#1StudentNWI: La Porte Builds a Brighter Future

#1StudentNWI: La Porte Builds a Brighter Future

Teacher spotlight – Lute-Brown

An extremely vital part of being a teacher is showing compassion. Luckily, most teachers at La Porte High School do pride themselves in it, but one of the first people most students think of is Mrs. Lute-Brown.

Lute-Brown has been an educator for a total of 18 years. Eight of those years were happily spent at Portage High School, which happened to be Lute-Brown’s former alma mater. After teaching there, she took a well-needed break for two years, but truly missed it and began at La Porte High School in 2008.

Lute-Brown currently teaches freshman and sophomore English, American Literature, Advanced Composition, and Expository Writing.

“I have always adored reading, words, and the English language in general, and I had great English teachers in high school, so it seemed like a natural fit to go into teaching my favorite subject. I know not everyone loves reading and writing, but I really hope to have at least a little, just little, of my love of English rub off on students,” Lute-Brown said.

Not only does the idea of English drive her passion, but the specific assignments she hands out do as well. Each of those assignments spark interest every year, the most common one being the oral history assignment. She asks her students to choose someone close to them, may it be a family member or a dear friend, and record a twenty-minute conversation with them. Later, the students transcribe the questions and answers, and share what they learned with the class.

“We just did oral histories, and I felt there was a strong personal connection for all of us in these assignments. I loved reading them and looking at students’ most impactful people through all of their eyes. This is a favorite for me for Expository Writing,” Lute-Brown said.

Another favorite is one she gives out in American Literature. Her students read the novel Of Mice of Men, which is one of her favorite books for students to truly engage with.

“I love it because of the themes of loneliness and love and longing for connection, and I love introducing students to it and hope they will love it, too. And they often do,” Lute-Brown said.

Although her classes are full of enlightening activities, Lute-Brown also brings her joyous attitude to uplift the classroom. She is constantly trying to better her students and set them up for success, and does it in a way that should inspire other educators.

“I think we all fit together like a puzzle - each of us brings a unique part to the whole picture. I like the subjects I teach, my students, and I try to do my best. I know that my colleagues and friends do the same. One puzzle piece I try to bring to my department and to all of my classes, no matter what the class, is a sense of acceptance and belonging so that students know someone is really trying to see and understand them,” Lute-Brown said.

Altogether, Lute-Brown is a prime example of a teacher who takes the emotional side of her students seriously. She is always willing to reach out to students that need help, and even when they do not, she still likes getting to know her students. All of the LPHS staff and students are genuinely lucky to have her.

Student spotlight - Lucas Poehl

1Student-LaPorte-Jan-2018-04Senior year is the year where students are pushed the hardest. Not only do they have to finish the year academically strong, but their future is also constantly on the line. In the case of Lucas Poehl, he has his near future planned out and plans to finish this year strong.

Throughout his high school career, Poehl has made principal’s honor roll, received athletic awards such as a sectional title in tennis, and will graduate with academic honors in the spring.

As well as being academically gifted, Poehl also prides himself in his sports. He played tennis for two years before moving onto wrestling and track, in which he is currently participating in. He enjoys the diversity and different set of skills that each sport gives him and will take the knowledge he earns from that to achieve more in the future.

“I’m a self-motivated person and have used my determination to get where I am,” Poehl said. For future plans, Poehl has enlisted in the military and will attend basic in Fort Benning, Georgia come July 16th.

“I’m most excited for basic and making bonds with the people I’ll meet and going to places that I would never think of,” Poehl said.

Poehl is aiming high and plans to serve for many years and hit the highest rank he possibly can. The military has always been meaningful to him and something that he is anxious to experience.

“I wanted to join the army because I felt it was the best way I can use my talents and serve my country. I want to still be in the military five years from now and making a successful career out of it,” Poehl said.

Poehl is finishing off his high school career happily with his future in mind. This is only a small part of the rest of his life, and he is all too excited to take the next step.

What’s going on - LPHS choir activities

1Student-LaPorte-Jan-2018-03The La Porte High School choir is a program that aims to teach students music in an environment that they are wholesomely comfortable, eager, and confident in. It covers a wide variety of culture, activity, and life lessons that undoubtedly separates it from not only other schools in the county, but in the state of Indiana in general.

“There are so many things that I teach that I consider important – self-confidence, responsibility, social skills, flexibility, working with others, not to mention musical skills like reading, singing technique, and other performance factors,” Mr. Coe, LPHS choir teacher, said.

The class always includes a wide variety of music to give the students a sense of culture. The songs are practically chosen right before they are learned so there is always something fresh and new to sing.

“It’s kind of a year-long process. I spend a lot of time looking through websites and catalogs, but I also keep a running list in my head from music I hear at concerts or in videos on Facebook. Sometimes I’m able to go to conferences and conventions where there are good reading sessions or good choirs performing, and I get ideas that way, too,” Coe said, “Then it’s a matter of selecting things that will highlight the strengths of each choir we have that year and music that will pair together well to make for interesting and engaging performances for the audience.”

Recently, the high school has undergone construction to the auditorium to welcome the new Performing Arts Center in the coming years. It may have kept the choir from practicing normally for this year, but it also gives newer choir students an idea of how their class experience will improve because of it.

“I think it may have an indirect effect on their singing skills because we will take even more pride in our performances. But the performances themselves will be enhanced by the technical aspects of the new venue. Acoustically, our sound should be better from the audience perspective. All of that may also help to recruit members so the choirs grow in size,” Coe said.

The choir will have a new place to showcase their talent in a few years, but regardless of that, the class will still continue to expand and improve. No matter where the choir performs, they will shine through and through.

What’s coming up - Murals

1Student-LaPorte-Jan-2018-01Earlier in the school year, Hailmann Elementary began an exciting and colorful new project: murals. High school art students volunteered to help create a more positive atmosphere, and it was such a success that La Porte High School itself decided to paint some murals of their own.

Mrs. Lebo’s AP 3-D Art class have eight murals currently in progress, but hope to create many more before the year is out. One of the murals is placed in the commons and says, “Proud to be a Slicer” with the “I” in Slicer removed so students can stand in place of it and literally put the “I” in Slicer.

Ideas like that have transformed the school’s interior from dull and boring to powerful and compelling.

“It’s been cool to just add more to the walls. They’re kind of boring, and it helps that the paintings have good messages. It makes people feel good about themselves and in high school, that’s important,” Kelsey Henry, senior and AP 3-D Art student, said.

Another mural that is well in progress is in the English wing and says, “Courage over Comfort.” This is inspired by English teacher Miss Parker, who lives by the mantra.

“I like that we have the freedom to customize the murals however we want. Teachers can request some by their rooms, too, like how Miss Parker’s worked out,” Jaden Millard, sophomore and AP 3-D Art student, said.

The murals are taking up a lot of time for the art students, but they are having a blast creating them. Hopefully in the future, many more will be added, putting more life into the school.