The Greenwood Community High School 11th grade English teacher was known as not just a classroom teacher, but a constant part of the Greenwood school community.
Holly Wippermann’s favorite sport to attend was volleyball, and she would watch almost every Greenwood match from the sidelines. She went to school sporting events, plays and saw the fine arts displays of her students. She made herself available for SAT and ACT preparation and donated to organizations such as the Red Cross and Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health. Through all her actions, she embodied selflessness, high school Principal Todd Garrison said.
They will feel the void of her loss after 14 years as a teacher this year. Wippermann, 66, was diagnosed with cancer on June 28 and died on July 14.
Immediately after her death, support and memories from people who had known her began pouring in on Twitter. An online fundraiser organized by her four daughters has raised more than $9,900 since her diagnosis as of Friday. The funds will be used for the Holly Wippermann Memorial Scholarship.
Wippermann was a teacher who made sure her students were OK not just academically, but emotionally, Superintendent Kent DeKoninck said.
“Her impact on students was immeasurable not just in the classroom, but she cared about their social-emotional pieces. Her first concern was that and then she worried about academics,” DeKoninck said.
“One lesson she got me involved in, she got students talking about how to do things differently with the school. She invited me in to have a dialogue for what we could do to make the school better. She was a practical, hands-on educator.”
Wippermann also encouraged dialogue in her classroom. In order to help students improve their networking and interviewing skills, she invited community members to interview students. At times, she could go 15 minutes without talking after posing a question because her students were engaged in debate, DeKoninck said.
“She was an extremely strong educator in the classroom from a pedagogy standpoint, imparting knowledge to her students,” DeKoninck said. “She was a master teacher in regards to that. She cared so much about her students.”
Through his time as assistant principal and principal at Greenwood, Garrison knew Wippermann since she started working there. Her absence will be felt by everyone in the school, Garrison said.
“It’s gonna be felt everywhere with the staff,” Garrison said. “She was always in the hall. She just connected with everyone. It will be difficult to push on. From what I know about Ms. Wippermann, she’ll want us to continue to push our kids hard and not dwell on the fact she’s not here but concentrate on our students. That’s what she wants us to do for her.”
A celebration of Wippermann’s life will be conducted today at the high school gym from 4 to 6 p.m.
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To donate to the memorial scholarship fund, search for the Holly Wippermann Memorial Scholarship on fundly.com
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