Core Values: Shared Leadership

                        A well-defined set of core values is at the center of any successful organization.  These beliefs are not only discussed but lived every day, and they guide our decisions as we build relationships with students to better prepare them for life after high school.  Through our administrative team’s studies we identified five core values; Consistently Put Kids First, Shared Leadership, Differentiated Instruction—meeting Students at Their Ability Level, Collaboration, and Build Positive Relationships with Stakeholders. 

            At Tippecanoe Valley High School, we have been able to help students and staff move into leadership roles that have benefited the school and community while helping them to grow as individuals.  This core value, shared leadership, has been instrumental in moving our school forward both academically and socially.  By involving teachers and students in key decisions there is more chance that they will have buy in to a new program, class, or cause.

            Literacy has been a focus at our high school.  The leadership that is displayed by the teachers, Doug Makula and Kris Walker, who volunteered to lead our efforts has been tremendous.  They developed incentives for students who met reading goals including the “Read Around the World” program and this year’s theme “Reading to the Moon.”  By building relationships with students, they got students interested in books by highlighting the book of the month, as well as having students choose books for us to buy for the library.

            Relationship building is a key component in any organization.  No student group in our high school is better than our Peer Facilitator class at helping to create a school culture of caring and respect.  Started five years ago through student leadership, students are trained at peer mediation techniques.  These students also trained in I-SAFE, an online safety program that high school students teach to middle school and elementary students.

            The student advisory council works with me and our assistant principal, Mike Schmidt in developing leadership skills in our students.  Made up of student council members from all grade levels these students volunteer to come in at 7:00 in the morning every other Wednesday to help learn about their own leadership styles and how they might have a positive affect on their school and community.  We have challenged our students to identify a problem within the school or community and help create solutions for that problem.  Students have already raised money for a Lupus-Walk in Mentone on October 23, at 10:00 am.

Through shared leadership we have been able to move Tippecanoe Valley High School forward and provide opportunities for our students and staff to better themselves, their school and their community.