The Sidney City Schools Hall of Honor will increase membership to 131 on Friday April 12, 2019. The 26th annual induction ceremony will take place in the Sidney High School Auditorium beginning at 7:00pm and will be followed by a gymnasium reception, both of which are fully open to the public. The Hall represents alumni, retired employees, and supporters of the school district who have positively impacted the community, excelled in their profession, or contributed to make a lasting impression on the world.
Of those receiving the highest honor bestowed by Sidney City Schools this year is Timothy Bickel, a pillar of education in Sidney City Schools during his years of service and a pillar of the Sidney community for a lifetime.
Fellow Hall of Honor inductee Tom Clark wrote that Tim “exhibited outstanding organizational skills and possessed excellent rapport with staff and students.” These skills helped steer learning in Sidney City Schools for over three decades and validate his induction.
After earning his bachelor and masters degrees from Bowling Green State University and Wright State University respectively, Tim started as a teacher for students with developmental disabilities at Whittier Elementary and later became a fourth grade teacher at the school. In 1975, he embarked upon his career in administration by being named principal at Parkwood and Port Jefferson Elementary Schools. He then settled in as the principal at Emerson Elementary for ten strong years. Tim’s student-first approach and his ability to get all stakeholders moving in the same direction helped earn Emerson a “Hall of Fame School” recognition in 1986 from the Ohio Elementary Administrators Association.
Seeing his ability to lead, Sidney City Schools elevated Tim to curriculum director in 1986, a position he held for 20 years until his retirement. As the curriculum director, Tim was described as a “mentor and innovator” by several colleagues. He led the district from a compliance-based curriculum to an alignment-based curriculum with heavy emphasis on teacher professional development. Tim also spearheaded the district’s strategic planning committee in 2000 and was heavily involved in the establishment of the state-recognized Opportunity School. He still plays an active role in the curriculum arena by serving as the facilitator of the Western Ohio Curriculum Directors meetings.
As if his life as an educator and administrator didn’t keep him busy enough, Tim’s leadership abilities and caring nature have also transferred into the community. For nearly 40 years, Tim has been a member and past president of the Sidney Rotary Club, and currently serves on the Shelby County Historical Society/Sidney Daily News “Out of the Past” editing group. He also served two terms on S&H Products Board of Directors and in leadership positions for the United Way campaigns, and is in his 25th year on the Sidney Parks and Recreation Board.
Tim continues to work in Sidney today as a lighting specialist with Dickman Supply, where he and his colleagues have helped Dickman achieve DP&L’s Channel Partner of the Year award for ten consecutive years. He and his wife Judy reside in Sidney and have three children, Todd, Aimee, and Brett (current Sidney High School history and government teacher).
Tim Bickel is the sixth member of the 1967 graduating class to join the Hall of Honor, which also includes classmates William M. Dodd, Chuck Price, Douglas Stewart, Kathy Lindsey, and Ardiss Willman Luce. He joins the Hall of Honor with the fellow 2019 induction class including Tom Clark, David Shadoan (SHS 1975), and Taylor Stayton (SHS 2003).