Denman Junior High School students aren’t just going to school for math, English, science and social studies.
With a new emphasis on fine arts activities such as gospel choir, chorus and dance, the school is trying to improve student engagement, said Principal James Brown.
“We’re coming from the approach that kids need to be engaged in something in order to engage with the school,” Brown said. “If we can give children a dance class or a chorus class and get them involved in sports and clubs, then they’re more likely to come to school and enjoy school because we see students are engaged in more than just academics.”
In addition to fine arts activities, the school has implemented nontraditional sports such as archery and bowling and will introduce a faith-based club directed by students next week.
Brown said the school prioritized testing and accountability in recent years, but Denman is making an effort to bring back arts-oriented activities to motivate students to attend school and enjoy learning.
“The students are now able to express what they want and they’re open to coming and giving us ideas and we’re trying to meet as many of those as we can,” Brown said.
While some students approach Brown in the cafeteria or hallway with ideas, others schedule appointments, detailing exactly what they want and how much it’s going to cost.
A group of students proposed introducing a ladies’ flag football team and “so far, we’re moving forward with it,” Brown said.
The fine arts classes meet every day, but the clubs don’t. Next semester, the students currently taking general dance classes will switch to chorus and vice-versa.
Denman Junior High School has added an additional class period, switching from seven to eight for this school year.
“By adding the eighth period, we have ensured that every student, even if they need intervention, will get an elective -- and a movement elective, too, like P.E., dance or band,” Brown said. “It’s very important to keep our students healthy.”
Brown said there were two reasons for the switch from seven to eight class periods.
First, the school needs to provide students who are not on grade-level with intervention during the school day if they need it.
Secondly, the extra period allows students who are ahead of the grade-level to take an enrichment class.
“Classrooms are heterogeneously grouped, so there are all different levels in there, but by having those additional classes, we’re able to pull and meet the students exactly where they’re at,” Brown said.
Based on early data, Brown said students are progressing at a good pace, especially in mathematics.
Because of the extra period, Brown said he’s certain the school will see better academic results, while the electives will help students become well-rounded.
With the addition of new activities and clubs, Brown said the school was also trying to combat absenteeism and tardiness by increasing students’ desire to attend school.
If students miss school frequently, parents are notified and if students are late every morning, the school may make changes to the student’s schedule to ensure they’re not missing an important academic class.
“We would go to the counselor and say, ‘OK, they’re having trouble getting to school first period, so let’s not have math first period, let’s have an elective first period and make sure that later in the day, they’re getting the math,’” Brown said.
