GCSC to partner with PCH, Franciscan on sports medicine

Greencastle Community Schools will be taking the “buy local” approach to sports medicine for at least the next three years.

During its May meeting, the Greencastle School Board approved a contract for athletic training services with the Franciscan Health Alliance through Putnam County Hospital.

Supt. Jeff Gibboney explained that Putnam County Hospital had approached the school about moving its sports medicine services from Hendricks Regional Health to PCH, in association with Franciscan.

Gibboney noted that partnerships with PCH are already in place, with the Greencastle hospital now providing telehealth services to students at school as well as providing free wellness screenings to staff members.

“Putnam County Hospital was wanting to partner with us to provide athletic training services for our student athletes,” Gibboney said. “They’re doing so by bringing in the Franciscan Alliance. They have an established, up-and-running training program. It’s very similar to what we have right now with Hendricks Regional, but we think that both Franciscan Alliance and Putnam County Hospital are going to be better partners in the long term. They’re our local hospital.”

Besides the local aspect, he also noted that Franciscan would be providing two athletic trainers as opposed to the one that had been in place previously, all while PCH pledged investment and sponsorship dollars that would actually decrease the price currently being paid for athletic training.

This includes paying for upgrades to the school’s training room.

“So we’re getting more sponsorship dollars and we’re going to have better coverage for our student athletes,” Gibboney said.

The board gave the contract, which runs through June 2025, unanimous approval.

In other business:

• Gibboney reported on construction projects at all five schools, noting that the summer should see significant progress on the Greencastle High School-McAnally connector, as well as secure entrances as Ridpath, Deer Meadow and Tzouanakis and work to seal the envelope at Tzouanakis.

At Greencastle Middle School, bids on upgrades should go out in mid-to-late June, with a contract likely awarded in July. GMS work is set to include upgrades to the media center, science labs and the office area, which will include a secure entrance.

“Things are very busy and moving right along,” Gibboney said. “I think we are in a good position in that we sold bonds when we did and awarded construction contracts when we did. Even though we’re seeing inflation and may be headed toward a recession, I don’t think things will ever quite come down to where they were. So we’re ahead of the game on that.”

• The board accepted several donations, including: $1,500 from the Jack and Shirley Dalton Trust to GHS Champions Together, $3,500 from the Micah Foss Bar Mitzvah Project to GHS boys’ soccer, $1,000 from the Putnam County Community Foundation to Ridpath Primary and $3,080 from DePauw University student Paige Price to Deer Meadow Primary.

• The following students were recognized as May students of the month: GHS, Chase Carrington; GMS, Clare Langdoc; Tzouanakis, Dean Cofer; Deer Meadow, Ellie Salsman; and Ridpath, Quentin Stidd.

• The board approved a number of personnel items:

Retirement: Amy Robinson as GMS art teacher.

Resignations: Heather Nees as GHS math teacher, Elizabeth Timberman as Tzouanakis third-grade teacher, Mark Rawlins as GHS social studies teacher, Scott Weltz as GMS principal, Lindsey Siegert at Deer Meadow pre-school teacher, Debbie Carrico as food services director, Isaiah Long as GHS custodian, Sandra Lundy as GMS custodian.

Transfer: Dessa Frank from Tzouanakis art teacher to GHS art teacher, Catherine Simmerman from Deer Meadow/Ridpath art teacher to Tzouanakis art teacher, Tiffany Trissel from substitute bus driver to full-time bus driver.

New hires: Brianna Shafer as Tzouanakis third-grade teacher, Angela Lee as Tzouanakis noon aide.

Summer hires: Donovan Wheeler as GHS English; Dan Hankee as GHS math; Doug Hudson as GHS online teacher; Noah Wilson as GHS government/economics; Kara Jedele as GHS business/economics; Lisa Duggan as GHS substitute; Amy Weliever as GMS fab lab teacher; Jamie Nees, Stacie Stoffregen, Denise Meyer, Erin Brown, Jessi Koosman and Dessa Frank as GMS fab lab instructional assistants; Wendi Evans as lead elementary teacher at Deer Meadow; Krista Grimes, Jennifer Schlatter, Jessica Stockton, Angela Wood, Carmen Coons, Emily Dickey, Shelby Aguirre and Brooke Lewis as elementary teachers at Deer Meadow; Tina Sillery, Andra Dickerson, Candice Pelfrey, Heather Sell, Missy Wright, Courtney Middleton, Laurie Ferguson as summer bus cleaners; Joy Fortune as summer cafeteria assistant; Jennifer Gambill, Jessica Draper, Erin Gibbons, Terry Tincher and Kelly Brown as instructional assistants at Deer Meadow.

Substitutes: Ashley Kuhne as substitute teacher, Erin Baker as substitute custodian.

Extra-Curricular activities: Steve Paquin hired as GHS boys’ head golf coach; Kyle Shaffer hired as GHS head wrestling coach; Renee Marsteller hired ad GHS head cheer coach; Brian Hammett hired as GHS head cross country coach and GMS assistant cross country coach; Kent Menzel hired as GHS head swim coach; Samantha Call hired as GHS girls’ assistant soccer coach; Naira Caceres Martell hired as GHS girls’ C-team basketball coach; Robert Johns as GMS girls’ head soccer coach; Matthew Helmer hired as GMS head football coach; Tom Hamilton as GMS assistant football coach; Rob York approved as GHS volunteer assistant boys’ basketball coach; Kotei Aoki approved as GHS volunteer assistant volleyball coach; Susan Fidler approved as GMS fall, winter, spring event supervisor; Brian Baker-Watson, Ben Latham Mark Hernandez, Trever Wood and Josh Buis hired as GHS assistant football coaches; Jeff McCall and Mark Hernandez approved as GHS volunteer assistant football coaches; Holli Hill resignation as GMS cheer sponsor and approval as GMS volunteer assistant cheer coach; Nicole Burkhalter resignation as GHS English Academic Bowl sponsor.