AUBURN - Seventh and eighth graders in the Auburn Enlarged City School District middle schools are tapping their potential for future success.
Photo provided
Jyrrad Elliott, center, an eighth-grader at East Middle School, talks with his aunt, Tina Alfieri, right, about his goals at the TOPS kickoff event held in October. Elliott's mother, Patricia Elliott, left, and school counselor Michele Kmieczak listen to the exchange.
Jyrrad Elliott, center, an eighth-grader at East Middle School, talks with his aunt, Tina Alfieri, right, about his goals at the TOPS kickoff event held in October. Elliott's mother, Patricia Elliott, left, and school counselor Michele Kmieczak listen to the exchange.
Earlier this year, the district unveiled Tapping Our Potential through Success, a new program established to help students at East and West Middle schools set goals and receive opportunities that could provide for a successful future.
“What we really want to do for these students is really help them identify where their strengths are and have them thinking about what they want to do,” said Camille Johnson, assistant superintendent for student services.
“We can help them make their dreams come true,” she added.
Students can dream about their future but may not have the resources, guidance and support to make them reality. But with Tapping Our Potential for Success - TOPS for short - middle school principals and counselors are empowering the 40 students participating - 20 from each middle school, 10 from both the seventh and eighth grades - to make those dreams come true by learning the value of goal-setting.
TOPS is part of the district's overall graduation plan.
A kickoff event held last month got students thinking about their goals. Students and accompanying relatives received a handout on which they mapped out their long-term and short-term goals and then discussed them with a middle school counselor.
Situated on the top of the handout was a quotation that exemplified the purpose of TOPS: “When you begin with the end in mind YOU control your future.”
With that in mind, TOPS' will be taking a field trip to Cayuga Community College's Technology Day on Nov. 9 to expose students to career and educational opportunities from electrical technology to telecommunications.
Organizers are also planning a trip to another nearby college campus.
“We want our students to be thinking about post-secondary work,” said Johnson. “It could be in a technology field, it could be an apprenticeship, and it could be college.”
TOPS provides students with instruction and gives them the forum to engage in discussions with counselors about goals. And while the subject matter TOPS endeavors to teach students is important, fun can also be a part of the learning experience.
“We need a hook for students to be engaged in, something they are interested in,” said Johnson. “That makes the school environment fun and a place they want to be so ultimately their focus can be on academics.”
TOPS is an extension of their original program, Future Opportunities, created and funded by the Auburn Education Foundation, which provided the opportunity for students to visit a college campus. But TOPS goes beyond its predecessor in scope, and in doing so, shows students they have the potential for a successful future.
While TOPS has been successful in instilling the values of goals upon participating students, Johnson said, the program facilitators - middle school principals Diane Dolcemascolo and Deborah Carey and their teams of school counselors - will look to enhance the program for the future.
“We're still in the design phase so this year, after each event, we will meet to talk about how we can change this or make it better for the next time around.”
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at alyssa.sunkin@lee.net or 253-5311 ext. 239.
“What we really want to do for these students is really help them identify where their strengths are and have them thinking about what they want to do,” said Camille Johnson, assistant superintendent for student services.
“We can help them make their dreams come true,” she added.
Students can dream about their future but may not have the resources, guidance and support to make them reality. But with Tapping Our Potential for Success - TOPS for short - middle school principals and counselors are empowering the 40 students participating - 20 from each middle school, 10 from both the seventh and eighth grades - to make those dreams come true by learning the value of goal-setting.
TOPS is part of the district's overall graduation plan.
A kickoff event held last month got students thinking about their goals. Students and accompanying relatives received a handout on which they mapped out their long-term and short-term goals and then discussed them with a middle school counselor.
Situated on the top of the handout was a quotation that exemplified the purpose of TOPS: “When you begin with the end in mind YOU control your future.”
With that in mind, TOPS' will be taking a field trip to Cayuga Community College's Technology Day on Nov. 9 to expose students to career and educational opportunities from electrical technology to telecommunications.
Organizers are also planning a trip to another nearby college campus.
“We want our students to be thinking about post-secondary work,” said Johnson. “It could be in a technology field, it could be an apprenticeship, and it could be college.”
TOPS provides students with instruction and gives them the forum to engage in discussions with counselors about goals. And while the subject matter TOPS endeavors to teach students is important, fun can also be a part of the learning experience.
“We need a hook for students to be engaged in, something they are interested in,” said Johnson. “That makes the school environment fun and a place they want to be so ultimately their focus can be on academics.”
TOPS is an extension of their original program, Future Opportunities, created and funded by the Auburn Education Foundation, which provided the opportunity for students to visit a college campus. But TOPS goes beyond its predecessor in scope, and in doing so, shows students they have the potential for a successful future.
While TOPS has been successful in instilling the values of goals upon participating students, Johnson said, the program facilitators - middle school principals Diane Dolcemascolo and Deborah Carey and their teams of school counselors - will look to enhance the program for the future.
“We're still in the design phase so this year, after each event, we will meet to talk about how we can change this or make it better for the next time around.”
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at alyssa.sunkin@lee.net or 253-5311 ext. 239.
The Citizens' Say
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City/County taxpayer wrote on Nov 2, 2007 6:08 PM: