The devil, as they say, is in the details. The devilish detail that is sticking in many of the new seniors’ craws is that this new campus is not new at all. It is the older, more worn, former Ninth Grade Campus. This year’s seniors have already out-grown (or say they have) the smaller, less aesthetically-pleasing brick edifice. My best estimate is that roughly half of the upcoming seniors and their parents are opposed to this plan for the fall. It has come to be known as “The Switch” (insert creepy music and screechy sound effects).
I don’t fully mean to poke fun. I understand their misgivings. I really do. In mid-June, I said goodbye to my gorgeous home-away-from home: my classroom of three years with westward facing windows and a breath-taking view of the woods in all their seasonal glory. I understand that it feels like a demotion for what should be the shining finish to a hard won battle to the finish line. I get it. The seniors have been looking forward to ruling the school, and now, they will be back where they started. I understand the negative take on this move.
I also get, however, that we need to do something different. The curriculum we are developing for this new campus is going to change the way these students are prepared for what comes after graduation. The possibility for student choice and authentic, project-based learning fills me with giddy excitement and hope for the future. I am excited for the new campus. I believe in the vision, and I will work tirelessly to help the North Campus at Holt Public Schools be a wild success.
All of this bright-eyed jibber jabber and positive envisioning will be for naught, however, unless we work as a team to build a positive school culture. That will be the thing. We need to work together to make the North Campus a place where students want to be. We need to create a new way of looking at the senior year of high school. We need to build community. I feel as if I am up for the task. I feel nervous but energized. I am worried about the negative attitudes of some community members. They are actively cheering for our failure.
Come what may, I choose positivity. I choose community. I choose student choice. I have been granted the opportunity to do school differently, and for that, I am so very thrilled. The road ahead is long and steep. I am sure there will be more setbacks than I even want to imagine just starting out. But that’s the beauty of it. We will build a positive school community of which each senior can be proud to be a part. It will take hard work and perseverance. Luckily, we Holt Rams have that in spades.