(Batesville, IN) – When Batesville’s Christmas Tree Lighting Committee—consisting of representatives from the City of Batesville, the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce, and Batesville Main Street—met to plan this year’s downtown holiday celebration scheduled for December 6, a challenge emerged: the town’s Santa House desperately needed repair.
Left exposed to the elements for years, the structure required more than a simple touch-up.
But what began as a call for community volunteers blossomed into a collaborative, hands-on project involving students, educators, and local supporters—epitomizing the spirit of the holidays and the power of relationships through Bulldog Ready, Batesville Community School Corporation’s new community-connected educational model.
A Gift for Santa
Jama Linkel-Cleghorn, a Batesville Main Street committee member, saw the opportunity to turn this problem into one of Bulldog Ready’s first large-scale community-connected projects for students. With some start-up funding for the project from the city, Linkel-Cleghorn approached Bulldog Ready Coordinators Tricia Jennewein, from the community, and Kyle Laker, who represents the Batesville Community School Corporation (BCSC). They immediately saw the potential for students to apply classroom skills to this real-world problem. Since Batesville Middle School (BMS)’s Bulldog Ready focus is on nonprofit community impact, Jennewein and Laker thought those students would be a perfect fit.
Hands-On Learning Meets Holiday Magic
The BMS team jumped at the chance. Industrial Technology (IT) teacher Jeremy Spencer and Family and Consumer Science (FACS) teacher Megan Spreckelson worked hard to incorporate the project into their curriculum at the last minute.
“We took what we had already planned to teach and pivoted to include this project,” Spreckelson shared. “It’s been fun to see creativity, drive, and interest in the project among students, even those not usually interested in some of the projects in my class.”
The students, along with their teachers, began by assessing the needs of the house and making plans for upgrades, which included repairing structural elements, re-designing the interior, and adding special features like a ramp for accessibility. Spreckelson’s FACS students created proposals for the interior design, voting to determine the best ideas. Meanwhile, Spencer’s IT classes planned to tackle the construction work, which included cutting down donated wood for shiplap walls and building a fireplace surround, as well as repairing rotted wood.
As the BMS team considered what needed to be completed to revamp the house, Linkel-Cleghorn reached out to the local community to secure donations or resources to support the project, since the total cost would exceed the funding available from the city. Her outreach efforts ensured every aspect of the project was covered. From donated lumber and tools to electrical work and painting, contributions from businesses underscored the community’s investment in the project. (See below for a complete list.) Batesville High School (BHS) welding students even got involved, designing and constructing a steel ramp with materials funded by local donors. The result was a house transformed inside and out—complete with siding, new flooring, updated décor, windows, a mailbox for Santa, and a white picket fence.
A Community Effort
“This is what Bulldog Ready is all about,” Bulldog Ready Community Coordinator Jennewein explained. “The community contacted us with a need, and BCSC students, with guidance from their teachers, were able to step up and figure out how to get it done. Thanks to community support, they learned practical skills while giving a huge gift back to our town. ”
“As a new BCSC teacher, I was thrilled to have been provided an opportunity to jump right in and get connected with community members and my students on this special project,” Spencer shared. “It’s been a pleasure to show my IT students how the skills we learn in class can be used to build both this house and community spirit at the same time. It’s a bonus that they’ll be able to see their handiwork downtown at holiday time every year.”
The updated Santa House now boasts not only structural improvements but also thoughtful touches like a Christmas tree adorned with wooden ornaments crafted by the students.
“A lot of people gave a little and made something BIG happen in Batesville,” Linkel-Cleghorn reflected. “It makes me proud to have been a part of this unique collaboration. I’m excited for everyone to see the final product.”
A Lasting Gift
This project wasn’t just about repairing a building; it was about fostering connections and creating something tangible that symbolizes community pride. When the lights are turned on inside the new Santa House during Batesville’s Christmas Tree Lighting gathering, the town will celebrate more than the holiday season—they’ll celebrate the ingenuity, collaboration, and heart of its students and citizens. Through Bulldog Ready, Batesville showed what’s possible when education and community partnerships intersect: a gift for Santa that will continue to give for years to come.
The Batesville Community School Corporation invites the entire community to view the newly renovated Santa House during the Batesville tree lighting activities on Friday, December 6 from 4 to 8 p.m. downtown. The inside of the house can be viewed by participating in Santa’s visiting hours after the parade.
Thank you to the following for making this project possible:
Student Participants:
BMS Family and Consumer Science: Lilliana Adams, Aubrianna Ash, Chloe Baker, Elizabeth Barry, Macey Benjamin, Lily Benoit, Carly Blanton, Ella Bower, Breauna Broshears, Genevieve Comer, Lilymae Deal, Mallory Deardorff, Isaac Deputy, Audrey Dieckmann, Isabel Dierckman, Deacon Fledderman, Brenlee Gabbard, Kassandra Garza, Isabella Gutzwiller, Mikaela Gutzwiller, Benson Harrison, Kayleigh Hicks, Lane Higham, Kendall Hoff, Scarlett Holland, Addysin Hughes, Hailey Hundley, Landyn Jones, Kylee Luers, Isabella Karbowski, Cayman Kates, Aubrey Kathmann, Adyline Kreuzman, Kenzi Lacey, Caden Lehman, Brooklyn Lewis, Kiersten Luers, Stella Maple, Isaiah Martin, Ava Meyer, Aviana Miller, Novalee Miller, Jaxon Moon, Maliyah Morton, Francesca Myers, Jax Negovetich, Lydia Niese, Emma Nobbe, Ishita Patel, Chelsea Paul, Elise Prewitt, Caroline Ramsey, Emeline Reeves, Ivey Richardson, Rylie Rosfeld, Cameron Schebler, Olivia Schebler, Alexis Schiller, Kayla Schneider, Taylor Schneider, Ross Schuerman, Samara Seitz, Nora Sharkey, Carter Sims, Jayden Sims, Calley Smith, Kyra Smith, Alyson Starost, Kendell Stephens, Lyla Struewing, Trenton Taylor, Arianna Trejo, Madison Tribe, Ava Wade, Sophia West, Tyler Widener, Gavin Williamson, Raylin Witt, and Teresa Zuno-Luna.
BMS Industrial Technology: Alejandro Aguila Guzman, Karsyn Ball, Daggan Blunt, Hank Bohman, Braylen Borgman, Angel Camarena, Storm Chaffee, William Cox, Cole Craig, Alyssa Cummings, Bradley Davidson, Quinntin Faust, Maximus Flodder, Taytum Froehling, Lucas Gadberry, Kennedy Gillespie, Caleb Glosser, Cruz Gribben, Russell Grubbs, Winter Halverson, Dakota Helcher, Edwin Hernandez, Braden Hochstetler, Liam Hofmann, Gabriel Hurley, Evan Ibold, Clara Johnson, Beckett Jones, Joshua Jones, Urijah Lewis, Charles Kline, Nathaniel Kraus, Tyler Malone, Hazel Mauer, Nathan Mehlon, Kaydanc Neace, Chase Nobbe, Samuel Patterson, Evan Pulskamp, Jack Pulskamp, Zachary Reed, Cade Rienschield, Ryan Roell, Zavier Sams, Jesus Santiago, Ellie Snapp, Zel Trenkamp, Collin Vogelsang, Maxwell Wenninger, Makenna Westerman, and Bronson Winsted.
BHS Welding: Quinn Bergman, Kaiden Fasbinder, Henry Garrett, Eli Lanham, Tyler Puente, and Noah Weberding.
Donors:
Batesville High School After Prom, picket fence
Dave and Julie Cox, ramp supplies Enneking Auto Body, ramp painting
Curtis Gillman, tools
Oldenburg Pallet, LLC, lumber
Linkel Company, LLC, lumber, windows, door, insulation, interior décor, and more
Luke Pierson Construction, electrical
Pulskamp’s Flooring Plus, flooring
Rowland Graphics, sign
Project Assistance:
Dan Abplanalp, BCSC Maintenance, project assistance
Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce
Batesville Main Street
City of Batesville, funding
Steve Deputy, BMS Maintenance, project assistance
Gillman Home Center, supplies/siding
John Irrgang, Mayor
Tricia Jennewein, BCSC Bulldog Ready Community Coordinator
Kyle Laker, BCSC Bulldog Ready Coordinator
Jama Linkel-Cleghorn, project lead
Jeremy Spencer, BMS Industrial Technology teacher
Megan Spreckelson, BMS Family and Consumer Science teacher
Dave Strouse, BMS Principal
Mark Struewing, BHS Welding Instructor
(Batesville Community School Corporation press release)
