Options students celebrate year’s successes in Jeffersonville

By TARA HETTINGER
Tara.Hettinger@newsandtribune.com

June 04, 2009 01:14 pm

— With tables filled with family, teachers and community members, Options Alternative School’s middle-school students celebrated their past year’s achievements with an awards ceremony Wednesday afternoon.
Diana Muller, school counselor, said students find themselves at Options for a variety of reasons, usually for behavior concerns. She said for whatever reason, they are not successful in a traditional school setting.
She said Options helps children address those issues to get them integrated back into their original school.
“We definitely made some progress with just about everybody,” Muller said.
Students were given awards for character, biggest improvement, school subjects and more.
“I think it’s great because we get to get recognized and just to let people know we’re not bad kids. We just made a mistake,” 15-year-old Jacob Wise said.
“It was nice because everybody got an award and no one got left out,” 12-year-old Hezekiah Jackson said.
Finishing out the year wasn’t easy, said Kahdrell Lassiter, who will go to Jeffersonville High School in the fall.
“It was hard at one point, and then I got used to it and it started working out,” he said.
Parents said they appreciate the second chance the program gives students.
“I think it’s wonderful because they start off with a bad start, and they get all the help from the teachers [and more] to get back to a good start,” said Shamaine Vaughn, Lassiter’s mom.
Many said the end-of-the-year program, which is in its fifth year, is a great way to celebrate what the kids accomplished.
“I think it’s great,” said Rose Wise, Jacob’s mom. “I think it definitely highlights what they learned and it gives them a lot of pride, too.”
“What they’ve done is set goals,” said Sandy Gordon, who teaches math and science to the kids. “Yeah, there were setbacks, but they kept going.
“And, in order to be successful, you have to feel success. That’s part of what this is.”

SO YOU KNOW
• Options Alternative School is located at 630 Meigs Ave. in Jeffersonville. For more information, call 812-288-4837.

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