Tippy Valley Recognizes StaffAKRON – The Tippecanoe Valley School Board recognized Mentone Elementary Reading Interventionist Karla Hayden as the recipient of the Tippecanoe Valley World Class Teacher Award. Principal Randy Dahms nominated her and shared his thoughts, saying, “Karla Hayden exemplifies self-sacrifice, continually reads about current educational practices in her field, and is an instructional leader who cares deeply about the success of many components of Mentone Elementary. Her collaborative spirit and concern for all Mentone students are evident in her actions on a daily basis.” Hayden student taught in the corporation and was later hired as a kindergarten teacher in 1999. She moved to a third-grade class and then accepted her current position as a literacy coach. She has worked as a literacy coach for the past six years where she works with students on a group setting. Two Akron Elementary support staff were recognized as recipients of the Tippecanoe Valley Pillar Award for Outstanding Support Staff. Both Samantha Bradford and Sheila Kindig had been featured in the “From the Heart of the Valley” newsletter. Bradford has been working at the Akron Elementary School for 19 years. She began an as an instructional assistant and then became the school’s secretary eight years ago. In an earlier interview, Bradford said, “I am a very blessed person to be able to work at AES as Secretary Sam. We are Akron Flyers that care for one another and for our students and for our community. It shows every day.” Kindig has been at Akron Elementary for 20 years. She started as a substitute and then began working in the computer lab. Kindig remarked in an earlier interview, “The best part of my job is working with and getting to know every student at Akron. It is fun to see them come in as kindergarten students and watch how much they grow, change and learn as they move through the grades at Akron and go on to TVMS.” Bradford and Kindig were presented with framed certificates by Superintendent Brett Boggs.
