by Ben Kouchnerkavich
Holland, Mich.--Holland New Tech High School is going through the process of
fully implementing the characteristics of a New Tech high school.
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| Sophomore Bryce Crenshaw |
“It’s going to take time before we go ahead and put things
in place,” said sophomore Bryce Crenshaw. He has many ideas regarding what can be done to improve the
school. “We could use things such as student government,” he offered.
“Possibly, we could use a suggestion box, where students can write about people
who are doing good things and people who are doing bad. Another good idea [is
a] rewards system.”
In some ways, Bryce has taken matters into his own hands. He
and sophomore Devon Viles have been posting reminders around the lunchroom for
people to push in their chairs. “I feel as though the way we leave the
lunchroom is very important,” he said.
“Personally,” he continued, “I feel that we really need to
have some type of assembly [to address the issues concerning the school].”
“[The present staff has] only been together since August,”
said New Tech Director Deb Feenstra. “[We’re] working together as a team to
identify who we are.”
“If you come to this school, plan on being responsible for
your own behavior and learning,” she said. “We’ll facilitate it for you, but
it’s not my job to do it. I want to put pieces in place so change can
happen. We’re all in this together. What we’re doing is learning and developing skills to make you successful for the next seventy years of
your life- working, living, and being part of society. What we’re trying to
develop will help you be more able to achieve what you want when you
leave here.”
“When you start something brand new, there’s a learning
curve. This staff was working very hard the past two years to make something
work, but it wasn’t happening. We’re starting to see some of the pieces coming
together right now.”
So what’s the plan for the future of the school?
“Implementing a true New Tech program with all its
components,” she said. “There’s no telling what will happen as we grow.”
