Boys & Girls Town of Missouri’s St. James School Graduates Thirteen Students
St. James, Mo. (May 22, 2007) – The close of the academic year at Boys & Girls Town’s St. James School brought new excitement for students graduating from the high school program and for those earning General Educational Development (GED) certification.
The Boys & Girls Town School received authorization from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) in 2005, enabling students to earn high school diplomas. Both schools including the main campus and the Woodland Spring School continue to meet the standards for approval from DESE.
Family, friends and classmates packed the school gym on the St. James campus of Boys & Girls Town of Missouri to celebrate the accomplishments of 13 students. Five of those students graduated with a high school diploma and eight of the students received their General Educational Development (GED) certificate.
“Graduating from high school is always a great accomplishment, but for these thirteen students’ it is even greater because of all of the traumas they have been faced with,” said Carol Scherf, director of education at the St. James School. “The students have worked so hard to get where they are today and I am so proud, as their principal, to recognize their accomplishment.”
One hundred percent of the GED graduates have been accepted into a post-secondary program, which includes vocational training, technical training or college.
Austin, a graduate, is one of those students making the transition from high school to college. He received a full academic scholarship to Lindenwood University in St. Louis and is planning to pursue a major in Business Administration.
“Austin is a great example of achieving anything you put your mind to,” said Scherf. He overcame many obstacles, but it was those challenges that have prepared him for college and life in the real world.”
The St. James School graduation requirement for high school graduation exceeds minimum state requirements in required credits. In addition to academics, Boys & Girls Town students must have 50 hours of documented community service and master 10th grade exit testing in reading and math.
The St. James campus school offers a structured and a specially designed educational program for all residents in grades one through 12. |
Columbia Region
