#1StudentNWI: West Side Leadership Academy Promotes Involvement

#1StudentNWI: West Side Leadership Academy Promotes Involvement

What's Going On:

The senior hallways were busy during the Halloween season. From painting murals of the class of 2018 to the decoration of lockers, this is the student's favorite time of year. The decoration of the skeletons and talk of spooky face paint was leading up to one thing. The hosting of a movie night sponsored by the seniors.

The movie was held after school on the night of Halloween. The senior council charged only two dollars to view the movie and an additional fifty cents to have your face painted. The face painting was an idea inspired by previous face painting of the seniors during cougar pride week. The same face painting students will be attending the movie night on the sidelines to give the other attending students a spooky touch up.

The proceeds to from the movie night went toward the senior class trip, making the large turnout extra special for student council.

Student Spotlight

1Student-GaryWS-Nov-02Benjamin Lemon, known to friends as Benji, Ben, or Benj is an energetic, humorous, intelligent, senior at West Side Leadership Academy. Lemon is an up and coming leader and role model who showed remarkable leadership potential during this year's student government election. Even though he fell short in votes he is still a part of student council. Student leadership is not the only thing the young adult is associated with. West Side Theatre Guild and Art Club are also on his resume.

Benjamin is currently working to start an Entrepreneur's Club which will aim to inspire young minds to take their livelihood into their own hands. Learning skills needed to be their own boss and run a successful business, he hopes to create something many will be interested in.

When asked what inspired him to create such club, his answer was also inspiring.

"What inspired me to create the Entrepreneur club was the lack of businesses in Gary. The businesses that do exists are either large corporations or are owned by people who live out of town. I hope to inspire not only at my peers but other students all over the city. I strongly believe that lack of commerce is a major component, and it may just be why my city struggles."

Lemon is an aspiring actor. He is currently starring in a play titled Stand Up, which was written and produced by Mark Spencer. The play illustrates the effects of drugs and alcohol within the adolescent community. Although the characters are fictitious, the statistics are very real. Lemon is currently preparing for another production titled The Gift of The Magi.

During his spare time Lemon enjoys listening to his favorite artist J.Cole, sculpting, and abstract painting. He has also found the time to learn how to play the guitar and chess.

Lemon has a lot on his plate for his senior year. He has to worry about senior obligations, college placement test, and actually applying to colleges and universities. He manages all of this while still managing to start a club for the betterment of others, enjoy his last year in school, and be an actor. Benjamin is determined to do it all and be efficient in it all.

Teacher Spotlight

1Student-GaryWS-Nov-04Stanley Keller is an algebra teacher at Westside Leadership Academy. Keller is a graduate of Chesterton High School, class of 1985. He received his bachelors degree from Ball State University in 1990 in statistics. He also recently completed a Master’s Degree in Mathematical Educational Science at Walden University Online.

Keller started out on a path to become an actuarial scientist, but changed course to follow in his father’s footsteps. His father was a teacher at Lew Wallace for 42 years and loved every minute of it.

Keller is in his 14th year of teaching at West Side high school. He teaches freshman and sophomores in group learning framework.

“We do a lot of peer-talking and peer-learning. I make sure they’re on task and we also use an online program called Carnegie Learning, along with classroom work to build up their skills,” said Keller.

1Student-GaryWS-Nov-03Students work in ink because they learn from their mistakes, and learning with, and shaping the next generation is an important facet of Keller's work.

“I will be here as long as they will have me. I need them and they need me. I see kids succeed that no one knew could succeed. It’s amazing what you can get them to do," said Keller.

In his class, Keller greets students with a smile and a high five, then it's down to business. When class starts he's usually already written problems on the board. He then gives the students three different ways to find the answers, which will be used later on in the computer room with online learning tools.

Overall, Mr. Keller has helped 500 plus students pass the ECA. He loves the kids and wants everybody to be successful.

What's Coming Up at Westside

1Student-GaryWS-Nov-01Westside Leadership Academy Annual Report Card Night

As a way to involve and inform parents about their student's academic performance, Westside holds a Report Card Night every year in November.

November 16th 2017, marks the end of the first trimester and on November 21st, 2017 report cards will be available for parents and guardians to pick up between 4:30pm and 6:30pm. This includes a meet and greet with teachers, counselors, coaches, and other administrators. The senior hallway and lunchroom is where the teachers will be stationed according to grade and subject. Refreshments will also be provided to parents and guardians in the lunchroom.

This time gives parents the opportunity to get involved in their child's schooling and to find out if their children are doing well in school. Parents get to to sit down with teachers, principals, and coaches to learn about what happens at Westside High School.

Furthermore, administrators including principal T. Little, the assistant principal's E. McMahon and C. Wade, and Officer Harris will be maneuvering around greeting parents and keeping things in order. The Lady Cougar Softball Team will be available to assist teachers with communicating with parents as well, and will be fundraising along with the football and basketball team.

This night is also used to improve student performance. Having the parents come in and sit with the teachers and their students shows the students that the parents care and also reminds the students that they are always being watched and must act appropriately.