Students making progress

FALLS VILLAGE — Gale Toensing, representing Falls Village,  asked for details on the academic struggles of last year’s freshmen during the regular monthly meeting of the Region One Board of Education Monday, Oct. 4.

Early in the 2009-10 school year an unusually large number of freshmen had sub-par academic performances. Region One Assistant Superintendent Diane Goncalves said that of last year’s freshmen, nine finished the year with one failing grade and three had multiple failures.

Goncalves said the primary reason behind the failures was chronic absenteeism.

She added that the same group, now in their sophomore year, had 24 of 118 students failing something.

“But right now the only grades we have are the mid-quarters,� she cautioned. “These are warnings.�

Goncalves said the poor grades often reflect missing work. “A major report’s not in, or there is missing homework.�

Goncalves also observed that 34 of last year’s freshmen made the honor roll.

This year’s Freshman Seminar program, in which teams of teachers and student mentors work with the freshmen from the start of the school year, was designed in part as a response to concerns raised last year.

Melody Sandquist, a sophomore and a student mentor, told the board she believes the program to be effective and said she wishes it had been available for her class last year.

“My group has gone from sitting quietly to participating,� she said. “It went from ‘I have to be here’ to ‘I want to be a doctor.’�

Interim Assistant Principal David Bayersdorfer told the board that the teachers involved in the Freshman Seminar program will look carefully at the mid-marking period grades to identify areas where students are deficient, and he will do the same with the upperclassmen (coordinating  with the Guidance Department).

Parents will be able to follow up themselves with conferences on Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 13 and 14.

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