It takes place each May during the school year and offers students two three-hour classes a day. Freshmen and sophomores can take courses on campus, while juniors and seniors can apply for an internship or travel abroad to Ireland.
Principal Kathy Anderson said the program allows students to “truly be enriched.”
“It allows them to take elective courses that pique their interest, participate in an internship that allows them the opportunity to evaluate if it is a field or industry that they would like to pursue, or travel abroad to learn more about our history and Irish/Catholic culture,” she said. “It also provides an opportunity for students to be inventoried and assessed through our Guidance Department for job interests using Naviance, allowing for more strategic placement of students into internships.”
All grade levels also have credit recovery options available. If students failed a course, although not common, Anderson said, they can be enrolled in an online credit recovery course with a teacher on staff. This allows the school to monitor their progress and the student to finish credit recovery before the summer.
“Upperclassmen have the opportunity to complete internships with professionals in Clark County related to prospective job fields of interest,” said Kelsey Shumaker, communications coordinator. “The structured, professional internships offered during Enrichment Term allow students to gain an understanding of the demands and daily routine of a career that may be of interest.”
The non-traditional courses offered on campus include: health, German culture, Harlem Renaissance, America in the 1960s, comparative anatomy, physical education, forensic science, magnified giving, aspects of literature, popular culture and world geography.
All 140 high school students participated in the most recent E-Term that ran from April 24 to May 25.
This is the first year Rocking Horse and Ridgewood School participated in the program, with both having one student take their internship at each place.
At Rocking Horse, the student was able to get a glimpse of what some of the different jobs might be in the medical field, and were given an opportunity to shadow with nurses, medical providers and pharmacists, said Gina Horney, student education coordinator.
“Rocking Horse believes in education. What better way to expand the knowledge of our community that by our youth,” Horney said. “After the students have had a chance to engage with the staff, this will have given them increased knowledge to better plan for their futures.”
At Ridgewood, the student helped with activities and projects in several classrooms such as art, math, social studies and language arts, and worked with and observed grades K-8, said Dan Metzger, dean of students and social studies teacher. He said she was helpful and seemed to find the internship to be helpful as well.
“She spent her time shadowing a number of upper level teachers during her time. She is interested in a teaching career and getting to see the teaching styles of different Ridgewood teachers allowed her to learn different methods and observe the rapport each teacher has with their students,” said Aliya Ranginwala, Ridgewood’s head of school.
The internship business partners include: K&L Appliance, Spintech Holdings, St. Bernard Church, JIC — West Jefferson, Springfield Village Apartments, Konecranes, Matt Mullen/Wendi Dawson/Chris Simonton, FMI — Korte Construction, Rocking Horse, Ridgewood School, Texas Roadhouse, Dr. Joshua Wagenknecht, Littleton and Rue, Simon Kenton, Athletico, Oakwood Village, CTC/Mrs. Saunders at CCMS, Take a Look Brokers, Clark County Sherriff’s Office, Coldwell Banker Heritage, University of Dayton, Cliff Park School, Assurant Insurance Company, Springfield Orthopedics and sports medicine, Balloon Dog, Nathan Stuckey, Attorney at Law, Catholic Central Preschool, and several elementary teachers at the school.
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