News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Putnam County Schools have hired students in the work-based learning program to serve as school monitors at elementary schools.
CTE Supervisor Jackie Vester said the school system hired 11 students to be school monitors. Vester said the school monitors go to the elementary schools during the day to help with lunch time.
“We also had a need internally for more supervision at lunch in our elementary schools because our elementary students, especially at the beginning of the year need help with their juice boxes and opening their chip bags, and they forget a spoon when they go through the lunch line,” Vester said. “So we needed some extra hands there.”
Vester said school monitors have been serving since August and have proven to be successful. Vester said offering school monitor positions provides opportunities to students who otherwise may not be able to participate in the work-based learning program.
“What happens with work-based learning is a lot of times our students need to either work in the morning or in the afternoon,” Vester said. “And they are allowed class time that they got to the work place because they are earning a high school credit, but oftentimes our athletes and our fine arts students, band or choir students, they can’t participate in work-based learning as easily because they have practices.”
Vester said the elementary kids love seeing the school monitors. Vester said the schools have additional school monitors but sometimes will wait till the high school student can help them.
“Younger elementary students really do look up to them,” Vester said. “I tell them that they are like celebrities, you know, when they walk in the kids are wanting to give them hugs, high fives, or fist bumps.”
Vester said the school board made a big investment in the work-based learning program by allowing the school system to hire students. Vester said it sends a strong message for when they pitch to industries to hire their students that the school system should be willing to do the same.
