Our staff was encouraging them every step of the way with their matching shirts!

We are so excited to announce that Milroy Elementary School has been recognized by the Indiana Department of Education for "EXCELLING" as a Family Friendly School. Below you will find the certificate of recognition and letter from the IDOE. Our staff works hard at being the best it can be. This is just one way to recognize our students, families, community members, and staff members on the great work we are all doing!

RES has worked on improving our attendance each 9 weeks.

These students missed 3 days or less for the last 9 weeks. We recognized over 176 students for excellent attendance for the 3rd nine weeks!

Behind the scenes at the FFA District 9 Event from Friday, March 10. BRMS Students that placed include:

1st place- Advancing to State!

Kendra Jacobs, Kenna Palmer- Discovery Hort Demo

Kendra Jacobs- Discovery Extemporaneous Speaking

Lexi Hill, Allie Kuhn- Discovery Plant and Soil Demo

Annabeth Chastain- Discovery Creed

Lily Miller, Marley Clark- Discovery Food Science Demo

3rd place

Olivia Callahan- Discovery Animal Science Demo

Some of the businesses represented were Rush Memorial Hospital, Chances and Services for Youth & INAEYC, INTAT, Henry Community Health, Emerson, GEO Group, SD Barnes Construction, Howden Roots, Rushville Fire Dept., Rush Shelby Energy, and Knauf Instulation.

There was also military representation from the US Marines, National Guard, and Air Force.

Representatives from IU East, UNOH, UIndy, Ivy Tech, Duncan HVAC Supply, and Austin Maggard (IBEW, Line Crew) were in attendance.

The Class of 2025 spent the afternoon meeting graduation requirements of community service hours. Ten students went to the Mahoning Valley Christian Camp to help clean up and prepare for summer camp. 138 students stayed at Memorial Gymnasium to bundle and prep 15,000 diapers for distribution at local food pantries and other agencies. From the Bottom Up and director Jeri McCorkhill had materials sent to the gym, and the master assembly line prepared 1,000 bundles!

Many, many, many thanks to the Rush County Fair Board and staff, Rebecca Jennings and Eastern IN Works crew; Jeri McCorkhill, the army of volunteers meeting with students and explaining their crafts, Mary Roller of Ivy Tech, Tony Augsberger, Hannah Augsberger, and the Mahoning Valley crew, and the administration and staff of RCHS for making this day a tremendous success!

They also got the chance to work with DNA microarrays in the lab!

Indiana Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (I-STAR) this year was held at Connersville High School on Wednesday, March 8. I-STAR is a student and teacher recognition program which includes eight different high schools (including RCHS). This award is open to the top 10 percent of the seniors in each high school. Three seniors are selected from each school based on their application. The focal component of the application is the selection of a teacher, counselor, or administrator who the student believes has made the strongest contribution to the student’s individual and scholastic development. The student-applicant must submit a written explanation of why the educator was selected for this honor.

Congratulations to the student and staff I-STAR winners from RCHS!

Audrey Gulley (student) chose Mrs. Joni Fenimore (math teacher),

Araceli Leon (student) chose Ms. Amaranta Kemple (Spanish teacher),

Kelby Roberts (student) chose Mrs. Holly Wagner (agriculture teacher).

We are super proud of these teachers and students! Go Lions!

From left to right: Mrs. Holly Wagner, Kelby Roberts, Mrs. Joni Fenimore, Audrey Gulley, Ms. Amaranta Kemple and Araceli Leon.

Trip #2 was to Fraley Implement. A big thank you to Bart Fraley for sharing with us. His advice on resumes, valuing math skills, and learning a skill was fantastic. We enjoyed learning about how Fraley’s grew over the years and it’s strong commitment to community.

Thank you to the RCHS Climate Team for organizing a wonderful show up celebration! Students with 98% attendance or above played bingo during SRT. Drinks and snacks were provided by the booster club and prizes (including prom tickets, parking passes, and more) were won!

You will not want to miss out watching this jam-packed edition of Lions Live! It includes:

· Prom Guest Forms Due 3/17

· Updates from Dr. Keeley regarding renovations at the gym, Laughlin Center and throughout the school district!

· Dodgeball Tournament Info

· March Madness Do’s and Don’ts

· Cheerleading Tryout Info

· The Weather

Check it out at the link below!

Cinda Rice Brown, the former girls’ coach at Rushville, is one of the 2022-23 honorees from the Hoosier state as nominated by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association. She is among 61 winners from 31 states in an NHSBCA program coordinated with the Wooden family.

The award honors scholastic basketball coaches from around the country who are educators and have achieved excellence on the floor, in the classroom and in the community that further embody the characteristics and legacy of the late John Wooden. The criteria for the award are rooted in the ideals of education, longevity, character, service and excellence.

Brown, 76, is a 1964 graduate of New Salem High School in Rush County. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in 1969 and a master’s degree in 1976. She played basketball, softball and field hockey at IU and was presented a belated “I” letter for those efforts in 1998.

She went on to teach and coach at Rushville for 31 years, the last 25 seasons as an IHSAA basketball program. She was the first Indiana girls basketball coach to achieve 400 victories, and she was the state’s all-time winningest girls’ basketball coach with a 448-109 record (in IHSAA games only) when she retired. Brown was inducted into Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in its inaugural women’s class in 2002.

Brown began coaching in 1969, initially directing basketball, tennis, golf, volleyball and gymnastics teams in Girls Athletic Association programs with basketball moving to IHSAA direction for the 1975-76 season. In 25 seasons of IHSAA competition, her basketball teams won 21 sectional titles – including a state record 18 in a row from 1980 to 1997 – as well as eight regionals and three semi-states. Her teams qualified for the State Finals in 1981, 1985 and 1993, the ’81 team finishing as state runner-up.

Her teams also won or shared 18 conference championships – 13 in the South Central Conference, including 10 in a row from 1979-88) and five in the Hoosier Heritage Conference. Brown coached in the first Hall of Fame Classic in December 1984, finishing as runner-up, and her teams also played in the Classic in 1989 and 1993.

She was the Indiana All-Star assistant coach in 1981 and the Indiana All-Star head coach in 1987, her 1987 squad being just the second Indiana team to sweep Kentucky in the home-and-home series that dates to 1976. She coached four players who were chosen Indiana All-Stars in Melissa Kilgore (1983), Noelle Young (1984), Missi Nelson (1988) and Jennifer Marlow (1995). One of those, Nelson in 1988, also was honored as a Converse All-American.

Brown was a 13-time SCC Coach of the Year, a three-time HHC Coach of the Year, a two-time Hoosier Basketball Coaches Association district Coach of the Year and a six-time Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association district Coach of the Year. In 1984, she also was an IBCA district Coach of the Year, the Indiana High School Coaches Association state Coach of the Year and the nominee for the National High School Athletic Coaches Association national Coach of the Year. In 1996, Brown was named Channel One National Coach of the Year.

Over her career, Brown served on the board of the NHSACA, IHSCA, the IBCA and the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. She also was a longtime member and district coordinator for the ICGCA’s poll committee. She also worked as an on-air analyst for girls’ basketball State Finals radio and television broadcasts and Indiana All-Star telecasts while an active coach and after her retirement.

In addition to her 2002 induction to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, Brown was presented with the ICGSA Marian Archer Award in 2003, served as a welcoming speaker at an NCAA Women’s Final Four banquet in 2005, was recognized as an Inspiring Woman by the Indiana Fever in 2009 and founded the Jack and Cinda Brown Basketball Mental Attitude Scholarship in Rushville in 2010.

On Jan. 9, 2016, Rushville recognized Brown by naming the court at its Memorial Gym as the “Cinda Rice Brown Court.” Most recently, in 2022, Brown contributed to an IHSAA video marking the 50th anniversary of the Title IX legislation, “Title IX: 50 Years.”

Brown has remained active in sport herself, winning a number of competitive golf championships over the years while serving on the board of the Indiana Women’s Golf Association for six years and its president in 1995. She recorded her first hole-in-one in 2017 and a second hole-in-one in 2022.

Since retiring as a coach, Brown also has resumed playing tennis, her Super Senior Team winning the Midwest Championship in 2011 and competing in the national competition that year in Arizona. She also has competed in running events, winning many age-division races and participating in 10 consecutive Indy Mini-Marathons. In addition, she enjoys biking, roller blading, kayaking and water skiing.

Brown is the widow of the late Jack Brown, who passed away in 2010. She has two step-children as well as three step-grandchildren with another on the way. Brown and companion Dan Pierce enjoy winters in Florida and summers in hometown Rushville.

Greg Wooden, grandson of John Wooden, wrote a letter to each winner of the Wooden Legacy Coaching Award in that stated:

“Our family cannot express how excited we are that you are receiving the NHSBCA Wooden Legacy Coaching Award. My grandfather, John R. Wooden, devoted his life to making an impact in the lives of others through the game of basketball. His passion was teaching, and there was no group that he was more passionate about that subject than coaches.

“The fact that you are receiving this award is a testament to a long-standing commitment you have made as a teacher/coach within your community. You are receiving this award because you embody many traits that my grandfather felt were vital to success.

“I know that if my grandfather was here today, he would feel that it was an honor to meet you and congratulate you on your success. In his memory, our family wants to do that for him. We appreciate you, and the commitment you have made to success. We could not be more thrilled that the NHSBCA has incorporated this award and could not be happier that you are its recipient in its inaugural year.”

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Please see the attached school newsletter.

Prom guest forms are due today: Friday, March 17.

National Honor Society forms are due today: Friday, March 17.

Good luck to all of our teams/students in action!