North Judson-San Pierre Superintendent Dr. Annette Zupin provided board members with an update about some new programs that are being offered to students.
Dr. Zupin reminded members that the Verhagen Family has provided some funding to help children who may need some additional educational assistance outside of the classroom.
She explained, “We already have something implemented that they’re assisting with, tutoring at both buildings. At the Jr./Sr. High, it’s as needed which doesn’t surprise us, but at the Elementary, the interest was so high that we needed to have two teachers.”
She mentioned that the tutoring focuses on two different subjects and consistently takes place a couple of times a week.
Zupin shared, “We have two teachers who have 14 students regularly, so 7 a piece, after school, two nights a week they have them grouped by grade level and then one night it’s reading skills and one night it’s math skills and so far I think it’s working great.”
In addition to the tutoring services, a robotics program is being offered to NJ-SP middle school students with the Verhagens’ financial assistance. Dr. Zupin stated that a call-out was scheduled for this month and that she’ll have more details about that at the next meeting.
So far, these programs have been funded through the Verhagen Family Fund.
The Verhagens also created the Our Kids Excel fund to allow citizens to invest in the community’s future by providing North Judson-San Pierre students with new opportunities.
If you’d like to help fund programs that assist NJ-SP students, you can provide a monetary contribution by visiting nicf.org, clicking the donate button, and then selecting the Our Kids Excel Fund option when you’re asked to “Designate Your Gift”.
You can also mail and make checks out to the Northern Indiana Community Foundation (NICF) at PO Box 807, Rochester, IN 46975. Be sure to include ‘Our Kids Excel’ in the memo line of the check.
If you have any questions, give the Starke County Community Foundation a call at 574-772-3665.
