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What I Did On My Summer Vacation
RP Students Enjoy Success, Travel Before College and Returning to School
Typically, most high school students away from the classroom in the summer work jobs or
sleep late or head to the beach, but several former and current RP students had busy lives and
accomplished big things these past few months.
Senior Kemp Harper managed to accomplish something that no
other RP student has ever done; he received college credit through
the Advanced Placement program. Two AP courses have been offered at Riverton for a few years, but the final exams to earn college
hours are notoriously difficult to pass. Harper, who plans to have a
career in interior design, earned credit for AP Art, under the tutelage
of Janice Cole.
“I didn’t know I was the first to get AP credit,” Harper said, “but it
was well worth the time to take the class.”
Former RP student Cameron Frazier was set to start his college career at Purdue University, but instead ran for and became the Indiana
Kemp Harper
FFA (Future Farmers of America) State Treasurer for 2013-2014.
Frazier, 19, is truly enthused about the opportunity to serve over
10,000 members of the Indiana FFA Association. Cameron is the son
of Alicia Swick. During his year of service, he will travel the state of
Indiana promoting FFA and agriculture education and will speak to
thousands of FFA members and supporters. He will present numerous
workshops and conferences. One of his responsibilities as a state officer is to develop relationships with leaders in the government, education, business, and agriculture sectors.
“It's one of the greatest feelings knowing all I've worked for in FFA
these past four years has finally paid off. I now get a year of service to
give back to the organization that has done so much for me and made
Cameron Frazier
me who I am today,” Frazier said.
Another RP senior traveled this summer; Brianne Huxford was selected by the Parke County
REMC last spring to attend the annual Youth Tour to Washington, D.C. in June. Brianne visitSee Summer on Page 5...
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Riverton Parke Livestock Judging Team Competes in Scotland
The Riverton Parke High School Livestock Judging team competed at the Royal Highlands
Show in Edinburg, Scotland on June 22. The team, coached by Doug Edge and Adam Tyler,
earned an invitation to compete in the International contest by capturing Reserve National
Champion honors at the Western National Roundup contest in Denver earlier this year.
Team members are Cory Edge (a 2012 RP graduate), Tanner Edge, Matt Marion, Shelby Benell, Kelly Dressler, and Megan Marion. The students competed in pairs and judged four classes
of either sheep or beef cattle. They also gave one set of oral reasons to defend their placing.
Tanner Edge and Megan Marion won second place honors in sheep judging, while Cory Edge
and Matt Marion took third in beef judging. The International Livestock Judging Contest and
Tour was hosted by the Scottish Young Farmers.
The 14-day trip included stops on farms in Scotland, England and Ireland. The experience
included visits to the National Museum of Rural Life in Scotland, the Irish National Stud Horse
Farm, an organic farming operation, and several pure-bred cattle, dairy, and sheep operations.
Students spent part of one day attending a livestock market learning how farmers sell and market their livestock in the
EU system. Stops also
included the opportunity
to see some of the U.K.’s
rich history like Buckingham Palace, Blarney Castle, and the Ring of Kerry.
Doug Edge, the Livestock Team Coach said,
“It was a once-in-a lifetime experience for these
students. They got to see
and experience agriculture
on a global scale. We
were so blessed to have
been able to raise the
Competing in Scotland: Members of the Riverton Parke Livestock Judging
money to compete and go team that toured and competed in the Royal Highlands’ Show in June are, from
left to right, Tanner Edge, Shelby Benell, Megan Marion, Cory Edge, Matt Marion this tour.” Doug and
on, and Kelly Dressler.
his wife, Lisa, served as
chaperones on the trip. Tyler, the Riverton FFA advisor and coach said, “I am very proud of
the students in our program. We have a lot of talent, and to be able to go overseas and compete
internationally is an amazing accomplishment.”
The team traveled with other 4H and FFA livestock teams from California, Texas, Wyoming,
and Colorado. Teams finishing in the top two positions at the National Western, American Royal, and the North American International, all received invitations to compete in Scotland.
Agrotours, based in Richmond, Virginia, organized and planned the tour.
Nexstar Broadcasting stations WTWO-NBC2 and WAWV-ABC in Terre Haute are planning
to air a 30- minute special about the trip in September. The show will highlight the student’s
competition experience and several agricultural-related visits and interviews in Scotland and
Ireland. Segments will also be archived on www.mywabashvalley.com after the show airs on
television.
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RP Welcomes New Staff Members for the
2013-2014 School Year
Riverton Parke Junior-Senior High School ushered in a new school
year in early August, but with the new year came many new staff members and changes.
The RP English Department changed the most with the retirement of
Sande Bemis; her position as teacher of several junior and senior English courses and Yearbook Advisor was taken by Katie Ferrari, who
also moved down the hall to a new classroom. Ferrari’s position was
filled by Claudia Overpeck, no stranger to RP’s hallways. Junior High
English teacher Linda Reise also left Riverton, and her position has
been filled by Lisa Harmon. Finally, Annette Cox, who taught English
9, among other classes, moved to the Guidance Office as our new Director of Guidance, and her teaching position has been filled by firstyear teacher Lyndsey Schriver, who worked with Bemis and Mr. Lunsford last year in her student teaching.
There were two other changes in the RP staff of importance as well.
Alex King has taken over the Vocational Computer Technology Department, replacing Charlie Peebles, and Whitney Tharp will be helping students in Riverton’s Special Education Department as a teaching
assistant this year.
Lyndsey Schriver will be teaching English 9 and Developmental
Reading this year. Schriver is a recent graduate of Indiana State University with a bachelor's degree in English Teaching and a minor in
Creative Writing. She lives on the east side of Terre Haute, and, she
says, “Although it's a bit of a drive, I enjoy the time to myself that my
daily commute provides. I enjoy spending time with my family and
friends, cooking, and a good book. I believe laughter is the best medicine, and I make sure to get plenty.”
“I am both excited and honored to be a new member of the staff at
Riverton Parke. The teachers have been incredibly welcoming and
helpful, and I am eager to work with the students that I have in class. I
have high hopes for this year, and I have no doubt that they will be not
only met, but exceeded,” Schriver said.
Claudia Overpeck is married to husband, Gary. They have been in
Parke County for the last 12 years, and have three teenage children:
Kurtis, Craig, and Claire. The Overpecks have a home/hobby farm east
of Rockville where they raise goats and chickens and enjoy their two
Labradors while keeping up with the kids in their various activities,
from church to 4H to sports. Overpeck graduated from Indiana State
University with a bachelors’ degree in Social Studies and Language
Arts Education in 1992. She was a stay-at-home mom until 2005 when
she began her teaching career at Riverton Parke, working for two years,
covering a maternity leave and as a Language Arts aide. She has
taught English at Fountain Central for the last six years.
See New Teachers on Page 4...
Lyndsey Schriver
Claudia Overpeck
Lisa Harmon
Alex King
Whitney Tharp
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New Teachers from Page 3…
“This year finds me back at Riverton Parke teaching English 10 and the College and Careers
class. It is great to be back at RP, and I am thrilled to be a part of the school community once
more. It’s great to be able to make a difference in my own backyard,” Overpeck says.
Lisa Harmon comes to RP from Otter Creek Middle School, where she taught 7th grade English; she is an ISU graduate. Harmon lives in Clinton with her husband, Tony, and two gradeschool-aged daughters, Audrey and Hallie. Her interests include reading, crafts, and as she puts
it, “Lying on the hammock.”
Harmon’s philosophy for learning is that “each student is unique, and each student learns in a
different way.” She says, “I am really looking forward to another fun-filled and educational
year.”
Alex King has been working at Rockville Jr.-Sr. High School for the past five years where he
was the main point of contact for technology-related issues. He was responsible for almost 600
machines, and several hundred other miscellaneous devices. Prior to working for North Central
Parke, King worked in Hawaii for Norwegian Cruise Lines. He completed two degree programs
at Ivy Tech Community College, and is now actively pursuing double majors at Indiana State
University in Technology and Political Science. King enjoys contemporary and postmodern literature. In the summer of 2012, he vacationed in Tokyo, and is hoping to spend the first half of
next summer in China, and the remaining part in Taiwan. “I have really enjoyed my short time
at Riverton Parke so far,” King says. “The administrators, teachers, and staff are all very supportive and caring. I want to learn as much as possible and look forward to working closely
with others to help increase my effectiveness in the classroom.”
Whitney Tharp graduated from Indiana State in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary
Education; she taught 6th grade at Rosedale Elementary for a maternity-leave position last
year. Her hometown is Marshall, Illinois, where she coaches junior high school volleyball.
“I hope to find a full-time teaching position,” Tharp says, “but I hope to do a good job here at
Riverton Parke as a teaching assistant and contribute to the learning environment here.”
RP Names Students of the
Month for August
Riverton Parke Jr.-Sr. High
School has selected its Southwest
Parke Community School Corporation “Students of the Month” for
August. Shown from left to right,
(front) are seventh grader Lucy
Black and eighth grader Kara Joy;
(back) senior Casey Dust, junior
Tanner Edge, and freshman Tayler
Vauters. Sophomore Brianna Darling was unavailable for the photograph.
The Students of the Month are
recognized for their academic
achievement or improvement, leadership, and courtesy.
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RP Guidance Director: Annette Cox
Summer from Page 1…
In a year of big changes, one of the biggest at ed many of the most famous sites the nation’s
capital has to offer, and competed for national
Riverton Parke this year comes in the form of
honors as an Indiana
our new Guidance Director, Annette Cox.
delegate.
Mrs. Cox takes over for Bob Contri, who re“I had such a wontired last year after 38 years in education.
derful experience in
Cox is not a
Washington DC. I
stranger to teachgot to see many
ing and guidance
amazing things and
work herself. In
meet many awesome
her 23rd year of
people. It was truly
education, she
the chance of a lifehas served as the
time. I want to thank
school’s junior
Brianne Huxford
the Parke County
high counselor
REMC for such a
for 12 of those,
Annette Cox
great opportunity,”
as well as continuing to teach English and
Huxford said.
Speech classes. She has a master’s degree in
RP grad Mary Jo
Counseling from Indiana State University.
Gruner has had an
“I am really excited to still be working with
active summer too.
kids, but in a different aspect. I plan to get a
She was selected as
class e-mail list set up so that special anthe Parke County
nouncements will go directly to each student
Fair’s Queen in July
and their families of upcoming events approand competed
Mary Jo Gruner
priate to their grade levels,” Cox said.
against other county winners at the Indiana
Panthers Earn FFA District Offices State Fair in August. Gruner will be a student
RP seniors Kelly Dressler and Matt Marion at Indiana State University this fall and works
have been elected to District 7 FFA offices.
part-time. She said, “The experience of being
Dressler will serve as President; Marion will
involved in the fair was great; I loved it.”
serve a term as secretary.
Dressler’s position requires her to help organize and run the annual leadership contest.
“I’m excited,” she says, “because it helps me
gain a passion for agriculture and the organization itself.”
Marion will help keep accurate records of
FFA meetings, and will help organize events,
as well. “It’s good to help lead an organization
that means so much to me, and help the younger kids who are just starting out,” Marion says.
FFA advisor, Adam Tyler says, “Kelly and
Matt make me very proud to be their advisor,
Officers: Riverton Parke High School seniors Kelly
Dressler and Matt Marion have been elected to serve as
and it’s a true joy to watch them succeed and
FFA District 7 officers for the upcoming school year.
become such strong leaders in our school,
Dressler will be the District 7 President, while Marion
chapter, community, and now, our district.”
will serve as secretary. See related story on left...
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Mobile Health Bus September Dates
Corporation Nurse Marla Hasbrouck has
announced the dates in September that the
Mobile Health Bus will be visiting Riverton
Parke.
Those dates are Friday, September 6, and
Friday, September 20. Both visits are in the
morning only.
Riverton Public Relations Receives PCCF Grant
Riverton will soon be doing a better job of releasing information to area media outlets and
producing its monthly newsletter due to a grant from the Parke County Community Foundation
for nearly $250. Badly in need of a new document and photograph scanner to help meet the daily workload, PCCF came to the rescue with the grant from its Memorial and Community funds
to buy an Epson V500 Color Scanner for RP.
“We use a scanner a lot more than people suspect,” Mike Lunsford, Public Relations Coordinator for the school, says. “We appreciate the fact that the Foundation supports our efforts to
inform parents, students, and our community about what goes on at Riverton Parke.”
RP Junior National Honor Society Selects Officers for 2013-2014
The Riverton Parke National Junior Honor Society recently selected officers for the new
school year. They are, from left to right, Parliamentarian Cody Sanders, Treasurer Tyler Metheny, President Brock Oxford, Vice-President Brogan Sanders, and Secretary Jordan Nightingale. Shannon Belcher is the NJHS sponsor.
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News from the Yearbook Staff…
**There are a few yearbooks available for the 2102-13 school year. Cost
for last year's book is $45. The yearbook staff is also selling some old
yearbooks. Prices for yearbooks from the 2011-2012 and 2010-2011 school years are $5.
**There are also some older yearbooks that we will sell for $2 a piece. Some of the graduating
years we have a available are 1989, 1990, 2003, 2007,and 2010, We will be selling some of
these older books at sporting events this school year, or you can contact Mrs. Ferrari if you are
interested in purchasing one. All checks are to be made out to Riverton Parke.
**Yearbooks for 2013-2014 will be going on sale soon! Order forms will be available starting
in September.
**The staff is also interested in your photographs! We know that everyone has the opportunity
to take great pictures now with their phones and digital cameras. If you take pictures at an
event and would like to possibly have them used in the yearbook, please feel free to upload
those photos at ReplayIt.com.
RP Band and Guard Open Performance Season
The RP band and guard kicked off its home football halftime season on August 23 with a
show highlighting hits from the musical and
movie “Grease.” Selections include “Greased
Lightning,” “Summer Nights,” and “We Go
Together.” Other performances of this show
will be during the September 13 Homecoming
game, the Rockville game on October 11, and
Senior Night, on October 18. The band is under the direction of Mike Hardesty; the Guard,
Jana Guoli.
Sophomores Select Officers for 2013-2014
The Riverton Parke Class of 2016 has selected its officers for the new school year. They are (at left), from
left to right (front) Secretary Ashlynne Overstreet and
President Brianna Darling; (back) Treasurer Cheyenne
Gibbons, and Vice-President Kierstyn Allen.
RP High School Spell Bowl Underway
The high school Spell Bowl team is practicing for the
upcoming area contest in October, and Mr. Lunsford,
who coaches the squad thinks he has a very competitive
group of spellers. “These students have taken it upon
themselves to study over 3,000 words, mostly on their
own time. I’m very pleased with them,” he says.
Members of the team are Savannah Arnold, Logan
Blubaugh, Brianna Darling, Nathan Divan, Casey Dust,
Katie Fischer, Taylor Guoli, Kemp Harper, Cimber
Jackson, Wyatt Lawson, Judson Long, Matt Lowe,
Molly Noorlag, Evan Reeves, Mickey Reeves, Sierra
Schermann, and Blake Tjerina.
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