Sentinel High School is a busy campus. There is always something new wandering the campus: whether it’s sports, clubs or new organizations. With all of the new curricular improvements at Sentinel in recent years, one has been forgotten: the Structured Learning Program (SLP).
The Structured Learning Program is an organization that is implemented all over the world, and surprisingly it even has a place in Missoula County Public Schools (MCPS). SLP is designed to help students who have behavior difficulties that affect their performance at school and their education. Most of the students that are enrolled are struggling with different issues like low income, family issues, having trouble with the law or are in group homes. Those issues affect their school work and their behaviors while at school.
SLP wants to help people, so it provides students with opportunities to become successful academically, personally, and socially. It offers additional guidance and assistance to students, encouraging them to change their motivation and attitudes which will increase the students feelings of accomplishment and self-worth.
Out of the four high schools in MCPS, Sentinel is the only one with SLP. Any students who are going into the program transfer to Sentinel to get the education and help that they provide.
The teachers monitor the students’ behaviors and academics by a point and level system. The students can and will be rewarded for their positive behavior, decision making and effort, but they will also be held accountable for their negative behaviors. If the students become more responsible, it’ll make their privileges more open ended.
Sentinel’s program is filled with three special education teachers: Mike Cloud, Heather Nile, and Aaron Fessler. There are also two full day paraeducators, Dena Froehlich and Bart Goldbar and one half-day paraeducator, Karen Deden.
A paraeducator is similar to a teacher’s aide. They help students with their school work and help with classroom management, which consists of making sure every student is on task and that the classroom is in order. Paras also overlook a classroom and help the teachers with their duties, except for grading and lesson planning.
The SLP staff voiced that they liked where they worked because they’re able to work with the same students for up to four years. The hardest part of the job was that it can backfire, meaning sometimes the teacher cannot see the student grow because the student moved due to various reasons and is not able to return.
The seven staff members have three classrooms distributed between them. One of the classrooms is shared between Mr. Cloud and Mrs. Nile. It’s a challenge for them with their classes, because they’d rather not have any classes happen at the same time. If both teachers have a class at the same time, one of the teachers will be in the back of the room; the other will be at the front of the room, trying to keep the volume down to not interrupt the lessons.
Mr. Fessler has one of the rooms for himself, but it’s small and cramped, making his room overcrowded if he has a big class. His class is also connected to the lunch room, making it easier for his classes to get interrupted and students distracted.
The third classroom is not used as a classroom, it’s called the Cool Down Room (CDR). CDR is used when their students need to take a breather if they’re getting frustrated. The students also have an option to ‘take five or ten’, which allows them to have five or ten minutes to themselves to calm down or redirect their behavior.
The program is looking to help students to the best of their abilities. The teachers make sure that their students are fed everyday. Mrs. Nile provides some snacks that she buys with her own money, offering the snacks to students whenever they ask. Every Friday at the end of the day, they also set up a food table for students to come and grab any food for the weekend. The food is for all students that attend Sentinel.
Another great opportunity that the program offers is taking a field trip to Job Corps. It helps students complete their high school education, and trains them for their upcoming careers.
Sentinel’s SLP staff want their students to be prepared for their future and will do anything to help. They’re interested and want their students to be successful and grow as a person. The team of teachers and paraeducators always give out a helping hand not only to their students, but to every student that walks the hall of Sentinel High School.
