(by Don Meador)
Approximately 670 students will be walking the hallways at the Allen County Intermediate Center (ACIC) when classes resume on Thursday, August 13. The students will return to a school that continues to make great strides as a Lighthouse school along with a strong investment in student-engaged learning.
“We are a proud lighthouse school,” noted principal Jeremy Simmons and echoed by assistant principal Chesley Reid. “Having the Lighthouse designation is something to be proud of. It started back in 2017, so we're going into our 11th year. I think once you get to year 11, you can apply for legacy status, and so that's our goal.”
The school’s Lighthouse programs----based on Leader In Me concepts----strives to develop student leaders in each class.
“Being a Lighthouse school and what it's based on, is to develop what I'm looking for here,” Simmons stated. “Lighthouse and Leader In Me develops students with a growth mindset.”
Playing a critical role in continuing to implement and develop the Lighthouse program is instructional coach Vicki Coleman.
“Anybody that knows anything about Allen County knows that Vicky Coleman's been here for 30 years-plus and is a respected name,” Simmons added. “She has really partnered with our Leader-In-Me correspondent Emily Reed. Together, they have sat down, looked at our district coherence model, our district instructional model, our Profile of a Patriot, and found ways to tie Leader In Me into all of those things as well to kind of tightly weave those together. It’s not just an Allen County Schools’ instructional model or Leader In Me, Profile of a Patriot and PBL. It's all those things meshed together, nicely so that everything works together.”
This year, ACIC will continue to ask students to engage in PBL (Project-Based Learning) activities. Required in the schools across the District, PBL asks students to take ownership of a project, research a topic, prepare, and present the end result to their pers, families, and the community.
“We jumped into PBL head first,” Simmons noted, referring to when PBL started about five years ago. “We jumped in the deep end from the get-go, and we've been that school that has, every year since it's been an initiative, done multiple PBLs. We have exhibition night in the winter. In addition to that, we also have an exhibition, so to speak, in the fall and a spring as well where kids and parents can come in and see students' work.”
Simmons stressed that PBL projects will take place across the school and in each subject.
“What we wanted to do is have every main subject run at least one PBL,” Simmons added. “Every kid in our building gets at least three opportunities to participate in a high-quality, gold-standard PBL.”
Simmons adds that PBL is having an impact on all students including student-learners who are challenged a bit.
“As a former ECE teacher, I really believe that project-based learning, hands-on learning, vibrant learning allows you to see what kids know without it being paper and pencil all the time,” Simmons said. “If I give you a paper-pencil test all the time and you struggle writing, I'm not really gauging what you know. I’m just gauging that you have a writing disability, right? But if I say, "Hey, Donnie, I don't care what you make. Show me what you know. Then you have the autonomy to say, ‘I'm going to make a Google Slide,’ or, ‘I'm going to make a big, elaborate model.’ It really is just allowing kids the freedom to show what you know, how you like to show it.”
Reid adds that PBL creates excitement for the students and parents.
“So on those exhibition nights, there's not a sad face in the building.” Reid noted. “Parents are super excited about what the kids have done. And so it really is a good night and a good thing. I don't know how we ever did without it.”
ACIC is the school where students are introduced to not only new things such as lockers but also a place for new activities. Students at the school start to have greater club choices and things to be involved with. Students can participate in archery through the National Archery in School Program, clubs such as Jr. Beta and FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) and additional STEM activities. Sixth graders can even tryout for middle school athletic programs.
Multiple students will also take part in Gifted/Talented programs at the District level under Heather Pierce. In addition, Jenna Birge will engage with students in a social-emotional learning program similar to the WIN (What I Need) program at the middle school.
This year, Reid will continue to develop teams charged with improving and enhancing the culture inside the school
“Some of our next steps with Leader In Me was to create student action teams,” Reid explained. “Last year, we rolled out one last year just to kind of see how it went and those kiddos were amazing. They took it and went with it. The whole purpose was to plan things for staff and students that builds our culture in a positive way. I think the culture team allowed kids to say, ‘This is why I come to school, this is what I would love to happen if I came to school and let us do that for everybody else.’ It's also an opportunity to utilize that leadership to pull other kids in, kids that may not have friends or may not talk much or may not participate or may not love school.”
When asked, what would you like to say to parents and guardians and students, Simmons noted that ACIC students will be challenged
“To our parents, guardians, and students, we're a place that's going to push our kids,” Simmons explained. “It's going to require students to first be inquisitive. We're going to create moments of confusion. They're going to come home frustrated and say, ‘I don't get it. I don't know how to do that or maybe say ‘I don’t know how to do this’" But we're also going to teach that perseverance and how to push through not knowing and figuring it out, staying with it. And so it's different than it ever has been. It's going to get a little bit harder, and it should get a little bit harder. But kids really are going to have a great year, and we're going to do our very best to make your kid their very best.”
Only a few minor changes will greet students this year. One change, ACIC kids will be required to have see-through water bottles. Simmons explains that the requirement is for safety and less disruptions.
“The reason we had gone to see-through water bottles is two-fold,” Simmons said. “A, because it needs to be clear (to see inside) and B, kids were dropping those big metal Stanley’s in the floor and causing all kinds of ruckus.”
Pre-school activities include the Patriot Plunge on Thursday, July 30 at the CORE’s pool. The Plunge is a time for all ACIC students to enjoy the water and give parents/guardians the opportunity to complete paperwork, pick up parking tags, and/or learn more about the school.
Open house is on August 5 for fourth graders. From 5:30 until 7:00, the new students to the school are invited to come in, meet the teacher, walk the building, and get acquainted. The come and go event will be followed by the Open House for fifth and sixth graders on Thursday, August 6 from 5:30 until 7:00 at the school.