Lindeman Lions: “Lindeman means Learning!”

By: Hayley Cyphers

            Some might say that comparing the schools that are in our district defeats the purpose, but between Howell, Arnett, Miles & Lindeman, one has to be the best...right?

           That's right, and as you may already know, that school is Lindeman Elementary.

            Built in 1972, this school has come an extremely long way from then until now. In just one year, they made over 200% growth in test scores; that's the second most growth in the state & the very most growth in our district. Compare that with the large amount of students on free or reduced lunch and it shows how committed these Lindeman Lions really are.

            Lindeman's principal himself, Mr. Shires, proved to be “the best” when asked by a student. In a moment only best to be described by the saying, “Lindeman is Learning”, we walked down the hall to greet a young learner. Mr. Shires called out the student by name and asked, “What does Lindeman mean?”, the student excitedly held up his hand to form an “L” shape (Lindeman “L”: signature for learning) and said with a smile, “Lindeman means Learning!”.

            Only minutes before while we were sitting in Mr. Shires office, he explained that if you ask any of the students there, they would all say exactly what this student replied. Not only do these students know that learning is a top priority, they recognize that intelligence is not a fixed asset (one of Lindeman's four core beliefs). “Think you can, work hard, and you'll get smarter,” said this eager student. And that's what they promote; it's even written in the lunchroom for the children to see everyday.

            When I asked Mr. Shires why Lindeman is the best, he was extremely prepared; he knew all the right words. He said, “Our staff cares the most. They'll give the kids whatever they need; even if it's the coat off their back.”

           

            Another interesting fact that he shared with us; Mr. John Riehemann graduated from Lindeman Elementary.

            Lindeman also has the most students of all four schools: 350. All the fourth and fifth grade students are paid for by Toyota to go to Camp Joy, & many kids are a part of Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Whiz Kids, or are tutored/mentored by local churches: more than any school in our district.

            While there are many more reasons why Lindeman is truly the best, they are not needed. Just knowing everything that Mr. Shires shared with us proves to me that I should be a proud graduate from Lindeman. This school has been moving in the right direction and it shines through more than anything.