Three students from Fishers High School are earning national attention for their performance in one of the country’s top civics competitions, with one now advancing to the national finals at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

FHS sophomore Caden Rose has been named one of just 20 national finalists in the Presidential 1776 Civics Contest, a nationwide competition focused on civic knowledge, constitutional principles and American government.

The national finals are scheduled for June 9 in Washington, D.C., where the top finisher will receive a $150,000 scholarship.

The competition, organized through the Presidential 1776 Award Program, is designed to encourage excellence in civics education and promote deeper understanding of the nation’s founding principles.

What makes the accomplishment especially notable is the dominance shown by Fishers High students during the regional stage of the competition.

Only four students from Indiana advanced to the Regional Semifinals held May 1 in Michigan. According to information provided by Fishers High School teacher Liz Paternoster, three of those four Indiana semifinalists came from Fishers High School — Caden Rose, Rahil Shah and David Snyder.

Competition organizers reportedly described that level of representation from one school as extraordinary and uncommon nationally.

At a time when civic engagement and civic literacy among young Americans has become a growing topic of national discussion, the strong showing by the Fishers students highlights what educators say is a commitment to civic education and academic excellence within the school.

Rose now advances to the national championship event, where finalists from across the country will compete at the Kennedy Center.

A chemical incident in a science laboratory at Fishers High School prompted a response Thursday afternoon from local and state emergency personnel, according to Hamilton Southeastern Schools officials.

School district officials said the Fishers Fire Department and Fishers Police Department were called to the high school after a chemical reaction in a science lab raised concerns for a teacher preparing materials for an upcoming Advanced Placement Chemistry class project.

The district said the Indiana State Police also assisted in the investigation.

According to the statement released by HSE Schools, the substance involved in the incident was safely destroyed and no injuries were reported.

School officials praised the response of school staff and emergency responders.

“We appreciate the quick response of our staff, local first responders and state emergency personnel,” the district said in its statement. “Student and staff safety remains our top priority.”

HSE Schools said normal operations at Fishers High School will continue Friday without interruption.

Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools conducted a recent survey examining iPad usage in kindergarten through second grade classrooms, and district officials are now recommending that average screen time for students in those grades be limited to no more than 30 minutes per day — less than 10 percent of the school day.

Assistant Superintendent for Foundational Learning Dr. Danielle Fetters-Thompson reviewed the survey findings during Wednesday’s school board meeting. The study measured classroom iPad usage during one week in November and another week in March of the current school year. All 13 HSE school buildings serving grades K-2 participated in the survey.

District officials said there were 996 total responses from kindergarten, first-grade and second-grade classrooms, along with special education, related arts and English as a New Language (ENL) teachers.

According to the survey, some teachers reported no iPad use on certain days, while others indicated students used the devices for 10 to 15 minutes daily, primarily for intervention programs and the UFLI blending board reading program.

Higher usage times, ranging from 60 to 75 minutes, were generally tied to participation in the “Hour of Code” program, an initiative designed to introduce students to computer science and programming concepts.

The district’s recommendation to limit iPad use to an average of 30 minutes per day does not apply to several required instructional or support situations. Exceptions include state and local assessments, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), Individualized Learning Plans (ILPs), and accommodations required under Section 504 plans, all of which could increase daily screen time.

HSE officials said the new screen time recommendation will be communicated to parents through the district’s annual Back-to-School forms.

Families will have a chance to climb aboard everything from snowplows to fire trucks when the City of Fishers hosts its annual Touch-a-Truck event Monday, May 18, at the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater.

The free event, held in recognition of National Public Works Week, is scheduled from 4 to 7 p.m. at the amphitheater, 6 Municipal Drive in downtown Fishers.

Children and families will be able to explore a wide range of city and public safety vehicles, including excavators, loaders, tractors, police cars, fire trucks, garbage trucks, tow trucks and even a monster truck. Hamilton Southeastern Schools will also have a school bus on site for children to tour.

The event will feature live demonstrations by the Fishers Department of Public Works, Fishers Fire Department and Fishers Police Department. Planned demonstrations include K-9 exercises, road paving operations and a rope rescue demonstration near Fishers Fire Station 9. Firefighters will also conduct a water hose demonstration during the event.

In addition to the vehicles and demonstrations, families can participate in a variety of hands-on activities. The Fishers Department of Public Works mobile Sign Lab will allow children to make their own street signs, while the Fishers Stormwater Division will provide information about what happens to water after it goes down the drain.

Fishers Parks will offer activities where children can design miniature cars and test them on a special Touch-a-Truck track. Visitors can also check out tractors from the Fishers AgriPark and tour the Hamilton East Public Library bookmobile.

Local food vendors will be on hand throughout the evening.

City officials are also seeking volunteers to help support the event from 3 to 7:15 p.m. Those interested can register at VolunteerFishers.com.

Free parking will be available throughout the Nickel Plate District, including nearby parking garages at The Depot, Flats at Switch, Nickel Plate Station, the Fishers Police Department garage, The Edge and First Internet Bank. Accessible parking will be available in the south City Services Building lot at 3 Municipal Drive.

Additional event details and parking maps are available at FishersParks.com/TouchaTruck

The recent controversy surrounding teacher Reduction in Force (RIF) notices in Hamilton Southeastern Schools has placed renewed attention on how teachers are evaluated — a critical factor under Indiana law when staffing cuts are necessary.

An internal committee consisting of administrators and teachers produced the new system after several months of work.

On Wednesday night, the Hamilton Southeastern School Board unanimously approved a new teacher evaluation system that district administrators say is designed to simplify the process while placing a greater emphasis on classroom instruction and professional practice.

Dr. Danielle Fetters-Thompson, HSE Assistant Superintendent of Foundational Learning, outlined the changes for board members during the meeting.

Under Indiana law, teacher evaluations carry significant weight in determining which educators may be subject to layoffs during a RIF process. Recent reductions tied to district budget pressures have elevated public interest in how those evaluations are conducted.

One of the biggest changes approved by the board is a reduction in evaluation categories. Instead of four ratings, teachers will now be assessed using three performance levels: Exemplary, Proficient and Ineffective. The previous “Improvement Necessary” category has been eliminated. The district presentation also noted that school building letter grades will no longer factor into teacher evaluation scores.

Administrators said the new system moves away from counting the number of classroom visits and instead measures total observation time. Formal evaluations will now be based on accumulated observation minutes rather than a set number of visits.

Principals and assistant principals will conduct the formal evaluative observations. Instructional coaches may still provide professional feedback to teachers, but that feedback will not be part of the formal evaluation process.

The district’s presentation showed that teachers will now fall into one of two experience categories: “Provisional” or “Accomplished.” Teachers in their first two years with HSE Schools — or those previously rated ineffective — will be considered provisional and will receive at least 120 minutes of classroom observations during the school year. That includes at least two long observations of 40 minutes each and two short observations of at least 10 minutes each.

Teachers classified as accomplished — generally those in their third year or beyond with proficient or higher ratings — will receive at least 60 minutes of observation time, including one long observation and one short observation. District administrators emphasized the time requirements are minimum standards and additional observations may occur.

The district also approved specialized evaluation rubrics for teacher librarians, special education teachers, teachers in residence and school counselors. Presentation materials indicated the updated system reduces the number of evaluation indicators from 50 to 37 while removing weighted scoring categories used in the previous model.

According to the implementation timeline presented to the board, administrator training and calibration sessions will continue through the summer, with the new evaluation system formally taking effect Sept. 8 for the 2026-27 school year.

You can review the entire presentation to the board using this link.