
SUPERINTENDENT'S CORNER
BRIGHT SPOTS ACROSS OUR DISTRICT -- 9-12-2023
INCLUDED IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
* ALUMNI ALERT -- BRV GRADUATE MADDIE DENTON ('23) SHINES AS AN FFA STATE OFFICER
* HENRY CO. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP. HIGHLIGHTS BRV'S L2T PROGRAM
(MRS. DICKERSON QUOTED IN THIS BRIEF, ON-POINT EDC ARTICLE)
* STAFF SPOTLIGHT -- MS. INÉS CABALLER ROYO - BRV SPANISH TEACHER
* ATHLETIC SPOTLIGHT -- BRV BOYS' TENNIS SEEING SUCCESS AT THE MIDPOINT OF THE SEASON UNDER THE DIRECTION OF COACH BRENNEN BALES
* BRV ATHLETIC DEPT. - 2023 FALL GOLF SCRAMBLE SCHEDULED FOR OCT. 22
MADDIE DENTON (BRV '23) - INDIANA FFA STATE SECRETARY
Denton was one of 25 applicants for the seven state officer positions. During her senior year, she put in over a semester of rigorous application requirements, multiple interviews, and was ultimately selected to fill the role of FFA state secretary for the 2023-24 academic year. To put this into perspective, the last time Blue River Valley had a state officer was in 1979-80 when Scott Jacobs earned the officer's position of Southern Region Vice-President. It has been over 40 years since a Blue River Valley graduate has ascended to this rank.
On Sept. 9, 2023, Mrs. Chernowsky and Mr. McCormick had the opportunity to visit the FFA Leadership Center to spend the day interacting with and observing Maddie and the other state officers as they took a leadership role in various activities throughout the day. Roughly 10 school districts from across the state traveled to Trafalgar this past weekend with their local student officers. It was the responsibility of the 7 state officers to plan and facilitate the activities over the course of the two day retreat.
Maddie was a co-presenter with another state officer for the first afternoon session that explored the concept of 'values.' The weekend's activities surrounded the theme of the popular cartoon series Scooby-Doo. Later that afternoon, the 80 high school local officers and the invited adult guests walked a half mile into the woods for a very serious and meaningful presentation where each state officer shared a personal reflection with the group. Maddie's 5 minute reflection dealt with the topic of personal sacrifice for the good of all.
The day's activities wrapped up with a banquet in the main hall where attendees were treated to a homemade meal, a 'guest activity' facilitated by two of Illinois' state officers, and lastly, an auction that brought in around $1800 for FFA programs. It was an outstanding day of leadership and fellowship. Mrs. Chernowsky and Mr. McCormick were honored to be present and proud of Maddie's professionalism and efforts throughout the day. She is a true leader! After Maddie completes her year of service as a state officer in June of 2024, she will head to West Lafayette to become a Boilermaker!
MADDIE LEADING HER AFTERNOON LEADERSHIP SESSION
MADDIE GIVING HER REFLECTION
Mr. McCormick, Maddie Denton, and Mrs. Chernowsky
Maddie facilitating a group discussion
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STAFF SPOTLIGHT -- INÉS CABALLER ROYO
HOMETOWN
Teruel, Spain
EDUCATION
Graduated from Francés de Aranda High School (Teruel, Spain)
Graduated from UNIZAR (Zaragoza, Spain), three times: a degree and two masters
Studied cinema and literature at the Universität zu Köln (Cologne, Germany) for one year
Degree in English Philology
Master’s degree in Teaching
Master's degree in Cultural Studies
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
University professor (UNIZAR)
English translator -- Student.com
Personal translation project about Francisco de Goya
Language school teacher
High School teacher
Erasmus + coordinator
Teacher coordinator for outdoor activities
MY FAMILY
In addition to my parents, I have a brother, Miguel. Our family currently lives in three different countries, but we always gather for Christmas time. My brother is a programmer, and he lives in the Czech Republic. My mom and dad live in a small Spanish town called Teruel. It is very hot in the summer, and we get snow in the winter. My mom is a historian, and she works at the university library. My dad used to work as an attorney, and even though he is now retired, he still works as a college professor.
MY HOBBIES
I’m a very active person, and I do enjoy enrolling in any kind of sport activity. I currently do crossfit and snowboarding and even though I am not very skillful at any of those, I do love the feeling of learning and improving every day.
Apart from sports, I travel a lot. I’ve visited countries in five continents so far, but there are still millions of places to be explored. Traveling broadens horizons, and I love meeting new people and knowing about their lives and customs.
WHY I CHOSE THE UNITED STATES
Some years ago I visited the US, and I was very impressed by people’s kindness and the country itself. Therefore, when I had the opportunity to apply for a program that offered working visas in the US, I didn’t hesitate and went for it.
I’ve been teaching for a long time now, and I have encountered many different situations and types of students. However, I had never had the opportunity to teach my native tongue, and I was willing to become a Spanish language ambassador.
Rest assured that seeing these American students learning Spanish from scratch melts my heart.
HOW IT WENT DOWN -- A SIDENOTE FROM MR. MCCORMICK
After much research, Mrs. Whaley and I decided to take a leap of faith and utilize the IDOE and Spanish embassy's J-1 visiting teacher visa program to fill our open Spanish teaching position. Approximately 30 school districts across the state currently utilize this program with nearby Cowan being one of those districts. Overall, the process was fairly straightforward, but it took quite a bit of time to submit applications followed by an interview process of candidates that Mrs. Whaley and BRV staff members carried out.
We couldn't be more happy and pleased with Ms. Royo. It is a tremendous help that she is bi-lingual and speaks English very well. She is outgoing and a very pleasant person. Our students are extremely fortunate to be able to learn Spanish from a teacher from Spain! Additionally, our BRV staff members have embraced Ms. Royo. She fits into BRV life very well. She is an extremely resourceful, talented, and tough individual. In a matter of several weeks, she moved across the Atlantic ocean to a strange place, found lodging, bought a car, and hit the ground running as a teacher. She is doing a tremendous job! --- Mr. McCormick
Miguel (Brother), Teresa (Mom), Inés, and Luis (Dad)
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BOYS' TENNIS TEAM -- IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Coach Bales notes, "The entire team has had a good season so far, but we are not satisfied with where we are at. Our team is still trying to improve to close the gaps within our sectional, county, and conference opponents."
TEAM REGISTRATION FORM
SPONSORSHIP FORM
Trent McCormick
Superintendent
Email: Trent.McCormick@brv.k12.in.us
Website: www.brv.k12.in.us
Phone: 765-836-4816