INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Carmel Clay Schools is set to begin the new school year next Wednesday, Aug. 6, with a focus on building strong relationships between teachers and students under the leadership of a new superintendent, Dr. Thomas Oestreich.

As students prepare to return, the district is emphasizing the importance of personal connections in education, which Oestreich believes are crucial for effective learning. The district is also celebrating its achievements in STEM initiatives and high AP test scores.

“We’re really focused on building those relationships in the classroom,” Dr. Thomas Oestreich said. “The most significant outcome that happens is between a teacher and a student.”

Fifth grade teacher Allie Powell highlighted the importance of making students feel respected and valued from the moment they enter the classroom.

“For me it just starts the first day they walk in the door. Making sure that students like Abby are heard, their stories are told, they feel respected and valued as they walk into my classroom. And I found that that just makes a stronger school family and a stronger district family as well,” Powell said.

Abby Riddle was one of Powell’s students and is heading into middle school this year. She had some advice for fellow students: “Just be yourself.” She also suggests leaning on your teachers and asking them questions.

Oestreich expressed excitement about the district’s STEM initiative, which includes programs from kindergarten through middle school. The district is also proud of its work-based learning programs that provide students with internships in the community. The district says it recently received AP test scores, with nearly 95% of students earning a score of 3 or higher. Notably, Oestreich says, 203 students achieved a perfect score of 5 in the new AP pre-calculus course.

“We had over 2,000 students take AP tests. We had over 5,000 tests administered. And nearly 95% of those students earned a 3, 4, or a 5,” Oestreich said. “The work that our teachers are doing in the classroom from the high school level, the middle school, especially at our elementary school level, I’m so excited about the continued work we’re doing in Carmel.”

As the school year approaches, back-to-school nights are planned this week to help parents and students prepare. You can find the schedules here on the district website.

Powell encourages parents to engage with their child’s teacher and embrace the excitement of the new school year.

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