HENRYVILLE — Structural steel beams stand bare and twisted at the site of the Henryville schools complex, with insulation, brick and other debris strewn all over the campus.
With so many uncertainties and questions, Henryville High School Principal Troy Albert said he wants to give students at least one guarantee — that they will get to experience traditions and milestones such as prom and graduation.
“One of the things that gets you back to normal is when you can have events,” Albert said. “I just think that it gives people something to look forward to and they know it’s there in the future.”
Faculty, staff and students are still communicating with each other to orchestrate yearbook coverage and prom planning. Though there may be some changes, Albert and others said there’s a chance some of those high school standbys could be even better this time.
“They can plan on it and it’s going to happen,” Albert said. “It gives them hope, that’s what we really want to give them.”
Graduation
Albert said though it’s the one event that has the most serious issues to work around right now, he wants to assure students that they will receive their high school diplomas in a ceremony with caps, gowns and tassels.
“It’s up in the air, but I guarantee that we’re going to have one,” Albert said. “If it has to be outside or at the park, it will happen.”
He said venue aside, there are other issues to address with graduation. With students out of schools for at least a week, he said there has to be some consideration on how those days will be made up to get diplomas in the hands of students on time.
But he said there’s not even any firm answer on whether they’ll have to make up the days.
“We haven’t been told we haven’t had to,” Albert said. “If we have to make them up, then it may extend beyond the end of the school year. We’re just waiting and seeing what the results are going to be. I haven’t heard from my central office what their expectations are going to be once they get this new location selected.”
John Reed, assistant superintendent for West Clark Community Schools, said if students need to make up coursework, they have online options available.
“We’re looking at all kinds of different alternative ways of making sure the kids get to where they need to be so they can graduate in a timely fashion,” Reed said.
Prom
Students will also still have the opportunity to get gussied up and take their high school sweethearts to the dance floor at prom — so far with no changes to the date or venue.
Amy Fischmer, co-chair of the prom committee, said juniors and seniors will have the opportunity to bring a date to Wooded Glen Retreat and Conference Center on April 28. The Clark County venue wasn’t hit by Friday’s tornadoes.
But she said the community and organizations around the state have offered up resources to the school they weren’t sure they’d have.
“We’ve gotten at least five to 10 offers for prom dresses, hairstyling, getting nails done, those sorts of things,” Fischmer said. “I have one person who’s offering hair gel and things like that, photography; we’ve been offered another location for our prom in Indianapolis.”
She said there could be some issues with logistics if they move the venue too far from Henryville, but they’re appreciative of any offers they can get.
Other schools within the district are also helping. Fischmer said Silver Creek High School contacted them about putting together a video for a contest to get country artist Lady Antebellum to play at their prom.
“That was their idea; they asked us today if we would let them do that for us,” Fischmer said. “They’re doing all of that work for us.”
She said the dress code might allow for students to dress down a little, especially since many families lost their homes, belongings and have other concerns to address. But she said students want that experience, and the committee is seeking donations for male attire and anything else they can get.
Also, she said getting into prom is free for juniors, seniors and their dates.
“The faculty, staff and administration are going to make sure our juniors and seniors have everything they want for prom and give them great memories that will help them move past this horrible memory,” Fischmer said.
The Hornet's Nest
Even with time out of class, Henryville High School yearbook staffers have communicated with each other and their adviser to keep production rolling on the Hornet’s Nest.
Jolie Lindley, the yearbook’s adviser, said her students are coming out of their homes while they’re off to not only document the damage, but the recovery efforts and what sports teams are doing to keep their seasons going.
“We want to cover the return to some normalcy, so we’re trying to make sure we’re covering everything, not just the tornadoes,” Lindley said.
But keeping in touch has been the key to keep things going. Along with getting staff and community members to submit their photos through an online program, she said her yearbook staffers have coordinated efforts with each other one way or another.
“I have awesome kids,” Lindley said. “I have a few who have been on for two or three years. We have a Facebook group for our staff, so we’ve been communicating that way and through text messages and phone calls.”
With phone calls coming in from students who aren’t in her class concerned about getting the books in time for their fall delivery schedule, she said she wants to reassure the school community that they will have a book.
And even better, some students may not have to pay for it.
She said after some coverage was given to the school in other parts of the state, a $5,000 donation came in from Greg Schmoll, a business owner in Indianapolis. She said other news stations have told her more donations could come in, which could help bolster the yearbook’s account. With many of their advertisers picking up the pieces of their businesses in Henryville, she said the extra money will be a big help.
She said the help of the community means more than just helping the yearbook, it helps give some students a sense of stability.
“It’s amazing what people will come together to do,” Lindley said. “In the end, it’s just so much better. We’re very, very grateful. For so many of our kids, they need the stability of school and those programs.”
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