Pushing knowledge barriers at Kyrene Prep

When Michael Burnett, a seventh grader at Kyrene Middle School, rides down the road in his family’s vehicle he doesn’t just read the sentences on the passing billboards, he identifies their subjects and verb tenses.

While this might not seem like the most common behavior, it is the norm for students involved in the Kyrene Prep Program at Kyrene Middle School.

Burnett lives in Ahwatukee Foothills, but he makes the short commute each day to Kyrene Middle School’s campus to take accelerated courses with other students who are eager to learn.

When the Kyrene Prep Program started in 2006 it had only two teachers, but now the program has four teachers for each grade level.

Jan Gildersleeve, an eighth grade language arts teacher for Kyrene Prep, has found that she can challenge her students to delve deeper into their learning material.

“I get the kids to look at new information in new ways and then share what they learn with their classmates,” Gildersleeve said. “We try to make a good fit with students and connect with them.”

Students enroll in Kyrene Prep from as far away as Queen Creek, Scottsdale and Buckeye. According to Gildersleeve, students and parents alike are drawn to the program because it prepares children for independent thinking and higher levels of education.

“When I design projects I give students choices about how to proceed,” she said. “I give them a framework and they can choose what kind of grade they are going to work for.”

Mike Bramelett, a seventh grade social studies teacher for Kyrene Prep, also pushes his students to challenge themselves.

“We’re studying the same things as they would in another social studies class, but we take things a bit further,” Bramelett said. “I test more with essays than multiple choice questions.”

Students enrolled in Kyrene Prep get to stick with the same group of children in each subject they study, which appeals to student Michael Burnett.

“I know the people in my classes, and I know how they’ll react in different situations,” Burnett said.

On top of being comfortable in class, Burnett has noticed a serious improvement in his writing skills.

“Before this program when I wrote I would wonder if a sentence made sense, but now I have little doubts when I’m writing,” he said. “I can look at my writing and see that it has improved vastly.”

Julie Burnett, Michael’s mother, is happy that her son has found an environment that challenges him, despite the fact that it creates some extra driving for her.

“Kyrene Middle School isn’t our home middle school, he would have gone to Akimel,” Burnett said. “It’s worth a little extra time in the car though, and the first year there were four children who enrolled in Kyrene Prep from Ahwatukee, and we all car pooled.”

To enroll in the Kyrene Prep Program, students must take a test, which is coming up in January.

“It’s a great environment for students interested in growing in all areas,” Gildersleeve said. “The students have enjoyed cooperating and working together to extend their fields of knowledge.”

Visit www.kyrene.org to find out more about the Kyrene Prep Program.