Mentone Elementary School fifth grade teacher Amanda Phenis, pictured far left, talks about fourth and fifth grade students who were on Mentone’s math teams that recently finished first in a competition. This recognition happened at the Tippecanoe Valley School Board’s regular meeting on Monday, April 17, at Mentone. 

Text and Photos
By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

MENTONE — Mentone Elementary School’s two math teams finished first in a competition this year.

That was one of the highlights brought by Mentone Elementary School Principal Randy Dahms and his staff at a Monday, April 17, Tippecanoe Valley School Board meeting. They provided the annual report on the school to the board.

Fifth grade teacher Amanda Phenis spoke about the fourth and fifth grade math teams. Instructional coach Karissa Cody talked about students who participated in spell bowl.

Also recognized were second and third graders who got perfect scores on the I-READ test. They were Levi Adams, Remington Bouse, Lylah Cody, Emma Egolf, Sara Taelman and Brinkley Waldo.

Students raised $2,484.83 recently for Riley Hospital for Children through coin wars, the board heard. Dahms also noted in terms of academic evaluation students improved 75% in reading and 57% in math from August 2022 to December 2022, as reflected on assessments the school did.

In other business, the board:

• Approved the hiring of Akron Elementary School cook Maria De La Luz Ramirez; and Mentone instructional assistant Allison Parker and custodian Johnny Huff.
• Approved Jamasyn Virgil and Thomas Cody as Tippecanoe Valley Middle School assistant track coaches and Keri Glennie as TVMS golf coach.
• Accepted the resignations of TVMS English teachers Kendra Housel and Emily Ackerman; and Tippecanoe Valley High School head wrestling coach Kyler Kearby.
• Approved the maternity leave for Akron kindergarten teacher Chaitra Adams and accepted the retirements of TVSC Director of Marketing, Public Relations and Grants Lori Tilden-Geiger, and TVMS head custodian Audrey Willard.
• Accepted a $2,500 Kosciusko REMC Operation Round Up grant for TVMS’ Viking Vittles program, which provides food to students in need.
• Heard the corporation is working on choosing new science, health and computer science curriculum. However, the science process has been slowed due to the state working on new guidelines for teaching STEM.
• Heard an update on TVHS activities from junior student representative Benton Nellans. The high school band has its spring concert on Tuesday, May 2, and juniors will be helping with the annual historical event Pioneer Day for Akron and Mentone fourth graders soon.

The board’s next regular meeting is 6 p.m. Monday, May 15, at Akron Elementary School.

Instructional coach Karissa Cody, far left, speaks about Mentone’s spell bowl students. From left: Kaian Fields, Bella Jones, Jacob Hayes, Ashton Hernandez, Sophie Sponseller, Taylor Sausaman, Lily Hyde, Alyssa Farley and Violet Amberg.

Dahms, far left, speaks about students who got perfect scores on the I-READ test. From left: Levi Adams, Remington Bouse, Lylah Cody, Sara Taelman and Brinkley Waldo.