Monday evening’s Tippecanoe Valley School Board meeting saw the Tippecanoe Valley High School girls basketball team, band and cheerleading team all receive recognition from the board for their hard work that led to a deep tournament run by the basketball team in this year’s state tournament. Members of the team, as well as coaches, were present at the meeting.

TVHS Principal Michael Bendicsen stated, “We had a tough start, had some negative things happen at the beginning of the year and that could have derailed us, so to have the girls basketball team do what they did was pretty amazing.” Board President Bryan Murphy echoed Bendicsen’s statement, and added, “I enjoyed watching you all season, and the run you made in the tournament, it was just incredible. you all were very professional.”

Board member Tom Craft remarked on the maturity demonstrated by the members of the team, particularly on the eve of the biggest game of their lives, “We got to go to the Pacers versus Bulls game on Friday night. I expected them to be up and moving around, checking out the arena. It was shocking, they sat in the front row and watched that game, only got up to get food and used the bathroom.”

Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation Superintendent Brett Boggs addressed the players with an evident sense of gratitude, even needing to pause at times after being moved to tears, “I want to thank you for the pure joy and healing that you brought here. I want to thank you for representing yourself, your family, your community and your school. People notice. I want to thank you for being the outstanding role models that you are, the little kids are looking up to you.”

Boggs thanked many others involved in the amazing journey, making particular note of the contributions made by the school’s cheerleaders. He closed his address when he stated, “I want to thank you for setting the bar high. I just want to thank you for reminding everyone how special it is to be a Tippecanoe Valley Viking.”

TVHS Band Director Janell Riner gave a presentation on the trip the band took to Memphis over Christmas break to play during the halftime of the Autozone Liberty Bowl. The presentation included pictures of the group’s visits to Graceland, Sun Studios and Hard Rock Cafe.

In the new business portion of the meeting, Principal Bendicsen gave an overview of TVHS’s 2014 graduation rate. He explained that though the senior class began the year with 128 students and finished with 126 graduating, which would be a 98 percent graduation rate, the state of Indiana measure graduation rate based off the number of kids who graduate within four years of their first day of high school at TVHS. Bendicsen explain that with this measurement system, the 2014 class had a 79 percent graduation rate (126 out of 158 kids). He explained that this number is not where it needs and he plans to increase it.

Boggs presented the master schedule for the 2015-2016 academic year. The schedule has the first student day onr Monday, Aug. 10, Fall break for Monday, Oct. 19, and TVHS graduation for Sunday, June 5, 2016. The next TVSB meeting is scheduled for  6 p.m. Monday, April 20, at Akron Elementary School.