District News

Jasper High School Band Director, Mr. Chad Gayso, has been selected to become a member of the Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters’ Fraternity Gamma Chapter (Indiana).

Mr. Tom Cox, who serves on the Board of Directors and is the Public Relations Chairperson for Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters’ Fraternity, Gamma Chapter (Indiana), sent an email containing the details of this honor.

Phi Beta Mu is the highest honorary international band director’s fraternity. It was organized to encourage the building of better bands and the development of better musicians in schools throughout the world and to foster deeper appreciation of good music and more widespread public interest. To be selected a member of Phi Beta Mu, the director selected must:

· Currently hold a position as a conductor of a consistently superior band.

· Demonstrated leadership in the profession by contributing to the progress of bands.

· Hold office or important responsibility at the state, regional, or national level, with publications, compositions, dissertations, or outstanding performances.

· Established a reputation for personal character that is ethically and morally above reproach.

Congratulations to Mr. Chad Gayso on this incredible honor!

Pictured: Chad Gayso (left) with his sponsor Bill Laughlin. 

Preschool programs at Jasper Elementary School and Ireland Elementary School have been named NAEYC Accredited Preschool Programs.

NAEYC Accreditation helps parents find the best possible early childhood experience for children. After an extensive application process, skilled and reliable NAEYC program assessors visit each program to determine that it is meeting NAEYC standards. Using NAEYC tools and materials, preschool programs are continuously improving their programs to provide the best possible education opportunities for children.

Jasper Elementary School and Ireland Elementary School are the only school based preschool program in the state of Indiana to receive this distinguished honor.

The classrooms of Mrs. Jordan Beach and Mrs. Mindy Sendelweck were chosen to be observed. The notes from the observation included that there was “high quality adult/child interactions seen throughout the observation period. Communication among staff members was strong and effective.”

Mrs. Angie Sander, preschool teacher at Jasper Elementary School, commented “Thank you to everybody’s role in ensuring the preschool children within GJCS have the highest quality preschool around!”

To learn more about NAEYC Accreditation and read about the standards, visit https://www.naeyc.org/.

On November 19^th, Shannon Bauer, principal at Ireland Elementary School, was named the Indiana Association of School Principals District 11 Elementary Principal of the Year.

The Indiana Association of School Principals annually recognizes outstanding school leaders in each of the 12 Indiana districts who have succeeded in providing high-quality learning opportunities for students. These principals are acknowledged by their peers for the exemplary contributions they have made to the profession.

“Mrs. Bauer is a visionary leader who seeks to innovate and collaborate for the betterment of her students, staff, school and district. Being selected as the IASP District 11 Elementary Principal of the Year is a fitting honor for such a wonderful educator”, commented Tracy Lorey, Greater Jasper Consolidated School Corporation Superintendent.

Congratulations to Mrs. Shannon Bauer on this recognition. Thank you for going above and beyond each day and carrying out the vision of both Ireland Elementary School and the Greater Jasper School district.

Pictured: Geoff Mauck (JHS Principal), David Hubster (JMS Principal), Shannon Bauer (Ireland Elementary School Principal and District 11 Principal of the Year), Ryan Erny (JES Principal), and Tracy Lorey (GJCS Superintendent). 

Jasper Elementary School earned a significant honor on Friday, as they were chosen as one of the top five finalist for ESEA Distinguished Schools. Out of over nine hundred schools, JES is in the top five.

The National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators has been highlighting examples of superior Title I school programs for national recognition through the National ESEA Distinguished Schools Program since 1996. Schools are selected by their state Department of Education based on their ability to demonstrate a wide array of strengths, including team approaches to teaching and learning, focused professional development opportunities for staff, individualized programs for student success and strong partnerships between the school, parents and the community.

Being chosen as one of the top five ESEA Distinguished Schools is based on information from the 2022-2023 school year. The criteria is based on student behavior, attendance and academic outcomes. Data is inserted into an algorithm to determine well-roundedness among the schools. This data, along with a site visit, is what gave JES the honor.

JES staff began Friday morning by having a breakfast for staff. Mr. Kent Taylor, principal, read the email from Gina Romano with the Department of Education to the staff. After reading the announcement to staff, all Jasper Elementary School students and staff went to the gym, where the news was delivered to the students. It was a wonderful morning with many excited students and staff members being recognized for their hard work.

To staff and students, Mr. Taylor commented, “I wanted you to know what all your focus, hard-work, and dedication has yielded for our school and the community of Jasper. It is an honor to be associated with such wonderful educators and students. I salute everyone for making our school the cleanest, safest, friendliest, and most accomplished it has ever been. I look even further to the future, as we continue to become better each day. Enjoy the moment. You all deserve this.”

JES is invited to showcase their accomplishments at the upcoming TitleCon event, which will be held in April 2024.

A video of Mr. Taylor making the announcement can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/XipeRRIzbSY

Staff celebrate with breakfast as they read the email from Gina Romano with the DOE. 

Mr. Taylor speaks to all students and staff about the honor. 

The U.S. News & World Report published their 2024 Best Elementary Schools and Best Middle Schools rankings. Both Ireland Elementary School and Jasper Elementary School earned a Best Elementary Schools badge. Jasper Middle School earned a Best Middle Schools badge. These badges are awarded due to schools placing among the top 40% of schools in the state.

Ireland Elementary School was ranked 48^th and Jasper Elementary School was ranked 245^th in Indiana Elementary Schools.

Jasper Middle School was ranked 29^th in Indiana Middle Schools.

These rankings would not be possible without the outstanding work and dedication from the GJCS students and staff.