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Show Young and not so young attend alternative high i i. i .- j : k f . I ' ' ' . - ' : . -1 , Ml . . i . J I $ f Sr - ' ' ; ' Rhonda Ogden, standing, instructs students at the computers at Central High School located in Pleasant Grove. By KALYN SECKETAN Did you know a Central High graduate was 73-years-old and honored as the oldest graduate in the nation? Congratulation notes were received from the Senate and around the country. The elderly student added so much to the Young Mothers program, kids loved her and sought her advice. This is just one of the success stories from Central High, where a parent was able to receive a high school diploma. . The school, located just north of the downtown park in Pleasant Grove, was established by the Alpine School District to provide alternative ways for some students to obtain a diploma. Flexible methods are used to gear the work to the students' level and make it enjoyable. . The program was designed for students who have difficulty in the regular program and who enter Central High after an evaluation with parents and high school counselors. Parents of all ages are eligible to attend the Parents Program at Central High School if they have not received a high school diploma. Dr. Lars E. Jenkins is principal at the school. Teachers recognize and thank him for improving the physical facility. It was rather primitive to begin with. Dr. Jenkins, with the help of custodians, installed partitions and they now have 10 classrooms. They are not fancy, but it is a lot better than having four classes in the i corners of a large room. The facility is much better for the teachers and the students. The basement, for many years a storage area, was developed into a nursery where mothers can bring their children. , At the present time, 150 students are enrolled in the school. The enrollment changes as students can enter at anytime. Hours -are flexible, one group attends from 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m., while the second group starts at 2:30 and finishes at 8 p.m. Basic classes for graduation are taught by the six teachers and one part-time teacher. The school has a computer room where they teach mastery math. They have homemakmg facilities and classes, word processing, type and several other vocational classes. All women are welcome in the mothers program, they can bring their children. The nursery is free. Linda Bethers of Pleasant Grove is in charge of the nursery. She has been with the program since its beginning. Kids love the nursery. The first two weeks they may cry as they arrive, but after two weeks they cry because they don't want to go home. It is a great pre-school program. Teachers at the school have i geared classes to a mother's in-I in-I terests. Students are taught how to . write a will, then they go over to a I bank where it is notarized. Budgeting, loans and credit are I taught in the consumer class. Students are taught how to get a I job, write a resume and get an I interview. They can prepare for college and several have received grants at I UTC. I In the literature class, mothers I write a story about their child, I many talk about how mom and dad met or the day they were born. The , stories are made into a book and bound as a special gift from mom. Linda Bethers, right, plays with children in the Alternate High School nursery. She has worked in the nursery since its beginning nine years ago. Handicraft items are made and many were sold at the recent Battlecreek Boutique. This was an experience on how to make money at home and it gave the girls an opportunity to earn extra money. The mothers program, in its ninth year, has been more successful than Central High because the mothers are there because they want to be there. A drop-in program also exists at the school for students who work or find the regular school difficult to attend. In this program, students meet with the teacher once or twice a week, do a packet of work and return it for computer testing. Eight packets contain one quarter's work. Many students welcome an opportunity op-portunity to complete their education, they discover a high school diploma is essential for life. Dr. Jenkins said one of the biggest problems is people expect behavior change overnight. He said the school has its problems as well as other schools, but have also realized a lot of success. Dr. Jenkins stated, "Anybody is welcome at anytime to visit the school, observe the facility or talk with the faculty. The door is open." |