Alice Keirn with the Mentone Alumni Association presented Mentone Elementary School with two checks totaling $715 at the regular Tippecanoe Valley School Board meeting on Monday, Aug. 15, at Mentone. Some of the funds will be used for Mentone Elementary School special events and for kids who need lunches at Mentone. From left: TVSC Board President Tom Bauters, Keirn and Mentone Principal Randy Dahms. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

MENTONE — Tippecanoe Valley High School students now have another way to get a head start on college before they’ve graduated high school.

At its regular meeting on Monday, Aug. 15, at Mentone Elementary School, the Tippecanoe Valley School Board heard about TVHS’ new Indiana College Core classes from TVHS Principal Brandon Kresca, who is credited with spearheading the move.

“(It’s) just really been something we’ve been after for quite some time, but really had a goal to try to accomplish this for this school year and to have this available for our students and our families,” he said.

Students who take the courses will get both high school and college credit for them. The goal is for them to have 30 college credits completed by the end of high school, so they can enter college at a sophomore level.

Valley students could obviously take college courses while they were in high school before, but Valley’s move to Indiana College Core means many of its own teachers have taken extra training to lead the classes. Thus students won’t have to leave TVHS to take any of them.

“(It’s) the opportunity to take the college level classes in high school with high school teachers who are certified and credentialed college faculty members,” said Kresca.

He also cited a statistic that “94% of high school students who earn the Indiana College Core went on to attend college.” That includes typical four-year colleges as well as community colleges and trade schools.

Also, “70% of (those who take the courses) are less likely to have remedial classes in college,” said Kresca. He also noted only one out of five Indiana high schools offers the Indiana College Core.

Kresca emphasized that taking the courses would help students save money on college. As for the cost for Valley students taking the classes, those on free or reduced lunch don’t have to pay anything for them aside from textbook fees.

For other students, tuition for some courses is free, and the rest ranges from $75 to $125 per class. For textbooks for the courses for all students, the cost ranges from $14.47 to $79.25.

Courses include Introductory Biology; Survey of American History; Spanish Level I and II; Spanish Level III and IV; AP Language; Reading, Writing, & Inquiry; Public Speaking; Pre-Calc & Trig; Analytic Geometry & Calculus; and Quantitive Reasoning.

Students able to take the courses are current juniors or the Class of 2024 and those following after them. Kids would take the classes in their sophomore through senior years of high school depending on the course.

Kresca said the high school offered information to parents on the Indiana College Core classes at its Open House recently. If parents are interested in registering their child for the classes, they should contact Kresca or their child’s guidance counselor.

Staff Changes

The board also approved the hiring of TVHS digital media business teacher and instructional assistant Christopher Secrist and instructional assistants Katelyn Reutebuch and Jennifer Hallstrom; Tippecanoe Valley Middle School cooks Kathy Smith and Lisa Calhoun, business technology and preparing for college and career teacher Karrie Luce, social studies teacher Lawney Francis and PE teacher Kacie Zolman; Mentone head custodian Stephen Sanders, instructional assistants Karissa Johnson, Devin Amburg and Kasey Shock and cook Nanette DeGaetano; and Akron Elementary School cook Lindsy Shambaugh.

The board approved Cara Hoffman switching to being a business teacher at TVHS. It also approved Clayton Adamson as TVHS head boys’ tennis coach; Tricia Sederholm as TVHS academic team sponsor; Hunter Ackerman as TVHS senior class sponsor; Aaron Engbrecht as TVHS FEA sponsor and Unified Flag Football coach; Andrea Michel as TVHS Sunshine Society sponsor; and Ann Yates as TVHS Unified Track coach and Sunshine Society sponsor.

The board also accepted the retirement of TVMS business technology and preparing for college and career teacher Cinda Kimmel and the resignations of Akron instructional assistants Hannah Shaffer and Mary Beth Francis and cook Susy Jurado; TVMS science teacher Cheryl Huff, instructional assistant Breeana Baldini and ECA treasurer Teresa Weaver; and TVHS instructional assistants Lisa Tucker and Nixza Sobenes-Abarca and student council advisor Lacey Wise.

Other Business

In other business, the board also:

• Accepted two donations from the Mentone Alumni Association totaling $715. Some of the funds will be used for Mentone Elementary School special events and for kids who need lunches at Mentone.
• Heard a reminder from TVSC Superintendent Blaine Conley that the Sweet Sassy Golf Classic in honor of late TVHS football coach, guidance counselor and teacher Scott Bibler is on Saturday, Aug. 27, at Rozella Ford Golf Course in Warsaw. Funds raised from it go towards Valley students’ needs. More information may be found at www.sweetsassygolfouting.com or the event’s Facebook page.
• Heard a reminder that ShriveFest in honor of former TVHS coach and teacher Jeff Shriver will be on Saturday, Sept. 10, at TVHS. Money from it will go towards scholarships for Valley students. More information will be announced via social media later on.

The board’s next regular meeting is 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 19, at Mentone.