Board hears update on Elm Street Academy/Big Picture
Published on BOCES (http://www.caboces.org)
Elm Street Academy, through its association with Big Picture Schools, is having a remarkable impact on the lives of area teens, the C-A BOCES Board of Education learned at its regular monthly meeting on December 7.
Elm Street Academy is an alternative high school started by BOCES about five years ago in a former Cuba Central School building. Shortly thereafter it began working with the Big Picture Company, based in Rhode Island. Big Picture has a network of schools for youths at risk of dropping out. It helps teens graduate high school by tailoring learning programs to their individual wants and needs, and by arranging internships and other ‘real world’ experiences to help them grow both socially and academically.
BOCES has two Big Picture locations, at Ellicottville Central School and Elm Street Academy, where the December board meeting was held. Elm Street principal Christopher McNell said both sites have experienced growth and success over the years.
Mr. McNell introduced Chelsey Currie, who attended West Valley Central before switching to the Ellicottville site. Her Big Picture advisor, Lynette Crowell, also attended.
ABOVE: Elm Street Academy principal Chris McNell introduces Big Picture senior Chelsey Currie, right, and her advisor Lynette Crowell.
“Before enrolling in Big Picture, I never really talked about going to college,” Chelsey said. “In fact it didn’t look like I would even finish high school.
Chelsey said her future was not something she considered much. “I didn’t care about homework or grades. I just cared about getting out of school so I could hang out with my friends.”
She said Big Picture has changed her life entirely. “Since I’ve been attending the program at Ellicottville, I care a lot more about where I’m heading in life.
“I’ve grown up a lot. I had a problem with authority. I didn’t get along with most of my teachers before. At Big Picture, it feels like every teacher cares about whether I succeed. When something needs to get done, they keep on you until it’s complete. Every teacher here has gone out of their way to see that you’re successful.”
Chelsey said the Big Picture approach is not for every student. “But for kids like me it definitely does. I feel bad for the students who don’t have this opportunity.
“Without Big Picture I doubt that I would be looking at graduating from high school and going to college,” she added. She said she has applied to Cazenovia College, with hopes of someday attending Columbia University.
Mr. McNell also had an update on one of last year’s Big Picture graduates, Sean Lexer. Sean’s father Tim said in an email that Sean is flourishing at Ohio Diesel Tech in Cleveland.
“Sean has completed three different modules or sections of training since August when he started,” Mr. Lexer wrote. “He is scoring high 80′s or low 90′s on his class work and currently has about a 86 percent average for the school. Sean can not wait to leave on Monday morning to go back for class. He has only missed a couple of hours of class since he started and this was do to him coming upon a accident on his way to school.
“It is hard to believe that two and a half years ago Barb and I were hoping we could keep him in school long enough to get his GED. Then we heard about the Big Picture program. We were fortunate that Sean got placed in the program. We started seeing a change in Sean as far as going to school and completing his work. It no longer was a chore to get him to go to school. Then we started to think maybe we can get him to graduate. For him to go to college was something we never dreamed would happen.
Now we have a son in college who is enjoying college and doing well in school. He is bringing the things he learns back to the farm and using it on maintenance and repair of the farm equipment. Whatever he decides to do we know he will be well equipped to handle it.
Thanks to the Big Picture program and all the dedicated people involved with the program. You have turned a high school dropout into a kid going to college and doing well.”