GLENNA LYKENS

A LESSON IN HOW LEADERSHIP AND CARING CAN COEXIST T hose who know Glenna Lykens know she loves the Iditarod sled dog race held annually in Alaska. It is also a yearly tradition for her to post race updates, standings, and sled dog trivia on a bulletin board outside her office to help students follow along and help them understand some of the nuances of the event. Maybe the information that is posted because of her passion for the event can help some students see a correlation between the race and their own lives: how to persevere; the value of hard work; the value of a team. Lykens uses the board to help students understand that they have to find their place. There are lead dogs: those who stay in front, stay on the trail. Swing dogs are right behind the leader. They “swing” the sled when the trail curves. In people, that equates to people who support the leader and who figure out a way to make the team follow along, acting as bridges between the leader and the rest of the team. Then there are the team dogs—the workers, the engine. There are also wheel dogs that run right in front of the sled itself, calm-tempered, because the sled is right behind them. Strong and steady. Trustworthy. In many ways, Lykens has played each of these roles at Sycamore. BEFORE coming to Sycamore School in 1999, Lykens taught at elementary schools in Ohio and North Carolina. She worked at Treehouse Tales, a children’s bookstore in Indianapolis, where she helped the owner guide school teachers as they chose books to integrate into their curriculum. It was a perfect out-ofclassroom break for Lykens, a renowned book lover. “I helped teach a children’s literature class for teachers working on continuing credits to keep their license updated.” But she soon felt the pull of the classroom. “I wanted to move back to a classroom and teach again,” Lykens says. Diane Borgmann,

the current Head of Sycamore, was at that time the Head of Lower School, and first hired Lykens as an assistant teacher in 4th Grade in 1999. “In 2001, I became a lead teacher in 1st Grade and was in that role for four years. I became the Head of Lower School in 2005 and have loved that role for the last 16 years.” With 21 years at Sycamore, Lykens has been on the front row to see many changes. “It feels as if I watched the school grow up in many ways,” she says. “The school is now known among parents looking for options for gifted children in the Indianapolis area. Private, independent schools across the country with a mission for gifted students know us. It has evolved in its impact on gifted education.” Lykens attributes the advancements to the leadership she has worked with at Sycamore. “Nyle Kardatzke was important to the early years of the school, setting the path for the school’s accreditation and growth,” she says of the former Head of School. “He took the school from a fledgling new private school and guided it through its membership in ISACS. He led the school through its growth and financial ability to add on to the building. He had the confidence in me to move me from my teaching role to become the division head for Lower School in 2005, and he mentored me through my first years in that role. Diane Borgmann guided the school to the place it is today as a leader in gifted education. She has been a mentor, a role model, and a friend through my years at Sycamore.” As that swing person who helps leaders be effective, Lykens has been able to be both a participant in leadership discussions, helping quietly move the school forward, and also the face that greets students each day, knowing everyone’s name. “I have loved being able to see such a wide variety of events and activities each year in all grade levels,” she says. “I will miss all the little things, like morning carpool, when I get the chance to see so many of our students start out each day. I love that teachers let me come to read books to students throughout the year that connect to their units or events. I’m excited every year to share the history, events, and progress of the Iditarod.” Lykens rattles off a list of things that she has been involved in that will be tough to walk away from and also compose part of her legacy. “I will miss not traveling for a day to Camp Tecumseh with the 4th Graders. Each year I looked forward to events such as the Read-A-Thon, the Science Expo, the Olympics, Spirit Week, the Girls Conference, the Halloween Parade, the 3rd Grade Poetry Tea, and the 8th Grade Graduation. I will miss hearing the 4th Graders playing their band instruments next door to my office, improving throughout the year from true beginners to sounding like a band; having students share a riddle with me, happy when they stump me; seeing the projects created by students in all grade levels displayed in the hallways. Most of all, I will miss not having Lunch Bunch each week with students, and I think that might be something students might remember most, too.”

GLENNA’S smile and gentle-but-nomonkey-business way she has with the students is one of the things that has made her so successful. “I will miss the students, the faculty and staff, and the parents. The community of Sycamore is so special and unique, and in my role, I have been lucky to interact with the entire community. Every day touches my heart in so many ways. It’s very special to see Sycamore faculty as they teach, interact with students, and collaborate with and support each other. They make each day fun, and they inspire their students and me.” Lykens has a pretty simple answer to what her legacy at Sycamore might be and what values she thinks she has contributed: “I hope that teachers will remember that everything they do needs to start with what is best for their students. I hope that Lower School teachers will always be there to support each other and bring joy and laughter to each day.” • I hope that teachers will remember that everything they do needs to start with what is best for their students. I hope that Lower School teachers will always be there to support each other and bring joy and laughter to each day.

GLENNA LYKENS