LSC in the News
The Path to Success
Derrick Barnes of the Detroit Lions shares his keys to a bright future
If you want to be successful, surround yourself with the right people. This is the advice of NFL player Derrick Barnes, which he shared with students at Miller Elementary School this week.
Barnes likes to visit schools and share his words of inspiration. “I love giving back,” he says. “Because someone did that for me when I was younger.”
Barnes grew up near Cincinnati. He played basketball and ran track. But football was his standout sport, and he attended Purdue University, playing for the Boilermakers. In his senior year, he led the team with 54 total tackles and was named second-team All-Big Ten.
He was recruited for the NFL and currently plays for the Detroit Lions.
Growing up, Barnes was involved in the Boys and Girls Club. He was mentored by a Bengals player who volunteered at the club. In 2021, Barnes met that player, Andrew Whitworth, and told him how meaningful that mentorship was and what a role model Whitworth was to him as a youth. It was, he says, a moment when he was a bit star struck.
“Those memories of us flashed back, talking and playing football,” he says. “I said to him, you’re not going to remember but I was a super young kid when you came to the Boys and Girls Club, and he was speechless. For a guy like him to come and give his time meant so much me. And that’s why I do what I do.”
Barnes says those years at the Boys and Girls Club taught him the power of respect and of having a good peer group.
“It made me the man I am,” he told the assembled students. “What respect means to me, is what you are doing when nobody is watching. Help people. Show good sportsmanship. Be kind to everyone.”
Barnes spoke about the value of education. He always knew, he says, he wanted to earn a college degree and make something of himself. Even if football had not worked out, he wanted to get an education. And in order to get that education, good grades are essential.
“Getting good grades can take you a long way,” he says. “If you don’t have the grades, you won’t get where you want to go.”
Barnes loves to share his story with students; he wants them to know anything is possible. “Surround yourself with people who are on the same path,” he says. “Just being here for them can go a long way for these children. These kids need that in their lives. For me to be able to do that means a lot. I truly care about each and every one of them. Somebody did it for me, so I’m always excited to do it.”
You Are Valued; You Matter
Removing the Stigma of Mental Health Treatment
Jefferson High School students were given an important message today. They were reminded that are valued, they are important and they are loved.
Which may sound obvious. But with all the stress and anxiety that can surround teenagers, it’s a message worth reinforcing.
And that’s what the Get Schooled Tour aims to do. This convocation engages students in a high-energy, multimedia experience that sparks real conversations about mental health, friendship and hope, through powerful stories, interactive moments and authentic encouragement.
This program inspires every student to look out for one another, build meaningful connections and create a culture of compassion in their school and community.
Presenters Anthony Ponds, Graham Brown and E.J. Thomas acknowledge that we all struggle. But it’s how one deals with these struggles that helps define us and helps us cope.
“Everything is telling us that when we struggle, there is a way you deal with it,“ Brown says. “And some of those ways are not the healthiest and can make those struggles worse. We can fall into a lifestyle of escape, distracting us from our discomfort.”
Teens can often feel as if they are the only ones dealing with these feelings of anxiety or isolation, and they look for ways to chase pleasure rather than dealing with the pain. Scrolling through social media or playing video games is not a solution but can mask the struggle.
More than 47 percent of Americans deal with emotional pain, they shared. So students need resources to help them find the help they need, to help them manage these complex emotions. Students need to talk about the reason behind why they look for coping mechanisms — we all want to feel at peace.
“Our next generation is struggling in secret and in silence,” Ponds says. “They don’t feel like they have a voice to own up and be honest. We know, as a mental health organization, that the first step into overcoming those secret struggles or that pain is by opening up. You won’t seek help, you won’t get resolution, you won’t get therapy, you won’t get anything until you’re willing to open up Our message is the catalyst to connect students with those trusted adults and healthy community to get that ball rolling.
“And we have a desire to reduce stigma. The stigma that surrounds the reason why people aren’t sharing. We want to reduce that stigma and encourage them that you’re not weird, it’s not strange and you can do it.”
“We’re not professional therapists or counselors or doctors,” Brown adds. “We’re people with lived experience and we have our own mental health struggles. And the fact that we have the opportunity to share with kids and say hey, we’re not perfect people, we’re trying to deal with stuff everyday. And we want to remind that kids that the lie they’re telling themselves, that they’re the only one going through struggles, the only one dealing with pain is not true, that we’re all in this together and they’ve got support, they’ve got help.”
Forecast for the Future
Weatherman Chad Evans shares his love of science and learning
When Chad Evans was a kid, he had a few favorite things: his thermometer, barometer, anemometer, rain gauge and his weather diary.
Did it make him seem like a bit of nerd? Maybe. But did he turn this hobby into a career and a lifelong passion? Definitely.
“I loved behind outside,” Evans says. “I had interests that no one else had.”
Evans shared his love of all things science – which range from weather to his bird feather collection – with third-graders at Vinton Elementary School. And he encouraged students to pursue their own passions.
“I want you to be you,” he told the students. “I want you to remember that every single person in this room is different. Their interests what they’re good at – they’re all different. But promise me you won’t change what you want to do.
“Embrace it. Be confident in yourself.”
Evans did not let his possibly odd tendencies with his weather equipment and bird feathers to stand in his way. He pursued a career in what he found fascinating. It wasn’t always easy; math was not necessarily his best subject. But the entire science of weather is based on math, so he worked hard and persevered.
“It was a struggle,” he says. But it paid off. “Had i Just thrown in the towel, I would never have become a meteorologist. And I would by unhappy.
“You’ve just got to work extra hard. You can do anything you want if you work hard at it.”
For 25 years, Evans worked as a television meteorologist. But career opportunities in that field have changed, so now he offers a weather service to subscribers, as well as teaching a few classes at Purdue. He likes knowing that he is helping people, helping farmers and businesses.
And he knows that he can be held responsible if he makes errors. Weather is a science, and he uses weather models and math to make his predictions.
“Weather is all numbers,” he says. “You can figure out anything through algebra or calculus, which is a type of math used to measure the immeasurable.”
Though sometimes, he says, all you have to do is look outside. But with weather balloons, satellites, radar and super computers, forecasting has become even more precise.
He knows his job is important, as every single person on the planet is affected by the weather; he tries to tie in world events to local weather. How do big storms in the world affect us locally? “I try to tailor it around to them and how it impacts them,” he says.
Evans loves sharing his life and career with students, and to encourage them to pursue science. “I was a kid once,” he says. “And I remember not always feeling like I fit in because I had such a strong science interest. Not every kid wants to keep weather records. I want to tell them if they stay true to themselves it does pay off. Because now, I’m completely engrossed in science. It’s what I love, it’s what I enjoy, so I don’t want them to ever feel like they’re out of place. Don’t let anyone tell you can’t succeed. It’s actually cool to be very different from others.
“I love these kids; I really do,” he says. “We’re all one in the community with them. I didn’t just do weather and grab a paycheck. This is home; you’re engrained here. I want to be close to these students and these schools and motivate them and teach them about science and be mentors for them. That just means the world to me. It’s one of the most important things I can do.”
LSC Welcomes Three New Principals
When new students entered buildings for the first day of school last week, they were joined by three other newcomers, as Lafayette School Corp. welcomed three new principals.
But these three principals share one trait: None of them is brand-new to LSC. They all have a bit of a history with us.
Shanel Fretwell
Sunnyside Intermediate School
The halls of LSC schools are all too familiar to Shanel Fretwell. Her education started in LSC, where she attended school at Glen Acres, Tecumseh and JHS before moving to Florida. That was 30 years ago, she says, yet many of the faces are the same – she was delighted to learn that Gail Gripe, Chuck Herber and Lamar Simmons are all still around.
Fretwell returned to Indiana to attend Purdue University, where she did her student teaching – where else? – at JHS. She returned to Florida where she started her career, with stops in New Mexico and Marrakesh, Morocco, before returning to Indiana.
Now she is excited to be back in LSC, working with students at Sunnyside. She hopes to instill in students and staff a sense of camaraderie; she wants to foster their education and give them skills that will benefit them throughout life.
“I will have their back,” she says. “I will support them so they can do their job the best they can.”
She wants to create a healthy environment, with attention to a dress code that is conducive to learning, knowing how to speak to one another, and establishing healthy boundaries. She will create a culture of respect.
And she plans to implement a schoolwide reading strategy, as reading is the key to success in learning. But in doing so, she plans to partner with teachers and support them.
“Every single teacher will implement the same reading strategy, multiple times a week, in different capacities,” she says. “I want teachers to know that anything I ask them to do, I will always do it first.”
Geoff Grubb
Edgelea Elementary
Geoff Grubb didn’t plan to go into education. When he went away to college, enrolling at Cornerstone University, he earned his degree in pastoral studies, eventually becoming an assistant pastor in Chicago.
After he and his wife, Julie, had their second child, they decided they wanted to live closer to grandparents. So they moved back to Julie’s hometown of Lafayette, where she – an LSC graduate – began teaching at Miami Elementary.
And it was about this time Grubb knew he needed a career change. After doing some lunch and recess duty at Miami, then-principal Matt Rhoda encouraged him to consider teaching. So after transition-to-teaching coursework, Grubb ended up joining the staff at Miami as well, teaching first and fourth grades.
During COVID, when Grubb was working with students online, he began to sense the stress and fatigue teachers were feeling with the new challenges in place.
“I started seeing all the hard things teachers were doing – the real blood, sweat and tears – the emotional challenges,” he says. “I want to serve not just students but teachers.”
So Grubb earned his principals license. He went to Mayflower Mill as an assistant principal. But when the opportunity to return to LSC presented itself, he jumped at the chance.
“My kids went to Edgelea,” he says. “I’ve been a parent. I am pleased and proud of the education we provide.”
He stresses that he did not transition to administration because he didn’t like the classroom or the students. But rather, he just felt he could offer additional support to teachers when they need it.
And he is pleased to be back at LSC.
“These are the people who raised me as an educator,” he says. “I get to continue my personal and professional journey here, not as parent, but as a leader.
“It’s good to come home.”
Douglas Perry
Oakland Elementary
While technically Douglas Perry is new to Oakland Elementary, he is already a familiar face in the building.
Last year, Perry was the interim principal at Oakland. At the time, he had no idea the job would become his. But when the opportunity arose, he was ready.
Perry is more than familiar with LSC, as he has worked in various schools in the district. In 2012, he came to Glen Acres as a third-grade teacher. He moved to Miller as the Title I Lead Teacher, then over to Edgelea as assistant principal in 2023.
And now, he is the principal at Oakland. It’s a good fit for him, he says, as Oakland has such a positive environment.
“It truly is a close-knit group of teachers who rely on each other,” he says. “You feel that when you walk in.”
At one point in his life, Perry imagined himself in a very different role. He was studying business as an undergrad when he had an assignment that did not go as planned. The professor suggested that perhaps that major was not a good fit and that he might want to try something else. But as so often happens, it was a fortuitous moment. He shifted gears and is glad he did.
“It was probably the best thing that could have happened to me,” he says. “Helping kids see their potential, reach their potential, that’s what I was meant to do.”
Perry loves the atmosphere at Oakland. Almost all students arrive either on foot or by car, so he and other teachers get face time with parents every single day, which helps with those relationships.
One day, a student shared with him, “My mom says you’re not very good at communicating.” Perry took the opportunity to approach the mother, who was then able to put that comment in context, leading to an even stronger partnership.
Which is always the goal, he says. When the students know that both parents and teachers are on their side, they can be more successful.
“We’ve got to treat the kid as a human first, make sure they’re cared about, then hit the academics,” he says. “We need to make sure you’re in the right headspace to foster learning and create an environment so they want to learn.”
Safety First
Mark Roberts joins LSC as its first Director of Safety & Security
When Mark Roberts enters the room, it’s a celebrity sighting.
He can hear the greetings fill the air, cries of “Hi!” and “It’s Officer Roberts!” And on occasion, he even hears, “My mom says she remembers you!”
And Roberts greets each and every one, with a friendly hello, a smile or a high-five.
Roberts has been a member of the Lafayette Police Department since 1997 – at 28 and a half years, he has the longest tenure on the force. For much of his career, he has worked at Jefferson High School, first as an off-duty security officer, taking over as the School Resource Officer (SRO) in 2016. During that time, he has learned how to work with high school students and how to help deescalate situations.
“I’ve always been kind of lucky,” he says. “I have a knack for working with kids.”
Perhaps most importantly, he has learned how to build relationships. Because that, he says, is often the key to problem-solving.
“That’s what we promote,” he says. “That relationship you build lasts a lifetime.”
This fall, Roberts will become the first Director of Safety & Security for Lafayette School Corp. He will direct a security team comprising retired police officers, who will continue the work of helping keep all school campuses safe.
It will not be a school police force; the security team will work in a proactive way to educate both students and staff. And Roberts will work to train staff on ways to manage a potential crisis.
Police, he says, have evolved in their thinking on how to handle discipline issues. There was a time when any infraction that happened at school – everything from theft to battery – would have been handled just as it is with adults in the community, likely with an arrest. But as we have learned more about how young minds develop, often such first-time infractions are treated as school discipline, using them as teachable moments. Some issues are serious enough that an arrest is unavoidable. But often, students just need some guidance.
“Not everyone should be arrested,” Roberts says. “I like to do education first; let’s deal with is as school discipline. If you didn’t learn the first time, we may have to go to enforcement.”
The role of an SRO is often that of a counselor, Roberts says. They are not dressed in a full police uniform, but instead in khakis and polos. And they spend time in the hallways and at lunch, getting to know students.
“I’ve tried to make it where we’re more approachable,” he says. “If I look a little different, than I can get inside that barrier.”
Roberts is looking forward to continuing his work in the schools and with the students. He has close ties to LSC – all three of his daughters are LSC graduates, and his eldest, Molly, is currently a teacher at Miami Elementary.
He hopes to continue to build relationships and help teach students ways to be successful. He and his team will continue to keep all schools safe – it has to be a priority, he says. But working with students and staff to keep everyone safe, that is the best part of the job.
“You just might be the positive influence somebody needs,” Roberts says. “We are here to build positive relationships and make sure students and staff go home safely every day.”
First JHS Girls Wrestlers to Compete at College Level
Lexi Baumgartner and Senniah Henderson made history as part of the first JHS Girls Wrestling Team and have now signed letters of intent to wrestle at their respective collegesHigh school wrestling can evoke lots of images: players pinning one another on mats, using feats of both mental and physical strength.
But girls were not typically part of this picture – until this year. And that image has changed for good.
This year, the IHSAA added girls wrestling as an officially sanctioned sport in the state of Indiana. And last week, Jefferson High School seniors Lexi Baumgartner and Senniah Henderson have signed letters of intent to wrestle at the college level this fall. Baumgartner will attend Adrian College to study dietetics; Henderson will attend Manchester University, majoring in elementary education.
“We are super excited for Lexi and Senniah to have this opportunity to represent Lafayette Jeff and LSC in the world of women’s college wrestling,” says JHS girls wrestling coach Clay Jones.
Girls wrestling started as a club at JHS, Jones says. He likes watching the girls learn, along with their male counterparts, how to apply strategy and calculation in their matches.
“There are a lot more lessons to be learned than just what’s in your regular classes,” Jones says. “There is different adversity that they will face.”
And wrestling, he says, can help with that, as the girls learn focus and determination.
“It’s a confidence-booster,” he says. “They can handle themselves.”
Both girls know they are breaking new ground as female wrestlers in a historically male-dominated sport. In fact, Henderson says, she didn’t even know she could be wrestler until she was approached.
“I was shocked because I didn’t know wresting was an option and that girls could do it,” she says. “I just decided to show up. I kept showing up because I wanted to be included in something and thought that wrestling was the only sport that I did very well in.”
And they have both found the atmosphere at JHS to be nothing but supportive.
“Nobody in the Jeff wrestling room looked down on us because we were seen as ‘girls doing a boys’ sport,’ " says Baumgartner “Instead they encouraged us, came to our meets, practiced with us, and supported us in every way that they could.”
And the lessons they’ve learned have meaning beyond the wrestling mat. Both girls say they’ve learned athleticism and skills. But they have also learned other skills and talents they have broader applications. Henderson says she’s learned patience, and how to slow down, be more intentional.
“I've personally learned a lot as a wrestler,” says Baumgartner. “I've learned how to take control of my mentality and how important it is to be in a good mental state before a match, because like my coaches always say, ‘If you go into a match thinking you're going to lose, you've already lost.’ I also learned how to have self-discipline, and how to be a leader and help my teammates when I knew that that they needed it.”
As they move on to wrestle at the collegiate level, they know it will be a new set of challenges. But, they say, they are prepared.
“I feel a little nervous,” admitted Henderson. “Because even though it is similar, I feel that I will be a struggle to wrestle freestyle. And I feel that it will be how I first started when I was inexperienced, but I also feel glad because it’s a great opportunity to get way better.”
In their first season, the JHS girls team won sectionals and placed 11th at Team State – and impressive start for the team. Baumgartner feels this success and her high school experience have helped prepare her for the challenges ahead.
“I think wrestling at the college level is definitely going to be a big change since it's a switch from folkstyle wrestling to freestyle wrestling,” she says. “It will also be much harder than high school, which I'd expected, but I think that It's definitely something Senniah and I will be able to handle. All our coaches were super supportive of us deciding to wrestle in college and their support made our decision to continue wrestling in college a lot easier.”
Baumgartner and Henderson have both felt the support of the wrestling family here at JHS. And Coach Jones hopes they know how much they have given to the program.
“Hopefully these two have set the tone,” he says. “Not just for this year’s team but for for future wrestlers. You can still be successful and compete in college even if you start your sophomore year of high school. It’s a huge accomplishment.”
LSC Announces 2025 Distinguished Educators
Lafayette School Corp. is pleased to announce its Distinguished Educators for 2025. These teachers, who are chosen by their peers, are those who exemplify the traits of caring professionals who go above and beyond each and every day, dedicating themselves to their students.
Dawn Sargent, a third-grade teacher at Glen Acres Elementary School, was named the District’s Distinguished Educator. She has taught at Glen Acres and at Sunnyside Intermediate School, and is currently part of the SCALE K-12 curriculum, which teaches students about microelectronics. Sargent is dedicated to her students, always offering them support, says Glen Acres assistant principal Stefani Goetz. She consistently inspires and empowers her students, challenging them, yet treating them with compassion.
Other school Distinguished Educators for LSC include:
Angel Elliott, nurse, Linnwood Preschool
Jessica Dalton, Kindergarten, Earhart Elementary
Cordell Ford, third grade, Edgelea Elementary
Ashley Baldwin, third grade, Miami Elementary
Adam Cross, special education, Miller Elementary
Megan Shumaker, third grade, Murdock Elementary
Anna Colosi, special education, Oakland Elementary
Rita Bostic, paraprofessional/RBT, Vinton Elementary
Molly Pratt, physical education, Sunnyside Intermediate School
Jill Heim, math, Tecumseh Jr. High School
Addie Pokrificak, social studies, Jefferson High School
Shawna Pearl, student success coordinator, Oakland Academy
An Up-Close Look at Manufacturing
The world of high-tech manufacturing is a fast-paced environment. Highly technical.
It’s the future of the U.S. economy. And a group Tecumseh Jr. High students experienced a day at Caterpillar to see what is involved in this work environment.
A group of 12 students toured the Lafayette Large Engine Center to see up close and personal how the factory manufactures its large engines. The 1.6 million square foot plant manufactures some of Caterpillar’s largest engines. The plant serves a number of key industries, from the power, marine and mining industries. Those markets purchase engines or gensets that provide power directly, or back-up power for data centers.
Students toured the factory and saw the many high-tech jobs operating that day. Each job is highly specialized and requires extensive training.
Safety is always a priority. Hence training and attention to detail are emphasized.
The students underwent their own training, just as a new Caterpillar hire would. They learned how to safely operate tools and inspect parts prior to an assembly.
After their visit, students were enthusiastic about the opportunities available in a workplace like Caterpillar.
“I am interested in journalism and engineering,” says eighth-grader Agalya Vasanthakumar Sujeetha. “But now I’m leaning more toward engineering.”
Students learn about opportunities in the Field of Human Services
Students in Laila Wilson’s Principles of Human Services class met with a panel of Human Services professionals, who shared with students their career path, education and why they chose their field.
Panelists included Anna Cordero-Munoz, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), The Springs; Paige Ittig, New Leaf and Outreach Intern, Tippecanoe County Community Corrections (current Purdue student); Katie Medrano, Training and Communication Outreach Specialist, Tippecanoe County Community Corrections; Stacia Bernard, Director of Day Services and Family Support, Wabash Center; and Jason Schatzer, Lafayette Police Department/School Resource Officer.
Students learned about what education, skills and certifications they needed for each job represented on the panel. For many jobs, a degree is not necessarily required, but training is. Cordero-Munoz says that having certifications enables to do more at her job, and it can increase one’s pay.
When asked about day-to-day responsibilities, it was clear that while there is an anticipated routine, those can change quickly.
“I usually have a general idea of what my day will look like,” says Bernard. “Then I show up at work and it’s dismantled. This is what happens when you work with humans.”
This was a sentiment shared by LPD Officer Schatzer. “It’s unknown every day,” he says. “I can be busy or there are days when there’s nothing going on. The joy is being able to help people when they’re in crisis.”
Each of these jobs, which involves working closely with people, often people who might be in a difficult place in life, requires critical thinking skills, patience, compassion and organization. And, the panelists stressed, the ability to communicate is key.
And they each emphasized the willingness to keep learning.
“Continue to sharpen your skills,” says Schatzer. “Be a student of your profession.”
It’s important in these fields to find time for self-care, Medrano says. But she, like the others, says the day-to-day stress and responsibilities are worth it, as they know they are helping others improve their lives. Medrano may see someone go through her program three or four times, but when a client sees success on the fifth try, she knows it was worth it.
The students walked away with a deeper knowledge of the many career paths that await them. And they gained a deeper understanding of what these types of jobs entail.
“I learned that there are so many different people who work in so many different fields,” says sophomore Na’Keya Riggins, who plans to go into child psychology. “It gave me a push to know that I want to work with people and help individuals.”
AP African American Studies Opens a New Chapter in History
Julia Avila is excited about her research project. She is looking into the life of Gladys Bentley, an American blues singer and entertainer during the Harlem Renaissance. A cross-dressing performer, she adopted a stage presence, Barbara “Bobbie” Minton, and broke down barriers for both women and blacks in entertainment.
“She paved the way for representation in the LGBTQ community,” Avila shares.
W.E.B. Du Bois. Billie Holiday. Elizabeth Freeman. Zora Neale Hurston. These historical figures and many others are being explored in Jefferson High School’s AP African American Studies course. The course, new this year in Indiana, explores history, literature and culture in ways that students have never been exposed to before, says teacher Craig Henderson.
“I never learned much about African American history in high school,” Henderson says. “I think it’s important because it’s American history. Kids need to know more than slavery, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. I think it’s important we teach this stuff.”
There is so much in our society that has been contributed by African Americans, Henderson says, but it has often been overlooked or glossed over in other courses. This course gives students an opportunity to dive deep into people, issues and themes.
The students look at history. But they also look at art, music, literature and culture. Henderson has woven in a lot of projects – the Spotify rap project was a favorite.
It’s a rigorous course, Henderson says, which one would expect in an AP class. While the class engages in some healthy debate and critical thinking, it’s not with the intent of laying blame. They are focused on studying the facts.
“These are tough topics we can learn and grow from,” he says. “Here’s what happened, here’s what we can learn.”
One cannot fairly look at U.S. history without factoring in the contributions and treatment of African Americans, Henderson says. This class gives the students an opportunity to engage in these stories and the broader implications.
“Mr. Bojangles challenged minstrel show stereotypes,” Henderson says. “We realize how influential that was. We can have some really good discussions, really detailed. The students often bring ideas I didn’t even think of.”
Promise Moore is working on a project on Marcellus Williams. It’s a look at more recent history, as he was executed in Missouri in September 2024, even after the current prosecutor acknowledged errors were made by the trial prosecutors, witnesses were paid for their testimony, and the victim’s family begged for his clemency. Moore is looking to compare and contrast the injustice of the Black community in the legal system.
“There hasn’t really been made a space for Black people to either come to the legal system in search of help or to be in positions of leadership,” she says.
Moore enrolled in the class to engage in these issues. “I’ve really gotten to see a lot of extremes that white southerners went to keep their ideologies alive,” she says. “For this same reason, I knew that knowing the Black history of American is the history of America, and I was not educated enough.”
“I come from an interracial family,” says Hope Potts. “A lot of people sweep Black culture under the carpet. I get to take it home and engage my younger sisters. Racism is learned; racism is a social construct.”
But she does not feel that the course guides her to find these conclusions.
“It’s just the facts,” she says. “You’ve got to open up your ears and your eyes.”
Senior Nevaeh Rush feels that other history courses don’t tell the whole story.
“In order to understand people, you have to know their background,” she says. “Black Americans are Americans. Slavery, an entire social industry, is 200 years old. You don’t get to see the glamorous beauty that is African American history.”
“We get a deeper understanding of what they went through,” adds junior Maya Layton. “You can see a difference.”
This class, just like other AP classes, gives students a chance to delve deeply into the intersectionality, the complex issues that concern them, share their thoughts, and look to apply them to the current world, creating positive outcomes, Henderson says.
“An accurate picture of Black history, more than just slavery, more than the Civil Rights movement, now that’s African American history,” he says. “I don’t think you can tell the full story of American history without Black history.”
Lafayette School Corporation
Here in the Lafayette School Corporation, we strive to nurture, inspire and empower our students, staff and families.
See the entire video in District News or LSC in the News.
JHS Alumni Share Their Stories
Graduates of Jefferson High School have gone on to do some amazing things with their careers. We sat down with seven alumni to hear their stories, and about how their time at JHS helped them develop successful careers. Thanks to our amazing graduates who shared their stories!
Roadtrip Nation: Creating a Roadmap for the Future
At 17, who knows with certainty what the future holds? Who can imagine what their career will look like in five years, much less 20, 30 or 40 years down the road?
A young person’s career path – or road trip, if you will – can go in all sorts of directions. And Roadtrip Nation is here to help students start their journey.
On August 28, Jarrett, Maya, Penelope and Tate – the “roadies” of Roadtrip Nation – made a stop at Jefferson High School, sharing these messages of discovery, encouragement and empowerment with students. Their goal: help students turn their interests into a career.
It all starts with looking at one’s interests, the group says. Is there a way to turn whatever holds your attention into a career? Perhaps a love of storytelling evolves into a career in journalism or being a writer; a fascination with video games and design and presto, a video game designer is born.
“It’s OK to be drawn any which way your interests tell you,” Penelope tells the assembled group.
And while students are in those early stages of discovery, it can be possible to get off track. Lots of negative noise can come from those around you. It’s your job, Jarrett tells the group, to learn to shed the negative noise.
“It’s a distraction,” Jarrett says. “Focus on the positive. It’s about the things you learn along the way.
“The more skills you appropriate, the more you learn about yourself.”
The tools and resources available at roadtripnation.com can help students figure out their own journey. It’s normal and natural to feel a bit lost and overwhelmed. The most important thing is to follow your own instincts. You are the only one who knows what is best for you.
And there is no one “right” path. For each person, there are many possible roads to take. Roadtrip Nation shares stories of others and how their unique career path started, all with the goal of motivating young people to forge their own way - with courage and conviction.
“We do this for you,” they tell the students. “Today is all about you.”
A Lifetime in the Classroom
Chuck Herber has spent 58 years in the classroom - and he keeps coming back for more
In the opening sequence of the JHS lip dub back in 2015, Patrick CasaSanta, Sylvia Mueller and Shane Shipley were in awe when they asked Chuck Herber about the longevity of his storied teaching career.
“Mr. Herber, is it true you’ve been teaching for 50 years?” CasaSanta asks. “Do you still like it?”
“I don’t like it,” answers an enthusiastic Herber. “I love it!”
Fast forward to 2024, and the answer is the same.
For 58 years – 38 of them at Jefferson High School – Chuck Herber has been working with students, mentoring, teaching, inspiring. Helping them transform into the adults they will become.
A graduate of St. Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Herber studied English – a rigorous program, he recalls. After stints elsewhere, stumbling about a bit, with a foray into graduate school – “I was young and single” – he ended up in the classroom. And after a few years, he knew he wanted to make the move to JHS. He first applied in 1977 but was rejected; nearly a decade later, he was contacted and encouraged to reapply.
“When [Principal] Denny Blind was hiring, he wanted to get good teachers,” Herber recalls. “And how do you do that? Through the interview process.”
Herber recalls making an intense curriculum presentation, followed by meeting with parents and current students. After two hours or so of exhaustive questioning, he sat down for the final interview portion.
“Then he [Blind] did something nasty and awful,” Herber says. “It’s hilarious. We met in the privacy of his office, with an ashtray and a lighter on the table.” Blind, who was vehemently anti-smoking, hoped to trip up smokers into reaching for a much-needed cigarette, which would then rule out those candidates.
Herber passed that test – which didn’t make his then-superintendent happy. “That blasted Denny Blind steals more teachers from this corporation,” Herber recalls him saying with a laugh.
He came for the job – one that held not only prestige, but the promise of a brand-new 4 megabyte computer. The school corporation came through on that promise, and Herber continues in his role to this day.
Much of his career has centered around journalism courses and production of the school’s award-winning newspaper, The Booster. He has seen the changes in technology, from using linotype galleys and paste-up boards to computer pagination, developing film and creating contact sheets to all-digital photography.
Much of the motivation for producing The Booster has come from the students, Herber says. They are the ones who sell ads to support the production and printing of the paper. And they were part of the impetus for a project that is currently underway to digitize and preserve all copies of the Booster going back to 1913.
“It’s always the students,” Herber says.
Herber has fought to keep The Booster publishing all these years. Students benefit from the skills they gain as young journalists. Not only do they learn about reporting, writing and designing a newspaper, but they learn about the business aspects – often firsthand, as they sell ads to support the production of the paper.
“I’ve never had a kid who worked for the school newspaper who did poorly in college,” Herber says.
His connection to the students inspired him, at age 44, to go back to school and become a certified counselor. While he never worked in that area, it was one more way to help. Knowing when to make referrals and early intervention helps students get the assistance they need.
Teaching has been Herber’s life for 58 years. And it’s a career, he says, that might have never happened had he been drafted back in 1966. When his number came up, he went to the draft board and asked, “Do you think, should I immediately inform my principal?”
The women at the draft looked at him and shook her head, Herber recalls.
“She said, and I’ll never forget it, ‘Honey child, you stay with me. We need good teachers; we can get lots of soldiers.’ “
“I just love what I’m doing,” Herber says. “I love being with the kids. Can they be a pain in the neck sometimes? Of course.”
And then he quotes a favorite song from John Denver: “They are a promise for the future and the blessing of tomorrow.”
“On your down days, that keeps you alive.”
Fun Facts About Chuck Herber
No. of push-ups he can do: His best is 41.
He starts each day with a workout. “I’m interested in toning. It’s a great way to connect with the kids.
Favorites
Lessons: “When kids do their senior projects.”
A particular favorite: “How to Be a Millionaire by the Time You’re 40”
Book: Macbeth “I see how it applies to life – Bernie Madoff is Macbeth. Blind ambition can become total greed.”
Movie: Cecil B. DeMille’s “The 10 Commandments”
TV Show: “Father Knows Best”
Record album: The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”
Newspaper: New York Times
And, naturally, The JHS Booster.
