Carmel, IN Calendar of Events
Carmel, Fishers and Westfield are located in southeastern Hamilton County, just north and east of Indianapolis. Major transportation routes, such as I-465, I-70, I-65 and I-69 make this a desirable area. Indianapolis International Airport can be reached in 30 minutes. Cincinnati, Louisville and Chicago are all within 180 miles and are easily accessed by nearby interstate roadways.
Carmel, Indiana has been one of the fastest growing communities in the nation during the last decade. Carmel was listed as one of the top ten places to live in the Midwest by Money magazine because of the high quality of life.
You can find excellent schools, safe neighborhoods, an award winning public library and an expanded park system. Carmel boasts an excellent school system. The scholastic, artistic and athletic achievements of its students are outstanding year after year. On average, 89% of Carmel High School students enroll in four-year colleges. Add 4% of the class entering two-year colleges or trade schools and 2% were foreign exchange students returning to their own countries to pursue further education there, for a total of 95% of Carmel High School graduates continuing their education. Average SAT score is 1072; average ACT is 24. There are approximately 13,000 students enrolled in Carmel Schools.
The City of Carmel is known for its safe, quiet, family-oriented neighborhoods. With over a 120 neighborhoods, Carmel homeowners have many choices available, from show houses to bungalows. In fact, Carmel homes have appreciated steadily over the last 20 years as the city continues to be one of the fastest growing cities in Indiana. Median household income in Carmel is $95,211/year.
Carmel Growth
A City Center proposal by Pedcor Investments would transform Carmel’s new downtown into a place known for its high-end retail shops, quality restaurants and entertainment venues. The proposed project will be located at City Center's prime corner of Range Line Road and City Center Drive.
“I’m hoping this development will provide a place to enjoy a variety of shopping, dining and entertainment options,” said Carmel City Council member Mark Rattermann.
The plan includes 112,000 square feet of retail space combined with restaurants with outdoor seating and live music. In addition, the project will feature a 320 vehicle underground parking garage. The development also includes a full service hotel with 75 to 100 rooms. City Center would be paid for almost entirely by business taxes not home owners’ property taxes.
News From the City of Carmel, Volume 4, 2004
Carmel Arts and Design District
Four gateways will be constructed to mark the entrances of the Carmel Arts and Design District. Two of the four gateways will be built in the upcoming months. In addition to the gateway being built this winter at 4th and Main Street, a gateway also will be built on Rangeline Road marking the southern entrance of the district. The north and west entrance gateways will be constructed at a later date. The structures will consist of red brick columns, connected by stylized iron-work with the words, “Arts and Design District.” The Arts and Design District logo will be centrally located below the wording.
The city has invested over $10 million in renovating Old Carmel with new distinctive street lights, brick sidewalks and signage to create a historic look and charming character.
CARMEL SCHOOLS
Considering enrolling your child in the CARMEL CLAY SCHOOLS?
Carmel Clay Schools educate the students residing in the city of Carmel, Indiana and Clay Township, a suburban area located just north of Indianapolis. The schools are state and nationally recognized for their academic, extracurricular and athletic excellence. There is a reason why so many real estate advertisements begin not with the house’s square footage or amenities but rather with the phrase Carmel Schools. Statement from the Carmel Clay superintendent, Dr. Barbara Underwood
Dear prospective Carmel family:
We are pleased that you are considering residency in our community. Carmel is an outstanding family-oriented community that has many positive features. We are particularly proud of our school system, and we are eager to share information that will assist you in selecting Carmel Clay Schools.
All of our Carmel Schools routinely rank among the highest in Indiana in a number of areas, including standardized achievement tests, state tests, SAT, ACT, advanced placement exams, graduation rate and pursuit of higher education. In addition to our outstanding academic programs, Carmel Schools
boast award-winning performing arts, extracurricular and athletic programs. The North Central Association accredits each school in the district. In 2004, Carmel High School was named one of the five “Best of the Best” high schools in Indiana by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, the school system was named a recipient of the “What Parents Want” designation from SchoolMatch
Each year brings new challenges and celebrations.
Current facility improvements/expansion projects include renovation of Forest Dale Elementary School, the fall, 2004 opening of Creekside Middle School and College Wood Elementary School, and the construction of a freshman center at Carmel High School. One of the most exciting and challenging goals undertaken by our district is that of developing a dynamic, long-range strategic plan to accomplish the following goals:
1. All students will be challenged to maximize their potential through appropriate curriculum and instructional programs;
2. Effective communication will support and enhance the educational program;
3. All students will feel valued and experience a sense of worth and belonging.
We enter each school year with optimism and excitement because of the opportunities we have to impact the lives of our students. Parental and community support contributes greatly to the successes that we enjoy. Carmel Schools take great pride in our partnership with parents, outstanding staff and strong community support.
Click here if you are interested in learning more about Carmel Schools, You may also access more detailed data at the Indiana Department of Education Web site (www.doe.state.in.us). Please contact any of our schools or our district office if you have further questions. We will be pleased to welcome you to our school community. Barbara Underwood, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Educational Services Center
5201 E. 131st St.
Carmel, Indiana 46033-9311
Phone: 317.844.9961
The school district: Carmel Clay by the numbers Carmel Schools
The Carmel Clay district is comprised of 10 elementary schools, three middle schools, one high school, and one 9th grade center, scheduled for completion summer of 2005. Student enrollment for the entire district for this school year is 13,379. The high school enrollment is 3,685, and each of the middle schools will include about 1,100 sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students. Each elementary school includes kindergarten through Grade 5.
The school district: Comparison to other Indiana districts
Carmel expenditure per pupil: $7,858
State expenditure per pupil: $7,716
Carmel students enrolled in special education: 12.7 percent
Indiana students enrolled in special education: 17.2 percent
Carmel students enrolled in gifted and talented programs: 11 percent
State students enrolled in gifted and talented programs: 9 percent
Carmel students receiving free lunch and textbooks: 4 percent
Indiana students receiving free lunch and textbooks: 34 percent
Carmel Clay’s gifted and talented program
At the elementary level, the Carmel Schools “Challenge” program provides an appropriately higher level of academic rigor to students who have been identified as gifted and talented in grades 2, 3, 4 and 5. For placement, new students must meet predetermined test scores. Info for admissions to the program at the elementary level can be found on the schools website.
Information about placement in the honors program, which begins in the middle schools at Grade 6, also is available at this site. The purpose of Carmel Clay’s state and nationally recognized program is to challenge academically talented students so that they achieve at a level that matches their capabilities.
Academic success
Over the last several years, Carmel Schools have been among the state leaders in students meeting the standard for the state’s graduation qualifying exam. This year, Carmel High School leads the state for results achieved by its high school sophomores. All Carmel schools far surpass the state averages. Honors extend beyond individual testing; however, as Carmel Middle School was named a Blue Ribbon National School of Excellence in 2002.
An outstanding faculty and support staff provide instruction and services to Carmel students. Mark Weaver, a science teacher at Clay Middle School, is the 2004 Indiana Teacher of the Year. For more information about Mr. Weaver, go to http://ideanet.doe.state.in.us/toy/welcome.html. Mr. Weaver also has been named a Disney teacher and was a Milliken Foundation recipient. Among the Carmel Clay teaching staff are Golden Apple technology grant recipients, Fulbright Exchange participants, Rotary International exchange teachers, Phi Beta Kappa members, Lilly Grant winners and a National Science Foundation recipient. Of the current certified teaching staff, 59 percent have earned a master’s degree or higher.
Ninety-one percent of Carmel High graduates pursue education or training after graduating from CHS. The school’s average SAT score of 1,102 exceeds the state average by 98 points, with xx percent of the students taking the exam. Eighty-five percent of Carmel grads earn a state Core 40 academic diploma, compared to 63 percent of their fellow Hoosier students. In 2003, 44.5 percent of the graduates earned an Academic Honors Diploma, compared to 29 percent for Indiana.
Carmel High School’sB> college and career resource center (CCRC) offers support to Carmel High graduates and their post-graduation plans. Carmel High School students receive significant scholarship money each year. In 2003, 177 seniors were honored with a total of $3.8 million in scholarships. One hundred ninety-three students received $3.9 million in awards in 2002. The Carmel Clay Education Foundation provides approximately $75,000 annually to graduating seniors. Generous Carmel community organizations also provide many scholarship opportunities to graduating seniors. Graduates frequently are selected for military academy appointments, university merit and talent-based scholarships, Lilly Endowment scholarships and other major awards.
The middle schools provide an experience that prepares students for high school while meeting their unique academic and social needs. The size of the middle schools will average 1,100 students. Students will be assigned into teams of approximately 110 individuals which can make the schools feel even smaller and more personal. Team students take field trips together, have recognition at the end of grading periods and get involved in school activities and spirit competitions. This structure will allow the teachers to become better acquainted with their students. Although the schools may have different appearances, all three will be identical in course offerings. The curriculum will extend the amount of time that students spend weekly in the basics of language arts, math, science and social studies. New and exciting elective options for students to sample have been added. Performing arts such as choir, orchestra and band continue to be popular as well as choices such as food and culture, nutritious foods, survival skills, newspaper, journalism, yearbook, computer design, digital video productions, keyboarding connections, technology education, ceramics, drawing, general art, mixed media and painting. These electives will meet the varied interests of all middle school students.
Our elementary buildings all boast strong programs in the important areas of language arts and math. District wide focus on writing has improved scores and performances by students in this important academic skill. In addition, teachers work to make the best use of instructional time by connecting both social studies and science with the language arts and math areas. Students are exposed weekly to related arts, including physical education, art, music and Spanish. Technology use and instruction begin at the elementary level with a wide variety of equipment and activities. The media centers at all buildings provide an important hub of learning and information. Teachers are well versed in recent research and strategies; staff engages in individual professional development each year.
For complete information on testing, attendance and other statistics go to the Indiana Department of Education’s Web site which lists Carmel Schools data:
Athletic success
The Carmel Dads’ Club, while not affiliated with the school system, offers a wide and varied number of opportunities, primarily for elementary students. Carmel’s 10 elementary schools do not provide an interscholastic athletic program, due primarily to the excellent opportunities already made available by this organization.
Carmel Schools also enjoy a unique relationship with the Carmel Swim Club. This locally based, nationally recognized organization works closely with the school system to ensure the efficient operation of the state-of-the-art natatorium at the high school. In addition, the Carmel Swim Club has played a vital role in the 18 consecutive State championships earned by the high school girls’ swim team, as well as the four consecutive titles secured by the boys’ program.
The three middle schools offer athletic programs that rival those of many Indiana high schools. The competitive, interscholastic programs at Carmel, Clay and Creekside each include 27 teams participating in 10 sports. Fall sports include boys’ cross-country, girls’ cross-country, girls’ tennis, boys’ tennis, football, volleyball and cheerleading. The winter season includes boys’ basketball, girls’ basketball, wrestling and cheerleading. In the spring, junior high athletes participate in girls’ track, boys’ track, baseball and softball. At each school, approximately 700 athletes will participate each year under the supervision of 45 or more coaches. During a typical school year, each middle school has teams that participate in a total of 160 athletic events and competitions.
By any measure, the athletic program of Carmel High School reflects the twin traits of excellence and diversity. Since 1970, royal-blue-and-gold-wearing CHS student-athletes have won a total of 87 team State championships in 16 different sports. Overall, of the 20 varsity Indiana High School Athletic Association sports offered at Carmel High School, 19 have captured either a State championship or State runner-up title, or both. In addition, the Greyhound varsity cheerleaders celebrated their first State championship in 2000 at the annual Indiana Cheerleading Association competition.
School teams in general, and especially Carmel High School’s athletics teams, have always enjoyed the benefits of strong support from the community. It is common for Friday nights to find entire families at the Greyhound football game, or for a large number of community soccer enthusiasts to regularly attend games at Brian Murray Stadium, supporting the youth of the Carmel community.
A source of real pride at Carmel High School is the 22 State mental attitude awards received by student athletes since 1966. These have come in 10 different sports. Also of note is the CHS Scholar Athlete program that has recognized team academic achievements. Greyhound teams have consistently averaged well above 3.0 GPA during their competition seasons.
Carmel High School is a charter member of the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference that includes Ben Davis, Center Grove, Lawrence North, North Central, Terre Haute North, Terre Haute South and Warren Central. For more information on the conference, see http://www.mic-in.com/
The Carmel High School athletics department is comprised of 21 sports programs, 63 separate teams, 98 coaches and more than 850 student-athletes.
For more information, e-mail the athletics director, Jim Inskeep (jinskeep@ccs.k12.in.us) or the assistant athletics director, Bruce Wolf (bwolf@ccs.k12.in.us)
Click here to see a Comparison of State championships won by all Indiana high school teams.
With more than 3,685 students, Carmel High School truly provides something for everyone, not merely in rigorous academics, but in its extracurricular program as well. The school offers more than 90 student clubs, organizations and activities. Click here for a complete list.
Its theatre, choir, orchestra and marching band programs have earned both state and national recognition. An extensive intramural program provides a chance for all who want to get involved to do so. The school includes radio and television stations that operate 24 hours a day. Its scholastic journalism earns state and national honors, with the HiLite, the student newspaper, being the first in Indiana to be inducted into the National High School Journalism Hall of Fame. A team of Carmel High School economics students finished first in the nation in spring, 2003 at a competition in New York City. The performing arts department, with the largest such high school facility in Indiana, includes nationally recognized music and theatre programs. The Carmel High School orchestra has won the Indiana State championship 11 times in the 18 years that the competition has occurred and performed in New York City’s Carnegie Hall in 2003. The Carmel band program is one of the top high school band programs in the country. The marching band has finished in the top five at the Bands of America National Championships for the past three years, and the top concert band (Wind Symphony I) has been invited to the prestigious National Concert Band Festival more than any other band in the country.
Taking advantage of the total school experience at CHS
In both its physical structure and academic format, Carmel High School is built to provide excellence. In 2005, a new freshman center will open and will provide freshmen with instruction in a team of no more than 400 of their classmates. Core classes, lockers and SRT (student resource time) all will be located on one floor of the freshman center, as the plans now stand.
Speaking of SRT, each student is assigned to a 90-minute homeroom that includes no more than 30 students. While there is no credit for this class, students use the time to study, make up missed work, get tutoring, have yearbook photos taken, etc. – all activities that can be done without interrupting academic time. The SRT meets every other school day. Its size may very well be one of the school’s greatest assets as it allows Carmel High School to offer a depth and breadth of experience not always found at the high school level. When they were surveyed three years ago for a state report, fewer than 17 percent of Carmel High School students expressed concern over the size of the building. Many, however, noted the opportunities a large school provides, including state-of-the-art facilities and a wide range of courses, including rigorous academic classes and more than 125 electives.
Carmel High grads have been accepted to every Ivy League college and other prestigious institutions such as Michigan, Stanford, Northwestern, Washington University in St. Louis, Georgetown, Boston College, DePauw and Haverford, just to name a few. It is also noteworthy that Carmel High School graduates are always well represented on the campuses of Indiana’s two Big Ten schools, Indiana University and Purdue University, as well as at Butler University, another nationally respected university in Carmel’s own backyard. In almost every case, they report that Carmel High School prepared them well, not merely academically, but also socially.
Carmel Schools Home Page
Carmel High School
Carmel Schools Media Release
Tony Willis
School/community relations
Carmel Clay Schools
5201 E. 131st St.
Carmel, Indiana 46033-9311
Office: 317 844.9961, Extension 1093
Fax: 317 844.9965
Cell: 317 213.0956
09.17.04
Carmel High School named national Blue Ribbon school
Carmel High School has been named a 2004 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School, U.S.
Secretary of Education Rod Paige announced on Friday, Sept. 17. "For years, many of our underprivileged children were ignored and pre-judged, moved to the
back of the room and quietly pushed through the system, with their scores hidden in averages,"
Secretary Paige said. "They were cast into the shadows, then cast out into life without the skills to succeed. This created a chronic achievement gap that mocked the promise of public education. So we must change our approach, incentives and expectations. We must foster a climate of academic excellence, enabling all students to reach the highest levels of scholarship.
No Child Left Behind is starting to generate some amazing results, transforming the
educational landscape. Today, I am pleased to announce that (Carmel High School has) been named a No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School, and I congratulate (the school on its) achievements. The No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools program recognizes schools that makesignificant progress in closing the achievement gap or whose students achieve at very high levels. More than 250 schools across the nation have been named 2004 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools.
The schools are selected based on one of three criteria:
• Schools with at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that
dramatically improve student performance on state tests, as determined by the state school
chief; and,
• Schools whose students, regardless of background, achieve in the top 10 percent on state
tests.
• Private schools that achieve in the top 10 percent in the nation. Carmel High School earned the national honor based on student academic performance. Its application emphasized the school’s student achievement data, the school’s curriculum and the measures the school is taking to increase student achievement. Under No Child Left Behind, schools must meet "Adequate Yearly Progress," or AYP, in reading/language arts and mathematics. Each state sets its own academic standards and benchmark goals.
Michele Satchwell, the 2005 Carmel Clay Teacher of the Year, CHS English teacher and one
of the authors of the high school’s application, said, “This is a tremendous honor for our entire CHS family. This application required a rigorous process of self-examination. It is a wonderful validation to receive national recognition for what we do every day at Carmel High School.”
Other teachers involved in writing and submitting the Blue Ribbon application was economics teacher Michelle Foutz, counselor Stephanie Payne and journalism teacher Jim Streisel.
John Williams, who is serving in his second year as Carmel High School principal, said of the
honor, “This is a big day for Carmel High School. Much credit should go to our students and their parents for this achievement. Our teachers do a great job on a daily basis emphasizing academics.”
The school will conduct a student assembly to recognize this national award at a date to be determined, and other public events also are a possibility, Williams said.
Contact: John Williams, Carmel High School principal
E-mail: jwilliam@ccs.k12.in.us
Phone: 317 846.7721, Extension 1410
Contact: U.S. Department of Education
Office of Public Affairs, News Branch
400 Maryland Ave., S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20202
Contacts: Samara Yudof or Susan Aspey
(202) 401-1576
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