Oriole Blast

Last September, we took a chance and asked you — Avon parents/caregivers, community members, and employees — to nominate ACSC employees who you thought embodied our district's ALL Belong, Learn, Grow mission. We were amazed by how many of you responded in September and each following month! We want to keep the encouragement and affirmations coming this year, so we've decided to continue taking nominations. 

Avon High School ran up the score last year — the sportsmanship score — and officials at the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) have noticed."The IHSAA considers scores ranging from 70-89 to be in the 'Needs Improvement' category. Scores from 90-99 are in the 'Acceptable' range. A score of 100+ is considered 'Excellent'," says Avon Athletic Director Jason Young. "We were able to raise our score from 90 for 2022-23 to 130 for the 2023-24 school year."We are proud of our student-athletes, coaches, fans, and community for modeling good sportsmanship inside and outside the lines and in the stands.

Safety is our first priority in Avon Schools. For the last several years — behind the scenes — one individual has been leading this vital effort. School Safety Specialist Deb Swain-Bayless found out this summer that she had been selected as the 2024 Indiana School Safety Leader of the Year by the Indiana School Resource Officers Association. This award recognizes her invaluable contributions to school safety, not only right her in Avon Schools, but across the Hoosier state.

A lot can happen over the course of a school year, especially in a growing, active, successful school corporation like Avon. We have compiled a list of just a few of the many academic, artistic, athletic, and teacher/leader highlights that have happened since last July, and you can access them all on our website. Prepare to be impressed; our students, educators, administrators, and support staff had an awesome year!

For the first time in Avon High School's history, a Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) student has won a National Championship. Esther Bankole-Brown won first place for Employability Skills at the National JAG conference. JAG is a dynamic partnership between Avon Schools and the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD). DWD employs JAG instructors and oversees the program, providing a cost-effective way for AHS to offer excellent opportunities to deserving students like Esther.

The Avon Board of School Trustees is one of only two Indiana school boards to earn the 2023 Exemplary Governance Award from the Indiana School Boards Association. This award recognizes their outstanding commitment to professional learning and student success. Congratulations for earning this honor, and thank you for representing our students, staff, and community so well!

Win, lose, or draw, Avon students never fail to impress. We're always proud of our 11,000 students' determination, growth, and success. Sometimes — often, lately, as you'll see in today's issue of Oriole Blast — all that hard work translates into awards and recognition. 
Read on to see just a few of the many ways Avon students are winning. Join us in expressing your pride as they continue to strive for more.

Every day, the Avon Food Services Department provides high quality, nutritious food that meets nutritional requirements. They do so while providing great customer service at an affordable price to all students and staff. These women and men are dedicated to students' health and their ability to learn without distraction. They support learning by promoting healthy habits for lifelong nutrition and fitness practices.

It takes a village — in our case A Village Of Neighbors (AVON) — for a school corporation to succeed. In Avon Schools, we are grateful for the incredible support we receive, not only from our 11,000 students' families, but from community and business leaders, senior citizens, religious leaders, and more.