001along with some students. And really that's the basis of our whole meeting. So, um we'll go right into item number two, which is celebrating Orioles. And Dr. Windham, I'll pass it to you. Thank you, Mrs. Parent. Um we have a couple of students, or a few students that we'd like to recognize before we uh recognize our retirees. The first is our calculus team from Avon High School. I appreciate Mr. Shockley being here. Mr. Record, uh who leads up this team, was not able to be here this evening. But if we could have Katie Quinney, Jay Desai, and Andrew Myers come forward. Um these students represent the Avon High School calculus team that you have recognized in previous years because of their success. Uh but they have achieved uh again this year uh a national uh
002championship in their calculus skills. So, I'll let Mrs. Parent read the commendation. Yes. So, um as as Dr. Windham mentioned, yes, some of you have been here before. And so, this is one of the greatest privileges that we can present to you. So, I'm going to go ahead and read this to you. The Avon Community School Corporation Board of School Trustees would like to congratulate the Avon High School calculus team with the passage of the following resolution. Whereas, the Avon High School calculus team are the 2025-26 national champions in the Continental Mathematics League calculus division, which is the fourth consecutive title for Avon High School and seventh overall. Whereas, the Avon High School calculus team had three of only 13 students from around the country claim national individual champions in the Continental Mathematics League calculus
003division, including seniors Katie Quinney, Andrew Myers, and junior Jay Desai. Whereas, the Avon High School calculus team is the only Indiana High School to place in the top five in the national competition. Whereas, the Avon High School calculus team has demonstrated excellent work ethic, determination, and commitment. Whereas the Avon High School Calculus team has earned the respect of the entire school community for their high standards and expectations. Whereas the highest level of distinction given by the Avon Community School Corporation is accommodation from the Board of School Trustees. Therefore, let it be resolved the Avon High School Calculus team through the work of their students, coaches, and parents is hereby commended for their success and achievements. Board members, I will entertain a motion. I move that the Board of School Trustees approve the commendation for the
004Avon High School Calculus students, national champions in the Continental Mathematics League as presented. Second. Motion by Kim, second by Josh. All those in favor? That motion carries 3-0. Congratulations. >> [applause] [applause] >> He's going to take your picture with the board. Board members, any comments for our Calculus champions? Uh well, congratulations to our Calculus champions. Um two seniors and a junior always representing Avon very well and I'm um sorry that Mr. Record couldn't be here today because he's an exceptional educator. You know, you um we have our top 25 students um every year that we recognize in April and Mr. Record is almost always uh one of the teachers that is recognized just because his students really uh appreciate his teaching style and certainly this award and these smart kids are the reason I think
005that um that we get to uh celebrate you. Um in high school, I could spell calculus and so that was about it in my high school career. I really um am happy that we have um such great math instruction at Avon High School and um certainly love to recognize many of you for multiple times um this season. So, congratulations on this award and thank you so much for being such a great representative of Avon. >> [applause] >> Uh our next commendation is for Jonas Iclue. So, Jonas, if you can come forward here. Jonas uh also competed in a math competition at IU Indianapolis and was the state champion at that competition. So, excited to have Jonas here and Mrs. Parent will read the commendation for you. Yep. The Avon Community School Corporation Board of School
006Trustees would like to congratulate Jonas Iclue with the passage of the following resolution. Whereas Jonas is the Indiana University Indianapolis Mathematics Contest 2026 state champion, making him the third Avon High School recipient of this honor. Whereas, Jonas has received a full 4-year scholarship to Indiana University Indianapolis for his efforts. Whereas, Jonas has demonstrated perseverance to achieve excellence at a high level. Whereas, Jonas has demonstrated excellent work work ethic, determination, and commitment. Whereas, Jonas has earned the respect of the entire school community for his high standards and expectations. Whereas, the highest level of distinction given by the Avon Community School Corporation is a commendation from the Board of School Trustees. Therefore, let it be resolved that Jonas is hereby commended for his success and achievements. Board members, I will entertain a motion. I move that the
007Board of School Trustees approve the commendation for Jonas Eclou, the Indiana University Indianapolis Mathematics Contest state champion as presented. Second. Motion by Josh, seconded by Kim. All those in favor? That motion carries 3-0. Congratulations, Jonas. >> [applause] >> Look, for several of the students that I taught throughout the years, uh they might come in and say that class was easier, that test was easier, you know, the whatever grade they were in at the time, that that was a less of a challenge than they thought. And I said, well, one, thank all your teachers before you. Um that was probably there. Uh two, don't forget you're special. Uh you not everybody feels that way, so celebrate your victory, but you know, recognize. Um but then I would say, you know, wait till organic chemistry or wait
008till calculus. Uh you you all you you you've done it. You've exceeded all of those. So, um I'm not sure when the challenge will hit for you or if you've already experienced it. Um but you've you've already surpassed what we were throwing at you uh from the best of our hearts. So, congratulations um achieving at such a high level in all of the ways. Um and uh 4 years uh guaranteed, that's that's a pretty amazing feat in and of itself. So, um a whole life ahead of you and starting off on the an amazing foot. recognizing our retirees. So, and families, you're welcome to stay, but if you also need to scoot, now would be an an okay time to do that. But we're going to move on to the rest of the agenda. So.
009Um retirees and uh family and friends that are here, thank you so much for joining us this evening. Um it was great to start our meeting by recognizing students. Their accomplishments are very significant, but we also know that our students couldn't accomplish such great things without teachers pouring into them, bus drivers getting them to and from school and all their activities, cafeteria workers feeding them, custodians ensuring our buildings are clean, assistants supporting them in the classroom, office staff ensuring that the school runs as it should, and so many more. It takes over 1,600 employees to serve Avon students. And tonight, we're honored to recognize our retirees who have given years in their service to our community and to the Avon Community School Corporation. Did you know that the average teacher impacts about 3,000 students over
010the course of their career? We know that number is matched or maybe even exceeded by our support staff. If you think of think about it, a bus driver may drive three routes per day with 60 to 70 kids per route. Food service, custodial, maintenance, and office staff serve schools of hundreds of students every day or in the high school's case thousands of students every day. Your impact is huge. So regardless of your role, your impact on our students, our staff, our schools, and our community just simply can't be measured. I always love this quote and I always share it at this reception every year from Andy Rooney. He said, "Most of us end up with no more than five or six people who remember us." Teachers, and I would add to Mr. Rooney's quote, all
011of our support staff, have thousands of people who remember them for the rest of their lives. Think about it. I remember my elementary bus driver. I remember the lady who worked in our cafeteria at elementary school. We all remember those people who poured into us along the way. So retirees, thank you for impacting Avon students and staff during your career. There are hundreds and maybe thousands of students who will recall fondly your impact for the rest of their lives. So I will read each retiree's name and if you could come up here and stand by me, I'll share some brief comments that have been shared about each retiree and then Mrs. Parent will come up and we'll take a quick picture of each of each of you individually. So first up is I think we
012have Denise Handlon. >> [applause] >> Denise has served Avon schools for 21 years as a teacher at Avon High School. Mr. Shockley, Avon High School principal, shares that Denise Handlon is one-of-a-kind both in her meticulous eye for detail and her high standards. She has developed Avon High School's online education center into a critical component to enhance and remediate student achievement. Denise built and structured a program for students to show their mastery of content and find success in courses that had previously been a challenge. She's been a leader and pacesetter for the state in credit remediation and her work has been recognized by Edmentum, which is the online curriculum used in her program. When Denise started the online education center, there were 12 courses available and students earned 88 credits. The online education center currently serves
013over 70 courses and there were credits earned last school year. We would honor the number for this school year for 25-26, but she's still got a a few students getting across the finish line. She told me that Saturday, she's still working on a few. Denise embodies the expectations that she holds that she upholds for students, perseverance, ingenuity, and drive. Her impact on Avon High School will carry on and we thank her for her commitment to our students. Thank you, Denise. >> [applause] >> Next up is Pamela Irick. >> [applause] >> Pam worked for Avon Schools for 12 years retiring as the front office administrative assistant at White Oak Early Learning Center. Uh Carrie Mies, the White Oak principal, shares that coming out of the executive world Pam quickly proved that she could do one of
014the most difficult jobs in a school. The job of secretary. She listened, learned, and developed systems that helped the Pine Tree and White Oak office run efficiently and in a welcoming manner. Carrie said she will never forget the day in her first year that Pam walked into her office, sat down, and said, "I really had no idea how insanely busy school offices are. The The interruptions are constant and this is crazy." That was 12 years ago, huh? Pam rose to the challenge and never looked back. When it came time to retire, she worked tirelessly to ensure her successor had all of the tools necessary to step into the position. After many years of serving children in Avon Schools, uh Carrie shared that she's thrilled that you now have the opportunity to focus your time and
015energy on your legacy, your grandchildren. Avon was blessed to have you on our team. Congratulations. >> [applause] >> Next up is Susan Parsons. >> [applause] >> Susan has worked for Avon Schools for 12 years and is retiring as an instructional assistant from Pinetree Elementary. Shelly Moyer, the Pinetree principal, shared that Susan is a highly dedicated instructional assistant who consistently pushes both students and staff toward excellence. She's a committed team player who willingly supports others, volunteers her time, and goes above and beyond to meet students' individual needs through creative and effective interventions. Her strong work ethic, compassion, and determination to ensure every student succeeds makes her a valuable asset and a positive influence on the school culture at Pinetree. She will be greatly missed. Congratulations, Susan. Next up is Kim Sullivan. >> [applause] >> Kim has
016worked for Avon schools for 22 years and is retiring as a special ed job coach at Avon High School. Mrs. Labowsky, the transition coordinator at Avon High School, shared that Kim's wisdom and patience in working with students in the school and community setting have been an asset to our kids for 22 years. Kim is a master of understanding how to meet a student where they are and build skills to prepare them for future success. As an instructional assistant, a one-on-one aide, and a job coach, Kim's various roles in special education have allowed her to showcase her deep passion for teaching the foundational skills necessary for some of our toughest students to surpass their goals academically, vocationally, and in the community. Kim places high expectations on each student to drive them to reach potential that most
017cannot see. She is thorough and diligent in developing individual tasks according to each student's needs. And she possesses the attributes of a coach, a cheerleader, and sometimes as a mom. Allowing students to know that she believes in them, but will not accept anything less than their best. Her calm demeanor and get-down-to-brass-tacks mentality has balanced out our team in work study for almost a decade. Everyone learns from Kim and appreciates her perspective. She has been pivotal in expanding the work study program by launching the Brew Crew coffee delivery business and the Avon Education Foundation supply our school store. Beyond the classroom, Kim will be missed as a positive role model, a patient servant, and loyal friend to her colleagues in the special ed department. It's safe to say that Kim's contributions to our school, our district,
018and the Avon community will last for many generations to come. Congratulations, Kim. >> [applause] [applause] >> Next up is Janine Turner. >> [applause] >> Janine has worked for Avon Schools for 26 years and most recently retired as front office administrative assistant from Middle School West. Mr. Chapin, the Middle School West principal, shared that he has enjoyed working with Janine as a Middle School secretary since 2015 and during that time she's been nothing short of outstanding. She interacts with students, parents, teachers, and colleagues with professionalism, kindness, and genuine care. She is a dedicated and hard working professional who is meticulous and accurate in everything she does. Janine consistently holds herself to high standards and always strive to do her job well and she did. Beyond her skills and strong work ethic, Janine brought stability, warmth, and
019reliability to the daily life of our school. Her presence made the school a better place for everyone. It's truly been a pleasure working with Janine and her contributions will be deeply missed. We are grateful for her years of service and the lasting impact she leaves behind. Thank you for our dedicate for your dedication to our students, staff, and community. We wish you a very happy and well-deserved retirement. >> [applause] >> Next up is Lynn Walters. >> [applause] >> Lynn is retiring after serving Avon schools for 18 years and is retiring as the middle school south special education teacher in our impact program. Dr. Pyo, the middle school south principal, shared that Lynn has been an extraordinary presence at Avon Middle School South serving as our impact teacher for the past 18 years with unwavering dedication
020and heart. Throughout her tenure, Lynn has spent has supported countless students and families as they learned to regulate themselves and find success in school. Always demonstrating a level of patience, care, and compassion that is truly unmatched. Her positive influence is felt deeply across our community not only through through her work with students but also through her leadership as a subject area coordinator for special education, where she mentored her colleagues and strengthened an essential area of our school. Lynn is a gifted communicator, an incredibly hard worker, and someone who brings a genuine smile every day. Her legacy will endure in the lives she has touched, and she will be greatly missed. We wish Lynn the absolute best as she begins a well-deserved and fulfilling retirement. Congratulations. >> [applause] >> And last, but certainly not least, is
021Jeff White, retiring from transportation as a bus driver. Mr. Gray, our director of transportation, called me and was sorry he could not be here because uh they with the the rain and all the things going on, it was a little busy at transportation to end the day. Uh but Jeff has served Avon schools for 9 years and is retiring as a bus driver. Um Mr. Gray shared that Jeff is a transportation Swiss Army knife. Jeff drove trips, daily routes, and worked in the shop. He could drive any route on any bus, and there was never a concern about it being done safely and correctly. He was also never afraid to add ice cream as a treat to any meal. So, I guess we needed ice cream here tonight, right? Uh Jeff, we are so thankful
022for your work getting our students to and from school safely every day. You'll be missed in the shop, and you'll be missed on our buses, but we wish you the best in a well-deserved retirement. Congratulations. >> [applause] >> And with that, I will turn it over to Mrs. Parent as I know the board I'm sure will want to make some comments. Mr. Yoder, do you want to start? I can't um I usually try to have a thought in my head or a phrase that I'm going to turn um and and I'm just stuck on something as simple as thank you. Um it can't be said it stated enough. Uh you know, from the we we it we throw out the phrase like the a bus driver's the first person a student sees and the last
023person they see. Um but I can't tell you for all of my kids the joy that they see when they see all of you in public in your real lives. Um and when they see the smiles and when they see uh that genuine connection um it's it truly makes a difference at every single level. Um we we tend to focus a lot on the the teachers of the building. We tend to focus a lot on the um academic achievements. Um we try to spend a lot of time talking about the the whole child and all of the other things that we do. And sometimes we maybe don't uh say it well enough or often enough, but in order to get to that whole child, we need the whole picture and that includes all of the
024staff at every level. Um so, for so many of you um I hope this is the beginning of the recognition you deserve and um I we'll do the best to send you off as as well as we can. Well, I'll echo that. Thank you seems like um it's small compared to the um care and concern and love and uh education that you've given our students. Um but it's big from the place in our hearts that really Avon is differentiated by our quality students and our quality teachers and staff. Um and so I agree with that. Thank you. We have uh 391 years of experience that walk out of our schools today. Um and that is not a dent. That's a big old crunch on the side of the car because uh that kind of know-how
025um and that kind of educational prowess and that kind uh that amount of uh care and concern for our kiddos, that's a lot of experience leaving us. Um but I will say that having retired 2 years ago, just be aware because I am far busier now than I ever was when I was actually holding down a full-time job. Um and we hope that you'll come back and see us in whatever capacity that is. Don't feel that uh the doors to Avon have closed. Just um think of new things that maybe you can give back as you have to our community. Um one thing I'd like to ask is that I know for at least my husband of 42 years, I didn't work for 42 years and not um um have help from him. I think
026it's important that we recognize the guests that you've brought with you. Um and because they've contributed to this moment. Um that is for sure. So if we could start over here, if you have a guest that you brought as a retiree, would you please introduce them for us? Yes, I have my husband Scott and three of my four children. My daughter's husband. Okay. Thank you, family. Thank you so much. At this table? My husband came to this retired in December. Oh, oh good, good. Awesome. Thank you. That's awesome. Okay. Oh. Thank you. That's awesome. Over at this table? 43 years, okay, you beat me. Okay. Thank you. Okay, I beat you. That's great. All right. Over here? Oh, I'm so sorry. Oh, thank you. Great support, thank you. Awesome. Thank you. Well, you know, um,
027family, it's awesome that you're here to support, but just know that you did that every day. Um, I'm sure you've heard a lot of stories about uh, things that have happened at during the school day, uh, some good, some bad, but um, thank you for being the the people behind behind the scenes that really make our staff and um, our teachers and our bus drivers and custodians really be able to give to our students every day. So, in conclusion, thank you so much for being here, um, and thank you for all of those 391 years of service. One of the things that I noticed among the guests are colleagues or generations that are also working in the district that really warms my heart. So, thank you for all the countless moments of service that likely
028went unnoticed but were um never more unimportant. So, thank you everyone for being here tonight and with that We do not have any public comments. Um we have to do that at every meeting. We do not. Um retirees, before you leave a couple of housekeeping things, you are welcome to take the flowers that are at your tables. Uh there should be enough for each of you, but please leave the vases. So, I believe we have some little bags if you need uh those to take with you. Um and then we also have boxes for your lanterns or your um uh gifts. So, if you would like those, get with Amanda before you leave. She can get you a box if you want to make sure it gets home safely and flowers as well. But, thank
029you for investing in our kids and our community for all the years that you have. Have a great evening. >> [applause]