Richwoods High School

Programs help students prepare for first day of middle and high school

When 10-year-old Walter Flatt woke up Tuesday, he was eager to continue learning how to succeed in the fifth grade. The only problem was, it was only 3 a.m., so his mother sent him back to bed.

Walter is part of the new District 150 programs designed to make students' shifts into middle and high schools a little smoother. The programs help incoming fifth- and ninth-graders meet the challenges they'll face at their new schools.

For the fifth-graders, the program is called Step Up and took place over four days at Mark Bills Middle School. It ends Thursday.

Only 5 percent, or 47, of the district's more than 900 fifth-graders attended Step Up. District officials hope to hold the program at all the middle schools, increasing participation in the future.

The kids took classes in reading, writing, art, music and dance and had time in the computer lab learning skills from certified instructors. Each student received a healthy breakfast and lunch, as well as district transportation to and from the school.

"We are giving students every conceivable opportunity to succeed," said Sharon Reed, who facilitated the program.

Reed believes the students participating will have a head start in preparing for middle school.

"It'll help me get better in my skills for school," Walter said.

After attending Step Up, 11-year-old Miracle Branscumb now wants to learn to play the drums and try out for the basketball team in middle school.

"I learned you shouldn't bully 'cause it's wrong," Miracle said. "You might hurt somebody's feelings."

Students were given presentations on topics such as how to deal with bullying and even a demonstration of traditional African drumming.

The transition programs also are being implemented on the high school level. Incoming freshmen were invited to special summer orientation sessions.

Ninth-graders made up about 40 percent of expulsions in District 150 schools last year. The district hopes the new programs will reduce disciplinary problems by allowing the incoming freshmen to learn what is expected of them before exposure to the full high school environment.

"It was a short summer. Just two months ago, these students were in eighth grade," said Principal Cindy Clark of Richwoods High School. "It's a big shift for these kids."

Richwoods offered a half-day orientation session Wednesday for students and parents to become acquainted with the school. Peoria High School had a two-day orientation session earlier this week, and Manual High School's three-day orientation will run Monday through Wednesday.

Disgusting incident at Richwoods High School | The Community Word

I learned about a disgusting incident at Richwoods High School that will probably go unreported. A 17 year old student was the victim of bullying. You know, it’s that activity that even the President of the United States and his wife has talked about discouraging.  The IHSA has even run countless commercials about it. A recent letter to the Journal from parents of a student who committed suicide because of bullying emphasized the need for schools to be more active to prevent the hateful behavior. Apparently, a group of Richwoods students thinks “it’s cool.”

According to my sources, a 17 year old student, who has emotional challenges due to abuse, is often subjected to taunts and teasing by classmates, making his life, that’s already difficult, even more so. The taunts and teasing went even further. While the student was in gym class, a group allegedly took his clothes out of a locker and urinated on them before they were returned. When the victim went to get dressed he could smell the urine and knew what happened. School officials reportedly failed to investigate or do anything saying, “Since we don’t know who did it, there’s nothing we can do.” A couple of questions for Richwoods officials: Did you call and report it to police? If not, why not? Did you make a report for District 150 administration?  If not, why not? If the student has been a previous victim of bullying, what are you doing to protect him while holding others accountable? The entire episode is disgusting.

GREAT OPPORTUNITY

Peoria has a great opportunity to finally have a sports complex that could exceed East Peoria’s Eastside and certainly the fields in Pekin adjacent to the Dome.It was exciting to know that officials with dreams Copperstown Park in New York are interested in building a sports complex near the Shoppes at Grand Prairie that would give some 25 fields for baseball and softball. Many pieces have to fall in place for development to achieve, but we will keep our bats crossed in the hope that it will happen despite the negative newspaper article (as usual).

School officials TAKE holiday trip

Do not believe the nonsense District 150 officials are pedaling on their taxpayer-paid trip to Washington DC By a vote of 4-3, the board approved taking money tabbed for education to spend on an expense paid trip to lobby some members of Congress. Debbie Wolfmeyer, Linda Butler and Grenita Lathan, superintendent, will make the trip that will accomplish nothing of value that can’t be achieved by Aaron Shock, Congressman, and/or our two Illinois senators. The allocated $7,500 is small, but the negative signal to taxpayers is huge. Interestingly, I always thought it was unethical for elected officials like Wolfmeyer and Butler to vote in favor of spending money from which they personally benefit, in this case, plane tickets, lodging and meals. A tip of the hat to those who opposed the “vacation;” Jim Stowell, Laura Petelle and Martha Ross, although Ross recently returned from a similar trip in April. Given the flow of red ink in District 150, there should be a moratorium on travel.

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