Summer is here, and yet it’s almost that time again! Time for the students to get ready to return to the classroom and pick up where they left off in pursuit of educational excellence. But before we welcome our students back, we thought we’d give our three Irvington Community School, Inc. principals some space to talk about their goals and ambitions for the 2018-2019 school year.

Deanna Dehner, Irvington Community Elementary School Principal
One of Mrs. Dehner’s favorite educational quotes: “The greatest gift you ever give is your honest self.” – Mr. (Fred) Rogers

The upcoming school year holds many exciting changes for our students and families! We’re making some schedule changes (PE, Cultures, etc.) that will allow us to provide more Special Education and Title I support in each classroom throughout the day; we’re welcoming two new Teachers of Record to our Special Education Department; and we’re implementing our new High Ability program! We’ve also adopted a new reading series in 1st-5th grades, so students will see brand new textbooks and resources in their classrooms this year! Finally, we’re excited to welcome another IPA Ravens alum to our staff, as Butler University graduate – and IPA Class of 2014 graduate — Alissa Pierle joins us as a 5th grade teacher this year.

As usual, we have many engaging events and activities planned for our students throughout the school year.  We now have a schoolwide membership to the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis that will allow each grade level to take affordable field trips to the country’s largest children’s museum. Once again, we will host family events such as our annual Spring Title I Family Event (theme TBD) and our Fall and Spring Scholastic Book Fairs. Each grade level can expect to see a variety of guest presenters and special projects throughout the year as well.

Parents are encouraged to maintain regular communication with their child’s teacher – through email, Class DOJO (for more info on this remarkable classroom community-building tool, go to: www.classdojo.com/#LearnMore), phone calls, and face-to-face conversations. Keeping informed of what’s happening in the classroom, supporting learning at home through reading with your child, and helping with homework are key elements to student success in elementary school. We also encourage parent volunteers, particularly to help with special projects, field trips, fundraisers, and even day-to-day activities such as learning centers. Busy work schedule? You can still get involved! Many teachers enlist the help of parent volunteers to cut out materials, assemble kits, sharpen pencils, etc.

I am entering my 14th year at Irvington Community Schools and find it hard to imagine myself anywhere else! I grew up on the East Side of Indianapolis and love this community and all it has to offer. I’m a strong believer in the idea that a child’s ZIP Code shouldn’t be the leading factor in the quality of education received – all children deserve a high quality education in the school that will best meet their needs, regardless of where they live – which is exactly why ICS exists! Not only am I a longtime employee of ICS, but I’m a believer in the quality education that my own family members receive here as well: both of my children have attended ICS since Kindergarten (currently entering 7th and 10th grades) and all of my nieces and nephews have attended ICS at some point in their educational careers.

Mrs. Dehner holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education with a focus on Early Childhood Education from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn.; a Master’s Degree in Elementary Reading and Literacy from Walden University; and a Master’s Degree in Education Administration and Supervision from Ball State University. Prior to becoming a building level leader with ICS in 2007, she taught intermediate grades (3rd-5th grades) and was a Literacy and Writing Coach.