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Mifflin County School District

image link - This is the ceremonial shovel used to break ground for the new IVHS


GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY
Indian Valley High School

September 2, 2008

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Benjamin Franklin said.. An Investment in knowledge pays the best interest. This is one of the several quotes Mr. Roger Herto, acting master of ceremonies, told students at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Indian Valley High School on Tuesday morning, September 2, 2008. Mr. Herto also said that in twenty years this is one of the moments the students would remember and something they would tell their children and grandchildren about when they attended IVHS.

There was a sense of pride and excitement among those who attended the groundbreaking for the new Indian Valley High School, especially the students, who wore red and black as a subtle way to show their Warrior Pride. It was a day that took ten years of planning. The students had heard about it, seen schematics of what it was going to look like, but this was the FIRST STEP that the new building was going to become a reality and they were a part of it.

(note - select an image for a larger view, then click the back button to return to this page)

Opening Ceremony in the Gymnasium
image - Mr. Herto
Introductions and
Opening Remarks
Mr. Herto,
Media Teacher

The groundbreaking ceremony began the IVHS gymnasium with the IVHS choral ensemble, directed by Mrs. Sherry Morgan, singing the National Anthem, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Mr. Ronald Varner, IVHS Principal, gave a welcoming speech, followed by Mr. David Runk, MCSD Superintendent, who talked to the students about the future of IVHS and Mifflin County. Mr. Runk thanked the seniors for their patience with the current building situation and said that the new building will help to build Mifflin County back up.

Mrs. Beth Reifsnyder, MCSD School Board President, reinforced that the new building was about achieving the dreams of the students, not those who planned the building. Planning the building began ten years ago and the goal is to provide the students with the tools they need to succeed.

Mr. Herto introduced the architect of the new school with the following Charles Dickens quote.. The whole difference between construction and creation is exactly this: that a thing constructed can only be loved after it is constructed; but a thing created is loved before it exists. Mr. Dwight Knouse, architect for Hayes-Large, said one of the things he noticed about IVHS students was that they were passionate about their school. Something that will be reflected in the new building as well. We all look forward to what has been created for the Indian Valley students.
image - Mr. Varner, IVHS Principal

Welcome
Mr. Varner,
IVHS Principal

 image - Mr. Runk, MCSD Superintendent

The Future
Mr. Runk,
MCSD Superintendent

 image - Mrs. Reifsnyder, MCSD School Board President

A Dream Realized
Mrs. Reifsnyder,
MCSD School Board President

 image - Mr. Knouse, Hayes-Large Architects

Creating Our New Home
Mr. Knouse,
Hayes-Large Architects
Moving to the Track Area by Graduating Class

Students moved from the gymnasium to the track area by graduating class. A student representative was selected from graduating class. Outside the gym, students received a taste of "Ceremonial Dirt", prepared by Mrs. Amy Houtz, Culinary Arts, and followed the class representative and class advisor to their destination.

The class advisors and student representatives pictured below are:

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2009 - Mrs, Sharon Wilson Spanish Teacher - Bree Shugarts, student representative
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2010 - Mr. Glenn Kyle, Physical Education Teacher - Brittany Mathews, student representative
bullet

2011 - Miss Denise Lane, Learning Support -  You He, student representative
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2012 - Mr. Greg Evans, Social Studies Teacher - Matt Portorti, student representative
image - move to the track begins

The move to the track begins.

Mrs. Amy Houtz, Culinary Arts, prepared "Ceremonial Dirt"
 for the journey

 image - Bree Shugarts, 2009

Bree Shugarts, 2009 student representative

 image - Brittany Mathews

Brittany Mathews, 2010 student representative
image - You He, 2011

You He, 2011 student representative

 

 image - Matt Portorti, 2012

Matt Portorti, 2012 student representative

 image - Mr. Varner, Mr. Zinoble and Mr. Herto

Mr. Varner, Mr. Zinoble and Mr. Herto.

 image - the class of 2012 has left the building

The class of 2012 is finally on the way.
Adding a Class Ribbon

image - students gather by class to watch the groundbreaking.Once all students were at the track, they gathered on the grass, near the fence, to an area where they could watch the actual ground breaking ceremony take place. There were two parts to the the ceremony. Adding the class ribbon to the plain golden colored shovel and then breaking the ground with the ceremonial shovel after each class had "made its mark".

Tying a ribbon on a shovel in front of over 1000 classmates is not the easiest thing to do, but the class advisors were there to help and as always, Warrior Pride perservered.
Image - 2009 adds their ribbon to the shovel Image - 2010 adds their ribbon to the shovel Image - 2011 adds their ribbon to the shovel Image - 2012 adds their ribbon to the shovel
 Bree Shurgarts, class representative with Mrs. Wilson, Class Advisor  Brittany Mathews, class representative with Mr. Kyle, Class Advisor You He, class representative with Miss Lane, Class Advisor Matt Portorti, student representative with Mr. Evans, Class Advisor
Breaking Ground

Lack of rain makes for difficult digging, but all the student representatives had the determination, encouragement from their classmates, and Warrior Pride to complete their task successfully and with a lot of spirit.
image - 2009 breaks the first ground

2009

 inmage - 2010 digs a little deeper

2010

 image - 2011 finds makes their mark

2011

 image - 2012 not to be forgotten

2012
Indian Valley Circle

The ceremony ended with the first of two Indian Valley Circles (the second will take place when the new school opens). The Indian Valley Warrior Band, directed by Miss Heather Singley, was in a small circle the center of the track, and the remainder of the student body formed a large circle on the grass around them. Once the circle was formed, the students sang the Indian Valley Alma Mater. Many students stood arm-in-arm as they sang. The spirit of the Indian Valley High School student body echoed from the mountains and though out the Highland Park area. Truly an inspiring moment for all in attendance.
image - IVHS band is the center of the IVHS Circle
IVHS Band is the center of the circle.		 image - Mr. Herto helps the students fill in the spaces
Mr. Herto helps locate the spaces		 image - part of the circle
A circle..		 image - another part of the circle
has..
image - the circle continues
no beginning..		 image - and around again
and no end.		 image - sudents stood arm and arm to sing the Alma Mater
Singing the IVHS..		 image - sudents stood arm and arm to sing the Alma Mater
Alma Mater
Students and staff returned to class at the conclusion of the Alma Mater
but their lives different. A new Indian Valley High School had become a reality.

image - at the end of the ceremony, students and staff returned to classes

Back to class.

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Revised: Tuesday, November 25, 2008

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