Tippy Valley School Board Hears Alternative School Successes
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
Lukens said during the first semester this school year, Burket students earned 217 credits and three students graduated first semester with a total of five students graduated this year.
Burket students have been able to participate in programs at the high school, and Heartline Pregnancy Center has a program at Burket.
Monday night, Lukens honored four students for their work in the classroom.
Two students attending Burket through Heartline have impressed Lukens since coming to Burket at the start of the second semester. Just freshmen, Lukens said the boy and girl are able to stay on pace for graduation despite all they had going on in their lives. He said he was proud of them for their school work.
Another girl was a straight “A” student at the high school. After getting pregnant, she started attending Burket through Heartline and is able to finish her classes at a fast pace. She plans to attend International Business College in Fort Wayne.
The fourth student Lukens touted had to battle all kinds of problems during the semester. He had health problems, dying for a moment, and battled with his mom and “outlaws”, Lukens said. Despite everything, Lukens said, the student earned seven credits and his on his way to earn all his credits to eventually graduate.
Burket is in its ninth year of service, having started in 2003, Lukens said. Over the past eight years, 163 students graduated. Burket had 16 go on to military service, 13 got their GED who didn’t end up graduating from Valley, one student was named a Distinguished Alumni by Valley and 17 went back to Tippecanoe Valley High School and graduated.
Many Burket students go on to become successful members of the community, Lukens said.
The Burket Educational Center will host its graduation ceremonies May 24.
Concerned with area graduation rates hovering around 75 to 82 percent, a group of community and school officials from the Warsaw, Tippecanoe Valley and Wawasee school districts formed the Dropout Prevention Committee in 2009.
The committee later changed its name to Kosciusko County Education Development, and developed objectives to impact dropout rates. At the high schools, the committee helped put graduation coaches in place. A mentoring program at the elementary and middle school levels encourages younger students in stay in school.
Valley Superintendent Brett Boggs said the mentoring program is going really well at Akron Elementary School. Deb Miller and Carol Mitterling highlighted aspects of the program.
Akron has a partnership with Akron Church of God through the Kids Hope program. Members from the church serve as mentors to the students. Each mentor has to go through a three-hour training, provided by Kids Hope.
Mentors only have to give one hour per week to their student. The program is always looking for more mentors.
Mitterling said the mentors do a lot of academics with the kids, but they also are there for positive reinforcement. The students love the fact they are getting one-on-one time with an adult.
She said the church enjoys what they are doing with the Akron students.
Boggs said he appreciated the fact the church and the individuals are willing to give of their time. He said they are looking for a church in Mentone to do the same thing with Mentone students that Akron Church of God is doing with Akron students.
Anyone can be a mentor for a student. The interested adult needs to complete a volunteer application for the school as well as have a criminal background check. If an adult is interested in serving as a mentor at Akron, contact Akron Elementary school counselor Deb Miller at 574-893-4646, Ext. 301, or e-mail [email protected]
TVHS Principal Kirk Doehrmann told the school board about the Body Safety program, which addresses the signals and myths of abuse.
The public program is tonight at 7 p.m. in the TVHS gymnasium. Child care is provided, and the event is sponsored by Teachers Credit Union.[[In-content Ad]]
Lukens said during the first semester this school year, Burket students earned 217 credits and three students graduated first semester with a total of five students graduated this year.
Burket students have been able to participate in programs at the high school, and Heartline Pregnancy Center has a program at Burket.
Monday night, Lukens honored four students for their work in the classroom.
Two students attending Burket through Heartline have impressed Lukens since coming to Burket at the start of the second semester. Just freshmen, Lukens said the boy and girl are able to stay on pace for graduation despite all they had going on in their lives. He said he was proud of them for their school work.
Another girl was a straight “A” student at the high school. After getting pregnant, she started attending Burket through Heartline and is able to finish her classes at a fast pace. She plans to attend International Business College in Fort Wayne.
The fourth student Lukens touted had to battle all kinds of problems during the semester. He had health problems, dying for a moment, and battled with his mom and “outlaws”, Lukens said. Despite everything, Lukens said, the student earned seven credits and his on his way to earn all his credits to eventually graduate.
Burket is in its ninth year of service, having started in 2003, Lukens said. Over the past eight years, 163 students graduated. Burket had 16 go on to military service, 13 got their GED who didn’t end up graduating from Valley, one student was named a Distinguished Alumni by Valley and 17 went back to Tippecanoe Valley High School and graduated.
Many Burket students go on to become successful members of the community, Lukens said.
The Burket Educational Center will host its graduation ceremonies May 24.
Concerned with area graduation rates hovering around 75 to 82 percent, a group of community and school officials from the Warsaw, Tippecanoe Valley and Wawasee school districts formed the Dropout Prevention Committee in 2009.
The committee later changed its name to Kosciusko County Education Development, and developed objectives to impact dropout rates. At the high schools, the committee helped put graduation coaches in place. A mentoring program at the elementary and middle school levels encourages younger students in stay in school.
Valley Superintendent Brett Boggs said the mentoring program is going really well at Akron Elementary School. Deb Miller and Carol Mitterling highlighted aspects of the program.
Akron has a partnership with Akron Church of God through the Kids Hope program. Members from the church serve as mentors to the students. Each mentor has to go through a three-hour training, provided by Kids Hope.
Mentors only have to give one hour per week to their student. The program is always looking for more mentors.
Mitterling said the mentors do a lot of academics with the kids, but they also are there for positive reinforcement. The students love the fact they are getting one-on-one time with an adult.
She said the church enjoys what they are doing with the Akron students.
Boggs said he appreciated the fact the church and the individuals are willing to give of their time. He said they are looking for a church in Mentone to do the same thing with Mentone students that Akron Church of God is doing with Akron students.
Anyone can be a mentor for a student. The interested adult needs to complete a volunteer application for the school as well as have a criminal background check. If an adult is interested in serving as a mentor at Akron, contact Akron Elementary school counselor Deb Miller at 574-893-4646, Ext. 301, or e-mail [email protected]
TVHS Principal Kirk Doehrmann told the school board about the Body Safety program, which addresses the signals and myths of abuse.
The public program is tonight at 7 p.m. in the TVHS gymnasium. Child care is provided, and the event is sponsored by Teachers Credit Union.[[In-content Ad]]
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