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New Portal alternative school concepts presented

When the trustees of the South East Cornerstone Public School Division met on Oct. 16, they heard a trio of presentations regarding transitions and interventions within the system that were in place to assist students in non-traditional settings.
New Portal meeting
From the left: Maria Grayson, counsellor who reported on First Nations transition; Carolyn Thompson, administration assistant; Rob Andrist and Stephen Froese counsellors and instructors at the ECS New Portal alternative school.

When the trustees of the South East Cornerstone Public School Division met on Oct. 16, they heard a trio of presentations regarding transitions and interventions within the system that were in place to assist students in non-traditional settings.

Moira Grayson provided a report on transitioning First Nations students into high school graduation mode (see related article) and following her presentation, Rob Andrist and Stephen Froese from the Estevan Comprehensive School’s alternative school or New Portal School, provided some interesting facts and first account episodes regarding their unique facility and environment. The third report was delivered by Westview School principal Cheri Haberstock, on a school support team program.

The two men related how the New Portal school accepts students who don’t necessarily fit into the general student population, yet are motivated enough to pursue a complete Grade 12 diploma. Often these students have already faced multiple suspensions from the general school system and have worn out a welcome or have provided erratic performances that left them ineligible for a traditional classroom setting.

The alternate school, located four kilometres from Estevan, is a second generation facility. The first alternate school, which began 17 years ago, was located near North Portal, thus one of the reasons for the current name. The second reason being the fact that the school allows the students one more opportunity to walk through an opened door, a new portal, if you will, to success.

“We found that most of these students forged through elementary school quite successfully but faltered at the high school level,” said Andrist, who serves as counsellor as well as instructor while Froese carries on the fundamental educational portfolio.

In the more relaxed settings of the New Portal School, the 12 to 16 students assigned there, discover they are not disenfranchised, the men said. They found that most of them had never engaged in extra curricular activities that add a lot to the school experience.

“For some, this is their last shot at school,” said Andrist.

Achieving some level of success is important and that’s why the curriculum may focus on basic construction projects or lead the students to the well equipped kitchen to prepare meals for everyone, which means responding to peer pressure.

“They hear about it, if the noon meal isn’t good,” quipped Andrist.

Families can get involved too and the two educators attempt to keep the atmosphere positive and fun, even though students are often stressed and anxious.

The student pool will fluctuate, they said. One major dilemma, getting the students to the site, was resolved with an inventive busing schedule for the young adults aged 15 to 18.

They receive a hot meal every day, sometimes get to work with the neighbour’s horses, work on construction projects that includes the school maintenance itself and learn in the process as Froese pointed out, educational lessons can be delivered in pretty well any circumstance or setting. The challenge is to design individual programs for each student without placing a whole lot of emphasis on academics, but rather on learning and achieving. “I can incorporate math and English lessons into hands-on learning experiences,” said Froese.

“We never suspend or kick a kid out,” said Andrist, even if they come with a disruptive attitude. Many arrive with a court mandate to perform several hours of community service. That is often taken care of through arrangements with the school and after-school projects and programs.

“It’s a new opportunity to achieve and we’re there to collaborate with them, to get them there with coping strategies. We have the luxury of being able to wait them out, where teachers at the Comp don’t have that option,” Andrist noted. “It’s a challenge but it’s also a passion and if we didn’t like being there, we wouldn’t be. You have to like being there.”

Froese and Andrist were thanked by Estevan trustee Janet Foord, who had joined the board session via an audio hookup.