Today the Cicero Kiwanis Club will recognize several Service Leadership Program Club Leaders and students. The meeting will be at Hamilton Heights High School Cafeteria. Park in front of the building and come inside for a great breakfast. You will be inspired by the students and their leaders.
The Cicero Kiwanis Club wishes to thank Peggy Georgi serving as our liaison between these clubs and Cicero Kiwanis and for creating these biographies.
Hamilton Heights High School Key Club, est. 2007
Felicia Tindal, Special Education Resource Room, Club Sponsor
Tindal
This is Felicia Tindal’s third year at Hamilton Heights High School and second year as the Key Club sponsor. Felicia, who has lived in northern Hamilton County since 2008, works in one of the special education resource rooms.
Felicia believes students join Key Club to help find their place in high school and to make a difference in their community. “I absolutely love watching those that have really found their place and their voice in Key Club,” Felicia said. “I enjoy looking at the event records for the year and seeing who is branching out and really making a difference through our club. It’s exciting to see members blow my event requirements out of the water!”
“In November, during National Key Club week, members met to spread a little kindness throughout our building (and by a little I mean 1,000+),” she shared. “We put a note with a supportive message on EVERY locker and staff door. It was fun to hear the buzz in the halls when students started seeing the notes. No one besides club members knew we were doing this so it was great to hear all the positive chatter about these little fun notes. Members asked me if we could please do this again soon because they had a lot of fun making people smile. Many of these notes still remain on the lockers today!”
“I know when you look at the big picture Kiwanis is way more than kind notes, but my goal is to get members fired up about putting others first,” she explained. “If I can plant a small seed, I’m hoping to see it grow into a tree; and in a group the size of ours, we have the potential to watch forests grow!
Felicia is married to Jonathan, a Hamilton County Sheriff’s Deputy and Resource Officer at the middle school. They have two children at Heights, daughter Riley, a senior, and son Payton, a sophomore, both active members of the Key Club.
2017-18 Key Club Projects to Date
- Cicero Kiwanis Veteran’s Day Breakfast
- Cicero Christmas Parade
- Assisting at Headless Horseman for Conner Prairie
- King’s Treasure Program
- Helping with the Carmel Farmer’s Market
- Backpack Buddies initiative
- Bandanna Drive for Uganda Children
- Trunk or Treat
- Creating Valentine Day cards with the K-Kids and delivering to local Nursing Home Residents
Hamilton Heights Middle School Builders Club, est. 2013
Kari Beery, Eighth Grade English Teacher, Club Sponsor
Beery
Kari Beery is the Club Sponsor for the Builders Club at Hamilton Heights Middle School. She is an eighth grade English Teacher and has worked at the middle school for nearly 10 years.
Beery became interested in Builders Club after hearing that there was a service organization for middle school students. “Many of our kids want to volunteer to help our community,” said Kari, who has been a club sponsor for the past two years. “Students are often searching for ways to meet this requirement for other school organizations or youth groups. Builders Club is a great way to create a sense of community, engage students and help them see through their good works how much of a difference they can make.”
Kari lives in Cicero with John, her husband of 26 years. They have four children, Kevin, 24, who lives in Denver, Colo. Jenna, 22, is a senior at Ball State University. Katy, 17, and Jackie, 15, attend Hamilton Heights High School.
Jessica Cantlon, Professional School Counselor, Club Sponsor
Cantlon
Jessica Cantlon is the middle school counselor. This year represents her 13th in the role of a school counselor. This is her second year in this role at the middle school and to serve as a Builders Club sponsor. She is also the Kindness Club sponsor and a Heart and Sole coach.
“Being in Builders Club allows students the opportunity to experience the pleasure of helping others through philanthropic opportunities,” Jessica explained. “It also allows them to learn the importance of service, which is important in a world where many young people struggle to focus on others at times.”
She lives just outside of Atlanta with her husband Kurt, a Hamilton County native, who is also a school counselor. Cantlon said her goal has always been to end up at Hamilton Heights and she has never loved a job more than the one she has. “I am surrounded by amazing adults and kids who inspire me every single day,” she added. They have two amazing boys, Jackson, 10, and Kaden, 7, who are students at Hamilton Heights Elementary and Primary schools.
2017-18 Builders Club Projects to Date
- Daily Food Rescue and Paper Brigade
- Cicero Kiwanis Club Veteran’s Day Breakfast
- Pumpkin Patch
- Trunk or Treat
- Christmas Lighting
Michelle Day, Fourth Grade Teacher, Club Sponsor
Day
Michelle Day has been with Hamilton Heights for six years spending her first three years as a third-grade teacher and the past three as a fourth-grade teacher. She has served as the K-Kids club sponsor for five years.
“I think it’s important to teach children at a young age the importance of giving back and being involved in this organization helps me to do that,” said Michelle. “I love seeing the impact the kids are making in the lives of others.”
Michelle resides in Noblesville with her husband, Ben, and their two cats.
Tracy Zachary, Special Education Teacher, Club Sponsor
Zachary
Tracy Zachary, a special education teacher, has been with Hamilton Heights for 18 years. This is her first year as a K-Kids club sponsor. Tracy said it was the club’s focus on family values and giving back to the community that attracted her to serve in this role.
A 1996 graduate of Hamilton Heights, Tracy was involved in service-oriented clubs in high school and knows first-hand the impact and benefit to students involved in servant leadership activities. “Key Club helps elementary students to learn the value of giving back to their community and serving others,” she said.
A native of Arcadia, Tracy currently resides in Cicero with her husband, Donovan, and their six boys which consists of one biological son, two adopted sons, and three foster sons. They are hoping that the three foster sons will soon be adopted into their family.
2017-18 K-Kids Club Projects to Date
- Back to School Bash
- Veteran’s Day program
- Cicero Kiwanis Club Veteran’s Day Breakfast
- Cicero Christmas Parade
- Food Drive for Angels’ Attic
- Hat/Glove Drive for Angels’ Attic
- Create Valentine treat bags for teachers with Builders Club members
- Create Valentine Day cards with the Key Club and delivering to local nursing home residents