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IDOE honors MRCC IT Academy with Award for Excellence

Posted: Feb 27, 2019 by Patricia Gibson, Communications Director

By Myla Townsend

February is Career and Technical Education month. Technology programs and organizations all over the country have been working hard advancing their knowledge and showcasing their talents. Locally, what better way to celebrate than to recognize the Marion Regional Career Center?

At their annual Awards for Excellence event Tuesday, Feb. 26, the Indiana Department of Education recognized the Marion Regional Career Center’s Cybersecurity and Information Technology Academy. The event celebrates accomplished students, programs, and business partnerships in Career and Technical Education (CTE) throughout the state. This year, 43 CTE students, programs, and partnerships, both high school and college, were recognized at the event.

“Participation in Career and Technical Education provides students more opportunities for future endeavors,” said Dr. Jennifer McCormick, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction. “Thank you to those being recognized for their support and dedication to creating successful CTE environments for Indiana’s students.”

Boasting their current 16 programs to choose from, the Marion Regional Career Center’s mission is to develop in every student’s technical, academic, and job readiness skills. MRCC offers programs in fields such as aviation, culinary arts, health, and information technology. Even more programs will be coming soon.

MRCC Director Mike Ripperger (second from left) and MRCC Cybersecurity and Information Technology teacher Dr. Travis Hueston accept the Award for Excellence from the Indiana Department of Education.

>> Click here to view a virtual tour of a few of the programs at MRCC

If interested in applying to a program at the Marion Regional Career Center, please contact Student Support and Community Specialist Nathan McNeely at 765-664-9091 or email him at nmcneely@marion.k12.in.us, or speak with your school's counselor.

Gone but not forgotten, Marion philanthropist is still giving back

Posted: Feb 25, 2019 by Patricia Gibson, Communications Director

By Myla Townsend

Though he died in 1981, philanthropist, entrepreneur and businessman Merlin J. Loew’s generosity is still affecting lives. Loew always made charity an important part of his life, and now his legacy.

While traveling for business in the mid-1940s, Loew spent some time in Marion. While in Marion he met Mary Elizabeth Moore Spencer. The couple married less than a year later and from that point on, Loew was an important figure in the community. Those close to him note he had a reserved personality, but that did not stop him from reaching out and making a lasting impact.

Recently, the Merlin J. Loew Family Trust of nearly $3.2 million has been distributed to its 19 beneficiaries. All the recipients are local nonprofit organizations. Among the beneficiaries were Marion Community Schools. Awarded the amount of $94,830.62, MCS is to use this money for eyeglasses, emergency medical and dental care, clothing, and other similar needs as required by the trust.

Other beneficiary organizations include the Community Foundation of Grant County, Family Service Society, Grant County Family YMCA, and the Marion Civic Theater. Amounts awarded ranged from $63,220.41 to $632,204.12.

Marion Community Schools CFO and Assistant Superintendent for Business Affairs Bob Schultz accepted the money on behalf of MCS at the Community Foundation of Grant County’s charity celebration held on Feb. 21. Marion Community Schools is extremely grateful to the Merlin J. Loew Family Trust for their generosity.

YOU'RE INVITED: Joint MHS / MJHS concerts coming up for band and choir

Posted: Feb 25, 2019 by Patricia Gibson, Communications Director

The Marion High School and McCulloch Junior High School bands will present a band festival on Monday, March 4, and a joint choir concert on Friday, March 8.

Now is your chance to enjoy music from our award-winning musicians! Both shows will start at 6 p.m., and both will take place at the Walton Performing Arts Center at MHS, 750 W. 26th St. Both events are free and open to the public.

McCulloch's Jazz and Contest bands and MHS's Jazz Combo, Jazz Band, Wind Ensemble, and Symphonic Band will be featured at Monday's band festival, and jazz and honor choirs from McCulloch along with the Innovations and Marionettes from MHS will be among ensembles featured at Friday's choir concert.

We hope to see you there!

Riverview Elementary class closing in on Reading Championship

Posted: Feb 25, 2019 by Patricia Gibson, Communications Director

By Myla Townsend

Marion Community Schools’ very own Riverview Elementary School has earned a spot in the “Fantastic 4” of the WISH-TV “I Love to Read” challenge. Stacy James’ 21 third-grade students have achieved this position by reading on average an hour and a half each day as a class and continuing their reading at home independently.

For nearly the past 30 years, WISH-TV’s “I Love to Read” challenge has been an event many children in central Indiana look forward to. WISH-TV created the “I Love to Read” challenge to encourage students to enjoy recreational reading and reward them for doing so. WISH-TV partnered with the NCAA Team Works’ Readers Become Leaders Program to invite third-grade classrooms across 34 Indiana counties to join in this friendly competition.

The NCAA Readers Become Leaders Program aims to help teachers who are dealing with a literacy crisis that affects children of all demographics. Educational data have shown that if reading is below grade level by the fourth grade, students are four times more likely to drop out of school.

To help combat those statistics, James’ third-grade class has accumulated approximately 12,000 to 15,000 minutes of reading each week. The short term goal of this challenge is to encourage and reward students for their reading achievements. The long term goal is to develop their skills and inspire them to continue their education.

Marion Community Schools would like to congratulate Mrs. James’ class on this giant achievement and wish them good luck as they continue in the reading competition!

IMA to feature exhibit by MHS Arts Hall of Fame inductee

Posted: Feb 22, 2019 by Patricia Gibson, Communications Director

By Myla Townsend

Marion High School graduate and MHS Arts Hall of Fame inductee Samuel Levi Jones will be featured in “Left of Center,” an exhibit of his art at the Indianapolis Museum of Arts at Newfields this spring and summer.

The exhibit opening is set for 6:30 to 8 p.m. March 15 at IMA. The exhibit will be on display through Sept. 1.

IMA describes Jones’ work as providing a striking visual commentary on the duplicitous and oppressive nature of American power structures. The exhibited works in “Left of Center” particularly examine how injustices pervade systems of education, criminal justice, healthcare, and the broader American historical narrative. The exhibit offers an in-depth look at how Jones’s deconstruction of biased sets of encyclopedias, law books, medical texts and football equipment manifest extraordinary abstract paintings and sculptures.

After graduating from MHS in 1997, Jones continued his education at Taylor University, earning a bachelor’s degree in communications. He then earned and a bachelor of fine arts from Herron School of Art and Design, Indianapolis. He later received his master of fine arts in studio arts from Mills College.

Samuel Levi Jones (Photo provided to Marion Community Schools by the artist)

>> Click here to learn more about the artist

Jones prepping materials for use in his artwork. (Photo provided to Marion Community Schools by the artist)

Though Jones has been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions, the IMA exhibit is the first major museum survey of his works.

Newfields, which incorporates the IMA as well as Fairbanks Park, the Gardens, the Lilly House, and the Elder Greenhouse, is located at 4000 N. Michigan Road, Indianapolis. The “Left of Center” exhibit is included in the regular price of admission to IMA. Click here for more information about the exhibit on the IMA website.

>> Click here to view the MHS Arts Hall of Fame information about Samuel Levi Jones

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