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Riverwest Currents
HOPE Christian
Schools: Changing Attitudes About School and
Life
Jean Scherwenka
December 10, 2007Visit
Riverwest Currents article
Many students arrive at our schools
feeling frustrated, overwhelmed and
uninterested because they have not
experienced success before,” says Wendy
Greenfield, Vice President of Development
for HOPE Christian Schools. “Our job is to
get them excited about school again and to
see that they can be successful.” She claims
there is no magic formula to academic
success.
And yet walking the halls and visiting the
classrooms on a recent tour of HOPE High
School at 3215 N. MLK Drive, I felt the
magic everywhere.
“A big foundation for us is creating an
atmosphere of love and happiness,” says HOPE
Principal/Superintendent Kole Knueppel. “The
kids feel that right away. They sense that
this place is different. They feel and know
that the people here love them and will do
anything to help them. And that changes the
dynamic quite a bit.” |
Knueppel thinks people who talk negatively
about today’s youth hold misconceptions
about them. He sees a lot of positive energy
in young people, “and once you tap into it,
the kids respond,” he adds. “You know they
really want a lot of the things that we
espouse in terms of being successful – doing
the right thing, being responsible for
behavior, going to college – the kids have
those dreams.”
What does it take to move students from
frustration, disinterest and a general
dislike for school to high school diplomas
and college acceptance? “It takes a lot of
work on the parts of the students, the
teachers, and the families,” says
Greenfield. “Our philosophy is that every
child can and will learn. The teachers take
great care to help them understand that
school can be enjoyable, and that they can
achieve academic success.” |
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Ron Jones (left), president
of the Siebert Lutheran
Foundation, presents a check
for $1 million to HOPE
Christian Schools. Students
celebrate with County
Executive Scott Walker, HOPE
Superintendent Kole Knueppel,
and Mayor Tom Barrett. |
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HOPE Christian Schools opened their first
school in 2002 at 2345 N. 25th St. and
welcomed 49 elementary students in grades
K-4. Two years later the HOPE High School
opened its doors, and in 2005 HOPE Middle
School opened in Riverwest at 510 E.
Burleigh. Affiliated with the Lutheran
Church, all three schools are part of the
Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. Today
they draw over 500 students from a wide
variety of Milwaukee neighborhoods including
a large percentage from Harambee and
Riverwest.
All three schools use traditional teaching
methods. Every day all students get 90
minutes each of math and language arts. Half
of that time is focused on learning at their
particular grade level; the rest of the time
is spent learning at the level they’re
actually at. “For example, if a student is
in fifth grade but actually doing second
grade math, they’ll be able to work [during
that] time on getting caught up to where
they need to be,” says Greenfield. “The kids
really enjoy it because they see success on
a daily basis as they’re constantly
progressing up.”
The schools do not track their students. “We
believe in keeping the kids together as much
as possible,” says Knueppel. “We work to
catch the kids up who are behind and give
the kids who are at or above grade level the
time to work independently and move even
further ahead.”
Saturday School is another way HOPE helps
their students succeed. Optional for most
students, the program allows them “to come
in for a couple of hours to work on their
homework and get assistance if they need
it,” explains Greenfield. They also have the
opportunity to spend free time with their
teachers playing basketball, chess, or other
activities that build relationships on a
one-to-one basis.
“Our faculty considers our students an
extended part of their own family,” says
Greenfield. “They’re very dedicated. All of
the students have their teachers’ and
administrators’ phone numbers so if they’ve
got a problem or a challenge, they can call
them and find a solution.” All students are
expected to come to school in uniform, on
time, with their homework done. If they get
stuck on a math problem, for example, they
are to use that teacher’s phone number and
call for help. “We want all of our students
to focus on being solution finders,” says
Greenfield. Family involvement is an
expectation at HOPE. “In order for the
students to succeed, it’s important for the
families to be engaged.
If everybody is invested, the children can
do great things,” says Greenfield. The
schools provide families with academic
report cards every two weeks “so they know
exactly what the students are doing.” In
addition, quarterly parent/teacher
conferences yield high turnouts at all three
schools, more than 95% at the elementary
level. A variety of volunteer activities
provide families further opportunities to
stay involved in their children’s education.
During summer break, students from fifth
grade and up may partake in HOPE’s Summer of
a Lifetime Program designed to extend their
learning and character development. The
students experience a variety of activities
outside the classroom, such as fine dining
in restaurants like Lake Park Bistro, visits
to the Milwaukee Art Museum, camping, or a
day at Six Flags.
Next time you feel maxed out on bad news and
starved for a good feeling about the future
of today’s youth, call for a tour at one of
the HOPE Schools. And if you’re passionate
about urban education and want to support it
with some of your dollars, contact Wendy
Greenfield about contributing to HOPE’s
building campaign. Their growing enrollment
needs a new middle school.
Learn More:
www.thehopeschools.org
For volunteer or financial support
opportunities:
Wendy Greenfield: 414-915-6023
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