Kennedy students explore Apollo

by Cori Hilsgen

news@thenewsleaders.com

Transitioning from a familiar school to a larger high school in a new location can be scary and intimidating for many ninth-grade students.

To help make transitioning from middle school to high school easier, Kennedy Community School Principal Laurie Putnam and middle-level staff are working hard to create connections with Apollo High School.

They recently hosted a panel Nov. 22 during teacher-and-family conferences entitled Apollo for You: Getting to know the Apollo High School Community.

They invited Kennedy students who are now enrolled at Apollo, their parents, Kennedy and Apollo school counselors, and staff from Apollo.

The goal of the panel was to help students and families become more familiar with the high school and to have a chance to ask questions and discuss concerns.

The panel included Madeline Haeg and Ilse Shobe, both former Kennedy students and current Apollo students; Erik Heyerdahl, foreign exchange student from Norway living with the Shobe family; Rick Larson, Apollo school counselor; Nancy Meller, Apollo teacher and Kennedy parent; Cheryl Novacinski, former Apollo parent and current Kennedy teacher; and Susan Shobe, former and current Kennedy parent and current Apollo parent.

Ilse and Madeline shared their experiences with advanced-placement courses, which allow students to study college-level curriculum and take examinations to receive college credit. The two also spoke about a recent field trip they took to the University of Minnesota.

Putnam said the two students credit Apollo with extending their education beyond the classroom walls and providing them with the tools they need to be successful both now and in the future.

“There is something for everyone at Apollo,” Ilsa said. “It can be sports, robotics, academics, foreign language, theater, music – just about any club you can image. And the students are very involved.”

Novacinski said one of the greatest strengths of Apollo High School is the diversity of the student body. The staff at the high school, she added,  know students well and go out of their way to make them feel welcome. She also shared a story about a custodian who drove out of town to watch her son, Ethan Novacinski, play basketball.

Kennedy eighth-graders will also tour Apollo High School, so they can become more familiar with the building.

“Our students have many options for high-school attendance, and our goal is to help students transition successfully to Apollo High School,” Putnam said.