Independence High: A Culture of Acceptance

“She didn’t think graduation was ever possible for her,” said Independence High Counselor Mrs. Johnson. “Last spring, she was able to represent her class and give a short speech at graduation. She said that people at her old school didn’t seem to value their diploma, but to her, it meant everything. We appreciate small sweet moments like that.”

When asked how Independence High is creating a culture of acceptance, Johnson said, “We work hard to build positive relationships with students. Every morning our students are greeted by first name with a big smile as they walk in the door. As counselors, we try and meet with them individually (in our office) at least once every 6 weeks and encourage them to come to us for help because we have many resources to assist them.”

“We have a few students who are homeless or on their own. Sometimes they may not have a way to get to school so we go and pick them up. Other times, they may not have food, so we open our food bank for them to take food to their families. To us, their education is of the utmost importance. So if we can help ease a few day-to-day environmental factors, we will. Whatever situation comes our way, we do whatever they need to help out.”

“Sometimes students have difficulty seeing themselves out of their current situation, but we are working hard to help them see more possibilities for their future than what they see right now.”

Whether it be graduation assistance programs from MTECH or filling out resumes, the staff at Independence High are committed to helping their students. With small class sizes (15-20 students) and three clear-set goals involving: communicating (listening, reading, writing and speaking), computing (thinking, reasoning and analyzing) and connecting (acknowledging, supporting, participating and leading). They do what they can to ensure a bright future for their students.

“The vision we have is to make every student to feel accepted and needed here,” said Johnson. “We strive to give each student experiences that will lead them to appreciate themselves and find a career that they are passionate about.”

Thank you to the teachers and support staff at Independence High for helping our students realize their possibilities! Also, a big thanks to our students are Independence High for not only contributing to a culture of acceptance, but increasing their graduation rates this year! We are proud of all these accomplishments.

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