riggs plans to retire at the end of the 2014-2015 school
year. The Board is also beginning work on a 3-5 year strategic plan.
School Corporation
One Shoppell Boulevard
Fortville, IN 46040
Volume XVII, No. 1
www.mvcsc.k12.in.us
Visit mvcsc.k12.in.us
Stay informed and up-to-date on the latest at
Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation and our schools!!
THE MT. VERNON MESSENGER
Welcome Back to School!!
hour before school starts. A firm pick-up
time will be set in a few days.
School begins Wednesday, July 30
Kindergarten begins Wednesday, July 30
Watch local newspapers for additional start of school information.
Up-to-Date Immunizations
ARE YOU NEW TO OUR SCHOOLS? WELCOME!!
How to Enroll
If you have a child new to Mt. Vernon,
you may enroll him/her on the following
registration dates:
BEGINNING JULY 22, Fortville
Elementary, Mt. Comfort Elementary,
McCordsville Elementary will be open
each day from 7:00a.m.-3:00p.m. to register new students. Mt. Vernon Middle
School will register new students July 2125 from 8:00a.m.-3:00p.m. 8th Grade
Academy will register new students
July 21-25 from 8:00a.m.-3:00p.m. Mt.
Vernon High School will register new
students July 22 from 12:00-8:00p.m.
and July 23 from 8:00a.m.-3:00p.m.
McCordsville Elementary will hold
its Ice Cream Social & Back to School
Night on July 29 at 6:30 p.m. Doors
open at 6:00 p.m. and class lists will be
posted in the hallways. Students and their
parents will have an opportunity to meet
their teacher.
Fortville Elementary will hold its Ice
Cream Social & Back to School Night
on July 29 at 6:30 p.m. Doors open at
6:00 p.m. and class lists will be posted in
the hallways. Students and their parents
will have an opportunity to meet their
teacher.
Mt. Comfort Elementary will hold its
Back to School Bash & Ice Cream Social
on July 29 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
Mt. Vernon Middle School Students
will receive their schedules on the first
day of school.
8th Grade Academy: Students will
report to the MVHS cafeteria the first
day of school to pick up their schedules.
Book rental statements will be sent out
August 30.
Mt. Vernon High School: Marauder
Freshman Orientation is July 24, 9:00
a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Incoming freshmen will
pick up schedules, tour the building, find
classes and try out their lockers. All stu2
dents in grades 10-12 will pick up their
final schedule on the first day of school.
IMPORTANT!!
For students returning to Mt. Vernon,
the registration process will be online.
Using your MVCSC Skyward Family
Access account for online registration,
you will be able to verify and update
student, family, contact and emergency
information. Also, from Skyward Family
Access account, you will be able to access
MVCSC required forms and documents.
Online payment options will be available
at a later date. Information will be posted
in Family Access.
The online registration process is
required for all returning students of
MVCSC and will open ONLINE for
all schools beginning July 21, 2014.
Online registration must be completed
by noon on July 28, 2014. Remember,
you can access online registration from
any computer with Internet access
(home, public library, Wi-Fi hotspots).
Your Skyward Family Access login and
password will protect all of you and
your student’s confidential information.
You must log into your Family Access
account, not the student access account.
Getting ready for online registration is
simple. All you need is your login information readily available when registration
opens (July 21).
Age to Enter School
On or before August 1, students must
be 5-years-old to attend kindergarten,
and 6-years-old on or before August 1 to
attend first grade.
The School Bus
On the first day of school, students
should be ready for their bus at least one
To protect all students, Indiana law
requires each child enrolled in school to
be completely immunized against communicable diseases. A complete record of
his or her immunizations must be kept
on file in the school office. For students
new to the school system—including
kindergartners—this record must be on
file before the child can attend classes
at the start of school. Please refer to immunizations article on page 3.
School begins July 30. Are your
child’s immunizations up‑to‑date?
Daily Lunch Cost
Elem. School
$2.55
8th Grade Academy $2.60
Middle School
$2.60
High School
$2.60
Adults$3.10
Milk
$ .50
Reduced Lunch
$ .40
Daily Breakfast Cost
Students$1.65
Adults$2.00
Reduced
Breakfast $ .30
To apply for meal assistance
When school starts, each family will
receive details about applying for free or
reduced-priced school lunches for their
children.
Time to Pay Book Rental
Rental fees for school books and materials are due at the start of school and
cover the entire school year.
Kindergarten $121.33
Grade 1
$ 105.63
Grade 2
$ 112.35
Grade 3
$ 109.19
Grade 4
$ 111.47
Grade 5
$ 110.00
Grade 6-12Per class schedule
To apply for book assistance
1.You must apply before October
31, 2014, by marking the appropriate box on the application for
school meal assistance.
Continued on next page
When enrolling a new student, be sure to bring your child’s official birth certificate
from the health department, proof of legal guardianship, a complete immunization
record, address of previous school, and proof of residency.
BOOK RENTAL PAYMENTS FOR ALL SCHOOLS CAN BE MADE BY
CASH, CHECK, VISA, OR MASTERCARD.
JULY, 2014
2. Students eligible for free or reduced lunch assistance will qualify
for textbook assistance.
3.Assistance for eligible students
does not cover the entire cost of
the books and fees. The parent
must pay the difference. An initial
payment may be requested at the
time of application.
For more information, please contact
your school principal.
Daily Schedules
School
BeginsDismissal
High School
8:35 am3:30 pm
Middle School
8:30 am3:20 pm
8th Grade Academy 8:35 am3:30 pm
Mt. Comfort Elem. 7:45 am2:15 pm
Fortville Elem.
7:45 am2:15 pm
McCordsville Elem. 7:45 am2:15 pm
Important Calendar Dates
July 21— Middle School, 8th Grade
Academy and Elementary
School offices open
July 23—High School Guidance and
Administrative offices opens
July 29— Teacher workday
July 30— First day of school: Gr. K-12.
Sept. 1—Labor Day (no school).
Please be sure to register for our emergency alert system.
Class of 2018 Invited to Freshmen Kick-Off!
For the eighth year in a row, Mt. Vernon High School will once again be offering our Freshman Kick-Off event on Thursday,
July 24, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm as a freshman transition experience. We realize that, as eighth graders, the class of 2018 has
gotten to experience a little bit of what Mt. Vernon High School has to offer, and what it may be like to be a high school student
next year. But, the transition to high school can still be intimidating and challenging. New teachers, new policies, expanded areas
of the building, increased extracurricular opportunities, and very high expectations are all issues incoming freshmen will want
to be prepared for. Our research also indicates that participants in orientation programs like the Freshman Kick-Off have earned
higher grade point averages, have been more likely to be involved in extracurricular opportunities and have had fewer disciplinary
issues than those who have not participated. We encourage all incoming freshmen to get a head start on high school by coming to
enjoy a fun and informative day led entirely by upperclassmen who know exactly what it is like to be a freshman student at Mt.
Vernon! We want every freshman to enjoy a successful transition to high school and to have an outstanding first year!
Indiana State Department of Health
2014-15 School Immunization Requirements (updated 11/2013)
3- to 5-years-old:
3 Hep B (Hepatitis B)
4 DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus & Pertussis)
1 MMR (Measles, Mumps & Rubella) 1 Varicella
Kindergarten:
3 Hep B
Grades 1 to 5:
3 Hep B
5 DTaP
4 Polio
5 DTaP
4 Polio
Grades 6 to 11:
3 Hep B
5 DTaP
1 Tdap (Tetanus & Pertussis)
Grade 12:
3 Hep B
1 Tdap
2 MMR
2 MMR
2 Varicella
3 Polio (Inactivated Polio)
2 Hep A (Hepatitis A)*
2 Varicella
4 Polio
2 MMR
2 Varicella
1 MCV4 (Meningococcal conjugate)
5 DTaP
4 Polio
2 MMR
2 Varicella
2 MCV4
Hep B — The minimum age for the 3rd
dose of Hepatitis B is 24 weeks of age.
birthday, and be administered at least 6
months after the previous dose.
Tdap — There is no minimum interval
from the last Td dose.
DTaP — Four doses of DTaP/DTP/DT
are acceptable if 4th dose was administered on or after child’s 4th birthday.
Live Vaccines (MMR, Varicella & LAIV) —
Live vaccines that are not administered
on the same day must be administered a
minimum of 28 days apart. The second
dose should be repeated if the doses are
separated by less than 28 days.
MCV4 — Individuals who receive dose
1 on or after their 16th birthday only
need 1 dose of MCV4.
Polio — Three doses of Polio are acceptable for all grade levels if the third
dose was given on or after the 4th
birthday and at least 6 months after
the previous dose with only one type
of vaccine used (all OPV or all IPV).
For students in grades kindergarten
through 4th grade the final dose must
be administered on or after the 4th
Varicella — Physician documentation of
disease history, including month and
year, is proof of immunity for children
entering preschool through 6th grade.
Parental report of disease history is acceptable for grades 7-12.
For children who have delayed immunizations, please refer to the 2014
CDC “Catch-up Immunization Schedule” to determine adequately immunizing doses. All minimum intervals and
ages for each vaccination as specified
per 2014 CDC guidelines must be
met for a dose to be valid. A copy
of these guidelines can be found at
www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/
3
THE MT. VERNON MESSENGER
School Nurse Notes
Indiana State Law requires all students
attending school to have complete and
satisfactory immunization records on file
at school. The record must include the
month, day and year for each immunization. The Indiana State Department of
Health has changed some of the required
immunizations for the 2014-2015 school
year. Seniors are required to have a second Meningococcal MCV4 (Meningitis)
vaccine. Kindergarteners are required
to have 2 Varicella (Chickenpox) and 2
Hepatitis A vaccines and Grades 1-5 are
also required to have 2 Varicella (Chickenpox) vaccines.
If you have not already done so, please
submit documentation of the required
immunizations by fax 317-485-3113,
mail 1776 W. State Road 234, Fortville,
IN 46040 or by email at michelle.shaw@
mvcsc.k12.in.us. If up-to-date documentation is not received, students will be
excluded (unexcused) from school until
the documentation is received. If you
are not sure if your student is up-to-date
on vaccines, please ask me. Should you
have any questions or require additional
information, please call Michelle Shaw
R.N. at 485-3100. Thank you for your
attention to this very important Indiana
State Law that involves your student’s
health and education.
Indiana State Law also requires us to
do annual vision screenings on 1st, 3rd,
5th, and 8th grade students. This is just
a screening so if a student should need
further testing by a doctor, I will send a
note to the parent/guardian suggesting
such. If you wish, you can opt to not have
your student’s vision screened. You can do
this by sending a note to Michelle Shaw
or your student’s Health Room Assistant.
I look forward to seeing and taking
care of your MV student this 2014-2015
school year. Enjoy the rest of your summer break!
–Michelle Shaw R.N., MVCSC Nurse
MVHS Education Professions Students
Pass National Exam
Through the AAFCS Family and Consumer Sciences Credentialing Center, AAFCS
accredits FCS baccalaureate programs, administers FCS competency exams, and certifies professionals and pre-professionals in family and consumer sciences.
The purpose of the AAFCS Accreditation Program is to strengthen family and consumer sciences education at the college and university levels. AAFCS accreditation is
a status granted to family and consumer sciences units within colleges and universities
that meet or exceed quality standards established by the Council for Accreditation.
The AAFCS Pre-Professional Assessment and Certification (Pre-PAC) Programs
measure competencies of FCS professionals and pre-professionals using high-quality,
rigorous assessments. These programs also award standards-based and industry –recognized FCS pre-professional certification and nationally recognized professional
certifications.
The following
students received
their Career &
Technical Education Pre-Professional Certification from the
American Association of Family
and Consumer
Sciences in Education Fundamentals; Junior
Shelby Bernard; Seniors Hannah Jarvis( ISU); Meghan Rhoads (Western KY); Matia
Rujiraviriyapinyo (BSU). The students plan on pursuing education after high school.
To view detailed information on the National Certification exam go to http://www.
aafcs.org/CredentialingCenter/index.asp
Students interested in pursuing education as a major in college can get a jump start
by enrolling in the Education Professions class. During the 2014-2015 school year
students will also have the opportunity to receive dual credit with IVY Tech upon
certification in the class.
2014‑2015 Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation
Corporation Improvement Council
Proposed MEETINGS AND TOPICS
“Learning is not attained by
chance, it must be sought for
with ardor and diligence.”
DATE
TIMETOPIC
August 11, 2014
7:00 P.M.Orientation-Overview of Technology
September 8, 2014 7:00 P.M. Corporation Budget
October 24, 2014 7:00 P.M. School Board Candidate Forum
November 3, 2014 7:00 P.M. Corporation Strategic Plan Update
December 1, 2014 7:00 P.M.Defining the Skills and Traits to Look For In New Superintendent
January 5, 2015
7:00 P.M.Open
February 2, 2015
7:00 P.M.High School Report-Instructional Program, Data, and the Effects of New Policies
March 2, 2015
7:00 P.M. Security and Safety Protocol
April 6, 2015
7:00 P.M.Open
May 4, 2015
7:00 P.M. Student Handbooks/Election of Co-Chair for 2015-16
June 1, 2015
7:00 P.M.Planning Session for 2015-16
—Abigail Adams
Meeting Site (unless otherwise designated): MVCSC Board Room, One Shoppell Blvd.,
1776 W. SR 234, Fortville, IN 46040, 317-485-3100, www.mvcsc.k12.in.us
4
JULY, 2014
Calendar Notes (see page 15 for important Aug.-Dec. dates)
• All Mt. Vernon Schools are on nine week grading schedules.
• Calendar subject to change if necessitated by legislative action, emergency school closings, or IDOE waiver action.
• The MVCSC will conduct 180 student days and 183 teacher days between July 29, 2014 and May 29, 2015. Any days
missed during the first quarter will be made up during the week of October 6-10, 2014. No makeup days will be conducted during the Second Quarter Break. Please be aware, Presidents’ Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day are scheduled
makeup days for any missed days prior to February 13, 2015. Any additional missed days will be made up during the week
of March 16 - 20 and at the end of the school year.
One Million Steps to Fitness
The Nutrition and Fitness class at Mt. Vernon High
School took on the One Million Step Challenge in
May for 10 days. Pedometers or the AP Step counter
was used by students to track their steps during the
school day and during physical activity. At the end of
the 10 days the class reached their goal of 1,049,833
steps. Alex Barnett recorded the most steps. Pictured
at right are many of the participants in the step challenge for fitness.
MVEF Awards Nearly $130,000 since 2008!
Mt. Vernon Education Foundation (MVEF)
awarded nearly $12,000
this spring for teacherrequested grants. Since
MVEF was established in
2007, nearly $130,000 in
teacher-requested grants
has been awarded to all
Mt. Vernon Schools. More
than 100 teachers and all
of our students have been L-R: Susan Boyle, Mark Douglass, Chris Walrod, Barry Stadler, Kyle
Miller, Nancy Werner, Sara Joyner and Ben Williams.
impacted by the grants!
Join us for the
MVEF 5K Race Walk
Presented by Hancock Regional Hospital
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13!
• The 5th Annual Mt. Vernon Education Foundation
Race, presented by Hancock Regional Hospital
• 5K Run/Walk or 1 Mile Family Fun Run/Walk
• Walk or run to support grants for Mt. Vernon
teachers and students!
Saturday, September 13, 2014
MVCSC Main Campus
All ages and ability are invited to
participate (preschoolers and under are free)
More Info: www.MtVernonFoundation.org
When: Where: Who: Referendum is
Successful
The members of the school
board extended their thanks to
Jeff Mull and Larry Longman for
chairing the Graduate MVCSC
(Growing Resources to Alleviate
the Deficit and Unify Area Taxpayers for Education at MVCSC)
program that campaigned in favor
of the school referendum on the
May 6 2014 ballot. The final results
showed a nine vote victory for the
school’s request. The operational
referendum will go into effect on
January 1, 2015 and the additional
11 cents on the tax rate is expected
to raise $833,000 per year for
three years. The funds raised from
this process will be directed to
eliminating the remaining General
Fund deficit thus completing the
corporation’s comeback from major financial problems that began
in 2009.
The members of the Board and
Superintendent Riggs extend their
heartfelt thanks to the community
for creating this opportunity.
5
THE MT. VERNON MESSENGER
MES News
Lunch
Prices
Increase for
2014-2015
Lunch prices for the 2014-2014
school year will increase to:
MVHS & MVMS: Elementary: Adult: $2.60
$2.55
$3.10
All other prices remain the same:
Student Breakfast:
Adult Breakfast:
Reduced Breakfast:
Reduced Lunch: Extra Milk: $1.65
$2.00
$ .30
$ .40
$ .50
MVHS —
4 Star School for
Second Year in a Row
For the second year in a row, Mt.
Vernon High School was named a
FOUR-STAR SCHOOL for the 20122013 school year. In order to achieve
this designation, a school must be in
the top 25th percentile of schools in
ISTEP+ testing results. Winning this
award required excellent work by teachers, administrators, students and parents
throughout the year. Congratulations to
Mt. Vernon High School!!!!
McCordsville’s own Jonah Ardayfio
won third place (bronze) in the recent
Math Pentathlon! This is a nationwide
program!!
McCordsville Elementary is welcoming several new faces to our MV family!
Courtney Patterson is new to Special
Education, Shelly Rogers has filled our
other special education position, Karon
Earley will be new to 3rd grade, Shona
Gilmer will take the helm in 2nd grade
and Amy Nichols (instructional assistant
currently) will fill the new Kindergarten
spot. Welcome to your new positions!
Our back to school night and ice
cream social will be held on July 29, 2014
from 6:00-7:45. Please join the fun!
GRANTS
MES was awarded a grant in the
amount of $10,000 from the Indiana
Department of Education to purchase
items for early literacy. We will be implementing the Read Well program for our
K-2 students.
The MVEF has also awarded MES
a grant in the amount of $6,317.26 for
the purchase of technology! At least 4
more rooms will be outfitted with projectors, document cameras, and interactive
whiteboards!
The NES first grade team was awarded a grant as well!! Thanks for the support
MVEF!
HOBY Representative Chosen
Emily Fleming, sophomore and daughter of Christopher and Kelly Fleming, will
represent Mt. Vernon High School at the Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Seminar
(HOBY) this summer at Butler University from June 12-15, 2014. The HOBY mission is to inspire and develop our global community of youth and volunteers to a life
dedicated to leadership, service and innovation.
Two delegates chosen for Hoosier Boys State
Two Mt. Vernon High School students will spend a week learning about government in a prestigious annual program. Casey Fentz and Grant Williams will attend
the American Legion’s Hoosier Boys State from June 15-21, 2014 at Trine University.
These students were selected based upon demonstrated abilities in leadership, character
and citizenship. American Legion Unit 391 of Fortville is the sponsor of our delegates.
DAR Good Citizen
Each year, one senior is chosen as the DAR Good Citizen. This senior is chosen based
upon the qualities of dependability, service, leadership and patriotism. Jansen Nicholson,
son of John and Dee Nicholson, was selected as this year’s DAR Good Citizen.
6
Board Member
Shelton Oakes
Honored
The Mt. Vernon School Board President Tony May presented board member
Shelton Oakes with a plaque commemorating his eight years (2006-2014) as
a school board member. “I’m sure the
schools were better off having him serve
for eight years,” May said.
Board Developing
a Strategic
Improvement Plan
In March, the members of the
school board announced they have
begun the process of developing
a three to five year strategic plan
intended to enhance the educational program and improve student
achievement
Currently the Board is working
with Dr. Michael Adamson, Director of Indiana School Boards (ISBA)
Board Development Services, to
revise the Mission, Vision and Belief
Statements for the Corporation.
Once this segment is completed, the
Board will turn to the school community to help develop the actual plan.
The Board intends to provide
a variety of ways for community
members to have input into the final document. Community surveys,
focus groups, town hall meetings and
other activities will play a key role
in providing the necessary data to
flesh out the plan. The tentative date
for completing the strategic plan is
March, 2015.
JULY, 2014
2014 School Board Scholars Honored
On June 16 the Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation School Board held its 31st Annual School Board
Scholars Reception and Awards Program for students from
grades 4 through 12. Recipients receive a certificate, a trophy,
and their names entered permanently into the records of the
School Board during its regular monthly meeting held after
the program.
FORTVILLE ELEMENTARY—Ella Adams (1), Megan Ashley (1),
Caleb Bell (1), Isaac Borgman (1), Emma Bowling (1), Abigail Brown
(2), Joseph Carney (1), Kaira Carter (1), Andrew Cashman (1), Jacob
Casler (1), Cade Clark (1), Ella Coy (1), Sophia Dewael (1), Levi McCordsville Elementary School Scholars
Elliott (1), Kate Gray (1), Collin Gregory (1), Maitlyn Griner (1),
Sarah Hall (1), Beth Hodgin (1), Andrew Johnson (1), Kellen Kerr
(1), Eli Knight (1), Ruthie Lamaster (1), Haley Lowder (1), Shiloh
McFarland (2), Dustin Meek (1), Emma Muffler (1), Maura Musick
(1), Mackenzie Nigh (1), Bryanna Noesges (1), Alaina Nugent (1),
Joshua Orelup (1), Mia Pacey (1), Megan Peters (1), Gavin Privett
(1), Noah Rado (1), Alexis Shelton (2), Julia Stadler (1), Tyler Strantz
(2), Madelyn Warner (1), Carly Wilkerson (1), Jaclyn Wilson (1),
Olivia Yeley (2)
MCCORDSVILLE ELEMENTARY—Kayden Bensheimer (2), Aden
Cappelletti (1), Jackson Champion (1), Gabriella Clark (1), Hunter
Dobbins (1), Ashden Gentry (1), Alexander Goffinet (2), Ryan
Goffinet (1), Nolan Gronowski (1), Ptolemy Henson (1), Jonathan
Hermann (2), Cole Hess (2), Luke Huff (1), Kiley Hunziker (1), Caleb Mt. Comfort Elementary School Scholars
Jackson (1), Kendall Lansel (1), Logan LeRoy (1), Avery Longman
(2), Olivia Lugo (1), Samuel McWilliams (2), Mackenzie Miner (1),
Ryan Moran (1), Seth Morrison (2), Sofie Mott (2), Lillian Phipps
(1), Sydney Powell (1), Emily Rollo (1), Shay Shipley (1), Madison
Stanley (1), Avery Swingle (1), Madison Swingle (1), Morgan Tharp
(1), Walker Thornton (2), Megan Vaughn (1), Macy Wilson (2),
Daniel Woods (1)
MT. COMFORT ELEMENTARY—Alivia Barnett (1), William
Batista (1), Allyson Beattie (2), Mandy Bechman (1), Riley Britt (1),
Colin Brown (2), Lillian Cole (1), Abigail Corbly (1), Abigail Crouch
(1), Samuel Ford (1), Katherine Gawrys (2), Riley Grandstaff (1), Fortville Elementary School Scholars
Katelynn Hexamer (1), Hannah Heydon (2), Carolyn Hornsby (1), Logan Hufty (1), Meredith Johnson (1), Jack Kern (1), Grace King (1),
Haley Kissee (1), Taylor Lorsung (2), Cameron Lusby (1), Samuel Mackall (1), Hannah McCleery (1), Kaitlin Miller (2), Evan Rappe’ (2),
Raelyn Stanfield (1), Dallas Turner (2), Paighton Vanwinkle (1), Coy Walden (1), Victoria Wheat (1), Krystiana White (1), Samuel Wilson (1),
Lillian Woolston (1)
MT. VERNON MIDDLE—Padraig
Alford (3), Hayden Bailey (1), Samantha Bennett (2), Paige Boxberger (3),
Jordyn Boyer (1), Sydney Bradfield
(2), Tyler Carrow (3), Shelby Case
(2), Mckenzie Chance (1), Vicky
Chen (1), Cameron Cole (2), Dylan
Cole (4), Nathan Conway (4), Abigail
Cook (1), Sydney Cook (4), Kenneth
Cox (4), Jacob Crow (4), Bronte
Davidson (1), Jaci Dean (1), Kaylie
Middle School Scholars
Demaree (4), Brent Donaldson (3),
Kamryn Eason (1), Makenzie Echeverria (1), Sydney Ehrgott (1), Benjamin Emery (3), Anthony Fleming (2), Brianna Franke (1), Tessa Freeman (3), Keian Gatewood (4), Cade Gentry (4), Drake Gerig (3), Alyson Godwin (2), Sydney Godwin (3), Cooper Gray (2), Cole Guy (1),
Lily Hampton (2), Grant Hess (4), Elizabeth Hiatt (1), Bailey Hodgin (4), Vivian Hoeppner (2), Connor Hoffman (3), Riley Hurst (1), Kamron
Isham (1), Blake Johnson (4), Aidan Jones (1), Conner Kinnaman (3), Elise Klinestiver (2), Benjamin LaBelle (1), Joan Lee (2), Jeffrey Lewis (4),
Emme Longman (4), Charis Lott (2), Andi Manshsip (3), Samuel McCarty (4), Martin McConnell (1), Mia Miller (2), Cleo Mills (2), Joseph
Moore, Madalyn Mull (4), Jenna Nicodemus (3), Danielle Nosek (4), Kennedy Overton (4), Madalyn Owen (3), Madelyn Peddicord (1), Lillie
Perdue (2), Brenna Perkins (4), Sydnee Perry (3), Rachel Pilkington (1), Reece Powell (1), Connor Price (2), Daniel Richter (1), Graham Rigsbee
(1), Jacob Roberts (1), Jasmeen Saini (1), Tyler Schank (1), Cole Schneider (4), Campbell Shaffer (3), Jarred Sheets (4), Joseph Shepard (3),
Shaun Shipley (3), Kaeden Smith (3), Rex Snow (1), Ethan Spoor (1), Sophie Sterrett (3), Deacon Stiff (3), Caroline Story (2), Ryan Strantz
(4), Megan Stricker (1), Emma Sweet (1), Cassidy Teschendorf (1), Brielle Theobald (2), Riese Thornton (1),
Continued on page 9
7
The MT. Vernon MeSSenGer
MVHS Senior Honor Night, May 6, 2014
Character Award: nicole amanda
dowd and Jansen wells nicholson
NineStar Connect Scholarships:
($1,000 each) phylisia Brooke
donaldson, Jacob eugene luke, and
anthony william Milesi
Gary Lewark Award: Jansen wells
nicholson
Mike Johnson Memorial Scholarship:
($875) andrew James Boyle
Service and Citizenship Merit: katy
elisabeth Baker, donovan david
Bolding, Shane william dewael,
nicole amanda dowd, Courteney
lee Fentz, laura elizabeth Galley,
Caitlin Marie Gartrell, Colin Bryant
harrison, Michael allan oliphant,
lindsey layne Stamper, Madison
Taylor walrod, Mitchell Todd
walrod, Casey Maureen ward,
patricia ann warfel, Josie lynn
weileman, emily renee white,
Victoria lynn widener, Brittany
nicole wiggins, emily Joann
winegard, kenneth owen woods
Mt. Vernon Alumni Association:
($1,000) danielle elaine Curtman
SERVICE AND CITIzENSHIP
RECOGNITION
Terry/Borgman Mental Attitude
Award: andrew James Boyle
Senior Class Officers: nicole
amanda dowd, President; Tucker
alexander Curts, Vice-President;
alex Connor Birge, Secretary;
Mitchell Todd walrod, Treasurer
Student Government Officers:
Casey Maureen ward, President;
Jansen wells nicholson, VicePresident
National Honor Society Officers:
lindsey renee eckart, President;
Victoria lynn widener, VicePresident; , laura elizabeth Galley,
Secretary; audrey Catherine
wallace, Treasurer; patricia ann
warfel, Historian
Mt Vernon AP Scholars: amanda
nicole Bundy, lindsey layne
Stamper, nicholas James Swift
AP Scholar with Honor: Connor
kent Spencer
COMMUNITY SCHOLARSHIP
RECOGNITION
Bruce McKinney Memorial
Scholarship: ($827) Madison
lorraine Brandt
8
Judy D. Smith Memorial Scholarship:
($585) Matia Marie rujiraviriyapinyo
Ernie Oden Athletic Scholarships:
($250 ea.) Benjamin ryan Bobb,
alec ward lohman, Madison Taylor
walrod, and hannah Mackenzie yee
IMI Cheer Scholarship: ($500) emily
lynn Mckinney
Brandon Rush Award: ($100) li Qing ni
Mt Vernon Education Foundation:
($100) Samantha Marie Sanders
Rabe-Vermillion Scholarship: ($3,500)
Courteney lee Fentz
Mark Mattick Mental Attitude Award:
($500) patricia ann warfel
Chris Sullivan Memorial Music Booster
Scholarships: ($555.50 ea.) laura
elizabeth Galley and Matthew lee
paarlberg
Fortville Business and Professional
women Scholarship: ($750) haley
elaine white
Hancock County Art Educators
Scholarship: ($tbd) Courtney leigh
reimlinger
Steve williams Soccer Scholarship:
($500 each) lauren e. Bradburn and
Mouhamed konate
Mt. Vernon Optimist Ron Seals
Scholarship: ($1,000 ea.) natalie
Marie Bragdon, Gibson Carter
erlewein, anthony william Milesi,
Morgan renee Stricker, and Mitchell
Todd walrod
The Rotary Club of Greenfield
Education Scholarship: ($500)
Madison Taylor walrod
Psi Iota Xi Art Scholarship: ($1,000)
Courtney leigh reimlinger
Psi Iota Xi Debbie Plank Memorial
Music Scholarship: ($1,000) kierra
Tyler Santillan
Psi Iota Xi Literature Scholarship:
($1,000) Courteney lee Fentz
Richard H. Crosser Memorial
Scholarship: ($510) patricia ann
warfel
Margaret Johnson Honorary
Scholarship: ($2,049) Samantha
Marie Sanders
Hancock County Community
Foundation Scholarship-Lilly
Finalists: ($1,000 ea.) Matthew lee
paarlberg and nicholas James Swift
George and Icy Vaughn Performing
Arts Scholarship: 1st place ($7,500)
austin david Fisher 4th place
($2,500) laura elizabeth Galley
participants ($500 ea.) Courteney
lee Fentz and lindsey layne
Stamper
Gladys Hancock Shumway
Scholarship: ($1,048) Matia Marie
rujiraviriyapinyo
walter P. and Virginia worland
Scholarship:($1,178.50) Gibson
Carter erlewein
Nancy Terrell Miller Scholarship:
($1,016) Matthew lee paarlberg
Roger’s Smile Scholarship: ($500 ea.)
andrew James Boyle, eve alejandra
Gonzales, audrey Catherine wallace,
Jonathan Matthew Zinn
Veterans of Foreign wars Post 6904
Scholarship: ($676) Gibson Carter
erlewein
Earl J. and Irene B. Brooks Scholarship:
($6,000) phylisia Brooke donaldson
Edith zike Nursing Scholarship: allyra
dulay Cardenas
Richard and Judith white Memorial
Scholarship: ($2,000) andrew James
Boyle
Mervin K. Holzhausen Scholarship:
($1,000) Matia Marie
rujiraviriyapinyo
The Fortville McCordsville Chamber
of Commerce Scholarship: ($1,000)
Mitchell Todd walrod
July, 2014
SCHOLARS continued from page 7
Erlewein Mortuary Scholarship for
Funeral Service: ($1,000) Megan
kristine hoskins
Justin Thorpe (3), abigail Tucker (3), adrianne Vance (1), Zoe wacker (1), emma walker (1),
alyssa white (2), Chase wilkerson (4), Christopher wilkerson (3), Cooper williams (4), Jaici
wright (4), Jennifer Zarate (1)
Jason Casto Scholarship: ($1,500) eve
alejandra Gonzales
Army Reserve Scholar Athlete: alex
Thomas McMillan and Madison Taylor
walrod
RECOGNITION OF ACADEMIC
ACHIEVEMENT
Top Scholar Awards: Benjamin ryan
Bobb, Caleb Jesse deckard, phylisia
Brooke donaldson, Courteney
lee Fentz, laura elizabeth Galley,
Jacob eugene luke, alex Thomas
McMillan, Jansen wells nicholson,
Matia Marie rujiraviriyapinyo,
lindsey layne Stamper, Morgan
renee Stricker, Michael eric
Timberlake, Madison Taylor walrod,
haley elaine white, Brittany nicole
wiggins
Mt. Vernon High School Department
Awards:
Agricultural Education – dakota M
lilly
Band – Brittany Blair patrick
Choir – Michael Timberlake
Engineering Technology – david
paul Morford
English/ Language – lindsey layne
Stamper
FACS – Meghan lee rhoads
Fine Arts – Jessie alynn Brewer
Health/Phys. Ed. – Jordon luis reyes
High Tech Academy – dylan Brice
Brooks
Mathematics – laura elizabeth
Galley
Science – Valerie Jo Grafton
Social Studies – lindsey renee
eckart
world Language – Taylor nicole
Sweet
Senior Leadership Award: ($1,000 ea.)
Jansen wells nicholson and Madison
Taylor walrod
TOTAL AMOUNT OF SCHOLARSHIPS
AwARDED: $ 3,566,851
8th Grade Academy Scholars
8TH GRADE ACADEMY—eli alexander (1), isabel Baker (2), Mary Barnett (1), drew Bluethmann (2), emily Bostrom (1), Matthew Boyle (4), Jaden Cappelletti (3), Timothy Clone (1),
laura denk (1), erin dunn (1), Meridan eads (5), Jadan Fithian (3), Mary Fleming (5), emma
Flick (1), krista Franklin (2), kiara Gibson (1), kennedy Glazier (5), nathan Gronowski (1),
Sean hammond (1), holly haney (3), Madelyn hayse (1), Sarah herman (1), anne hermann
(5), Victoria hexamer (5), lauren hine (1), anna howard (1), Grace hurst (2), Sara kious (3),
kristina lee (1), andrea Maynard (3), Jennifer McGowen (5), Carly Mcwilliams (5), elizabeth
Miller (4), Victoria Miller (1), alexa Mott (3), alaina nelson (4), Bethany nuckols (3), kaitlyn
nugent (3), Sydney overton (5), Tara paarlberg (3), lauren pilkington (2), nicole ratts (5),
andrew roembke (5), Matthew rollo (5), Chelsea roundtree (1), roxanne Saschizan (1),
Madison Smith (2), olivia Spicer (4), Jenna Stamm (3), Bryan Taylor (1), lydia Tierney (5),
Savannah Tolliver (1), lauren Truex (2), hannah warfel (4), hannah watson (5), kaytlin wilkins
(1), Benjamin wilson (4), Brooklyn wilson (4), karis witte (4), Jenner york (2)
High School Scholars
HIGH SCHOOL—Badrinadh alvandhar (3), Mark alvarado (5), Mia amundson (7), abby
anderson (4), emily annakin (1), krysia arkenau (1), derek Barnett (4), Theresia Barnett (2),
alex Birge (4), Benjamin Bobb (9), Brian Bozymski (7), Cassandra Bridges (4), adrian Cagle (2),
allison Campbell (6), allyra Cardenas (1), ian Carson (3), leah Chaves (3), alexa Christenson
(1), laura Cochran (5), Madelyn Conway (5) , Zachary Coons (1), larkin Cooper (4), Tucker
Curts (6), rachel davis (7), Caleb deckard (8), Morgan devine (2), Shane dewael (2), phylisia
donaldson (7), Savanna donaldson (2), daija douglas (2), addison eads (7), lily erlewein (7),
Mary Grace ertel (2), Michael ertel (1), Courteney Fentz (3), Bailey Fleming (3), emily Fleming
(6), Chelsea Ford (2), kyle Forsythe (5), emily Frost (2), rachel Furniss (4), laura Galley (9),
Samantha Gawrys (7), Makenzie Gee (3), Caitlin Grandstaff (6), nathan Grandstff (5), Zoe
harves (4), Matthew hays (1), Sydney henderson (6), Joslin hill (1), Madison horsley (6),
Megan hoskins (3), ross houk (6), rachel hoyt (1), paige hughes (7), dajah humbert (2),
Jenna Jones (2), katelyn kiphart (3), leah klinestiver (4), kari kramer (1), Jordan lilly (2),
Caitlin lindman (7), erica lohman (6), Jacob luke (4), layke lynch (2), kylie lyons (6), daniel
Majors (2), hannah Martin (6), lauren Matson (1), elizabeth May (4), katherine Maynard (1),
anne McCain (2), Mitchell McCarthy (3), Madison McClain (2), James McGowen (6), alex
McMillan (7), Blake Miller (3), Shelby Miller (1), Jansen nicholson (8), Brendan o’Bryhim
(5), Megan parke (6), andrew payne (2), alyssa powell (5), kallan ratekin (6), luken rigsbee
(2), Zane roberts (1), Matia rujiraviriyapinyo (6), aaron rush ((5), Jake russell (2), ariana
Sandefur (2), allison Schafer (4), Margaret Schleter (6), Sydney Shelton (6), Sydney Shurman
(5), racheal Slayback (1), kayla Smith (3), Gavin Stamper (6), lindsey Stamper (7), Morgan
Stricker (8), dana Sutherlin (5), drake Tacket (2), andrew Thaxton (1), Chelsesa Theobald (7),
Michael Timberlake (4), alexa Treon (3), noelle Truex (3), Saleem Tucker (3), Blaire Viehweg
(3), Madison walrod (9), Julia wayer (4), hannah whitaker (4), emily white (5), Brittany
wiggins (6), Sabrina woods (5), ellen wuerch (1), hannah yee (1), Molly yee (3), Cassandra
york (7), alyssa Zinola (4)
( ) Years as a Scholar
9
THE MT. VERNON MESSENGER
Academic Wall of Fame Inductees 2014
At the June Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation Board Meeting, several
students were inducted into the Academic Wall of Fame. Each student received a
certificate of achievement and his or her name permanently added to the appropriate
plaques on the Academic Wall of Fame located in the Board Room at the Administration Building. Those receiving recognition and the areas in which they qualified were:
FORTVILLE ELEMENTARY: Spelling Bee Champion: Shiloh McFarland; Geography Bee
Champion: Tyler Strantz; Addition T-Race Champion: Haiden Rose; Multiplication T-Race
Champion: Sarah Hall
FES Wall of Fame
MT. COMFORT ELEMENTARY: Spelling Bee Champion: Riley Britt; Geography Champion: Jackson Tabb; Addition T-Race Champion: Hannah McCleery; Multiplication T-Race
Champion: Samuel Wilson
McCORDSVILLE ELEMENTARY: Spelling Bee Champion: Ryan Goffinet; Geography Bee
Champion: Alex Goffinet; Addition T-Race Champion: Sam McWilliams; Multiplication TRace Champion: Hunter Dobson
MT. VERNON MIDDLE SCHOOL: Spelling Bee Champion: Sarah Cardenas; Geography
Bee Champion: Matthew Rollo
MT. VERNON HIGH SCHOOL: Valedictorian: Lindsey Stamper; Salutatorian: Brittany
Wiggins; National Merit Finalist: Nicholas Swift; School Board Scholar Five Times or More:
Benjamin Bobb (9), Alexis Doody (5), Lindsey Stamper (7), Cameron Bush (6), Laura Galley
(9), Morgan Stricker (8), Tucker Curts (6), Ross Houk (6), Audrey Wallace (6), Rachel Davis
(7), Alex McMillan (7), Madison Walrod (9), Caleb Deckard (8), Jansen Nicholson (8), Emily
White (5), Phylisia Donaldson (7), Matia Rujiraviriyapinyo (6), Brittany Wiggins (6)
MCES Wall of Fame
MES Wall of Fame
MVMS Wall of Fame
MVHS Wall of Fame
FES 5th Graders Win Tug-of-War
For the first time ever, Fortville Elementary won the D.A.R.E.
tug-of-war event at the annual D.A.R.E picnic. Team members
included: Abby Brown, Kasey Manship, Emma Muffler, Lexi
Shelton, Olivia Yeley, Jadd Dufek, Jadon Fields, Jacob Matthews,
Nate Nuckols, and Gabriel Thompson
10
Aspiring Poets
Mrs. Overstreet's 3rd Grade Reading Class at Mt. Comfort
Elem. School entered the National Poetry Contest. This year
the contest was writing a Haiku poem. 15 of her students are
being published in the 2014 poetry book. It will be presented
and entered into our library in October 2014. Congratulations
to these 8-9 year old future writers!
JULY, 2014
FES News
NEW TECHNOLOGY!
FES is very excited to be adding new
technology to our building. We have been
working hard this year to raise money to
add technology that will help support
student learning. This year we have been
able to add document cameras, projectors and interactive white boards with
the money that we have raised through
fundraisers. We want to say THANK
YOU to anyone that has helped support
our fundraisers.
ACADEMIC SUCCESS
We have had a lot of academic success
during the 2013-2014 school year. We
had several students earn honor roll for
all 4 nine weeks! The following students
were awarded the Principal Award during
their grade level award ceremonies:
Ms. Adams
Megan Ashley
Mackenzie Beeler
Andrew Cashman
Eli Knight
Taylor Loy
Maura Musick
Will Carney
Dalton Connor
Danae Kendrex
Kellen Kerr
Ashton Kessinger
Parker Smitley
Raven Wilson
Ms. Hall
Mrs. Peacock
Ella Adams
Isaac Borgman
Maitlyn Griner
Sarah Hall
Beth Hodgin
Andrew Johnson
Bryanna Noesges
Olivia Pastrick
Gavin Privett
Julia Stadler
Mrs. Privett
Emma Bowling
Cade Clark
Sophie Dewael
Kate Gray
Noah Rado
Carly Wilkerson
Erica Crockett
Levi Elliott
Collin Gregory
Jake Hardey
Faith Hopper
Dustin Meek
Reyce Morgan
Madelyn Warner
Ella Coy
Peyton Brooks
Andrew Jasionowski
Haley Lowder
Mackenzie Nigh
Joshua Orelup
Mr. Schoeff
Abigail Brown
Kaira Carter
Michael Groce
Sidney Johnstone
“Anyone who stops learning
is old, whether at
twenty or eighty.
Anyone who keeps learning
stays young.”
—Henry Ford
Three Mt. Vernon High School Students
Part of 8-Book Series for Children of All Ages
By Ken Hanna
Dr. Riggs invited me to write a special report about a project I have put together.
Over the past year, I have written a series of eight children’s books with my two
grandchildren (Luke, 14 and Sarah,10) – a legacy, if you will. I taught and coached at
Mt. Vernon High School, retiring in 2007.
Since my experience there was so positive, I approached Principal Bernie Campbell
with my idea to use some students to do the illustrations. I had previously interviewed
several professional illustrators who, fortunately, all turned me down – that is when I got
the idea to use students. He was very enthused about what I wanted and, within two
or three days, notified me about two young ladies who would be interested – Emma
Soukup, Senior, and Shelby Schilling, Junior. I was pleased when they said they were
interested and wanted to try.
They have turned out to be
absolutely “amazing.” Their interpretations of the stories and
their art abilities are beyond
their years. I was also able to
contact a former student of
mine to work on the project –
Paul Thompson who currently
resides in Chicago. Paul went
to film school there after graduating from MVHS in 2004
and is continuing to pursue
work in film and illustrating.
He, as well, has done a great job with these books.
I recently asked Mr. Campbell to give me a take on his opinion of how this project
turned out. He said, “I am always on the lookout for opportunities to showcase the
talented students attending Mt. Vernon High School. This kind of opportunity would
permit two of our students to showcase their talents in a way that was positive, educational, and promoted what is best about life-long learning. I feel very proud of both
Emma and Shelby’s efforts in helping us to ‘Defend the Shield’.”
The eight books are a storied series about seven generations of one family living
through America’s history from the Civil War to the present. Those who would probably benefit most from this series would be 4th through 8th graders, but these stories
are good for all ages. We see these books as a great investment in helping students with
history lessons as well as life lessons which are built into the story lines. This series
serves many purposes that will never get old. Most books, as I am sure you are aware,
deal with a couple of areas and it’s over. I am working with several school systems
(including MV) to possibly adopt this series in their classrooms as reference materials.
With the subjects addressed, parents, grandparents, and teachers can casually open
discussions with their students about “tough” subjects. Some of those issues are discrimination, bullying/teasing, divorce, dying, adoption, etc. The topics are introduced
in the story lines, and that will allow comfortable discussion with student input (not
a “preaching” approach). I am not familiar with any book series that addresses all the
subject matter our series does.
The books are titled very simply: “TRIP #1” is book number 1; “TRIP #2” is book
number 2; etc., authored by Lukas/S.K./Jid the Kid (that would be me). They are
available through the publisher, “AuthorHouse.com,” or “bn.com”(Barnes and Noble).
They are also available as e-readers (Nook and Kindle). I hope that you will support
our adventure because I know you will all enjoy the stories, you will relive your part
of America’s history, and you will appreciate history like you never did before. Dr.
Riggs and Principal Campbell can provide any information you might desire and I
would be happy to make myself available to any group who would like to learn more.
11
The MT. Vernon MeSSenGer
HHC
Academic
Team
Mt. Vernon high
School had 24 athletes receive hoosier
heritage Conference
academic medals
during the 2013-2014
school year. Qualified athletes must
be a Varsity letter winner; a sophomore, junior, or senior; and in the
top 5% of their respective graduating
class. Congratulations to:
Boys’ Cross Country
Aaron Ruch, Brian Bozymski
Girls’ Cross Country
Samantha Gawrys
Boys Soccer
Braxton Ratekin
Girls Soccer
Jordan Lilly, Hannah whitaker,
Haley white
Volleyball
Teresa Bond, Mary Grace Ertel
Boys Tennis
Ben Bobb, Alex McMillan,
Grant williams
Cheerleading
Lily Erlewein
Boys Basketball
Caleb Deckard
Girls Basketball
Morgan Stricker, Madison
walrod
Boys Swimming
Daniel Majors
Girls Swimming
Samantha Gawrys, Caitlin
Grandstaff
Girls Tennis
Cassandra York, Addison Eads,
Madison walrod
Boys Track
Aaron Ruch, Brian Bozymski,
Brayden Ratekin
Girls Track
Leah Chaves, Phylisia
Donaldson
Softball
Catlin Lindman, Kylie Lyons,
Morgan Stricker
Baseball
Alex McMillan
12
FCCLA Awards Members 2013-2014
Mt. Vernon high
School FCCla recognized their members in
a May awards presentation for completing the
year of service in their
community; participating in State Conference;
and fulfilling membership duties. activities
included: Food panty
food drive; Frenzy animal rescue, volunteers
at school festivals/dance,
FCCLA members that attended the ceremony: Front row L-R: Ayden
care packages for home- Millspaugh, Kaylee Lyons, Peyton Scott, Maddison Hahn Back row
less, State and STar L-R: Kevin Lyons, Shelby Bernard, Mazie Bernard, Elise Lowell,
projects; landscaping, Kourtney Hancock.
leadership conferences, coupon clipping, rush week. The next membership call-out
meeting will be august 8, 2014.
Retirees Honored
Front row L-R: Pam Campbell, Nancy Brunnemer, Candy Adkins, Candy Hyde, Dana Doud,
Board member Vernee’ Eads. Back row L-R: Board President Tony May, Board Member
Shelton Oakes, Board Member Jason Shelton, Bruce Kendall and John Price.
at the June 16 MVCSC regular school board meeting, the following teachers
were honored for their years of service to Mt. Vernon School and their retirement:
CERTIFIED
Candy adkins
kathy Bertsch
nancy Brunnemer
pam Campbell
Tom Campbell
Candy hyde
Brenda kelly
Bruce kendall
Faith phillips
John price
Toy Simmons
2nd Grade – MCe
6th Grade – MVMS
kindergarten – FeS
2nd Grade – MCe
5th Grade – MCe
3rd Grade - FeS
6th Grade – MVMS
Science – MVhS
Media Specialist – MVhS
principal – MVMS
Math – MVhS
Yrs. at MV
Total Yrs.
25
34
34
28
35
36
27.5
39
16
11
31
35
34
34
31
38
36
36
39
32
35
34
NON-CERTIFIED
Bonnie Jobe
Cathy douglass
dana doud
Custodian – MCe
Treasurer – MVhS
Bus driver
37
25
34
JULY, 2014
Tributes from the Schools
CANDY ADKINS
Candy Adkins has
taught for 40 years. Candy
was originally a PE major but fortunately for us
switched to Elementary
Education. She taught in
the New Palestine School District form
1973 -1985, IVY Tech from 1985-1987
and finally here at Mt. Vernon beginning in
1988. Candy has the reputation of being
Mt. Comfort’s master juggler. During her
career, a juggler came to give an in-service.
Being a former PE major, Candy realized
how difficult it is for little ones to sit still
so she started using juggling as a way to
break up the day with a little exercise in
the classroom. Candy also has the title of
“Recycling Queen” at Mt. Comfort and
was been leading the reduce, reuse, recycle
program for many years. Candy hopes to
spend more time with her grandchildren
and perhaps a little substitute teaching
from time to time.
Kathy Bertsch
Kathy Bertsch came
to the Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation in 1980 and taught
sixth grade at Mt. Vernon
Middle School and Mt.
Vernon Intermediate School for 34 years.
During those years she taught math, language arts, health, skills for adolescents,
and science. For a period of time, Kathy
supervised after-school ISTEP remediation classes, and she taught summer
school for 23 years. Since the beginning
of her career, Kathy has witnessed many
changes at MV, but she’s always enjoyed
working with students who kept her on
her toes, made her laugh, and inspired her
to become a better teacher. Kathy says,
“I will miss helping students learn and
helping them grow into young ladies and
gentlemen. I will miss talking with young
people every day. They taught me a lot,
too!” Kathy also says that being a part of
the family atmosphere in the buildings
and making lifelong friends were some
of the best things about working at Mt.
Vernon. As she looks ahead, Kathy has
many plans for retirement. She hopes to
slow down and take the time to enjoy a
few new pursuits. In addition, she says,
“My husband and I plan to cherish each
day, do some traveling, spend more time
with our wonderful families, and count
our many blessings every single day!”
Congratulations, Kathy, and thank you
for your 34 years of service!
Nancy Brunnemer
Fortville Elementary
School honored Nancy
Brunnemer at an evening gathering and took a
look back to enjoy some
of her most memorable
moments. Nancy has dedicated 34 years
to the Mt. Vernon School Corporation.
She has touched countless lives! Staff
and friends worked together to put on
a skit where Nancy could lead them
through one last rodeo! This was a fun
way for Nancy to begin her new journey
of retirement.
Pam Campbell
Pam Campbell retired
at the end of this year
after teaching second
grade at Mt. Comfort
since 1986. She loved
the challenge of working
with a new group of wonderful students
each year and developing strategies that
best met their academic and emotional
needs. Throughout her teaching career,
she saw many changes in methods and
technology which Pam enjoyed, but the
interaction between students and teacher
was what drove her. Pam was blessed to
work with an incredible staff at Mt. Comfort which was more like family than just
co-workers inspired by the leadership of
both Phil Davis and Heather Whitaker.
Pam retired after the birth of her
granddaughter, Katelynn. Her plan is to
be the caregiver and best-grandmotherever to Katelynn while her mommy
continues teaching.
In closing, Pam would like to express
her gratitude to all the families who entrusted her with their precious children
over the years and prays that in some
small way she has enabled them to be
successful in their personal endeavors.
Tom Campbell
Tom Campbell, 5th grade teacher at
Mt. Comfort Elementary
School, is retiring from
teaching after thirtyfive years of service at
MVCSC and 38 years of
teaching. He began his
teaching career in at the
old Mt. Comfort Elementary in 1979. He
then moved to Mt. Vernon Intermediate
School in 2002 where he continued to
teach 5th grade and held the leadership
role as summer school principal. He has
spent his last three years back at Mt.
Comfort Elementary School teaching
5th grade.
He has served on many committees such as the Advisory Committee,
Character Education Committee, Data
Committee and Crisis Committee
Though he is looking forward to
retirement, he has truly enjoyed working for the Mt. Vernon Community
School Corporation. He will miss the
many, many students whose lives he has
touched and will also miss working with
his wonderful, caring colleagues.
Dana Doud
Dana Doud, a bus
driver for MVCSC, is
retiring after 36 years
behind the wheel. Dana
started her bus driving
career in 1978 as a substitute driver. In august
of 1980 she took her first full time route
covering the Helmcrest subdivision in
Fortville, Dana drove that route daily for
twelve years. In 1992 she began driving
a route for special education students. In
addition to her special education route,
Dana also drove preschool students.
These students aging three to five years
old had a special place in her heart.
Dana’s warm and caring demeanor
matched the needs of these students and
it was obvious that she was the perfect
fit for such a route. At her recent retirement party former students, parent and
fellow bus drivers celebrated Dana’s
dedication and professional care for Mt.
Vernon students.
Dana was witness to several changes
over her driving career. She saw the
growth of the MV schools that almost
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The MT. Vernon MeSSenGer
TRIBUTES continued from page 13
doubled in size. dana drove more miles
per year than any other bus driver. it is
important to note that despite the many
miles and sometimes challenging weather
conditions, she was able to pick up and
deliver all of her students safely and without incident all those years. her driving
record was the most commendable.
dana plans to spend her retirement
years enjoying her family, especially her
grandchildren. She also will do some
traveling and enjoy taking life a day at
a time without the demands of driving
a bus. Mt. Vernon Community Schools
thanks dana and wishes her the best in
her retirement.
CANDY HYDE
Fortville elementary
School honored Candy
hyde at an evening gathering and took a look
back to enjoy some of
her most memorable moments. Candy has dedicated 36 years to
the Mt. Vernon School Corporation. She
also has made an impact on countless
students. Staff and friends put on skits
and took the audience for a stroll down
memory lane. Candy was able to do one
last archeological dig to get her ready for
retirement!
BONNIE JOBE
Bonnie Jobe, head
Custodian at Mt. Comfort elementary School, is
retiring from after thirtyseven years of service at
MVCSC. She began her
career at the old Mt. Comfort elementary in 1977. She took over the new Mt.
Comfort elementary school in 2009.
Though she is looking forward to retirement, she has truly enjoyed working
for the Mt. Vernon Community School
Corporation. Bonnie will be spending
more time with her grandson and family.
BRENDA KELLY
Brenda kelly is retiring after teaching sixth
grade language arts and
social studies for 36 years.
Brenda began her career
at Custer Baker Middle
14
School in the Franklin Community
School Corporation in 1974. after 8.5
years in that school system, Brenda
came to Mt. Vernon Middle School in
december 1986 and taught for another
27.5 years. while at the middle school,
Brenda was the cheer coach for 11
years. “i had the opportunity to work
with many wonderful young ladies who
still have a special place in my heart
today. These are some of my fondest
memories of MVMS. we won 8 state
cheer championships during that time.”
Brenda says that her favorite thing about
teaching has been the students. “it is their
spirit and enthusiasm that kept me in
the classroom for 36 years. i will truly
miss them.” She’ll also miss her fellow
teachers at the middle school, a place
that she considered her home throughout
the years, and will cherish many special
memories from her time spent in the
building. Brenda plans to travel and enjoy
time with her family during retirement.
She is especially looking forward to taking care of her grandson and any future
grandchildren that she is blessed to have.
Congratulations, Brenda, and thank you
for your 36 years of service!
happened had i not had a great staff,
and MVMS is the best!” says Mr. price.
he also attributes part of his success to
lessons learned along the way from various bosses. however, Mr. price is most
proud of the fact that he tried his best
to treat everyone in the building fairly
and endeavored to bring a lot of joy to
the students and staff. after retiring, Mr.
price would like to enjoy some time off,
travel, spend time with his children and
grandchildren, relax in Florida during
the winter, and eventually try substitute
teaching. he says, “i just want to thank
everybody for a great experience there.
it was my greatest lifetime privilege to
be the principal at MVMS!” Mr. price
will be sorely missed, and the students
and staff at MVMS want to thank him
for his exceptional work and dedication
throughout the years.
JOHN PRICE
John price is retiring
after 35 years in education, the last 11 as principal at Mt. Vernon Middle
School. “i love everything
about teaching and working with kids,” said Mr. price. “i will miss
the kids most of all. They’re still wonderful after all these years! after that, it
would be the staff and the parents, too.
everybody was very nice to me over the
years and treated me very well.” Mr. price
began his career by teaching second grade
in the Center Grove Community School
Corporation. he then spent many years
in the Clark-pleasant Community School
Corporation as a teacher in grades 3-6,
administrative assistant, athletic director,
and coach. Mr. price was also an active
participant in the classroom teachers’
association. after a stint as principal at
Tipton Middle School, Mr. price took
the helm at Mt. Vernon Middle School in
2003. during Mr. price’s tenure, MVMS
was designated a Four Star school, and
he earned several principal of the year
nominations. “none of that would have
M.V.C.S.C.
Mission is to:
ENGAGE
EDUCATE
EMPOwER
today’s
students to seize
tomorrow’s
opportunities
JULY, 2014
Upcoming Events
JULY
21-28....................................................... Online Registration
21.......................... MVMS, 8GA & Elem. school offices open
22-25.....New Student Registration, 7:00 AM-3:00 PM, Elems.
23..................................................MVHS school offices open
21-25..... New Student Registration, 8:00 AM-3:00 PM, MVMS
21-25..........New Student Registration, 8:00 AM-3:00 PM, 8GA
22............ New Student Registration, 12:00-8:00 PM, MVHS
23....... New Student Registration, 8:00 AM-3:00 PM, MVHS
24............. Freshman Orientation, 9:00 AM-2:00 PM, MVHS
29... Back to School Night/Ice Cream Social 6:00 PM, MCES
29...... Back to School Night/Ice Cream Social 6:00 PM, MES
29........Back to School Night/Ice Cream Social 6:00 PM, FES
29.....................................Teacher Orientation and In-Service
30.................................. School Begins/Full Day for Students
AUGUST
6.............................................Open House, 6:00 PM, MVMS
7................................................ Fall Fundraiser Kick-Off, FES
7................................... Back to School Night, 6:00 PM, 8GA
8...................................Entertainment Book Kick-Off, MCES
8-29............................................. Fall NWEA Testing, MCES
11-22...................................NWEA Testing Window, MVMS
11......................Market Day Pick-Up, 6:00 PM MVMS, 8GA
11.................Corp. Improvement Council Meeting, 7:00 PM,
MVCSC Administration
13................................ Senior Parent Night, 6:00 PM, MVHS
13........................................... Open House, 7:00 PM, MVHS
15..................................................................Picture Day, FES
18..........................................School Board Meeting, 7:00 PM
18............................................................ Picture Day, MVMS
29............................................................Blood Drive, MVHS
SEPTEMBER
1........................................................... Labor Day, No School
2...................... Skating Party @ Roller Cave, 6:30 PM, MCES
5............................................................... Picture Day, MCES
5...................................................................... Midterm, 8GA
8-12................................................................ Book Fair, MES
8...................Corp. Improvement Council Meeting, 7:00 PM,
MVCSC Administration
12................................................................ Picture Day, 8GA
13.............................................. 5K/1 Mile Run/Walk, MVEF
15................................................................ Picture Day, MES
15...................................................Hearing Screening, MCES
15...................................... Pacer Ticket Sale Kick-Off, MCES
15..........................................School Board Meeting, 7:00 PM
16........................ Hearing Screening (1st & 4th Grades), FES
22-25................................................................Star Lab, MES
23....................... Band “Pop’s” Fall Concert, 7:00 PM, MVMS
27..............................................................Fall Festival, MCES
OCTOBER
1................................................................. End of Q1, MCES
2.......................................... Choir Concert, 7:00 PM, MVMS
3..................................................... End of first grading period
6-17............................................ Intersession #1, No School*
20...................................................................School Resumes
20.................................. Cookie Dough Sale Kick-Off, MCES
20..........................................School Board Meeting, 7:00 PM
OCTOBER continued
23.................Parent/Teacher Conferences (K-8) —No School
23............................ Teacher In-Service, MVHS —No School
24.................Corp. Improvement Council Meeting, 7:00 PM,
MVCSC Administration
28.............Skating Party @ Roller Cave 6:00-8:00 PM, MCES
28.................................................. Hearing Screening, MVHS
30......................................................... Mix-it-up Day, MCES
NOVEMBER
3...................Corp. Improvement Council Meeting, 7:00 PM,
MVCSC Administration
10.......................................... Veteran’s Day Programs, MCES
11......................................... Veteran’s Day Programs, MVMS
17......................................................Picture Retake Day, FES
17..........................................School Board Meeting, 7:00 PM
19............................................................Blood Drive, MVHS
27-28..................................... Thanksgiving Break, No School
DECEMBER
1...................Corp. Improvement Council Meeting, 7:00 PM,
MVCSC Administration
2-19.................................................... Winter NWEA Testing
9...............Skating Party @ Roller Cave 6:00-8:00 PM, MCES
19.............................................. End of second grading period
22-Jan. 2...................................... Intersession #2, No School
SECOND SEMESTER BREAKS
Jan. 5..............................................................School Resumes
Jan. 19.................... Martin Luther King, Jr. Day—No School
Feb. 16..........................................Presidents’ Day-No School
Mar. 14..................... End of Third Grading Period (48 days)
Mar. 14-29............................. Intersession #3 —No School*
Mar. 30...........................................................School Resumes
May 25.........................................Memorial Day—No School
May 28.................................Last Day for Students (43 days)
May 29.................................................. Last Day for Teachers
June 1-12............................................Possible Make-up Days
* no school unless make-up days required
Watch for the next Mt. Vernon Messenger in December.
A publication of the
Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation
One Shoppell Blvd.,
1776 W. St. Rd. 234, Fortville, IN 46040
317-485-3100 • 317-485-3113 (Fax)
www.mvcsc.k12.in.us
Dr. Bill Riggs.................... Superintendent
Mr. Mike Horton..... Asst. Superintendent
Mrs. Susanna Combs.......................Editor
Board of School Trustees
Mr. Tony May...........................President
Mr. Mike McCarty........1st Vice President
Mrs. Vernée Eads...... 2nd Vice President
Mr. Jason Shelton...................... Secretary
Mr. Brian Tomamichel........Asst. Secretary
Visit our website www.mvcsc.k12.in.us
for a variety of school information and news to stay in-the-know!
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