By Dr. Thomas Little
Superintendent of Perry Township Schools

Perry Township Schools is proud to announce that it is a recipient of a $50,000 planning grant awarded by Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Comprehensive Counseling Initiative for Indiana K-12 Students.  

The program’s aim is to increase significantly the number of K-12 students in Indiana public and charter schools who are emotionally healthy, realize academic success, graduate from high school, obtain valuable postsecondary credentials, certifications and degrees necessary for meaningful employment, and are prepared to compete and prosper in the global society in which they will live and work.

Perry Schools will use the award to assess its current counseling programs, identify best practices, visit promising programs and explore alternative strategies.

Our district is one of 284 public school corporations and charter schools in Indiana receiving planning grants through the initiative.

We are honored to receive the Lilly Endowment grant, which will allow us to empower students in the classroom and in many aspects of their lives. Counselors are a crucial component of school culture and student success, and this grant will enable us to invest in our counseling programs for the emotional and intellectual health of our students.

In addition to helping public and charter schools assess their current counseling programs and identify best practices in comprehensive counseling efforts, planning grants will help recipients prepare implementation grant proposals to fund their strategies to improve their counseling programs. Proposals are due to Lilly Endowment by May 19. Notification of implementation grant approvals is expected by late September.
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Capable students in school become capable employees in the workforce, so effective counseling must be integrated into our teachings.

By Dr. Thomas Little
Superintendent of Perry Township Schools

Nearly 49 years after an assassin took the life of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Perry Township Schools strives to keep his dream alive. We support diversity and inclusion, and we strive to create a culture that celebrates our differences because we believe our diversity is one of our strengths. 

In fact, as our enrollment grows, we pride ourselves on providing a safe, welcoming community to many immigrant families. We have 4,763 English learning students who represent 67 different countries and 73 different languages. While 49.7 percent of our students identify as white, the remaining 50.3 percent identify as Asian, Hispanic, black, American Indian, Native Hawaiian or multiracial. We are proud to count these students and their families among our neighbors and friends.

On Jan. 9 we were pleased to host a special celebration program in honor of Dr. King. It was a reflection of our community’s values and his vision. It was a time of genuine fellowship and a sincere expression of respect.

One of the highlights of this annual celebration, organized by the department of student services, was the awards ceremony, which honored those who personify the “dream.” We were inspired to see students of all grade levels receive awards for original art, poetry and essays. We also used this meaningful occasion to recognize the leaders who make a difference in our district and the broader Perry community. 

As we all know, it takes a village to raise, teach and guide our children. We are thankful to have so many partners within our village, and when we can, we like to show appreciation to them. 

We were pleased to recognize Barnes & Noble as the recipient of the 2017 Community Affairs Award. Barnes & Noble generously supports our schools by giving our students books to take home and enjoy. The bookstore also hosts reading-centered activity days at their Greenwood location, during which a portion of the sales are donated to a designated Perry Township School. We are sincerely grateful for their investment in our kids.

We are also fortunate to have Friedens United Church of Christ among our village of supporters. We awarded Pastor Sarah Haas the Humanitarian Award for her work in our Early Childhood Academy. She regularly reads stories and leads activities with our preschool students. Her messages always focus on friendship, love and acceptance.

At the celebration we also took the opportunity to recognize our employees who lead by example. The Perry Pioneer Awards were given to Kenneth Haupt, who tirelessly supports our student services department by providing direction to students and families as the expulsion hearing examiner, and Kenneth George for his outstanding work as a member of our safety committee within our facilities and grounds department. 

The Director’s Service Awards were given to Jane Pollard for leading our growing English learners department and Christina Gliva for her leadership and guidance as assistant principal of Jeremiah Gray Elementary School.
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Dr. King’s dream is still a work in progress. Perry Township Schools is proud to do its part to realize his vision by proactively prioritizing diversity, inclusion and community service for the betterment of our schools and neighborhoods.

By Dr. Thomas Little
Superintendent of Perry Township Schools

January is National Mentoring Month. Mentors play a critical role in the academic, social and personal success of students. 

In fact, a 2014 report for Mentor: The National Mentoring Partnership found that young adults who face an opportunity gap but have a mentor are 55 percent more likely to be enrolled in college than those who did not have a mentor. 

Likewise, a 2013 study by MDRC (formerly known as Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation) found that mentored youth have better school attendance, a greater chance of going on to higher education and more optimistic attitudes toward school.

Here in Perry Township we value the wisdom of our mentors and partners in helping our students grow as scholars and as people. Our mentors assume a variety of roles, and we count ourselves fortunate to have so many people who voluntarily invest in our students.

We are thankful for H.O.P.E. (Help Our Pupils Excel) participants who get to know our students during weekly tutoring sessions at nearly all of our schools. The tutors spend 60-90 minutes each week giving our students confidence in their skills and hope in their futures.

At Homecroft Elementary, volunteers from Southport United Methodist Church spend a lot of time helping students academically and socially. The support ranges from reading, writing and math to character education and social development. Principal Aaron Hufnagel credits Homecroft’s partnership with the church to contributing to the school’s success, and he said he is a firm believer that commitment from the community makes schools successful.

We also appreciate the support of organizations like Young Champions and Girls Inc., which regularly lead presentations regarding friendships, social media and conflict resolution. 

 Notably, not all of our mentors are from external organizations. We are proud to see many of our internal stakeholders giving back to our community. Many of our schools have robust PTAs that mentor and volunteer – willing to help our students in any way that’s needed. Some parents aren’t able to be a member of the PTA for their own unique reasons, yet they are still committed to helping whenever their schedules permit. Any time commitment – big or small – can make an immeasurable impact on student achievement. 

Our teachers and older students continue to set an example for mentoring, as well. Cadet teachers from Perry Meridian and Southport high schools work with students around the district. At Winchester Village, the ASKING (Adults Seeking Kids in Need of Guidance) program pairs adult staff members with students for mentoring throughout the year. 

We’re also thankful for many Southport students who participate in the Best Buddies program, which pairs mentors with special education students who benefit from positive interaction with older students. At Southport Middle, the student group S.P.A.R.K. (Southport Produces Amazing Remarkable Kids) uses social media to spread positive examples of good choices and actions. 
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We are fortunate to have so many devoted mentors making a difference in the lives of our students. However, we can always use more support. Anyone interested in mentoring or tutoring opportunities should call or email the school of their choice for more information. Tutors interested in joining H.O.P.E. should email Andrea Lakin at alakin@perryschools.org. 

By Dr. Thomas Little
Superintendent of Perry Township Schools

It’s hard to believe that 2017 has arrived. As we enter the second half of our school year, many of our Perry Township families are already looking forward to the upcoming school year.

Kindergarten registration is underway. Perry Township Schools is excited to welcome our newest scholars to our new kindergarten academies at Jeremiah Gray, Homecroft, MacArthur and Rosa Parks elementary schools. The academies will not only help accommodate the district’s growing enrollment but will also help kindergartners get acclimated to classroom culture while learning the lessons they need to know before advancing to the next grade.

The academies were thoughtfully built to support our students based on their home school, which is determined by their residence address. Now that registration is open, parents can sign up their incoming kindergartners at the home school, which will forward the paperwork to the appropriate kindergarten academy. Transportation information will be communicated in the near future.

Kindergarten academies are assigned as follows:
• Jeremiah Gray: if home school is Clinton Young (if residence is north of Edgewood Avenue and east of Keystone Avenue), Mary Bryan or Southport elementary schools.
• Homecroft: Clinton Young (all areas not included above) Homecroft or Winchester Village.
• MacArthur: MacArthur or Burkhart.
• Rosa Parks: Lincoln or Glenns Valley. 

For more information on the hours of registration, parents should call their home school. Parents should be prepared to submit paperwork such as their children’s birth certificates, immunization records and proof of residence (e.g. utility bill or bank statement).

On Tuesday, Jan. 10, we will kick off our choice application process for students entering Grades 1-5. This program allows parents and caretakers the opportunity to apply for their student to attend another elementary school of their preference.  

We do require students who live on the district’s east side (Southport) to select a school on that side. Students who live on the west side (Perry Meridian) must choose a school on that side. Applications must be received by Feb. 24 to be considered. Applicants will begin receiving notifications starting March 17. Once approved, the student may continue at the school throughout the elementary grades.

For middle and high school students, choice applications are accepted year-round. 
Additional information about the program can be found at http://www.perryschools.org/.