Top of the Morning, Top of the Class!

So, without anyone's permission, I and two other board members visited Gambold Preparatory HS today. And we were blown away. Seriously. I know that are a lot of ticked off people and some just concerned people regarding the location of this school. But let's face it. These are our kids. I would drive twice as far if I had to. But actually, it only took me about 20 minutes to get there today.

The school is meant to fill the need for our CFI, Sidener, and Montessori students entering H.S. Many of these kids have left the district to attend Herron, North Central, private, or they simply move. So the idea of meeting their needs came up at a retreat a few years ago. The building happened to be available and recently renovated.

I will go ahead and share my opinion and feel of this school, but if you are a parent of a potential student and you don't get in there yourself, you are missing the opportunity to make an informed decision on your child's best options. Every school is not for every child, but make sure you know all your choices.

First of all, I called the school as I left my house to give them a heads up that we were dropping by. I was welcomed over the phone and we felt that welcome again when we entered the building. We strolled the halls, looked at the walls, and met a few staff members. Then we ran into the principal, Mr. O'Day. He's a wee bit Irish with a genuine smile and a handshake that might just hurt a little. The staff was dressed in a very professional manner, and today was a special day and all the men had matching bright blue ties and the women lovely orange scarves. It was obvious within minutes that this school had become a team in just 5 days. Mr. O'Day was kind enough to show us around and answer any questions.

There are so many things I loved about this school and though I want to share them with you, please know that I am no substitute for the passionate teachers and staff that have created these brilliant ideas.

I love the sports options. I never even asked about the traditional sports because I was too intrigued with croquet, cricket, rowing, and possibly sailing. Yep. Pretty awesome.

I also love the schedule. THey have a 45 minute lunch. This will allow time for special programs and presentations, or time to form study groups. I also loved the no fast food pact. No fast food in the building. Not students. Not staff.

I did have a moment of concern. As we were leaving the library (which feels so cozy and airy) I saw a bulletin board with "BANNED BOOKS" across the top. I got a lump in my throat. There, on the board, were titles of book and the reasons they were banned. I wasn't going to fight for the titles of Twilight or The Hunger Games. I mean, I love the books, but you may be the same person if you never read them. But when I saw To Kill A Mockingbird, and Catcher in the Rye.....well, I decided I had to say something. I politely told Mr. O'Day that I needed to pick a fight with him. I asked if he banned these books. He told me these books are the top banned books because of material that deals with racism, language, sex, and so on. He said they have been put in jail. After a close look I saw the book titles did look like they had lines dran over them like a jail cell. Then he said that the students could release them from jail simply by reading them. He is challenging these kids. Challenging to decide for themselves. And to teach them that there are times to question what everyone else is saying is wrong. From that moment on, I was sold.

We enjoyed talking with the staff (staff that was hand picked by Mr. O'Day). I loved seeing their excitement regarding the school. I can not wait to visit again in a couple months and see the progress and talk to the students.

I wish all principals had the authority to choose their staff and be able to search country wide for the best of the best.

Anyway, thank you to the warm welcome we received and the time Mr. O'Day and his staff took to chat with us. It was a wonderful experience.