News

Article by Rob Hunt with The Herald Bulletin 

The Madison County area has seen more than its fair share of volleyball talent over the last decade. While no player dominated during her career like former Alexandria star and current Northwestern defensive specialist Megan Miller, there have been plenty of examples of players who have excelled in the sport in this area.

Here is a baker’s dozen of the best to set, spike, and defend on the volleyball courts over the last 10 years.

Isabel Anderson, Lapel (2015–2018) — One of the best all-around setters in recent memory, Anderson led the Bulldogs to their best-ever season of 27-6 in 2018. She was The Herald Bulletin’s Area Volleyball Athlete of the Year her senior year when she recorded 821 assists, 303 digs, 78 aces, and 136 kills. For her career, she amassed over 2,000 career assists and is the school’s all-time leader in that category.

Quincey Gary, Pendleton Heights (2011–2014) — Before going on to a great defensive career at the University of Alabama, Gary posted big numbers en route to earning the 2014 Herald Bulletin’s Volleyball Athlete of the Year award. She recorded 439 kills in 2014, including 20 or more kills in no less than 7 matches, and averaged better than five kills per set. She was a three-time AAU All-American and her club team placed third nationally when she was 13 years old.

Melody Davidson, Liberty Christian (2013–2016) — Now a redshirt junior at Butler, Davidson earned All-Big East honors as a sophomore after leading the conference with 134 total blocks last season. During her career with the Lions, Davidson was a three-time All-PAAC selection and averaged nearly three kills and two blocks per set. She recorded 215 kills last season at Butler.

Allie Hueston, Alexandria (2010–2013) — After earning the 2013 THB Sports Volleyball Athlete of the Year award, Hueston went on to play at Eastern Illinois University where she was a two-time All-Ohio Valley Conference selection as a middle hitter. In 2013, Hueston authored 634 kills and 110 blocks while also recording 38 service aces (compared to only 16 errors in 400 chances) and 200 digs. She was twice named first-team All-State and was a four-time All-Area performer.

Lindsay Ingenito, Daleville (2014–2017) — The first Broncos player to record 1,000 career kills, Ingenito helped lead the Daleville volleyball team to the school’s first-ever regional championship in any team sport in 2016. That was the second of back-to-back sectional championships for Ingenito and the Broncos. Her senior year, Ingenito led Daleville with 317 kills and was second last season for Huntington University, where she will be a junior this year when she tallied 223 kills and 37 blocks.

Blaine Kelly, Alexandria (2014–2017) — Often overshadowed by her teammate Miller, Kelly was a volleyball standout in her own right for the Tigers. The winner of the 2018 Red Haven and Johnny Wilson awards, Kelly was the first in school history to record both 1,000 points in basketball and 1,000 kills in volleyball. She was a three-time All-CIC and All-County and was named second-team All-State twice while winning three sectional and three Madison County volleyball championships.

Megan Miller, Alexandria (2014–2017) — A four-time All-State selection, Miller dominated the area during her run with Alexandria, which included the program’s first-ever trip to semistate and four consecutive THB Sports Volleyball Athlete of the Year awards. During her career with the Tigers, Miller recorded 2,600 kills, 1,799 digs, 455 aces, and 139 blocks. She was an AAU National Champion and an Under Armour All-American. After two years at the University of Nebraska, which included an appearance in the 2018 NCAA National Championship, Miller has transferred to Northwestern University, where she will be a junior this fall.

Kanani Price, Madison-Grant (2013–2016) — A key defensive specialist for so many great M-G teams, Price would go on to play at Mississippi State in the SEC. Price was a two-time All-CIC selection, was named ICGSA 2A All-State, and was selected to the North All-Star team. She recorded 475 digs her senior year, including a school-record 36 in a single three-set match and helped the Argylls win sectional and Madison and Grant county championships. 

Mary Sayre, Alexandria (2014–2017) — A third member of the 2017 Alexandria semistate team, Sayre was the setter who put Miller and Kelly in position for so many of their kills. Sayre, who played tennis at IU-Kokomo last season, recorded over 2,000 assists in her career with the Tigers, which included those three sectional and Madison County titles. In earning the program’s first regional championship in 2017, Sayre tallied 44 assists in a four-set win over Rochester.

Kate Sperry, Frankton (2016–2019) — Sperry was a big part of the revival of the Frankton volleyball program and earned the 2019 THB Sports Area Volleyball Athlete of the Year. Sperry led the Eagles to the 2018 sectional championship and a 27-win season in 2019 while recording over 1,000 kills during her career. As a senior, Sperry posted 373 kills, 64 aces, 230 digs, and 312 service receptions as the Eagles won their first-ever CIC championship in volleyball. She is now ready to begin her college career at Grace College.

Macee Rudy, Shenandoah (2013–2016) — Before becoming a standout defender and an NAIA honorable mention All-American at IU-Kokomo, Rudy was a standout all-around performer for two Shenandoah sectional championship teams. As a senior in 2016, Rudy recorded 262 kills, 51 aces, 348 digs, and 481 service receptions for the Raiders. Her Shenandoah teams won 73 games in her four seasons, including 44 during those sectional championship years.

Sloane Stewart, Madison-Grant (2014–2017) — During her time with the Argylls, Stewart was a dominating force behind a team that won a pair of sectional titles. As a senior, Stewart pounded 598 kills and had 167 total blocks with a .357 hitting percentage. She also helped M-G to both the Madison County and Grant Four championships in 2016.

Hunter Wise, Madison-Grant (2010–2012) — After leading the Argylls to the 2012 sectional championship, Wise was named THB Sports Volleyball Athlete of the Year for the second straight season. That year, the 6-foot-2 Wise pounded 533 kills and was also named first-team All-State and the Grant County player of the year for the second straight year. The Argylls were 127-18 during her four seasons and Wise was a four-time All-CIC performer before going on to a solid career at the University of Houston.

By Tim Tedeschi March 18, 2020 Chronicle-Tribune

All Madison-Grant United School Corporation employees will continue to receive their regular pay while the district holds e-learning days due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation. 

The M-G school board unanimously approved a resolution at its Monday board meeting affirming that the district will continue to pay all of its employees regardless of whether they are working during this time or not. Teachers are continuing to instruct students virtually, and some non-teacher employees such as custodians and office workers will continue to work intermittently with adjusted schedules during the school’s e-learning days, Superintendent Scott Deetz said. Others, such as special education paraprofessionals and Title I assistants, are unable to work with their students during e-learning and are not working during this time. Deetz explained while teachers and administrators continue to receive their normal pay since they are under contract, all other employees who do not have a teacher contract are not typically paid if they are not working at the school during normal school days. 

“This is a very long ask to go without a paycheck. Yes, they know Christmas break they don’t get paid, at spring break they don’t get paid. They understand that, but this is something different,” Deetz said. “...For the foreseeable future, we’ve got folks that are making $11, $13 an hour that could go three or four weeks without a paycheck and not qualify for unemployment.” 

Deetz said the move covers all employees not under teacher contracts so as not to leave any employees out as an oversight, and includes workers such as bus drivers, custodial staff, Title I assistants, cafeteria workers, office staff, and more. 

He said the resolution to pay these workers is a legal mechanism that will pertain only to school days during this school year affected by COVID-19 and would not be an “evergreen” resolution for future e-learning days for inclement weather or other reasons in future school years. 

“So that allows us to legally continue to pay folks even though they’re not coming into the job and that could satisfy any accusations of ghost employment,” Deetz said. “It’s very straightforward, but yet something we never thought we would have to ask for.” 

Business Director Shaela Smith told the board tax revenues and funding for enrollment is still coming into the school as usual, so the paychecks for all employees will continue to be paid out of the typical revenues. She said she is keeping track of all employees being paid who are not working and any other additional expenses the district incurs due to COVID-19 with the hope that reimbursements and grant funding will be made available in the future.

The News-Sun

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Fairmount, IN- The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) recently announced Madison-Grant United School Corporation was the recipient of a $50,000 Digital Learning Community Advisory Grant. For 2020, grants were awarded to districts focused on building digital initiatives around the purposeful and strategic integration of technology into instruction. 

"Immersing children in a curriculum centered around technology and community establishes an academic environment whereby current and future success is certain to follow," said state superintendent Dr. Jennifer McCormick. "I congratulate our awarded districts for their commitment to creating lasting partnerships within local communities, and for their continual efforts to making a positive impact in the lives of students." 

With a continued spotlight on enhanced technology integration, IDOE expanded the digital learning grant to include a focus on building community partnerships. Eligible partnership opportunities also provided matching grants by way of monetary funding or in-kind services. 

Along with the expanded focus, 2020 Digital Learning Community Advisory Grants centers around connecting academic concepts to real-life applications, both in the classroom and abroad. By doing so, schools can maximize relevancy and engagement, thus transforming K-12 education for students. This year's grants requested schools further develop technology integration capacity through implementing transformational initiatives in one of three areas - Instruction and Learning, Leadership and Development, or College and Career Ready. 

In total, 52 districts were awarded nearly $2.5 million in funding, with grants ranging from $19,000 to $56,000.

Madison-Grant announces its partnership with Waterford.org as an addition to their early childhood curriculum as yet another piece of curriculum to round out a cutting-edge education through their early childhood programming. Waterford.org “seeks to blend the best aspects of learning science, mentoring relationships, and innovative technologies to form community, school, and home programs that deliver excellence and equity for all learners.” The program is currently being offered through Madison-Grant’s early childhood education programs and is being utilized in the classroom. Dr. Scott Deetz explains how Madison-Grant uses the tools provided by Waterford.org, “it's a vehicle for pre-k students to deliver curriculum that lends to academic development for our students. It’s part of our foundational curriculum that is in concert with live teaching. In our pre-k classroom, for example, a teacher is working at a center, then we'll have some students working independently through the software and monitor the progress on teacher assigned lessons based on level and interest that can adopt to students.” 

Madison-Grant extended their offerings in their community this year with the addition of the Argyll Adventure Academy, a STEM focused pre-k. Dr. Scott Deetz  says, “The intent of our early childhood programming, regardless of the program, is to develop a sound social and emotional foundations that will last through their career.” The addition of a STEM specific preschool is only one aspect says Deetz, “The steps we have taken is to have STEM related activities in each one of our pre-k programs. We went above and beyond to find outside funding through the Department of Education and grants to help develop our teachers professionally and also provide them with top notch resources like additional robots, computers, circuit boards, and software to deliver hands on experiences to our pre-k classes so our transition into our k–12 program is virtually seamless because this is the same focus we have in the rest of our system.” Waterford.org is an exciting part of this STEM focus in supporting teachers and students to be kindergarten ready as Waterford.org believes, “while every individual has the capacity for growth at every stage of life, childhood academic experiences are uniquely critical for setting a lifetime learning trajectory.”

For the first time since the 1990s, Madison-Grant Jr./Sr. High School received a membership with the National FFA Organization. FFA is an intra-curricular student organization for those interested in agriculture and leadership.

Rachel Dilts hands the four-year olds blue pegged geoboards. One student sits at a desk while others lie on their stomachs on a rug pulling rubber bands around the pegs to make squares, rectangles, and trapezoids. The exercise is part of a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) lesson at the Argyll Adventure Academy at Summitville Elementary School, believed to be the only STEM-related program serving Madison County preschoolers.

"I think it helps the students having hands-on learning where they're doing it themselves instead of all on paper," Dilts said. "They are a lot more involved when it's hands-on instead of so much paper."

Open to 15 four-year olds, the Argyll Adventure Academy is one of three preschool classrooms at Summitville, through it is a separate program from the other two. Please take a moment to read the entire Argyll Adventure Academy article.

Indianapolis, IN - (August 14, 2019) - The Rural Caucus met today at the Indiana State Fair in the Normandy Barn, where legislators gathered to learn about the issues facing rural communities in the heartland. Small and rural schools were first up on the agenda. Dr. Scott Deetz of Madison-Grant United School Corporation and Dr. Travis Madison of Barr Reeve Community Schools both spoke on their recent success by doing what rural communities do best: build community partnerships. The superintendents are stand out small and rural school corporations able to increase offerings at every level through their ability to tap into other resources.

We'd like to congratulate our educators listed below for their achievements in becoming Google Certified Educators! Our team at Madison-Grant focuses on providing the best education possible for our students. They spent part of their summer pursuing professional development to achieve this certification through coursework and testing. Congratulations on your achievement and dedication to education! Always ready to inspire, challenge, and cultivate excellence in every Argyll.