By Dr. Thomas Little
Superintendent of Perry Township Schools

Perry Township Schools is an outstanding school corporation due in large part to the support we receive from our community. There are hundreds of people who can be seen volunteering their time throughout the schools.  

At Perry Meridian High School there is a special group of men – the Dads Club – who volunteer their time at every single home event to man the concession stands. You would be surprised at how just one organization can make such a difference in the lives of our students.

These individuals do a lot more than just sell candy bars, popcorn and soda pop at ball games. These dedicated individuals donate a lot of their time volunteering in many ways to make an impact in the lives of students.

The club gave an incredible $21,000 back to the school this year and $24,000 the year before. The funds support athletics, music and other programs. The men also cook for special events and provide items for the senior picnic and other events.

Because of the funds, the music department has been able to purchase new headset microphones, and cellos and pay the entry fees for students who could not afford to participate. The club gave back to the school to help teachers fund special projects in their classrooms. 

The club’s history dates back to the beginning of the school 44 years ago. I continue to be amazed at the number of fathers who continue to volunteer their time even though their children graduated years ago. They simply want to contribute to a cause that will continue to impact the lives of children. They say it’s something the students appreciate, and it is for that reason the club continue to serve. 

Whenever I stop by at games, these men are focused on getting drinks and hot dogs ready for customers but they have fun ringing the bell every time they receive a tip.  

Over the past three years the club has donated more than 1,500 volunteer hours for football season, 540 hours during volleyball and 2,400-plus hours for boys and girls basketball. When you include wrestling events, musicals, plays and music contests, these dedicated men donated more than 6,000 hours over the past three years. This doesn’t include all the time needed to prepare for all of the events.

If you’re interested in getting involved with the Dads Club, there is a $20 annual fee or $100 lifetime fee. Call 789-4400 if you are interested in making a difference.

​By Dr. Thomas Little
Superintendent of Perry Township Schools

Trends in education have a tendency to cycle through on a periodic basis. We typically will move from traditional instructional settings to try new configurations to see if a particular model has a positive impact on the education of children.

Thirty years ago, “open concept” classrooms were a trend. Open classrooms in essence were large expanses of rooms that held four or more classrooms in one area. There were no walls, no doors and no closed areas to conduct lessons. Teachers taught side by side with each other to groups of children. Envision four teachers conducting lessons at the same time.  

Our teaching staff is second to none. Our educators have the ability to take any structure and make it work for the benefit of children.  

Recent events around the country have brought all of us to a heightened sense of making sure our children are safe in school. The open concept model simply did not provide the protection and security that a closed classroom can. Your school board recognized the need, and this community provided the support to alter the last open concept building in Perry Township to a safe and secure facility.

Winchester Village Elementary is being transformed into a traditional classroom setting with walls and doors. Some of our students and teachers opened the semester in new classrooms with windows and doors. Teachers say it’s already helping students focus on their work with fewer distractions. 

The most important thing we have to consider is what returning to the traditional classroom does for our students. We believe that the transition will allow for the interactive, richly expressive environment that our children need in order to collaborate and problem-solve with peers. This creates positive noise, which in turn builds enthusiasm and excitement.  

Staff have commented:
• We will be able to use technology – with the volume up – on read-aloud books, science video clips and educational games without fear of interrupting another classroom’s quiet teaching time.
• Academic conversations and group time can take place with an inside speaking voice. 
• Quiet reading time is not interrupted by other teaching voices and students.
• Students and staff no longer walk through another classroom to get to a specified location.
• Students with attention issues have a more focused atmosphere.
• Safety and security increases.
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We believe the environment allows for an experience in which our students can be assessed more fairly without the sounds and distractions from adjoining classrooms without walls. While the inconvenience of construction is the downside to any building improvement, the end product will make an impact in the learning environment for our students for years to come. 

​By Dr. Thomas Little
Superintendent of Perry Township Schools

We are extremely fortunate in Perry Township Schools to be extended the opportunity to serve the needs of the children in our community.  

The beginning of the school year has been positive, and our staff is simply second to none. The reputation of your schools is positive, and we continue to experience growth in enrollment while attracting young families to our community. 

Thus far we have enrolled more than 300 additional students as compared to last year at this time. Thank goodness our community provided the additional funding to be able to continue offering a variety of courses and at the same time have the space to address the growth in enrollment.  

I would like to take a moment to highlight a relationship that many times we forget does not exist in most districts across the state. This year Perry Township Schools for the second year in a row was the first district in the state to ratify a contract between the teaching staff and the administration/board.  

When you hear the term “teacher contract” it may bring up adversarial visions of negotiations going late into the night. However, we are proud here in Perry Township not to have to go through that kind of process. This year’s contract negotiations between our administrative team and the Perry Education Association is a model, in my opinion, for how this process should be completed. The recipe for such success is based on a foundation of trust, respect and appreciation between the bargaining teams that is just not found in other school districts.  
We are fortunate to have a school board that believes your school district should reflect the best and the brightest in the education profession. The goal is to develop a salary structure that not only attracts quality teachers but maintains a salary base and benefit structure that encourages staff to make Perry Township a lifelong career home. As a standard we strive to be competitive with other school districts in Marion County and are committed to maintaining that standard. 
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There is mutual respect that exists between the administration/board team and the association. There are times when we disagree, but there is always a mutual focus on what is best for children in our classrooms. I am proud of the fact that both sides have never lost that moral compass that sets the standard in your school system. We would like to thank the association for its great work in representing our educators in this process.  
We know as a community that you expect quality teachers in your children’s and grandchildren’s classrooms, and that will continue to be our goal. In a future column we will highlight some of our new teachers who were selected to join our team of educators. You will be impressed.

By Dr. Thomas Little
Superintendent of Perry Township Schools

If you’ve ever wondered what a school district’s secret to success is ... it is no secret. It’s our teachers. Without a doubt, the educators who are on the frontline in our classrooms are the difference makers in a child’s learning success and in a district that is going to be successful. 

We have hundreds of great teachers in Perry Township Schools, but let me mention the names of those who were recently named Teachers of the Year. They deserve recognition.

• Yvette Bertolet, Lincoln Elementary.
• Ashley Glover, Clinton Young Elementary.
• Thomas Stahlhut, MacArthur Elementary.
• Lisa Elliott, Glenns Valley Elementary.
• Mitchell Mowrer, Burkhart Elementary.
• Brooke Shoup, Homecroft Elementary.
• Nathan Helton, Jeremiah Gray-Edison Elementary.
• Traci Paswater, Mary Bryan Elementary.
• Kayla Ponchot, Rosa Parks-Edison Elementary.
• Amber Wright, Southport Elementary.
• Stacey Snyder, Winchester Village Elementary.
• Crystal Livesay, Perry Meridian Sixth Grade Academy.
• Jerry Schubert, Southport Sixth Grade Academy.
• Alison Dillman, Perry Meridian Middle.
• Christopher Stevenson, Southport Middle.
• Emily Steinmetz, Perry Meridian High.
• Amy Peddie, Southport High.
• Dawn Khalili, James Whitcomb Riley Alternative Education.
• Katrina Wagner, Perry Township Education Center, developmental preschool.

We should also point out that Christopher Stevenson from Southport Middle is our District Teacher of the Year. He gave an inspiring speech at our opening day meeting. His comments were just another reminder of why people become teachers, which is to make a difference in the lives of young people and prepare them – not just for a test – but for life.
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These 19 educators are just the tip of the iceberg in our district. If your children attend Perry Township Schools or even if they don’t, we hope you’ll support our teachers in any way you can.