By DR. DEREK ARROWOOD
Hamilton Heights Superintendent
Update #63 from Dr. Derek Arrowood, Superintendent, Hamilton Heights School Corporation.
I trust everyone’s summer break is off to a great start! While this is a time for students and faculty to decompress after a school year like no other, Heights is hard at work with summer school, camps, athletic practices, preparing for the new school year, and bringing Project Vision to a close with the completion of the Student Activity Center this fall.
Project Vision, a nearly decade-long comprehensive facilities plan that included interior and exterior renovations, enhancements, new construction, and building reconfigurations, was designed to advance student achievement while maximizing operational efficiencies. All of these projects were accomplished without raising the district’s total tax rate.
It is our pleasure to share with you our local tax dollars at work helping to support the needs of our 21st century students. Since we were not able to bring most of our district into our buildings this past year, we created three short videos that highlight our learning and teaching spaces and the many amenities housed inside our buildings, thanks in large part to Project Vision. The collaborative leadership, vision, and work of our School Board, administrators, and community partners delivered in a big way! Click on the links to access these videos: ES, MS, and HS. They are also posted on our YouTube channels: ES, MS, and HS.
Last week, Hamilton Heights hosted a Civil Construction/Heavy Highway teacher training to become familiar with curricular activities in concrete paving, utilities, heavy equipment operations, asphalt paving, surveying, erosion control and construction inspections. It included seven teachers from five high schools including Heights, Garrett, Lapel, Penn, and New Palestine. Over 30 industry partners contributed to this interactive teacher training experience. Our own Eric Fisher, CEA Master Teacher and NCCER Instructor, organized and helped lead the event to support the high demand for careers in Indiana’s horizontal construction industry.
Hamilton Heights new bookmobile made its first stops of the summer at the HHEF Golf Outing and the Arcadia Farmer’s Market last week. In its first day over 100 books were checked out! It stopped at The Remnant last Friday and is traveling throughout the community this week. Inside it is filled with a vast array of books for people of all ages that bring pictures and words to life and helps promote the love of reading every day. It’s hard to miss – look for the bright orange bus rolling into a neighborhood near you. Want the HHSC Bookmobile to come to your event or neighborhood? Click here to contact Emily Beechler and make your request. Follow the Bookmobile on Facebook or Instagram @HHSCBookmobile.
Thank you to everyone who helped support this year’s Hamilton Heights Educational Foundation’s (HHEF) 32nd annual Golf Outing last Thursday at Bear Slide Golf Course. It was an exceptional turn out. Moneys generated through the annual event, helps give students and teachers a chance to grow and explore beyond traditional boundaries through grant money. Click here to see some of the recent projects funded or learn more about HHEF.
Congratulations to Dawn Runner, HHMS Math Teacher, who was selected as HHSC Teacher of the Year. She is among three outstanding educators from the district nominated as the top pick for their Building Teacher of the Year recognition. She will represent Hamilton Heights at the Indiana Teacher of the Year competition in Indianapolis this fall.
I’ll circle back in mid-July with the latest updates for the start of the school year. Thank you for your continued partnership and support of Hamilton Heights.
#WeAreHuskies