001Welcome hot dogs to the August Community Schools of Frankfurt town hall. I stated last February in the town hall that I would like to start inviting staff and students on the program who are moving the academic, behavioral, staff, student retention, athletic and facilities needle. I shared with the viewers uh at that time that community schools of Frankfurt we have three pillars of excellence that will guide us in achieving excellence in these affforementioned areas. The pillar literacy, community and post-secondary expectations. Last spring, uh, I started this town hall series that would focus and communicate to the public what sets the community schools of Frankfurt apart from area schools, virtual brickandmortar school districts around the state and nation. This month, I wanted to invite our new athletic director, M, Mr. Jeff Irwin, uh, to be part of
002this first town hall of the year. Jeff Irwin's resume is impressive. He was the game management and championship director at Purdue University. He was the director of athletics at Southmont, Western Boon, and Lawrence Central High Schools before moving to Florida to build an athletic program from the ground up at Bad Babcock neighborhood school. Jeff's superintendent at Babcock said that Jeff is a lifesaver for their brand new school district. Mr. Rob Remy, superintendent at Western Boon, share that Jeff brings big ideas with a different perspective. Mr. Irwin, it is uh great to have you on a town hall today. Thank you for joining me today. >> Thanks for having me. >> Um Mr. Irwin, uh where where do you hail from and uh where where did you go to college? Just give us a little background
003on you. >> I am originally from Cookamo, Indiana. So that's where I got my start was a Western Panther. I hope nobody holds that against me. Okay. Uh and then uh from there I went to Purdue University, did my undergraduate and my graduate degrees there in education, got my masters in education and then uh my administrative license. So um you know born and kind of raised here right here in Indiana. >> Okay. Um why did you you you know I said in the intro that you uh you went to Florida for a little while. What brought brought you back to Indiana? >> Yeah. It wasn't the weather. >> Okay. Yeah. >> But it was family. My whole family is from Indiana. So when I moved to Florida, uh it was just two of my daughters
004and myself down there. And as time went on and we thought more about it, I wanted to get back closer with the rest of my family. Um my mom and dad are no longer with us, but my three brothers live within 30 minutes of Frankfurt. So it was just the right time to come back. >> Okay. Right. And we're so glad you did. >> Yeah. Glad to be here. >> What got you interested in education and athletics? It goes back honestly to when I was a Western Panther. Uh played sports. Uh Tom Lewis was our boys basketball coach, but our athletic director, Mr. Norm Llewellyn, had a big impact on me. Uh wanted to watch him as an athletic director, and he actually helped me get my first job uh at Purdue working for Jean
005Katy. So, I I just kind of our dean uh Bill Norwald and my athletic director really influenced me uh to get into education. >> Okay. Um, what have you observed or I mean you've been here a little while now. Uh, we've been talking to you since last spring. So, what have you observed and noticed so far in your time here at Frankfurt High School? >> Quite honestly, uh, the students, I've just noticed how um, receptive they are uh, overall how well behaved they are. Uh, it's just really uh, been a positive experience to watch them. Uh, the community uh, how much the community's come and said, Jeff, let us know what you need help with. Uh, we'll help you with anything. So, the staff, the community, and the kids. It's just been a really warm
006feeling uh from everybody uh to kind of make me feel welcome here at Frankfurt. >> It's great to hear you say that. I I felt the same thing since I've been here. So, it's great to hear someone else who who just came in to notice that same community feel. >> Well, uh Mr. Irwin, we're going to take a little break and go to uh Eric Farley and Farley's Frankfurt fun facts and we'll come back with some uh uh get to know you and know what your vision is for the the high school program. We'll be right back. >> Thank you, Dr. Roa. Welcome to Farley's Frankfurt fun facts, myths, and legends. In today's episode, I'd like to talk about our mascot, the Frankfurt Hot Dog. To me, the Frankfurt hot dog represents grit, perseverance, integrity,
007and fight. Did you know prior to the 1940s, we were not the Frankfurt Hot Dogs. In fact, we had three different sport teams represented by three different names. Our baseball team was referred to as the Blue Sox. Our basketball team referred to as the Fighting Five. And our football team was referred to to the Nighthawks. Why the Nighthawks, you ask? Well, we were once one of the only schools in Indiana to have lights at their football field in order to have games in the evening. That's it for Farley Frankfurt funfacts. Until next time, hot dogs. Welcome back to the August Town Hall with today's guest, Mr. Jeff Irwin, athletic director at Frankfurt High School. All things rise and fall with leadership. And in stepping into this role, uh Mr. Irwin, uh, what factors do you
008consider when hiring athletic program leaders and coaches? >> Well, there's three things specifically. First and foremost, do they have the ability to relate to kids? Um, if if they're not going to relate well to kids, it's not going to work. You have to love uh working with kids. You also have to be able to work with the community and the parents as well. Uh, so first and foremost, how well do they relate and build relationships with kids? Secondly, do they have a great passion for what they do? um they have to love what they do. I've always told coaches, I can't really help you with your passion and your ability to relate to kids. That's got to kind of come naturally. And the third thing is the knowledge of their craft. Um you know, how
009well do they know their sport or what they're trying to help us with? And that's something I feel like we can always help them with. Uh but but your passion for what you do and your ability to relate to kids are the two most important things I look at when we're looking to hire somebody to be to lead one of our programs. >> Those are critical factors. Great to hear you say that. What are your big ideas uh or or your vision for Frankfurt High School athletics? >> I think athletics is competitive. Uh we want to be education based. We obviously want our student athletes to do well in the classroom. Uh that's a goal. I mean, our goal is to be have a 3.0 GPA or higher uh across the board with all of
010our athletes. Uh but on the athletic side, I think we should want to compete and be successful against our county schools. Um you know, that's always that fun rivalry. We want to do well against our county uh neighbors. I also think it's going to be important in the new Monon Athletic Conference to start out to try to have a goal of being in the top half of the conference in our all sports standings. I think that's a great benchmark to start off with. So trying to compete and do well against our county opponents uh being in the top half of our conference in each sport and also working with our coaches to have them build their own five-year plans and their vision for each program. And my goal is to then help them achieve uh
011their vision and their goal over the next five years. I kind of call it a five-year plan for each program that I ask each coach to do as well. >> Okay. Is there anything that you would like to share that perhaps was not asked of you today, maybe with the vision or or things you've observed so far here at Frankfurt High School? >> Yes. I think for us to truly be successful uh here at Frankfurt in athletics, the community has to be involved. We want the community involved. uh wherever I've been, if we've had success, it's not just been the athletic director, the coaches, the teachers, it's the community. So, the biggest thing is we want the community to come out and support the kids. We want them involved. We're going we're rekindling our athletic
012booster club. Uh we meet next Monday, August 25th, at 6:30 here at this school. Uh so, we need to get the community involved. If our community gets involved, it's going to allow us to have the best success long term. Can you share what you just instituted this year with uh our kids and their access to the games because I think that was such a cool thing that you started. >> Yes. Well, every student here at Frankfurt is allowed to come to every game free. Uh we've we've actually handed out over 500 free passes to over half the student body already. Uh so that's really important. We want our kids at the games and we want to make sure it's easy for them to come and support uh their classmates and their teammates. What are some
013games coming up this uh this fall, this month that kind of kick off the school year with uh athletics here at Frankfurt High School? >> Yeah. Well, this uh coming Saturday, we have our uh boys soccer invite right here. Uh we have from 9:00 until probably 5:00 in the evening. Come out and support them. Our tennis program uh uh is going to get started this Wednesday and Saturday here at home. And then we look kind of forward into next week. Uh uh obviously cross country is not going to be running here, but they'll be on the road. But next week kind of kicks off even a a really exciting time. Our volleyball program opens up a home opener next uh Tuesday, August uh 25th, I believe. 26th, actually, August 26th, okay, against North McGomery. Okay.
014>> And then our football team has its home opener against rival Clinton Prairie uh Friday night, August 29th, uh at 700 p.m. So we hope everybody comes out and All right. So great to see all this getting started this month. Exciting to see that. But I I happen to see the cross country team, this Miss Garcia and the cross country team. They're they're about 30 kids on that team. She said she's building that up. So, it's nice to see our program is just really starting to get some momentum. So, it's exciting to hear about your vision for the uh Frankfurt High School and just hear about uh the the great things that uh are are put in place. Most importantly, just the kind of uh coaches that you're putting in front of kids. That's that's
015valued and and very much appreciated. So, thank you. Thank you for joining me here today, Hot Dog Nation. I hope you enjoyed getting to know about uh Jeff Irwin and his vision of excellence for Frankfurt High School athletics. Uh thank you, Jeff, for uh sharing your thoughts and perspectives today. Thank you for investing in the kids here at Frankfurt High School. Signing off from the hot dog uh town hall at Frankfurt High School. Have a wonderful day and enjoy this segment of Roaming with Roda at the first day of school at Green Meadows. Thank you. Hello hot dogs. Today is the first day of school at the Community Schools of Frankfurt and uh this is the very first roaming with road at the beginning of the school year. I wanted to come out to Green
016Meadows on the first day to talk to kids as they get out of the car to find out what they love about Green Meadows. So enjoy this very first segment the 2025 2026 school year of roaming with Roa. Enjoy what the kids say today. >> All right. Good morning, Mr. Da. Mr. Dow, first year principal here at Green Meadows. How many years you've been in education, Mr. Dow? >> This is year number 12. >> Year 12. So your 12th first day of school as an educator. 12th first day. >> And what do you look forward to about the first day of school? >> It's always seeing the smiling faces and those that are hesitant to come back and then once they're here realize it's not as bad as they thought that we're going to make
017memories and learn and those two things can happen at the same time. >> All right. Great. Mr. Dab, have a great first day of school. >> Thank you. Appreciate it. >> Good morning. >> Today's the very first day of school. >> Very first day for year 39. >> For year 39. And you are >> Sher Pritchette, fourth grade. This is my 12th year at Green. >> 12th year at Green, 39th year in teaching. >> What's so special about the first day of school? >> Everybody's nervous. >> Uh-huh. >> Everybody, and so we all have that in common. >> Elena, what grade are you in? >> Fourth grade. Elena, what do you love about Green Meadows? >> That the teachers are really nice and calm and my friends. >> And your friends, what do you love
018about the first day of school? >> Meeting new people. Emily, what do you love about Green Meadows? >> Uh, recess. >> Recess. All right. What do you love about the first day of school? >> Um, I love how um you can learn like new things in different grades. >> Learn new things on the first day of school. Thank you, Armando. What do you love about Green Meadows? >> Recess. And what do you love about the first day of school? >> We get to do fun stuff. >> We have our famous art teacher here. What is your name, Mr. Art Teacher? >> Uh, Mr. Ramos. >> Mr. Ramos. How many years you've been teaching now? >> Uh, this would be 26. >> 26. So, this is your 26th first day of school. >> 26th first day
019of school. >> What's so special about the first day of school? >> Uh, meeting all the new students in third grade and seeing the older students who have been here from last year and being all excited about the first day. >> Alex, what do you love about Green Meadows? >> Well, it's my first year. >> It's your first year. Okay. What do you love about the first day of school? >> I love that I get to meet new teachers. >> What is your name, young man? >> Uh, my name's Officer Robert Hessen. >> Officer Robert Hessen. our SRO here at Green Meadows Blue Ridge. >> Yes, for the last seven years. >> Seven years. So, this is your seventh first day of school as a SRO. >> Yes. And it feels great. >> What's so
020special about the first day of school? >> I think the kids excitement is kind of you feed off of it because they're so excited to be here and they're having so much fun. You can't you can't help but just feel the same way. >> Keeps you young, doesn't it? >> Sure. It does. And at my age, that's important. >> Well, thank you, Officer Hash. Appreciate you. >> I'm Mr. Miller, media specialist, Green Meadows. How many years you've been teaching? >> A lot. >> This is year 21 for me. >> Year 21. So 21st 21st first day of school. >> Ex. Well, plus all the other ones when I was in school. So a zillion, I think. >> How many uh what was so special about today? >> Oh, our kids love to be here and
021it's just going to be excited to get them back in the building and um all the smiling faces and everybody giving hugs and it's just going to be a great day. >> What do you love about Green Meadows? >> Um >> The teachers. What do you love about the first day of school? >> Math. >> Meline, what do you love about Green Meadows? >> It's green. All right, good answer. And what do you love about the first day of school? >> Um, that I can meet my teacher and meet some new friends. >> All right, Matteo, what do you love about Green Meadows? >> I like about Jim doing a lot of stuff. >> Jim Jim and a lot of stuff. What do you love about your first day of school? >> Um, meeting my
022teacher. >> Jasine, what grade are you in? >> Fifth grade. What do you love about Green Meadows? >> Um, it's just cool around here. >> It's just cool around here. And what do you love about the first day of school? >> It's just great to meet my teacher. >> I love it. What do you love about Green Meadows? >> It's green. I haven't had another answer like that today. And what do you love about the first day of school? >> Uh, that I'm with this girl. >> Okay. This girl makes you happy, huh? What do you love about Green Meadows? >> Uh, just the teachers. They're really kind. >> Teachers are really kind. And what do you love about the first day of school? Being with your friends here? >> Yeah. >> All right. Have
023a great day. Thank you, girls. Mackenzie, what do you do here at Green Meadows? >> I'm a special education parent. >> All right. And what do you love about the first day of school? >> Seeing all the kids. >> Jonathan, what grade are you in? >> Fourth grade. What do you love about Green Meadows? >> Doing math. >> The math. What do you love about the first day of school? >> Um, to meet all our friends. >> George, what do you love about Green Meadows? >> About the reading. All right. You're the first one that's talked about that today. What do you love about the first day of school? all the all the um people I get to meet. >> All the people you get to meet. Okay, guys, have a great day. What's your
024name? >> My name is Sandra. >> Sandra, what do you love about your child's first day of school? >> You know, I love how excited they are. They love their teachers. They're ready to see their friends. They're ready to meet the staff again. And I've heard there's new staff, too. That's right. >> Definitely got online and see on there. And every teacher that's on there, we got to see on the first day back. I am excited. All the kids here are amazing. The teachers are amazing. The food, I hear, is amazing. So, I want to thank each and every one of you for just making everybody's future the best that it's going to be, especially for Frankurt, for Frankfurt, you know, in this county. >> Thank you very much. All right. >> Amazing community and
025keep it up. >> All right. Have a great day. >> All right, hot dogs. Hope you enjoyed this first segment of Roaming with Roa to kick off the beginning of the 25 26 school year. Uh, great to see kids coming back to school. This is why we do what we do and we're looking forward to a great school year. Go hot dogs.