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Classes give students second chance

Adults complete high school diploma
Kyle Wells

Former students wanting to upgrade their courses or complete high school diplomas can now do so at free night classes at Brooks Secondary School.

Since the start of this school year adult students, recently out of high school, have been coming to Brooks on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6 to 8 pm to finish their diploma or upgrade their secondary school education in a quiet and supportive environment. Around 12 students are in the program this semester. Each has his or her own reasons for coming back to school but all have made the choice to improve their education.

The night classes are designed to allow adult students to come back to school for however many courses they need without attending regular classes with the rest of the student body. For many of these students the normal classroom environment often stood as one of the hurdles to completing high school. This program allows these students to come to a small class of older students where they can work, primarily independently, toward their own goals.

Lauren Cross is teaching the night classes this semester. She said it has been a great experience to see students who didn’t fit in well with regular school come back with a real commitment to finish their education. She understands why traditional schooling sometimes doesn’t work and is glad to see an alternative being offered.

“With a traditional classroom you’ve got that pace to set and you need to get through it,” said Cross. “They might be left behind or feel really overwhelmed and not want to stick with it. Here their anxiety has settled down and they can just get it done.”

Courtney Kalawarny and Taylor Mayenburg both graduated from Brooks last year and are taking night classes to upgrade their courses and increase their options. Neither completed Biology 12 and both are taking it now because a grade 12-level science is required to apply for university. Both said they had a clear moment where they realized that in order to move forward they were going to have to go back.

“I kind of blew off my whole year, letting myself be able to graduate rather than doing something that could actually help me,” said Mayenburg. “I kind of wish I tried harder in my grade 12 year but it’s nice to be given a second chance to make up for the mistakes...I’m happy I came.”

“It’s an exciting thing as a teacher to see that,” said Rod Perrault, Brooks vice-principal, who oversees the program. “It speaks to why people get into teaching in the first place, to share that enthusiasm. When kids come back and they’re really ready, that’s very fulfilling.”

Most of the classes are done online, independently and at the student’s own pace. Cross is there to guide and support but really it is up to the students to get the work done, allowing a sense of responsibility that they may not have felt with regular school. It also allows flexibility for students who may have jobs or other responsibilities.

Anyone interested in taking night classes can call Brooks at 604.483.3171 and ask to speak with a counsellor. Students can join night classes at any time during the school year.