This decade, Bowling Green High School has gone through many changes and accomplished many feats. Some academic aspects of the school have been modified to give students the best possible education, and a new building is being built to keep up with new technological advances.
The LEAD Academy was founded in order to make the transition from middle school to high school easier for incoming students. The Academy has four main pillars: Lifelong Learner, Excellence through Effort, Always Show Respect, and Demonstrate Responsibility. And within that program came the idea to provide all students with Chromebooks to use during the school day and at home.
Another major change was the introduction of the Medical Arts Academy, which gives students opportunities to begin exploring a medical career earlier.
“Students are getting a lot more hands-on, eyes-on experiences when it comes to doing work in that field. Students are seeing the value in a CTE (Career and Technical Education),” said Destiny O’Rourke, guidance counselor at BGHS.
This year, a new path was opened to seniors: the College Cohort. Seniors have the option to participate in this program that allows students to experience what college might be like. There are 80 seniors that chose to partake in this path this year. Students take four classes and have the option to take an additional class or participate in work-based learning, and they also take a class called college knowledge to learn skills they will potentially need in college.
One of the biggest feats is the start of construction on a new building that will have new technological opportunities and a layout that allows each room to have a window.
Amanda Watt, a social studies teacher at BGHS, said “I am so excited for the renovation and the technology that will be available because with the current layout in this building, you can’t really see what’s happening.”
The school climate has also gone through major changes this decade as the number of students has increased. An emphasis on student involvement has grown, with more dances like MORP and other events such as the bonfire.
Michelle Satterly, a math teacher at BGHS, said, “Over this last decade, we’ve started trying to have dances, created events like the bonfire this year and last year, and we are trying to get students more involved in after school activities. We are trying to build a good culture among our students and faculty.”
With all these recent changes, there are some things people hope don’t change.
Mrs. Satterly said, “I hope we continue to build on our school climate. One great thing about BGHS is that there is something that every student could be involved in. I think Mr. McGraw had a good idea when he did that club rush. Students need to step outside their comfort zone.”
Mrs. Watt said, “For the future, I want to see a continuation of the camaraderie I see among the students. One of the things I like about BGHS is that people are accepting of who you are and what you do.”
One thing will never change: what teachers hope their students’ high school experience was like. High school is both a time for learning and for creating memories, and teachers want students to look back on their high school experience as more than just an educational time.
“I hope they remember it as a place where not only did they learn, but they had fun. I want them to look back and remember all the memories they made,” said Mrs. Satterly.
Mrs. Watt said, “I think that what you hope for students is that they had a positive experience as far as the culture and climate of the school, which isn’t just academics, and that they knew they were supported and that people were proud of them no matter what they did.”
The opening of the LEAD Academy, the new building, and a myriad of other accomplishments will shape the future of BGHS and the experience of future generations of students for years to come.
By: Addison Kolzow