Nixa High School recently reintroduced a version of the Advanced Learning and Enrichment using Resources and Technology program. The program has been reintroduced to offer resources to students at NHS who have been identified as intellectually gifted students. ALERT works to help organize and solidify students’ plans for college and careers.
Senior Elizabeth Carr said she is ready for the return of ALERT, even though it will be different from what it previously was.
“I’m kind of excited,” Carr said. “It’s not the same – it’s going to be meetings and catch-ups and Dr. [Paula] Macy will be there as a resource for us — it’s pretty different from what it used to be, and I think I’ll always miss what it used to be.”
The program is now offered as a once-monthly meeting, though it is not like that for all grade levels. Starting in elementary school, students are tested into the gifted program and participate in a class directed by Paula Macy, the gifted coordinator for the Nixa Public Schools district. After the class was removed from the course list at NHS, Macy said she was disappointed to lose the connection with her students.
“I think reconnecting with the students [is my favorite part] because a lot of them I had … in sixth grade, or even for some it was third and fourth grade so I’m excited to reconnect with them,” Macy said. “I enjoy learning about what they’re doing, where they’re heading, the accomplishments that they have made and I am excited to be able to help them any way that I can.”
The original reason for the ALERT class being removed from the course list was due to lower enrollment rates, which Macy believes is due to the variety of advanced placement (AP) courses already offered.
“A lot of students became busy with other things and weren’t able to take the actual time for the ALERT class, so the enrollments weren’t as high,” Macy said. “We feel like this might be a better service to the gifted students to just have a resource.”
Carr is optimistic about having this resource available to her.
“I think that it’s a really good program for kids that just need that extra work and attention,” Carr said. “We really got to learn how to function within our outside classes and work better as we progressed through the grades.”
Sophomore Asher Dean is also excited to welcome the ALERT program back, despite its new differences.
“It helps a lot because it’s a program basically meant to just help,” Dean said. “Now it’s for helping students do better in school, and there is a lot of value in seeing your friends, doing better in school … and they help you with … [preparing for] college and tutoring and stuff like that.”
Since the reintroduction, there is no additional work added for students in the class.
“When it was a class, we had it every day and a lot of times that gave you more time to work on stuff but now we don’t pick stuff to do,” Dean said. “Now we just do … activities sometimes … I feel like it’s better that I don’t have to do it for a grade now just because I struggled with presentations and stuff.”
Macy being one of the top supporters of ALERT’s altered return.
“It was sad whenever the secondary program went away, so I’m excited to bring it back this year,” Macy said. “… I am very excited to be able to be a resource for [the gifted students] and communicate with them … and just to catch up and to help them with whatever it is that they need.”