The ‘whole student’

BCMS offers on-site nurse, alternative learning

By Carol Rolf

LITTLE ROCK — Faculty at Conway’s Bob Courtway Middle School still teach the traditional ‘readin,’ ritin’ and rithmetic,’ but teachers try today to reach students on several levels - psychological, social and emotional.

For the second year in a row, BCMS offers a Wellness Center to address the needs of the whole student. It is directed by the school nurse, Becky Sullivan, who is a registered nurse.

“We have added wellness to our school improvement plan,” said Gloria Mabry, BCMS assistant principal. “We want to focus on the whole child. We want the students to be well psychologically so they will come to school and do their best.”

Various community entities work with Bob Courtway Middle School in providing free or reduced services to keep the students well. Free clinics, such as the Interfaith Clinic, help with free clinic visits and medications as well as dental services. Civic organizations such as the Lions Club are available to help with sight problems, including providing free eye glasses.

Sullivan has been with the Conway School District for five years and at BCMS for two years. She worked as a nurse at Rebsamen Medical Center in Jacksonville and Ozark Health Center in Clinton and taught school at Bee Branch for eight years before signing on with the Conway School District.

Sullivan is on duty eight hours a day. She sees her share of common ailments, broken arms and twisted ankles. She also conducts scoliosis, body mass index and hearing and vision screenings. She is also there for studentswho just need to sit and talk.

“I like this job because it combines teaching and nursing,” Sullivan said.

Bob Courtway Middle School is also concerned about the wellness of the students enrolled in the Alternative Learning Environment located on the BCMS campus. Coach Joey Achan, lead teacher at the center, describes it as “a school within a school.”

Achan said seventh- and eighth-grade students who have been unable to function in the mainstream classroom environment have been placed in this setting to be able to have a successful educational experience.

“Conway Public Schools’ Alternative Learning Environment program wants to focus on the whole student,” said Achan, who also teaches world history, physical education and health and is assistant football coach and head basketball coach. A graduate of Blevins High School, Henderson State and University of Central Arkansas, Achan was born in Los Angeles.

“It is the goal of this program to provide services to the students to meet their cognitive, physical, creative, social and emotional needs. These students are in this program because they were not able to find success elsewhere due to cognitive, physical, social, and/or emotional constraints.

“We want to center our attention on the barrier or barriers that hinder the students from achieving academically and give these students strategies to overcome these obstacles,” he said.

“Traditional teaching methods and styles must be modified to adapt to the needs of our students. These students are not flourishing in a regular classroom setting. Our district recognized this issue and is currently seeking to address this issue for these students through ALE.”

Achan said it consists of highly qualified teachers in each subject area. These students receive instruction in the core classes -math, English, science and history - and they also have the opportunity to participate in art, computerized remediation, physical education and counseling. There are 11 students on the roster - five seventh-graders and six eighth-graders.

“It is our goal for these students to exit the Alternative Learning Environment and return to a regular school setting with all the necessary skills to be successful in the mainstream environment,” Achan said. “We want to give every student the opportunity to achieve educational success.”

River Valley Ozark, Pages 76 on 09/25/2008