STUDENT AND STAFF RECOGNIZED AT MARCH BOARD MEETING
This month's board meeting in Zionsville Community Schools (ZCS) featured students and staff sharing positive stories of accomplishment, experience, renewal opportunities and dedicated service.
ZCS Maintenance Team Member Donnie Roush was recognized. Mr. Roush recently received a nomination for the district's "Above and Beyond" recognition program.
"Donnie (maintenance) is always happy whenever I see him out mowing any of the Zionsville properties. He goes out of his way to greet my students with a smile and a wave. He works hard around the year keeping our school looking great. He always keeps safety in mind when students are outside while he is mowing. I am proud to work with him at Zionsville Community Schools."
In addition to his maintenance role in ZCS, Donnie and his wife support the Chamber's efforts as well. ZCS Associate Superintendent Rebecca Coffman had the honor of presenting a keepsake, a framed article written about his service to the town, that ZCS Superintendent Scott Robison prepared to thank him for his dedication to our schools and the entire community.
A PERFECT SCORE
Zionsville Community High School Junior Katherine Berman talks about how her experiences in ZCS have contributed to her academic success.
Zionsville Community High School Junior Katherine Berman talks about how her experiences in ZCS have contributed to her academic success.
Last month, the board recognized Zionsville Community High School (ZCHS) junior Katherine Berman who earned the highest possible ACT composite score of 36.
This month ZCHS Assistant Principal Kristen Alderman introduced Katherine to the ZCS Board. Katherine talked about how her experiences as a ZCS student have helped pave the way to her academic success.
"I am so grateful to have grown up in a community like Zionsville where you can tell that all the teachers care so much about what is best for the students, and I think that has been a really big catalyst in my academic success."
We are incredibly proud of Katherine, her family and all of the ZCS teachers who helped prepare her for such an accomplishment.
Zionsville Community High School student talks about the show choir experience.
A SPECTACULAR SEASON FOR ZCHS SHOW CHOIRS
ZCHS show choir presidents, under the direction of Deana Broge and Sam Chenoweth, shared about the ZCHS show choir season as well as their personal experiences as performers during their time in ZCS.
"The show choir ensembles are dedicated to achieving excellence in the professional, musical and performance aspects of show ensemble. Members are to be devoted to learning professionalism, musicianship, performance practice and showmanship. Each member is expected to demonstrate positive cooperation, teamwork and effort. Because of the caliber of students involved, ZCHS is filled with kind, respectful, hardworking, dedicated students."
The choirs competed in four competitions during the 2021-2022 season. Throughout the season, both Choralaires and Royalaires were awarded Grand Champion honors more than once, along with best vocals and choreography awards. Members also earned first place awards in solo competition this season. The ZCHS choirs continue to be nationally competitive.
"This season has felt like a perfect summary of a show choir season. We were challenged, supported and most importantly experienced growth."
Congratulations to the ZCHS choirs on an outstanding season.
The choirs will perform, always an audience favorite, Finale, on May 13 and 14. This is a "must see" musical performance.
Photos below from the Star Performing Arts Center social media page.
Union Elementary School Counselor Lori Karnuta
Union Elementary School Counselor Lori Karnuta
Zionsville Middle School (ZMS) Band Director Chris Murray and ZMS Orchestra Director Ashley Murray
Zionsville Middle School (ZMS) Band Director Chris Murray and ZMS Orchestra Director Ashley Murray
LILLY ENDOWMENT TEACHER CREATIVITY GRANT AWARD WINNERS
Lilly Teacher Creativity Fellowship
Lilly Endowment announced its award recipients for its 35th Teacher Creativity Fellowship Program (TCFP). This program supports educators throughout Indiana by providing resources for them to take time for meaningful renewal.
It is the foundation's belief that through new experiences, exploration and reflection, educators can cultivate renewed energy, innovative approaches to teaching and educational leadership, and thoughtful ways to encourage students’ creative thinking.
This is a highly competitive process, and again Zionsville Community Schools (ZCS) is well represented. This year three ZCS teachers earned two fellowship experiences.
Lori Karnuta, Union Elementary School
"How Nature can Nurture: A Quest to Experience and Practice Friluftsliv” – gain a deeper understanding of the Norwegian concept of friluftsliv, which translates as ‘free air life’ and describes the strong connection that Norwegians have with nature."
Union Elementary School Counselor Lori Karnuta
Union Elementary School Counselor Lori Karnuta
"I am incredibly excited and honored to have received the Lilly Teacher Creativity Fellowship. I will be spending a little more than two weeks traveling throughout Norway learning about and practicing the Norwegian concept of Friluftsliv which translates as ‘open air living’. This concept emphasizes Norwegian’s commitment to spending time outdoors daily. I am especially interested in the connection between spending time in nature and mental well-being. Stateside, I will be traveling to Seattle, Washington to visit an outdoor preschool at the University of Washington and exploring Olympia National Park. I look forward to sharing what I have learned from my experiences with Union staff and students!"
Ashley Murray and Christopher Murray, Zionsville Middle School
“From Bird to Song: Exploring Acadia, Olympic, Everglades and Big Bend National Parks” – combine interests in nature and music by exploring four different United States national parks of varied biomes to observe and incorporate different birds’ songs in a commissioned, multi-movement work for band and orchestra students."
Zionsville Middle School Band Teacher Chris Murray
Zionsville Middle School Band Teacher Chris Murray
Zionsville Middle School Orchestra Teacher Ashley Murray
Zionsville Middle School Orchestra Teacher Ashley Murray
"The best way to lead is by example, and by thinking differently and following our feet to far off places, we hope to encourage students to similarly strive for different and great things. Providing our students with the authentic experience of performing an original composition that was created from the beauty and birdsongs of four national parks that their teachers experienced firsthand, as well as creating another authentically connecting thread from ourselves, through our passions, and to our students, is incredibly powerful. Our hope is that this might inspire our students to think differently and to try the unconventional, and we hope that it will urge them to step outside, feel the sun on their shoulders, hear the birds in the trees, and follow their curiosity."
ZCS STUDENTS CONTINUE TO PERFORM ABOVE STATE AND NATIONAL AVERAGES
Assistant Superintendent of Academics Kris Devereaux provided an academic snapshot by sharing assessment data that has been collected over the past five years.
Multiple data points demonstrate that ZCS continues to be a top performing school district both in the state of Indiana and nationally. The district consistently performs well above the state and national averages in all areas of learning.
The district uses the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) as a primary tool for measuring student growth performance. Mrs. Devereaux said that ZCS falls above the 90th percentile nationally across all grade levels and content areas, with many areas measuring in the 98th or 99th percentile.
It is common to administer the NWEA test in May as do some of our neighboring districts. ZCS has chosen to give the test in March so that there is still time to make any adjustments to learning needs based on the results.
ZCHS also falls above the state and national average on SAT scores. For the first time this year, on March 3, all juniors took the SAT at school.
Forty percent of the high school student body is enrolled in one or more Advanced Placement (AP) courses, and 50 percent of those enrolled scored a four or higher on the exams while 65 percent scored a three or higher. This translates to significant college cost savings for many ZCS families as those scores will earn many students college course credit.
The academic overview again demonstrates that ZCS is a top performing school district in the nation.
ZCS DO DAYS 2022
Students, staff and families blanketed the Zionsville and Whitestown communities completing a number of service projects over the span of three days, March 10-12. The fourth annual Do-Days was our largest service event to date. Young people spent a few days working and volunteering around the community in service to others.
From packing meals, to cleaning up parks and school grounds, to writing cards to senior citizens, and everything in between, students embraced the spirit of giving back.
COVID-19
Associate Superintendent Rebecca Coffman provided a district update on CoVID-19.
ZCS's CoVID-19 numbers continue to decrease, and while the district continues to follow enhanced health and safety protocols, it is nice to be returning to normal school operations.
The district continues to monitor reported cases of CoVID-19 and will provide periodic reporting. We are cautiously optimistic that we are finally turning a corner in this pandemic.
CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
Skillman Corporation Vice President Victor Landfair updated the board on the progress of district construction projects including Trailside Elementary School, the sixth ZCS elementary school being completed on the CR875 campus, and the Zionsville Community High School (ZCHS) additions and renovations.
Mr. Landfair reported that the construction of Trailside Elementary School is on schedule. Nearly 80 percent of the building’s work has been completed. The new school building is slated to open for the 2022-2023 school year. Mr. Landfair noted that 12% of the $1 million contingency plan fund has been used to date.
Construction at ZCHS is also on schedule. Thirty-eight percent of the work has been completed, and 25% of the $1.5 million set aside as contingency funds has been utilized.
Construction updates will continue to be provided to the board every other month moving forward, and full details can be found on the ZCS website.
TRAILSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
ZIONSVILLE COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL
NEW BOARD BUSINESS
The Board of Trustees approved the purchase of materials for the related arts classrooms at Trailside Elementary. The media center, music classroom, art classroom, and gym will all be equipped in a manner consistent with what is available at the existing five elementary schools. Items to be purchased include books, musical instruments, art tools, and gym equipment.
The board approved a five-year trash/recycling contract with Ray's Trash Service, extended the Ascension St. Vincent agreement, approved a shingle roof project for Zionsville Middle School and approved a request for Zionsville Community High School furniture bids.
An initial 2022-2023 professional staffing request was approved for the elementary schools and high school. The middle school staffing request will be presented in the April board meeting.
The board approved the renewal of the custodial services agreement.
ZCS teacher Kris Barksdale was approved as the new Parks Board appointment.
The next board meeting is April 11 at 6 p.m. in the ZCS Educational Services Center.
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