american fork
high school
You could argue that the last three years of high school have been more disruptive for the Class of 2022 than any class in our school’s 119 year history. Pundits around the world use phrases and words like learning loss, mental illness, learning gap, and apathy when describing young people today. As principal of American Fork High School, I have had a front row seat to watch how difficult these past two years have been for our youth. School closures, social strife, sickness, loss, loneliness, political polarization, have been just as exhausting to teenagers as it has to adults. I have also been witness to incredible resilience among our youth. So many of us thought that kids had gone through too much and so we tried to shield them from any kind of challenge. We quickly saw that we were doing a disservice to them. What they really needed was connection. When young people feel meaningfully connected to people or a goal, they can accomplish anything. This year, our goal at American Fork was to not only connect with students, but create a space for them to connect with each other, and to help connect them to the curriculum. This year has been full of making these human connections. Our students have bonded over challenging academic classes, demanding athletic teams, theatrical and musical performances and competitive club competitions. We’ve also done a lot of activities that we used to think were extra but now we realize are essential…like dances. Human connection has happened in little ways all year and was felt in a big way when our boys basketball team completed their Cinderella run, winning state, in front of a huge crowd at the Marriott Center. We are excited to gather there again for graduation and recognize how we bounced back. It’s all about combining hard work with human connections. This is what we call school. This is how our kids heal and grow. If it’s not hard, there’s no growth, but connection helps with the hard. We at AFHS are proud to be in the business of connection. We are proud to support kids in doing hard things. We are proud to be Cavemen.
Peter Glahn Principal polaris
high school
During the 2021-2022 school year, Polaris West High School (American Fork) and Polaris High School (Orem) merged into one central location in American Fork. Our new building provides a learning environment that considers the various physical, emotional, and academic needs of our students so they can experience success. Although considered an alternative high school, as part of Alpine School District, graduates of Polaris receive an accredited High School Diploma. Similar to more traditional high schools, we provide bus transportation for students throughout the district, in person instruction, and lunch. At Polaris, we provide resources that consider the reality that each student is an important individual. We specialize in helping students recover credit deficiencies by providing academic support through small class sizes and expert teachers. In addition, our wellness room, “The Zen Den”, provides a space where students utilize various tools to regulate their emotions. Our Closet and Pantry are stocked with donations from a wide variety of donors throughout the community that provide clothing and food resources free of charge to our students. We have found that by supporting our students by removing some of the barriers that have prevented many of them from achieving academic success in the past, our students develop into lifelong learners. With these supports, our seniors have become leaders both in school and throughout the community. Last year, we had 52 students graduate early, many of whom seek post-secondary educational opportunities in the community like MTECH. This year we are on track to see similar results. Our graduation rate continues to improve year over year. We are so proud of our students, especially our seniors, who are resilient and dedicated.
Kori Thomas Principal 30 |
Spring 2022
