At the September 13, 2023 Regular Meeting of the Board of Education the following individuals were recognized for helping to make Washington Township a Superior School District.
Congratulations to NCHS Counselor, Aaron Shelby who has been named the Indiana High School Counselor of the Year by the Indiana School Counselor Association. The Indiana School Counselor of the Year Award honors outstanding professional school counselors in Indiana for their outstanding service and achievement. Through an extensive outreach process, Indiana school counselors, teachers, administrators, and others are all encouraged to nominate professional school counselors who run exemplary school counseling programs at their schools. We are proud of Mr. Shelby’s work, and we thank him for his incredible service to our students and to NCHS. Congratulations!!!
Award winners were honored at the second annual Indiana Educational Excellence Awards Gala in Indianapolis on Friday, September 8. Additionally, the event spotlighted the 2023 Indiana Teacher of the Year, Indiana’s 2022 Milken Educator Award recipients, and other dedicated educators from across the state. We are extremely excited to share that Northview Middle School was presented with the Excellence in Leading and Learning Award – this award recognized an individual school that provides high-quality professional learning and support for educators. “We are excited to continue celebrating the incredible work of Indiana’s educators at the second annual Educational Excellence Awards Gala this fall,” said Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education. “Our educators inspire and guide our students to succeed both inside and outside of the classroom, and our team will continue to elevate the work of educators who are making a positive impact on the lives of students each and every day.” The 2023 Educational Excellence Awards were presented to schools that are making significant progress toward improving achievement for all Indiana students. Up to $5 million in awards were granted to schools to celebrate their progress and achievement in supporting student excellence and growth. The size of each financial award is based on the respective school’s total student population. We are happy to announce that Northview Middle School received $215,600. Again, congratulations to Northview Middle School, Principal Mr. Hakim and his team on receiving this prestigious award!
Congratulations to the Adult Education Program, Mr. DeLey and his team. We are extremely excited to share that Washington Township Schools has received a Program of Excellence Award from the Governor’s office. This is a direct result of your hard work and dedication to our program and students. We were one of 14 programs to receive this award. There are 59 adult education programs in the state. We were only one of two programs in Marion County to receive the Program of Excellence Award- Washington Township and Warren Township. Over the years we have received awards for our adult education program, but this is a true reflection of our staff’s unity and persistence. It is such an honor to achieve this award because you had to hit measurable benchmarks above and beyond the performance goals set by the state of Indiana. Adult education is performance-based funding and your hard work has taken our program to the TOP. Thanks, you so much for all you do to serve this vital population and it is truly an honor to share in this celebration with you this evening! Congratulations!!!
Congratulations to Hilltop Learning Center, Mrs. Yarrell and her team for participating in the Paths to QUALITY rating system for ten consecutive years. The Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning (OECOSL) recognized Hilltop for its hard work and all that goes into becoming and maintaining a high-quality program, not only meeting basic health and safety standards, but providing a quality learning environment, implementing curriculum for the children in your care, and much more! In partnership with the Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children (INAEYC), The OECOSL awarded Hilltop with a $1,000 cash award and a decal to commemorate in recognition of this milestone. Congratulations to Hilltop and its entire staff! We are extremely proud of the work you do every day!
We are honored to announce that Spring Mill Elementary has been selected to be a Get Your Teach On (GYTO) Collaboration Site for the 23-24 school year!! SME is one of twelve schools in Indiana chosen to participate in this transformative program. Chris Pombonyo will lead the GYTO team as they identify our needs and create an action plan to accelerate student learning and teacher effectiveness. During their time at The Mill, they will participate in classroom observations, work with teachers to design model lessons, implement school-wide initiatives, provide professional development, and help transform learning spaces and instructional practices. Congratulations and we look forward to hearing the success stories throughout the school year!
During the School Spotlight segment of the Board meeting, members of the J. Everett Light Career Center community were recognized.
