Page 15 - PPPS Pride & Progress-Spring 2017

High School Counseling Department

Offering More Services to Students and Parents

The high school is excited to be able to offer an academ- emotional needs. As the academic advisor, Mrs.
ic advisor to support students and parents on the journey to Derhammer monitors students who are not already being
graduation. Tracy Derhammer has stepped into this role supported with individual education plans. She has regular
after ten years in the classroom teaching English. The pri- communication with these students, teachers and parents to
mary responsibility is to support students who are strug- help determine what interventions could be put in place to
gling to meet the necessary requirements for graduation, help these students be more successful.
but Mrs. Derhammer also supports students in preparing for As schools are asked to use more and more data to ana-
college entrance exams and generating new data that is lyze student achievement, the addition of this position is
being used to create school improvement goals. helping to generate valuable data on our students which will
While her office is in the counseling office, Dave Kenyon be used to set goals. The new reports are already providing
and Kim Sinke, still provide students with counseling serv- staff and students more focused direction to be sure all our
ices related to their class schedules, college searches, and students graduate on-time and college and career ready.

Turtles, Volcanoes and Rainforest, OH MY!

During Spring Break of 2018, high school staff members Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, home to 6 ecological
Dave Kenyon and Laura Howell will conduct a study tour to zones, over 2,500 plant species and hundreds of species of
Costa Rica. This joint venture will emphasize learning birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.
objectives for the Science and Spanish programs. The Other experiences include a visit to a Costa Rican
group will start out in San José, and travel to Tortuguero on school, a local cooking class and a folkloric dinner complete
the Atlantic Coast to visit the enormous national park which with dancing. If you or your student are interested in mak-
is the most important breeding ground in the Caribbean for ing the trip, please attend a launch meeting for parents and
the green sea turtle. From there, the group will continue students on Tuesday, February 28, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. in room
north to Arenal, stopping along the way to visit a banana 206 at the high school.
plantation. If you are unable to attend, please contact Mr. Kenyon
After a tour of the plantation, they will continue on to dskenyon@ppps.org or Mrs. Howell lbhowell@ppps.org for
visit Arenal, one of the ten most active volcanoes in the more details. There is a discount for travelers enrolling
world. While there, students will have the opportunity to before March 30, 2017 so be sure to act soon in order to get
soak in the volcanic hot springs. Moving on, they will visit the best pricing!
the La Fortuna waterfall and eventually wind up in the

MORE FROM CEDAR STREET (Cedar Street Update starts on pages 4 and 5)

STAFF SPOTLIGHT:
Warner Offord, III Warner is a graduate of Western Michigan University
where he studied organizational communications. He
Warner Offord III, is a 1999 graduate of played collegiate tennis at Kalamazoo Valley Community
Paw Paw High School and was a member College where his teams were in the top 15 in the nation
of the soccer team that won state for Paw both years. In, 2001, while at KVCC he was awarded as the
Paw’s first championship team in 1998. In team’s most dependable player.
2013, he along with his soccer teammates, Warner is a dedicated and passionate coach and is
was inducted into the Paw Paw High enthusiastic about the development of his players not only
School Athletic Hall of Fame. Warner has been a fixture in on the court but in life too. Warner Offord III, has been
the Paw Paw Public School System as a tennis coach and hired at Paw Paw Cedar Street Alternative Education as
substitute teacher for over 10 years. His 2003 girl’s tennis their Student Responsibility Classroom Monitor. This
team won regional and finished 10th in state at PPHS. opportunity allows Warner to help students think responsi-
Several of his players that he mentored ended up receiving bly and to start taking ownership for their educational
all-conference, regional champion path. Warner loves this position because he’s able to work
PP or all-state honors. Three of his with a diverse group of students and it allows him to use
teams earned academic all-state.
his coaching skills to better help students.
P S PRIDE IN NEW ADVENTURES 15