Superintendent of
Perry Township Schools
The phrase 24/7 is commonplace in today’s world and is nearly a way to describe activities within Perry Township Schools. We serve in the role as caretakers of school facilities, and we take that role seriously. It is difficult to imagine what goes on beyond the classroom doors and the school day.
The workday in the transportation department begins at 5 p.m. and often extends into the night, ending as late as midnight for away sporting events.
If weather is an issue, the day for our facility/grounds crew members may start as early as 2 a.m. if they are plowing parking lots and dropping salt.
The food service personnel begin arriving at 5:30 a.m. to ensure breakfast will be ready for the children in all of our schools. If there is an evening event, the staff will work late.
Our custodians begin their day as early as 6 a.m. to ensure a safe, clean learning environment inside and outside the schools. After dismissal, the evening shift works until 11 p.m. or even later if there is a late event.
The Early Childhood Academy offers a before-school program that begins at 6:30 a.m. There is also child care from 4-5 p.m.
Activities abound in the evenings and on the weekends. I recently had the good fortune of speaking at a college event at Perry Meridian Middle School, where more than 600 people were in attendance; many of them expressed positive comments about the school year. Most activities are family-focused and provide opportunities for parents to spend time with their children. Our parents are engaged in their children’s education. Dads Clubs and band boosters are just two fine examples.
The following is a small sample of current activities at our schools:
• Lincoln Elementary: talent show.
• Clinton Young Elementary: family night in partnership with University of Indianapolis students.
• MacArthur Elementary: dance-a-thon.
• Glenns Valley Elementary: open house.
• Burkhart Elementary: PTA dads night.
• Homecroft: Invention Convention/Science Fair.
• Jeremiah Gray: American Heart Association’s Jump Rope for Heart.
• Mary Bryan Elementary: curriculum night.
• Rosa Parks-Edison Elementary: pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House.
• Southport Elementary and Southport 6th Grade Academy: Pennies for Patients.
• Winchester Village Elementary: Hearts for Riley PTA/Title 1 family night.
• Perry Meridian 6th Grade Academy: coffee talk with the counselor.
• Perry Meridian Middle: college night.
• Southport Middle: eighth-graders meet with counselors to create their high school schedules.
• Perry Meridian High: “penny wars” for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
• Southport High: professional help is available for filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
We are already looking forward to the next school year. Classes are being scheduled; high-ability screening is being conducted for fifth-graders students; registration for kindergarten is open; and planning for expanded curricular offerings is underway.
Thank you to our students, parents, community members and staff for all you do around the clock to support Perry Township Schools. Your combined effort is powerful and is reflected by the district’s letter grade A rating.