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More than 50 students enrolled in the school district’s Road to Success program were treated to a Thanksgiving buffet on November 26.
The event was held at Franklin Middle School – Hamilton Street campus, where much of the RTS program coursework is done.
The RTS program is designed to help students struggling in the traditional classroom environment “to graduate high school and be college and/or career ready, by providing individualized course studies, social and emotional learning, counseling services, and a supportive school atmosphere,” according to the program’s web site.
The program is open to middle and high school students.
The Thanksgiving dinner is a chance “to celebrate our student successes,” said Nikki Tatum the program’s administrator.
“We give out certificates for honor roll; for good attendance, if not perfect attendance; students who pass their classes, because remember a lot of these students didn’t meet success in the regular school setting,” she said. “So we use this opportunity to fellowship – their families are invited – so that we all can kind of celebrate in the successes that our students are meeting.”
“This is how we break bread and let the families know the wonderful things that their kids are doing,” she said.
Tatum, who has run the program for the last four years, said the students look forward to the event each year.
She said this year, the Franklin Township Education Association sponsored the catered dinner.
“We like to eat and drink here in the program,” Tatum said.
Also on hand was the outgoing Director of School Management, Orvyl; Wilson, who gave the students what amounted to a pep talk.
“I am so proud of what you have done,” Wilson told the students. Giving a brief history of RTS, Wilson noted that it was the first group of students who named the program.
“I’d be remiss if I didn’t pay some tribute to that first group of RTS students who came through because they really, really needed a second chance,” Wilson said. “But they recognized that this program, while different in some respects from the high school and anything else that they’ve been through, that this program was very special because it showed that there are people who care about you and are willing to make sacrifices, and sometimes put up with nonsense, just to make sure that you can feel good about who you are and what you represent.”
“Because we aren’t what people think we are,” he said. “Because if that were true, some of you wouldn’t be here right now. We are the sum total of what we believe we can be. I know that to be a fact, and I’m sure that there have been people who have said it more eloquently than I, but all of us, every one of us, myself included, have had to go through some challenges in life, and sometimes those are challenges that can feel like you know what, I want to give up, I’m tired, I don’t want to do this anymore. And guess what? Giving up is an easy thing to do.”
“It’s easy to give up,” Wilson said. “But this RTS program has helped instill in students very much like yourself that giving up is not the answer.”
“It is helping instill the idea and the belief that each one of us has some value and that we, you, can accomplish anything that you put your mind to doing,” he said.
“But I want to leave you with this idea that all of us sometimes wish we had a second chance to do something,” he said. “Sometimes, just sometimes, we get that opportunity to get that second chance. And sometimes we don’t. And you never know whether you’re going to get that opportunity or that second chance or not.”
“So take advantage now of this opportunity that you have through the RTS program to, do this … for yourself,” Wilson said.”
Here are some scenes from the evening:
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