Balloons helped teach USD 257 board members the value of a program that links freshmen with seniors at Iola High School.
Board members were given two balloons each and told to keep them in the air. The balloons represented students, and the exercise was meant to show how difficult it is to keep them at a high level of success.
In one minutes time, very few balloons remained in the air.
A handful of IHS seniors joined the board members and repeated the exercise. With the extra help, few balloons touched the ground.
Thats the value of Link Crew, sponsors Amy Shannon and Regina Christensen told board members. Link Crew has evolved over the years, and at one point ran throughout the school year providing student mentors for underclassmen.
Now, Link Crew takes place only on the first day of school. This year, 26 seniors met with 81 freshmen to introduce them to IHS. The day began with ice-breaker activities. Then, small groups of freshmen and seniors met to do character-building activities and share personal stories. The more students learn each others personal stories, the less likely they will engage in hurtful or bullying behavior, Shannon and Christensen said.
Seniors selected for Link Crew must complete an application process that includes teacher recommendations but does not rely on grades or other activities. The purpose is to select a cross-section of students, not just high achievers, in hopes that incoming freshmen will find someone with whom they can relate.
The point is to get freshmen involved right away so they already feel like they belong, Christensen said.
IHS principal Scott Crenshaw added: Freshman year dictates the path for many kids. Studies have shown if a freshman ends the year with one F, they have a 30 percent less chance to graduate. If they have two Fs, they have a greater than 50 percent chance of dropping out.
So far, less than two weeks into the school year, 35 percent of freshmen already have earned at least one F in classes, he said.
Link Crew is critical in getting these kids engaged. We need to invest in these kids. We have to say they are simply worth it, Crenshaw said.
The sponsors would like to see the program expanded until it once again takes place throughout the year. They also asked board members to consider sending them to advanced training, and send other teachers to the basic training course.
Now is a good time to implement those changes. Because of the climate of our nation and our school, what we are doing is not really up-to-date. Its a different world than when we were trained eight years ago, Shannon said. We need retrained. The advance training uses language and activities that are more inclusive.
A grant paid for training for Shannon and Christensen, with the district covering only travel expenses. They estimated costs for training at $2,695 per person plus travel and hotel costs for three days and nights for the basic training course, and $1,300 per person plus travel and hotel costs for two days and nights for the advanced course.
THE BOARD also heard an update on another type of link program. Last year, the district received a LiNK grant (Literacy Network of Kansas) for $15,000 for various types of training, literacy material and programs.
Jenna Higginbotham and Briana Curry, instructional coaches, told board members they received $57,000 in grant money for those programs, simply by asking for more money. Some of the money was diverted to Iola from other districts that received similar grants but did not utilize the funds.
