Marian University Teacher Partnership Perry Township Schools is home to some of the best educators in the state. We pride ourselves on providing a high-quality education to our diverse student body. Our teachers and administrators routinely look for ways to make our students better and staff more effective.

Perry Township Schools and Marian University are pleased to announce our newest partnership, which will help our district develop a new generation of excellent educators. Marian University‘s Fred S. Klipsch Educators College is offering a trailblazing clinical experience and residency opportunity to future teachers.

The program allows students to earn a bachelor’s degree in four years and a master’s degree in five years in special education, elementary education, or biology and secondary education. As part of the curriculum, future teachers will gain real-life classroom experience by tutoring, as well as observing our teachers and their classroom strategies in action. Aspiring teachers, with coaching and supervision from our experienced teachers, will also lead lessons. The program will conclude with a year-long residency in our schools under the guidance of one of our master teachers, who is tasked with implementing best practices, as well as leading professional development and coaching of fellow teachers.

Our Marian University partnership is an intentional relationship that fits perfectly with our current guidelines for building teacher effectiveness and improving student performance. Marian University is educating its student teachers with National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) standards – the same framework our administrators and teachers use to raise student achievement by putting teacher leaders at the forefront of school improvement.

Our teacher leaders coordinate weekly collaborative, professional learning tailored to the needs of teachers and students, provide an instructional rubric and training on best classroom practices, and create a culture of continuous improvement through regular coaching and feedback. As our teachers thrive, so do our students. Each month, teachers are able to confirm if students are becoming more proficient in a subject via monthly assessments called Evaluate. The results reveal whether students are excelling in a subject or whether teachers must adjust instruction, so students can grow academically.

​We strive to enhance our students’ mastery of subjects rather than simply rewarding their ability to memorize a set of facts. We want them to take what they learn in our classrooms and create solutions to real-world problems. We are thankful to Marian University for training and teaching the next generation of educators who will meet this need in Perry Township Schools and other schools around the state. It is our hope that aspiring teachers will leave us as high school graduates and return to our district as well-equipped, highly trained educators. For more information, visit marian.edu/educators-college.

We take pride in creating a safe, comfortable environment that allows our students to learn in high-tech, interactive ways. But on occasion we strip away the technology and get out of the classroom to provide our scholars unique experiences to learn about things they’ve only read about.

This year, thanks to generous grants from the Perry Township Education Foundation, every elementary school was able to take its fourth-grade students on a field trip to Conner Prairie. Conner Prairie is one of the country’s most visited outdoor museums that allows visitors a handson opportunity to learn about science, history, art and nature.

The museum prides itself on appealing to people of all ages with interactive exhibits. Many of our students have never been to Conner Prairie because, in many cases, their families can’t afford to take them. This field trip allowed students to not only leave their neighborhoods but also travel back in time. One of the prominent exhibits is called Prairietown.

Students were invited to the 19th-century village to interact with the people, animals, objects and routines of Hoosier life in 1836. Visitors experienced the world of a student in a one-room schoolhouse. They also helped with chores and watched a tradesperson at work. Next, students retraced the 1863 Civil War journey of Confederate Gen. John Hunt Morgan and his troops.

On July 8 they crossed a covered bridge across the Ohio River and stepped into the southern Indiana town of Dupont. During the simulation students met residents, gathered supplies for the Soldier’s Aid Society and participated in military drills. This unique experience benefits our students for a number of reasons.

It allows them to learn about geography and history in an interesting way. It also appeals to varied learning styles, helping children to succeed whether they are visual, auditory or kinetic learners. It can also spark new interests and encourage our students to try new things they may have never previously considered. Introducing our students to more of life’s possibilities is an important part of our teaching process. For more information on Conner Prairie, visit www.conner prairie.org. To support grants that provide exciting new opportunities for our students, visit www.ptef.org.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, and Perry Township Schools is proud to support the initiative. On Oct. 24 our students and staff will wear orange to observe National Unity Day to promote acceptance and inclusion among our schools and beyond.

Our Department of Student Services has planned activities for throughout the month in our schools. One of the special events will include a visit by Chris “Lights Out” Lytle to Southport High School, of which he is an alumnus. He is a mixed martial artist, boxer and a veteran of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The former Cardinal founded the Chris Lytle Foundation, an anti-bullying agency whose goal is to encourage, educate and empower people to speak up and stand up for themselves and others. Across our classrooms, instructors will discuss what bullying is, advise students what to do if they’re being bullied, and educate bystanders on what to do if they witness bullying.

Perry Township Schools does not condone bullying behavior toward any student, whether by other students, staff or third parties. It is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated. Bullying can be an isolating experience – not just for the kids involved but for their parents as well.

We want the targets of bullying, their support system and bystanders to feel empowered to report it and safely take a stand. We encourage students to report bullying or any disagreement in which they feel threatened by telling a school official or calling our Safety Hotline at 317-789-3905. Once a report of bullying is received, an investigation is initiated within one school day.

Staff members gather information from parties on each side of the situation. Based on the outcome of the investigation, school leaders are able to determine the appropriate discipline or intervention based on the Positive Behavior Interventions and Support program.

Our anti-bullying initiatives also seek to educate and counsel students who are the perpetrators of the aggressions.

Perry Township Schools is committed to providing a safe, positive and nurturing environment for all students. For more information about our bullying policy, visit www.perryschools.org/for-students/ bullying/. To learn about the foundation, visit www.thechrislytlefoun dation.org/.

Career exploration and preparation are critical parts of the learning process. When students learn at an early age that there are boundless professional opportunities available to them, they can begin to dream big. They can try activities they may have never considered before. They can join clubs to learn more about a newfound interest. They can look for job shadow opportunities to get an up-close look at what the profession might look like.

They can begin this exploration well before they embark on their senior year. Partnerships from community supporters like IUPUI make this hands-on approach possible. Educators at Perry Meridian High School have teamed with IUPUI to supplement curriculum in unique ways.

Indiana University School of Nursing students spend Wednesdays with Stephanie Kim’s English learners class and Kim Stafford’s anatomy class. It is truly a learning opportunity for our students, as well as the IUPUI students, who are enrolled in a healthy populations practicum course. The course requires aspiring nurses to go into neighborhoods to not only teach the community about the importance of making healthy lifestyle choices, but also how to incorporate healthy choices into their daily routines.

The nursing students are responsible for identifying strengths and needs within the community and then partnering with the community to implement a health promotion activity. In Mrs. Kim’s class, nursing students teach about nutrition – specifically increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables consumed each day, in addition to reducing the amount of added fat, sodium and sugar.

The Perry Meridian students were treated to a health fair where they learned about healthy alternatives to some of their favorite snacks. The nursing school partnered with the nutrition services team from the Marion County Public Health Department, which helped students make nutrient-rich green smoothies trail mix. In Mrs. Stafford’s room, nursing students supplemented the anatomy class’s content, including brain health and function.

Nursing students were also able to integrate their lessons into our Project Lead the Way curriculum, which is designed for students who are interested in studying health sciences in the future. This partnership is beneficial not only for the nursing and Perry students but also to the Perry Township community.

While nursing students are improving their communication, assessment and civic leadership skills, our students are learning how to live healthier lives and build a foundation to possibly pursue a career in health-related professions. The information our students receive will potentially be shared with their families and friends, who might also begin to incorporate healthy choices into their lives.