Next year there will be a new program that will be integrated into the school, called the Freshman Learning Center, still taking place in what is now known as the Freshman Academy. The main goal that it hopes to achieve is creating a smaller community in the school, while also catering to students so they are on a better path to graduation.
While Masimba Taylor will remain the principal of the high school as a whole, current assistant principal Trent Bodine will act as the Freshman Learning Center principal.
“The purpose of the Freshman Learning Center is to make our large school feel smaller to incoming freshmen,” Bodine said. “It is also for teachers and their students to build more meaningful relationships with one another.”
The way this will be done is by separating incoming freshmen into three groups, or Houses. Each house will include two English teachers, two science teachers, two math teachers and two PCC teachers. PCC will also be renamed from Preparing for College and Careers to Freshman Seminar.
According to administrators, a majority of student drop-outs take place between freshman and sophomore years. This is mostly due to the big transition to a high school climate, it being the first time many students face actual consequences and a lack of personal connections.
By implementing the Freshman Learning Center, students will have a common group of four to five adults they can turn to for help, and those common teachers will have planned meetings with their Houses in which they can touch base about issues with students and find ways to help them.
There will also be House leads who have many different tasks that they have to manage, such as facilitating meetings, House goal monitoring, and overseeing the data of their House.
“One of the most important qualities of a House lead is being a strong leader that facilitates meetings while also being an innovative teacher, so that was the way we decided who would be a House lead,” Bodine said.
Those House leads are teachers Mrs. Ashley Kines, Mrs. Jenny Harris, and Mrs. Darlynne Campbell. It was announced the week after spring break that they would be selected to be House leads.
“I found out that I would have the position, and when I learned what it was about I was immediately excited,”Harris said. “I’ve seen examples from other schools and thought it would be beneficial for the students.”
The teachers in the Freshman Learning Center will have a huge impact on the students. In order to make this happen, though, some teachers will need to move classrooms to wherever their House is located.
“When I was initially told that I would have to move my classroom I was upset because I liked the space and location of my room, but I was willing to move since I think it is a great idea,” math teacher Jesse Comarella said. “I usually teach a lesson and the next day students forget how to do it, but with blocks I could give them more time for practice, which I think is necessary for a subject like math. Also, I like the House idea because it will be a lot more fun. I worry about students adjusting to the schedule, and also with more time comes more discipline issues.”
To kick off the new year and new initiative, the freshman will come a day before the rest of the high school in July to get used to the bigger school and meet their teachers.
“The freshman will come a day before to emphasize making the freshman feel comfortable for the rest of the year,” Bodine said. “They will meet their teachers, learn to navigate the building, and participate in team-building activities with their Freshmen Learning Center team.”