Feature Photo: The Journalism intersession pose together at Farrand Field at the University of Colorado at Boulder. The group attended journalism classes at the university and met with students and faculty of the college of media, communication and information.
Without an innocuous bell beating throughout the halls marking the end and start of the classes, Rangeview students were able to break out their comfort zones during the new “intersession” as teachers expanded the learning environment to Colorado Trails, the city of Denver and more.
Rangeview students participated in a plethora of playful intercession activities from Tuesday March 12th through Thursday, March 14th, as freshmen students lugged through state mandated testing.
Principal Ron Fay said he took a risk, “to create a better testing environment…for the freshmen” by reintroducing Intersession courses that showcased the passions of Rangeview teachers that also tie into class curriculum.
Vice Principal Cooley expresses, “For teachers, it gave them the opportunity to show their passions to their students…and connect with students a little bit better.”
Started up by Mark Stein, third principal at RHS, intersession was introduced in the early ’90s; it began as a three week long program program in January. Fay explains that the extended programming, “created a lot of opportunities for travel, because you could take extended trips.” Intersession ceased to exist at the turn of the century when state testing was introduced.
Fay explains his risk, “When we proposed [Intersession] to the district, the room kind of got really quiet and people started looking around like, ‘Really, that’s what you proposed?’” Fay’s wager with the district proved to immensely rewarding for students, both in their exploration of trying something new or stepping out of their comfort zone.
Sophomore, Ràjhaun Jenkins, delved into the Journalism course and stated, “I like the program, it’s an inspiration. It makes me think about my future.”
Jenkins walked through high school journalism as he explored the Raider Review. Then stepped up the ladder to see how the College of Media, Communication and Information(CMCI) at the University of Colorado Boulder assisted its students in expanding their boundaries in the evolution of journalism. He then was able to see the Denver Post in action as they analyzed stories rising in popularity across the internet in the their morning meeting.
Intersessions’ effect was not only a success from the learning experience but also from teaching experience as well. Fay details the effects of intercession on teachers, and their loss of words about the experience describing, “The look on Ms. Despain’s face on Tuesday afternoon was… I don’t know if I’ll forget that.”
Without a doubt, the increased class engagement from the students strengthened the relationships that students hold with their school, many students said, which translated into, as Mr Sandt describes, “better attendance” throughout the school, both in testing rooms and intersession courses.
Rangeview students were able to explore on and off campus, explore colleges, explore the culture of Denver, explore the art of a Jedi, explore mother nature, explore art. The courses encouraged students to try something new outside the regular school curriculum.
