Out-of-the-Blue
March 22, 2024 Issue 16 Vol. 4
Arts in Action at TCSC
March is “Arts in our Schools” month. In our public schools, the arts include music, dance, theatre arts, visual arts, and more. Tipton Community School Corporation offers its students a rich and robust arts curriculum. The arts, with each discipline bringing its own body of knowledge and skills, are an essential part of a well-rounded education that helps better prepare our students for success after graduation. In fact, every student is given the opportunity to learn and grow through the arts during their PK through 12th grade journey at TCSC.
Beyond the intrinsic value of artistic expression, studies have consistently shown that students who participate in arts education demonstrate higher academic achievement, improved attendance, and increased civic engagement. The arts instill discipline and perseverance, teaching students the importance of dedication and practice in pursuit of excellence.
Like all academic areas, students of the arts are successful because of their teachers. Our amazing arts educators, Lisa Wallen (Music/Band THS), Rob Shaver (Music/Band TMS), Jennifer Haynes (Choir/THS/TMS), Logan Tina (Art/THS), Marlee Light (Art/TMS), Erin Strayer (Music/TES), and Dechia Potthast (Art/TES), inspire, engage, and help provide our students with life-changing and far-reaching arts experiences at every level.
Our student’s involvement in the arts can be seen, heard, and felt in creative, imaginative, and colorful ways every day. Moreover, we are fortunate to live in a community that values, appreciates, and supports the arts. For those who attended Community Night, it was easy to see the incredible work from student artists throughout our campus. Arts education at TCSC continues to shape the lives of our students, enrich the fabric of our community, and is worthy of appreciation this month and throughout the year.
THS Band
We have a highly recognized and award-winning music education and band program at the high
school. Our high school band program offers students the opportunity to participate in concert,
marching, pep, and jazz bands, color guard and winter guard. One of the goals of the program
is to create lifelong, positive memories for a wide range of students. THS Band members are
pictured (l-r) Connor Clouser, Caleb Farr, Collin Farr, and Tiffany Keller at a recent competition.
“I love playing challenging music and being able to accomplish playing something that I didn’t think I could play,” said senior Collin Farr, 3rd from the left in the picture, who plays saxophone in the band. “I’ve learned that band is a place to come together and play music with so many people of so many backgrounds. You don’t need to be the best as long as you love what you play.”
THS Choir
Choir includes mixed Choir, theater arts, and Young Originals. Young Originals (YO’s) is Tipton High School’s award-winning show choir, now in its fifth decade of entertaining audiences with its energetic performances on campus, around the county, and beyond.
Josie Butler (left), who has been performing with the Young Originals since 2022, said, “I love how close we all have gotten. It’s fun to perform all over with some of my closest friends.”
“I love meeting people with similar interests and making new friends!” said Dylan Rockwell, a three-year Member of Young Originals. “I have also gotten so much better at dancing!”
TMS Band
Students can begin to explore the enriching and engaging experience of being in band beginning in the 6th grade. They can learn to play (or continue to play) an instrument, perform music as part of a group, develop musical skills, and gain a deeper appreciation for music. When asked why he plays tuba in band, Jude Rockwell, TMS 8th grader, smiled and said, "'Cause it's just really fun!"
THS Art
Art classes in high school provide a canvas for creativity, self-expression, and self-discovery. Through the various mediums taught during the school year students can learn lifelong skills, improve critical thinking and problem solving skills and see a boost in their emotional wellbeing. Art is for everyone and has the power to connect us all.
Junior McCartney Sherard (pictured) says spending time working on a project and then seeing the finished piece is satisfying. For sophomore Taylor Turner, it’s the calm vibes in the art room that makes it easy to use her imagination.
TMS Art
Art classes at Tipton Middle School afford students opportunities to find their inner artist by engaging with many different 2D mediums (graphite, charcoal, printmaking, painting, digital art) and 3D mediums (sculpture, clay, and wheel throwing). Currently, eighth grade art class students are working with clay. Half of the class is creating their own Talavera Tiles, and the other half is wheel throwing to make two bowls. Students pictured in action (l-r) Isabella Bradley, Aleah Brewer, Andrew Hawkins, and Ammon Vehikite.
“I find art really fun, and I have learned a lot, but my favorite part is the clay unit because I find it very interesting how to turn clay into any object you want,” said Ammon Vehikite. Isabella Bradley agrees as she perfects her bowl making skills.
Aleah Brewer said her favorite thing is clay and learning about how to spin the wheel. She also enjoys having good conversations while on the wheel with my peers. “I have learned many things in this art classroom including how to correctly draw and shade a 3D cube,” Andrew Hawkins pointed out. “My favorite part has been spinning the wheel and making pottery.”
TES Art
Visual arts are an incredible outlet for children that can have a positive impact on many aspects of childhood development. At the elementary level, one of the ways Youth Art Month is celebrated is through an art show at the public library during the month of March with the help of the Friends of the Library and Tri Kappa Sorority.
Hailyn Leiding, a fourth-grade student at TES, said she enjoys art because she gets to draw what she likes and has learned to do her best on her art.
TES Music
Music classes at the elementary level are educational and fun for students. They can sing, dance, play an instrument, actively engage with rhythm, melody, and harmony. Erin Strayer, TES Music Teacher, is pictured making music with some of her students. She helps make all things music a joyful experience that allows students to learn and grow while exploring their creative side.
Check-out Our Video-Produced by our own Mr. Robertson and THS Publications Class
Click the image to see the video.
TCSC Invites Community to Invest in the Inferno
“The Inferno,” Tipton High School’s landmark gym, is undergoing a long-awaited renovation in
summer of 2024. The Friends of the Inferno group is leading the charge to raise funds through
sponsorships and donations to give the gymnasium a modern look and feel with new paint,
flooring, digital scoreboards, curtain, gym floor planks, and Blue Devil Hall of Fame section to
name a few.
The Inferno, home to Indiana’s only Blue Devils mascot, built in 1961, seats 3,500. It has served
as a symbol of local identity, the focus of hometown pride, and the backdrop for generations of
memories. The upgrades, expected to cost an estimated $450,000, will update the look and feel of the multi-use space with modern amenities and features to best serve players, students, spectators, and the community well into the future.
The Inferno doubles as an educational space by day and an event destination by night. It is a multi-purpose facility that is used as a large classroom, for sports practices, home games and
tournaments, graduation, school-sanctioned events, community gatherings, and as an
emergency shelter. It draws in an estimated 22,000 spectators each year. Beginning in 2024,
The Inferno will host all home boys’ and girls’ basketball games, home volleyball matches, and
IHSAA tournament contests.
All are invited to consider joining this exciting initiative through a number of available
sponsorships or donating toward this effort. Your investment is an investment in students,
faculty, and the community by providing students with a safe and healthy environment to learn
and grow while also serving as a valuable resource for the community.
“Having a modernized gymnasium instills a stronger sense of pride as our student athletes
continue to learn valuable life lessons through competition and sportsmanship,” said Kory
Fernung, THS Athletic Director. “One of our local business partners, Encompass Credit Union,
has taken the lead on this effort by sponsoring the main gym flooring which will be the new
Encompass Court at the Inferno!”
For more information on sponsorship and donor opportunities, contact us at
THSinferno@tcsc.k12.in.us or call Andrea Campbell at (317)385-0872 or Rob Cochrane at
(317)432-6429.
CAMPUS MAP
Calendar of Events
March 25-Flex Day (No School)
March 26-Flex Day (No School)
March 27-Flex Day (No School)
March 28-Flex Day (No School)
March 29-April 5 Spring Break
April 8-Total Eclipse-Students Dismissed at 1PM
April 9-Monthly Board Meeting
April 19-eLearning Day (Students Do Not Attend)
April 19-THS Prom