On the first day for Indian Hill School District staff members, it was students who took center stage. Student-musicians serenaded team members with strings as staff entered the lobby of Indian Hill High School (IHHS); student-designed and engineered arcade games served as center pieces on tables; cheerleaders and band members led staff in spirit; and the IHHS student-body president shared an inspirational message.
“Every teacher I ever had, every advisor who ever assisted me, every bus driver who helped me get to and from school, you all helped mold me into the person I am today, and I couldn’t be more grateful,” said IHHS Senior Nick Gillan. “We want our students, my peers, coming out of this school system with the knowledge of what being a Brave means. We want them to leave this building when they graduate knowing exactly what they’re capable of, and everything they can achieve.”
IHHS Student Body President Nick Gillan
Sharing the stage with the students was Superintendent Kirk Koennecke in his first year as a Brave.
“If we are to take our schools to the next level, what possibilities do you imagine?” Superintendent Koennecke asked staff members. “How can we be more creative? How can we think differently? How can we further develop exceptional learning and excellence?”
Indian Hill School District Superintendent Kirk Koennecke
Superintendent Koennecke highlighted success stories from the 2018-2019 school year, including IHHS Be Brave Day – a celebration of diversity; Indian Hill Middle School completing more than 600 hours of service in a single day; Indian Hill Elementary School hosting the building’s first-ever all-school field day; and, Indian Hill Primary School hosting hundreds of families for evening learning sessions. He left staff ready to being the 2019-2020 school year with a challenge.
“Imagine it; build it,” said Superintendent Koennecke. “Answer the question of what will take us to the next level and support the #IHPromise.”
Photo caption: Students took center stage during the Indian Hill School District Staff Opening Day ceremony Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019, inside Indian Hill High School Cafeteria.