The Mehlville School District hosted an open house last week for students who will attend the district’s new Freshman Academy for the 2012-2013 school year.
Thirty incoming ninth-grade students will participate in the Freshman Academy, which was developed to help students adapt to high school through a virtual curriculum.
“The Freshman Academy will help students who may have struggled in grade school and middle school to make a smooth transition into high school,” Mark Catalana, director of Alternative Programs, stated in a district news release. “The program will focus on the ninth-grade curriculum while incorporating lessons on organization and study skills that will be helpful to students throughout their school careers.”
Similar to the district’s Alt Academy, Freshman Academy students will spend half of their school day at the Witzel Learning Center completing virtual-based core and elective classes and will return to either Mehlville High School or Oakville High School for the second half of the day. The 30 students will be divided between a morning and afternoon session, with 15 students in each class.
“Our goal with this program is to help students achieve success in high school, even though they may have struggled in the past,” Superintendent Eric Knost stated in the release. “We hope the Freshman Academy will provide students with the support they need to eventually make a successful transition into the traditional high school setting full-time.”
The Freshman Academy currently is at capacity, but students may apply for a future spot in the program by working with their guidance counselors to submit an application.