GREENWOOD, Ind. (WISH) — Every month, WISH-TV highlights a local school district with “The Morning Bell,” a conversation centered around new or exciting programs and accomplishments within Indiana schools.

This week, the Morning Bell’s focus is getting people ready to head back to school through interviews with superintendents in central Indiana.

On Friday, Greenwood Community Schools Corporation Superintendent Terry Terhune joined Daybreak to discuss the new school year, which started on Wednesday.

“The first two days have been really good. We had a little power outage at one of our elementary schools which caused us to have to dismiss early on the very first day. So, a little different than normal. But I compliment our parents, our students, our staff –  handled it really, really well. Given the difficult nature of sending kids home, especially kindergartners on the first day early. But overall that went well,” Terhune said.

New aviation program

The district is working on an exciting collaboration, partnering with the Greenwood Airport to have a satellite campus for students in high school to earn credits and learn about aviation careers.

“We are partnering with our Greenwood airport and we have several retired gentlemen who have been passionate about aviation. They’re retired aircraft traffic controllers, maintenance people, drone people, and engineers who have started kind of a little school, if you will,” Terhune said.

“And we’re beginning to partner and establish relationships with Ivy Tech so that we can offer credit for college credit and a pathway to graduation for kids so that they can continue in the aviation industry. They even had a gentleman donate a plane for training, so kids can take flight lessons. It is moving along rapidly and we’re excited to begin to offer that not just to our students, but students on the south side of Indianapolis,” Terhune said.

New technology

The district has installed touchscreen monitors in five of six schools, with the last one scheduled to be finished over fall break.  

“I call them interactive monitors or boards that have replaced LED overhead projectors. And it’s been a real game changer because our teachers don’t have to be tied to their desk, they can walk around, they can have a laptop and it’s wirelessly connected. It’s been really good,” Terhune said.

Grant to help teachers 

The Greenwood Education Foundation raises and donates over $50,000 in teacher grants, school supplies, coats, and scholarships each year.  

“They provide school supplies and haircuts to our students. They gave our teachers last year over $50,000 in grants to help, help them in their classrooms in different ways. They give brand new teachers $300 just to be a new teacher and come work at Greenwood – just to say welcome and get things for your room. So they’re, they’re wonderful,” Terhune said.

Free breakfast and lunch

This year Greenwood Community Schools is offering free breakfast and lunch to all students.

This is our first year to be a part of the Community Eligibility Provision program and that allows all of our students to get a free breakfast, a free lunch. And we believe that will only help our learning and help take care of kids,” Terhune said.

Terhune’s advice to students and parents

“Be involved with your child. If you have younger children, kindergartners, first graders, read to them. Read to them every day. Ten or 15 minutes makes a big deal. But, really be involved with your child and their school environment,” Terhune said.

WISH-TV’s Hanna Mordoh and Greenwood Community Schools Corporation Superintendent Terry Terhune. (WISH Photo/Hanna Mordoh)