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Overcast Meadowbrook Alternative Program celebrates 10 years
The Meadowbrook Alternative Program, which the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District offers as an alternative to the mainstream, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
The program, which is tailored to students who don’t quite fit into mainstream classes, opened in 2005 with 27 students from Calhoun, Kennedy and Mepham high schools. Now it houses roughly 50 pupils.
A nurturing environment
MAP Principal Susan Ellinghaus said classes are small, enabling teachers to give students the one-on-one attention that they need to thrive.
“We decided it would be best to keep students at about 50,” she said. “With a lower [number] of students, we’re able to pay more attention as to what kind of extra help each student needs. We’re able to see who’s an auditory learner and who learns more by taking down notes.”
At MAP, students receive a warm welcome, which encourages them to achieve their best, Ellinghaus said, noting that many didn’t know what academic success felt like before entering the program. “Once a student starts to feel success,” she said, “whether it’s getting an 80 for the first time or an A, they want more of it, and that’s where the passion and drive start.”
MAP teachers work to create a supportive environment that builds cooperation among students, Ellinghaus said. “The nurture part comes from offering things like extra help and letting our students know that success builds success,” she said.
MAP students take several field trips each year, many of which are designed to build trust among students. “The challenge part comes from offering more rigorous programs,” Ellinghaus said. “This year we’ve added two Advanced Placement classes; next year we’ll extend it to a third. That’s not usually what one expects to see in an alternative program.”
MAP now offer AP literature and AP language, and next year it will add AP chemistry to the mix. “Intelligence is not an issue with our students,” Ellinghaus said. “Some students just felt too confined or too pressured in their home schools.”
