Written by Lois Felten, Home School Advisor
Portage Township Schools has always had high expectations for academic achievement. We also believe in providing opportunities for students and staff to develop and strengthen character traits for lifelong success.
We have adopted 5 critical values...Fairness, Honesty, Responsibility, Respectfulness, and Compassion and continually provide lessons and activities in these areas. PTS is fortunate to have a unique resource for many of these activities in Fegely Middle School's "backyard". For the past 20+ years the Porter County Education Services has maintained a Challenge Education facility at Fegley. Nestled in the woods next to the ball field is a Low Ropes Course, TEAMS Course, High Ropes Course and Climbing Tower. This facility provides PTS with a continuum of activities designed to foster personal growth and awareness, team work and cooperation, leadership, problem solving, communication, independence, trust and much more.
The Challenge Education program involves students in cooperative, noncompetitive activities. These activities give students a sense of accomplishment through cooperation. Home/School Advisors, Guidance Counselors and teachers have been trained as facilitators on each course. The facilitators also learn initiative activities for the classroom.
Beginning in 4th grade students have the opportunity to spend a day at the course. Fourth graders experience Low Ropes where they are exposed to "challenge by choice". They are guided through trust-building activities and instructed in "spotting" techniques before climbing on rope elements. The objective is to develop group trust which is essential as students participate in higher level challenging experiences. Classroom teachers participate by connecting the skills practiced on the course to life back in the classroom. Students learn that they can "spot" or care for each other by using the critical values as their academic work becomes more and more challenging.
Fifth graders and middle-schoolers may have the opportunity to spend a day on the TEAMS Course. Activities are designed to place the group in a specific problem-solving situation which requires the full cooperation of the group. Students experience dependence on others, as well as a need to promote personal safety and the development of trust. The activity may be structured to place different kinds of responsibilities on different members of the group, thus requiring greater levels of group cohesion while assisting individuals in developing decision making and other leadership qualities.
The High Ropes Course is reserved for high-schoolers. Students who are given the opportunity and choose to participate climb on elements 35 feet high. They are given the opportunity in a controlled stressful situation to develop personal strength, self awareness and controlled risk-taking.
PTS is very fortunate to have a Challenge Education facility, along with trained facilitators, which provides us with a tool to help students explore and develop the critical values for life and learning.