August School News
Auditorium and Field House Incoming
by Callie Shively
Indian Creek’s community has been growing since 1967, and we don’t plan to stop growing anytime soon! Plans for a brand new auditorium and field house are finally coming to life. Thanks to Mark BB Construction, we started construction on August 12, 2021. The auditorium in question will have 950 seats, dressing and makeup rooms, and lots of storage! This is big big news for the fine arts department as they will be able to host much bigger events and have more room for students. The auditorium will also be available for the community to rent out, which means more funding for the fine arts community.
I spoke with Mrs. Heavilin, the high school band director, at the ground breaking ceremony and she is very excited about the opportunities this will bring the band department in particular. When I spoke with her she stated, “the band hasn’t been able to fit in the (current) auditorium for 14 years! We have to perform in the gym which diminishes our talent. We are all so excited about this and the opportunities it will bring.” I also spoke with Mr. Skobel, the high school principal; he told me his opinion on the auditorium. “They (the students) deserve a place to thrive...it’s humbling to watch something be built that will stand long after I’m gone.”
But this construction isn’t just about the auditorium: We are also building a brand new field house! Mark BB is also the head architect on this, and I talked to him at the ground breaking ceremony as well. The new field house will hopefully feature basketball, tennis, and volleyball courts! As well as a wrestling and weight room, running tracks, and locker rooms. The field house will be open for community use so if you’ve been waiting on a reason to run, you better get out those running shoes! Along with being open to the public we will also be able to host more tournaments for our volleyball and tennis teams.
Mr. Zachery, the middle school principal, explained to me the importance of the fieldhouse. Our smaller basketball boys, in the intermediate and elementary schools, have been practicing until 9 pm some nights! This will allow more space for practices so teams no longer have to practice late at night.
Mr. Edsell, the superintendent, also spoke about the importance of these two new additions to Indian Creek. “You have to have great academics, fine arts, and sports to bring students here.” The auditorium and field house will add onto our already great community. Mr. Zachery said it better than I ever could: “We are a great place to be, even better to be apart of.”
Ready for its closeup, one of the Creek Cattle Company cows moves in close!
Etrevista con Profe Carlson!
by Mia Greene
“How was your first year at Indian Creek High School?”
Carlson enthusiastically answered, “My first year at Indian Creek was amazing! The students and staff were so welcoming and always willing to help. My students accepted me and made me feel comfortable right away.”
“Why is Spanish so important for High School students to learn?”
Carlson responded, “Learning a forgein language is beneficial for high school students for several reasons. Probably at the top of the list for high school students is that most colleges and universities require students to have 2 years of forgein language. Also, if a student can test out of this requirement, it saves them a lot of time and money … [and] they are well on their way to a minor in forgein language.”
“What made you want to teach Spanish, or just teach in general?”
Carlson stated, “I have always wanted to teach Spanish because I believe being able to speak Spanish can open many doors. Also, there is such a wealth of culture to learn about, which is always fun!”
“What advice would you give new teachers?”
Carlson replied, “I would encourage new teachers to let their passion for their content area show through when planning activities and interacting with students. The enthusiasm and joy is contagious! When students are engaged and actively learning, they are more successful.”
“What do you think is the most important thing for young adults to learn in highschool?”
Carlson responded, “One of the most important things for young adults to learn in high school is how to develop a good work ethic. Establishing routines to get things done [like homework or studying for a test] helps students become successful responsible adults.”
Ty Hamilton and Parker Sisson (seniors) help unload the first delivery of Creek Cattle Company's homegrown beef!
The Creek Cattle Company feeds the school!
Last week marked a milestone for the Creek Cattle Company. A student-run farm, Creek Cattle Company raises beef cattle "with the purpose of selling the beef back to the school to use in school lunches." Students began feeding their first cows in November of 2020, and the animals were processed over the summer. The delivery arrived and students helped to unload the beef and bring it to the cafeteria.
Mr. Dunn, the Creek Cattle Company sponsor, had a chance to describe the program to us. "Students are in charge of day-to-day operations including feeding, watering, fence maintenance, and keeping the barn clean and tidy. Students helped raise the funds [to start the farm] by presenting to sponsors. We currently have 1 calf-cow pair with plans to add 2 more feeder calves to the program shortly. We have almost 3 acres of pasture where the animals can graze freely."
A diamond in the school repertoire, Creek Cattle Company offers a fantastic opportunity for our students to gain hands-on experience that they can use in their future careers, whether those skills will be used directly or simply transfer to another career path.
Katey Gantt (senior) brings in the boxes to be put in the cafeteria freezer.
[Above] Lyla (first grade) and Winston Davis (third grade) got a chance to visit with the cows this spring.
[Below] Students work on mucking the barn and keeping things "clean and tidy"!
The fishing team proudly displays their state trophy.
[Above] The team members get a chance to pose all together.
[Below] The key members of the team pose at the school board meeting.
Here, Fishy-Fishy… Gotcha!
by Garrett Bolin
Over the past 4 years the Indian Creek fishing team has grown a lot. From having no team 5 years ago to now having the best in the state. The Indiana Bass Nation High School State tournament was held on June 6th, 2021 on Lake Brookville. Out of the 16 total members of Indian Creek’s fishing team, only 4 boats qualified for the High School state championship. Each boat is composed of 2 fishermen and a boat captain. This boat captain is meant to guide the younger fishermen as they have lots of experience under their belt. The High School championship team included: Trent Volz, Blayden Mann, Carson Volz, Jackson Neibert, Aaron Spurgeon, Garrett Bolin, Max Wise, and Alan Ellis. Carson and Jackson placed 3rd individually, while Aaron and Garrett placed 6th. The last boat that placed during the state tournament was Trent and Blayden, who placed 7th. The last boat of Max and Alan did not place as they didn’t catch any fish. After winning state with a total bag weight of the 4 boats being 23.93 lbs, the athletic department offered to pay for 4 championship rings. However, instead of doing that, Coach Wise decided to take the cost of 4 rings and spread it across everyone's rings. This made the price for the rings drop significantly. The final price for the rings as of August 18th, 2021 was 120 dollars.
After winning state, the team was invited to go to the July 13th school board meeting where they were congratulated by Dr. Tim Edsel, Mr. Skobel, and Mr. Zachery with speeches and by all the school board members with applause. They were then given certificates from the school.
Many people are probably wondering, why fishing? When interviewed and asked, “What do you think about fishing?” Alan Ellis responded, “Fishing is serious, personally I think it should be an Olympic sport, it's not all fun and games out there.” When asked the same question, Blayden Mann said, “Fishing is a way to get away and have fun.” Here's to the fishing team and all their future successes.