10
schools
february16
2017
Boys to Men
Three VHS seniors are spend-
ing the semester working with
preschool students and learn-
ing about caring for kids
By Scott Laird
It’s not unheard of, but it is a
little unusual to fi nd a teenaged young
man who is interested in spending time
with small children.
This semester three Vernonia
High School seniors are breaking that
mold and working with preschool stu-
dents at the local Head Start program.
Brett Jones, Jake Butcher, and
Tristan Adams are all earning school
elective credits through the school’s
“School-to-Career” program and are
spending an hour each day, four days a
week, with the 19 children at the Verno-
nia Head Start preschool.
“This is the type of connection
we strive to have,” says Dana Hyde who
supervises the School-to-Career pro-
gram.
The young men arrive at the
Head Start building each day to a cho-
rus of cheers of “They’re here, they’re
here!” from the young students.
Not only is the experience a
positive opportunity for the VHS seniors
to interact with young children and learn
patience and teaching skills, but the ex-
tra sets of hands, eyes, and ears provides
some additional supervision, says Verno-
nia Head Start Director Jennifer Butcher.
“Our teachers love having them here,”
says Butcher.
The Head Start program has
three adults – a head teacher, an as-
sistant teacher, and an aide, along with
Butcher, who fi lls in as a substitute
teacher, but mostly handles administra-
tive duties. During the hour the seniors
are there it gives the classroom a 3 to 1
ratio of students to adults.
When the seniors arrive the
class is split into two groups; one group
goes in the large playroom and has “re-
cess” where they can play and burn off
excess energy, which is great during
the winter months when it’s diffi cult
to get outside. The other group stays
in the classroom and does other work.
Then the groups switch.
Butcher says that she has seen a
lessening in behavioral issues in her stu-
dents.
“The kids are much calmer,”
says Butcher. “This allows us to do so
much more. Having a 3-1 ratio is awe-
some! Where else can you get that in
a school setting? We have more of a
chance to interact with each child and it
just means that we can offer more.”
Butcher says there has been a
concerted effort by Head Start to add
more play time to the school day to
make sure students are getting enough
exercise and physical activity, providing
an opportunity to work on gross motor
skills. Having three high school students
on hand to throw balls and run around
with the children, and being able to split
the class into two groups, has made that
much easier for the Head Start staff.
All three of the VHS seniors
have a connection to working in schools.
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Above: Three VHS seniors, (l-r) Tristan Adams, Jake Butcher, and Brett Jones
are working with Head Start students each week. Below: Brett Jones spending
one-on-one time with a student.
Brett Jones’ mother is
Joanie Jones, who is
the head teacher at the
Mist Grade School;
Tristan Adams’ moth-
er Stacey Adams is an
Instructional Aide at
the Vernonia Schools;
Jake Butcher’s mother
is Jennifer, the Direc-
tor at the Head Start
program.
Both Tristan
Adams and Jake
Butcher say they en-
joy being around the
young children although neither is con-
sidering a career in childhood education.
Brett Jones says he is interested
in becoming a grade school teacher as
a career, so this experience is especial-
ly rewarding and benefi cial for him. “I
have some Teaching Assistant classes at
the school and then coming down here
really helps me prepare,” says Jones.
“When I’m here I play with the kids, talk
with them, interact with them and keep
them busy.”
Jennifer Butcher says the Head
Start program has regularly had stu-
dents from VHS help with the program
through the School-to-Career program,
but said they haven’t had a boy in four
years, and have never had three boys at
one time. “It’s good for the young chil-
dren to have males around because all
our teachers are currently female and
there aren’t a lot of male teachers at the
Vernonia Grade School either,” says
Butcher.
“I’ve coached soccer the last
few years and that has helped too,” says
Jones. “It’s good to be around them and
learn how to deal with them and how to
get through to them.”
The School-to-Career program
currently has other partnerships with
West Oregon Electric Cooperative,
Black Iron Grill, and True Value, says
Supervisor Dana Hyde.
According to Hyde students
are responsible for creating a Training
Agreement and a Basic Fact Sheet about
their work site that includes the size and
history of the business where they are
working. Students learn how to fi ll out
an employment application and most
importantly, they need to turn in weekly
time sheets signed by them and their em-
ployer. At the end of the semester, em-
ployers fi ll out an evaluation form on the
student. Hyde also makes surprise vis-
its to make sure the students are where
they’re supposed to be.
Butcher says she hopes that
more VHS students will consider taking
advantage of the opportunity to get some
hands-on experience working with pre-
school students at Head Start. “For me,
and the students, I think it’s a win-win
situation.”
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