May 16, 2019
Valley News www.grainvalleynews.com
Vol. 2, No. 20
FREE
Good News
Sni Valley Academy Celebrates 2019 Graduates
Graduation ceremonies are always exciting events to celebrate student achievement and embrace the promise of a bright future. For students graduating from Sni Valley Academy, Grain Valley High School’s alternative program, their path to commencement was not a smooth one, but the end result is just as exciting.. “There are a variety of reasons why students come to Sni Valley. Some are behind in credits or have attendance or discipline issues, some come to us with anxiety and medical issues. Even though the reasons they come to us are different, the end goal remains the same. To graduate high school with a plan in place for the future,” Ryan Adams, teacher at Sni Valley Academy said. The program at Sni Valley is individualized for each student. The state accredited program allows students to gain 15 hours work experience and complete 15 school hours weekly toward the goal of completing credits to graduate. Gaining the student’s trust and determining what barriers are preventing them from moving toward graduation is a key initial step according to Adams. “Our number one goal is to establish a relationship with a student. Once we
Sni Valley Academy graduates received their high school diplomas during a commencement ceremony at Grain Valley High School on May 9th. Photo credit: Grain Valley Schools do that, we can talk about what’s going on outside school. Our teachers have to wear a lot of hats, but watching our students go from not such great shape academically to getting their diploma is very satisfying. Our students battle so much adversity. The perseverance they show is amazing,” Adams said.
Two students received scholarships through the Bright Futures program to continue their education, including a student who plans to pursue a nursing degree. Adams and fellow teacher Jill Maxon both addressed students during the May 9th commencement ceremony. “Your path to this stage tonight was
a lot different than other students graduating high school this year. As a student of the alternative program at Grain Valley, you have taken the road less traveled. Many of you have faced situations that many of your other classmates could not comprehend. But in the end, you’ve been able to meet your challenges and achieve success,” see SNI VALLEY on page 2
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