Post by gatormom on Jan 9, 2007 10:45:28 GMT -6
Frontier provides jump on college
(http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/202716,6_1_NA09_FRONTIER_S1.article)
January 9, 2007
By BRITT CARSON staff writer
The word is out about the new Frontier Campus in Indian Prairie School District 204.
Block classes, no school on Fridays and a college-type atmosphere has more than 600 students interested in signing up for classes for the 2007-08 school year.
"This is such an innovative program," said Kathy Birkett, assistant superintendent of secondary education for District 204. "We created an environment that kids like and it has taken off. We knew once kids started talking to other kids the interest would increase."
Frontier is housed on two floors at the Fry Properties office building on 95th Street, just down the street from Neuqua Valley High School. The venture is a joint partnership with the College of DuPage, which also shares the space with District 204.
Enrollment at Frontier is about 132 students, and more than the 600 students the building could hold have expressed interest in next year's program.
Students have to be seniors to attend and can either take regular classes in block form, dual credit classes where they earn both COD and high school credit at the same time, or COD classes at a discounted rate.
Huy Quach, a senior from Waubonsie Valley High School, said the decision to attend Frontier was not an easy one, but he is glad he made the choice.
"Frontier is the best of both worlds," Quach said. "You get to be in high school with your peers and on the other side you have all the freedom and responsibility. Everything is student-centered and it is so small and personal."
Quach is taking six COD classes, plus advanced placement tests. He will have earned 21 college credit hours before he ever steps onto a college campus.
Bob Mattingly, guidance counselor at Frontier, said 38 students were set to graduate early this month. Even though they had enough credits to graduate, 11 of those students decided to stay enrolled at Neuqua Valley and take COD classes at the discounted rate, earning college credit.
The price of the lease and equipment to furnish the building are split evenly between District 204 and COD.
"This is the best deal in town," Mattingly said.
The students at Frontier can take COD classes at Frontier campus for $10 per class plus the cost of books.
Students at Frontier take classes Monday through Thursday. Mattingly said if a student's grade drops below a C or he or she has a discipline issue, the student has to come into school on Fridays for academic help or detention.
"This is an opportunity and students really don't want to lose it," Birkett said.
The small staff at Frontier is close-knit and they are still reeling from the loss of the former dean Dave Scheidecker, who died in his sleep Dec. 13. On Monday the district announced his replacement, Frank Kesman, who will serve as interim lead administrator for this school year.
Kesman served as an assistant principal at Naperville North High School for several years and then opened St. Charles North High School in 1999. He retired in 2005 and was teaching graduate courses at Aurora University when he got the call to come to Frontier.
"This is a wonderful program on so many levels," Kesman said. "I am glad to be a part of it."
Kesman said one of the advantages of the program is keeping seniors motivated throughout their last semester.
"I have been in high schools and sometimes that second semester, students seem to back off a bit," Kesman said. "This is a whole new challenge for students."
Birkett said the program has worked to ease overcrowding at Neuqua Valley at less than half the cost of portable classrooms. About 60 percent of students spend their whole day at Frontier; the other 40 percent split their time between Frontier and their home school.
(http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/202716,6_1_NA09_FRONTIER_S1.article)
January 9, 2007
By BRITT CARSON staff writer
The word is out about the new Frontier Campus in Indian Prairie School District 204.
Block classes, no school on Fridays and a college-type atmosphere has more than 600 students interested in signing up for classes for the 2007-08 school year.
"This is such an innovative program," said Kathy Birkett, assistant superintendent of secondary education for District 204. "We created an environment that kids like and it has taken off. We knew once kids started talking to other kids the interest would increase."
Frontier is housed on two floors at the Fry Properties office building on 95th Street, just down the street from Neuqua Valley High School. The venture is a joint partnership with the College of DuPage, which also shares the space with District 204.
Enrollment at Frontier is about 132 students, and more than the 600 students the building could hold have expressed interest in next year's program.
Students have to be seniors to attend and can either take regular classes in block form, dual credit classes where they earn both COD and high school credit at the same time, or COD classes at a discounted rate.
Huy Quach, a senior from Waubonsie Valley High School, said the decision to attend Frontier was not an easy one, but he is glad he made the choice.
"Frontier is the best of both worlds," Quach said. "You get to be in high school with your peers and on the other side you have all the freedom and responsibility. Everything is student-centered and it is so small and personal."
Quach is taking six COD classes, plus advanced placement tests. He will have earned 21 college credit hours before he ever steps onto a college campus.
Bob Mattingly, guidance counselor at Frontier, said 38 students were set to graduate early this month. Even though they had enough credits to graduate, 11 of those students decided to stay enrolled at Neuqua Valley and take COD classes at the discounted rate, earning college credit.
The price of the lease and equipment to furnish the building are split evenly between District 204 and COD.
"This is the best deal in town," Mattingly said.
The students at Frontier can take COD classes at Frontier campus for $10 per class plus the cost of books.
Students at Frontier take classes Monday through Thursday. Mattingly said if a student's grade drops below a C or he or she has a discipline issue, the student has to come into school on Fridays for academic help or detention.
"This is an opportunity and students really don't want to lose it," Birkett said.
The small staff at Frontier is close-knit and they are still reeling from the loss of the former dean Dave Scheidecker, who died in his sleep Dec. 13. On Monday the district announced his replacement, Frank Kesman, who will serve as interim lead administrator for this school year.
Kesman served as an assistant principal at Naperville North High School for several years and then opened St. Charles North High School in 1999. He retired in 2005 and was teaching graduate courses at Aurora University when he got the call to come to Frontier.
"This is a wonderful program on so many levels," Kesman said. "I am glad to be a part of it."
Kesman said one of the advantages of the program is keeping seniors motivated throughout their last semester.
"I have been in high schools and sometimes that second semester, students seem to back off a bit," Kesman said. "This is a whole new challenge for students."
Birkett said the program has worked to ease overcrowding at Neuqua Valley at less than half the cost of portable classrooms. About 60 percent of students spend their whole day at Frontier; the other 40 percent split their time between Frontier and their home school.
