If you follow social media and know people with students attending Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools, you likely were lit-up with lots of photos showing students and teachers reporting for the first day of classes Wednesday.

HSE Schools spokesperson Emily Abbots says the first day of school locally was a good day overall, but there were some glitches with the bus transportation system.

The HSE District flipped their start times for classes.  In the 2021-2022 school year, the elementary grades started classes earliest.  In past years, it was the upper grade levels that had the earlier start.

“Having elementary go first in the morning and afternoon did result in late bus pick-ups and drop-offs for the secondary students,” Abbots tells LarryInFishers.

There were the usual issues of parents taking pictures of their students entering the school bus, and the usual confusion about where to catch the bus taking you home at the end of the school day.  That resulted in some delays.

Meanwhile, with classes back in session, the Fishers Police Department reminds motorists to keep these driving tips in mind:

• Be prepared for a longer commute. School buses and teenage drivers will add to the traffic congestion in the mornings and afternoons.
• Expect the unexpected. Watch for slowing or stopped traffic and the possibility of children darting out into the street.
• Be patient and observe the law when approaching or following a school bus.
• Be very aware of intersections where children are waiting for the bus.
• Be mindful of reduced speed limits in designated school zones.
• Police officers will provide increased patrols in neighborhoods and school zones. Officers in marked and unmarked police cars will be enforcing school bus stop arm violations and speeding in school zones.
• Residents should report suspicious activity and dangerous drivers by calling the Hamilton County Dispatch Center at 911 or 317-773-1282.

Fishers contains a number of nonprofit organizations, many doing outstanding work.  When a local resident is ready to become a volunteer, the question is – where do I volunteer?

The City of Fishers is putting together an online platform for volunteers and nonprofit groups to bring them together, and also provide support for the tax exempt organizations as well.

Amy Crell is the Volunteer Coordinator for the City of Fishers and Ashley Elrod is the city’s Director of Community & Public Relations.  I spoke with them about the volunteer program and more in this podcast.

Fishers City Hall will once again features artwork, with a set of sisters providing the art.  The Fishers Arts Council announces the work of Olivia (Liv) Ash and Ingrid Blount will grace the walls of City Hall in the month of August.

The theme of the display is “Painting Words and Emotions.”

There will be a free, public reception at the gallery from 6-8 pm on Friday, August 13th, with refreshments and live music by Emily Ann Thompson.

In an Arts Council news release, Liv says she prefers large-scale works.  Ingrid, on the other hand, says her works express emotions in her paintings.

The gallery is part of the City Municipal Complex at One Municipal Drive, Fishers. It is open weekdays from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and from 10:00 am to noon during Fishers Summer Farmers Market. Also, during our August 13th reception for Liv and Ingrid, a raffle will be held for a Conner Prairie Basic Family Membership, in anticipation of our upcoming Art on the Prairie event on August 22nd. Winners do not need to be present to win.

The National Night Out is a time for local police departments to meet and talk with people in their local communities. In Fishers, the police department offered food, drink and plenty for the youngsters this year.

The event was held in and around the police headquarters building near City Hall.

One year ago, as the school year began for the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District, there was no gathering of the teachers and staff.  The pandemic prevented that.

Tuesday morning, The HSE family gathered at the Fishers High School gym to start the school year, with students reporting for classes Wednesday, August 3rd.

The national anthem was sung by a student.  The opening speech came from a student on the debate team.

School Board President Janet Pritchett, HSE Education Association President Abby Taylor and the head of the HSE Schools Foundation, Justin Hirnisey, all took turns at the lectern addressing the large audience.

But all eyes were on the new Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Yvonne Stokes.

“Sometimes we forget the impact that we, you, make as educators,” Dr. Stokes told those assembled.  “A small difference, a slight shift, a minor adjustment in a student’s daily life adds up over time.”

The superintendent reminded all the staff members of their importance to the lives of students and the academic excellence of the entire district.

“I want you to know you are respected,” Dr. Stokes said as she closed her remarks.

The event ended with a spirit contest for the different grade levels, with each building competing for their show of spirit.  There were groans in the audience when the judges ruled that the contest between HSE and Fishers High Schools ended in a tie.

Teachers and other staff members then went to their respective buildings, preparing for the return of students Wednesday morning.

After more than a year of pandemic stress, the hope that permeated the session was one of hope – hope that this school year will be more normal for everyone.

Dr. Yvonne Stokes took the reins as the superintendent of schools for the Hamilton Southeastern School District July 1st.  She is now preparing to experience her first day of classes Wednesday as superintendent.

Dr. Stokes has released a “welcome to the school year” video Monday.  She addresses masks this school year (recommended, not required, but required on school buses), possible changes if the local health situation changes, and talks about her emphasis on academics for the 2021-2022 school year.

You can view Dr. Stokes’ video at the link below.

I have been out of town the past few days with only short stints to post on this blog.  I want everyone to know I have been reading the comments sent to me about the July 28th Hamilton Southeastern School Board meeting.

Let me once again set the stage for you.  The school board was taking comments.  The board has a rule – public comment is allowed, with a time limit for each speaker – but the speaker must address an item on the board’s agenda for that meeting.

The agenda item dealt with an upcoming appointment to the Hamilton East Library Board.  The library board deals with the Noblesville and Fishers libraries.  The HSE School Board has one appointee to the library board.

Brian Myer has served as the HSE School Board appointee for the past 12 years and would be willing to serve another 4 years.  He spoke before the school board July 28th.

Then School Board President Janet Pritchett called the names of those that had signed-up to speak on that item.  One of the speakers began reading from a book, apparently from the Fishers Hamilton East Library branch, and was told by Board President Pritchett that the speaker was not addressing the agenda item.  When the speaker refused to stop, the microphone for the public address in the room and the live stream video broadcast (which is also saved for future viewing) was cutoff.

The crowd was becoming quite angry and Pritchett called for a recess of the meeting.  The board members then left the room.

At that time, the audience began chanting.  I reported in the story posted July 28th about the meeting that the chant I heard was “We ban you.”  Many audience members have messaged me saying the chant was actually “We pay you.”  I have listened to my audio recording, which continued after the school board’s video was not on, and I hear “We ban you.”

However, you could interpret the chant to be “We pay you” just the same.  After all, I’m not as young as I used to be and perhaps my hearing isn’t as sharp as it once was.

So, I have provided my audio recording, which starts as the board is leaving the room and continues until the chant dies down.

You can be the judge of what was chanted by the audience at the board meeting.  Listen at the link below.

Also, the HSE School Board is taking applications for anyone wishing to apply to be the school board appointee to the Hamilton East Library Board.

Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board regular meetings normally begin at 7:00pm, but the August 11th session will have a 4:00pm start time.

School officials say this change is to allow board members with children in the school corporation to attend functions scheduled at their respective schools.  The same change was made in 2019 when the board meeting calendar conflicted with these school activities.

Administrators are already working to ensure this conflict does not occur in future years.

Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness insists the city’s Fishers Race Initiative has not ended, but two outside contractors are no longer doing business with the city.

In a brief City Hall conversation with LarryInFishers last week, Mayor Fadness says the Soul Focused Group will no longer be a contractor for the city following public statements attributed to the group and brought to the attention of the mayor and his staff.

Also, another outside group, a consulting firm named “Favorite Part Of My Day,” has chosen to pull out of the contract with the City of Fishers to be diversity and inclusion consultants.  According to Fadness, this was entirely the contractor’s decision, not the city’s.

Fadness says he remains committed to diversity and inclusion in the city and will continue to explore avenues for Fishers to move forward.  The mayor says he wants to see how programs from the Parks and Recreation Department can look into diversity and inclusion, for example.

The Interrupting Racism training program sponsored by the city, and offered free to Fishers residents, was completed by between 300 and 400 people.  Fadness says that number may have been even higher had the entire program not been all-virtual once the pandemic hit the Fishers area.

This continues to be another busy summer season for road construction in and around Fishers.

Here is the latest update, as provided by the City of Fishers.

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