Some students struggle in a traditional high school setting. They might find themselves dealing with poor grades and unable to form meaningful connections with their peers.
In recent years, kids and adults alike have been faced with challenges due to factors such as COVID and climate change. The world is constantly changing, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. With all changes, some people do better with them and some do worse. When people face difficulties in their lives, they tend to be negatively impacted in school and work. Some students struggle in traditional high schools, but they might be able to find success at Parkway’s alternative high school, Fern Ridge.
At Fern Ridge, classes are structured differently than the other High Schools. Although the bells still go off on a regular basis, students aren’t provided with a schedule unless they ask or are proven to need it. Instead, they see each of their teachers in the morning every Monday, and for the rest of the week, they’re free to do work for any of their classes in the room of any of their teachers. Another difference between Fern and other Parkway schools is the grading system, which is additive rather than subtractive. Students start with zero percent in all their classes, and when they turn in work, their grade in the class rises according to the score they receive.
Each teacher is free to decide the curriculum for their classes, and they often change things around to fit the needs of each individual student’s learning. Typically, students are enrolled in four classes per nine-week quarter, but some might finish classes early and start another halfway through, or they might opt out of starting another and have fewer classes the rest of the quarter. Some might decide to take on extra classes to begin with, and some might take fewer at a time. Only a maximum of a hundred students can be enrolled at Fern at a time, but not everyone is in the building at the same time. Some students stay home and work on things online, some are dual enrolled, some have partial schedules, etcetera. The point is, Fern is meant to be a place where students’ needs are met on a personal level in order to help set them up for success in the future.
One downside of life at Fern is that there isn’t much variety in the options available. Because it’s such a small school, there’s only one teacher of each kind, except the English teachers of which there are two. There are fewer elective options at Fern and there aren’t any after-school activities to choose from. Leadership Club serves as a student council of sorts and on Thursdays, students have the opportunity to visit different rooms in the school for various activities, but otherwise, there isn’t much room for clubs either. However, for many students, this sacrifice is worth it to better their education.
Sofia Ballew, a junior at Fern Ridge, attended South as a freshman.
“I had been harassed at the main Parkway schools nearly every year since starting middle school. Clearly, my grades suffered because of this. I started avoiding as much school as I could, as I felt this was the only way I could keep myself sane and protected. As much as we tried, I don’t think I ever received the correct accommodations or support from South or Southwest. Even once I was in a safer position, though not yet at Fern, I was still stuck in my habits and couldn’t bring myself to stay academically active,” she said.
And this is where Fern Ridge steps in. When students like Ballew face challenges and struggle academically and socially, Fern Ridge can offer them solace.
“For me, Fern has genuinely given me the space and accommodations I’ve needed,” said Fern Ridge alumnus Raine Scott, who graduated earlier this school year. “I’ve been through a lot in the span of three years, but Fern and the staff were always incredibly patient with me and gave me space to not be okay without forcing pressure upon me to do work. Of course, I still was required to do my work, but it really did feel like I came first.”
And Scott isn’t alone in this feeling. Students like senior Fig Russell have noticed the positive impact that Fern has had on them, both academically and socially. Russell came to Fern as a sophomore after his freshman year at North and explained his own experience with Fern;
“My second or third week it hit me like a truck that there wasn’t anywhere else I’d rather be. I had paved my way to a comfortable routine and found my people,” Russell said.
Ballew, too, has expressed something similar.
“I realized Fern was right for me when I knew I felt safe there. I wasn’t used to feeling unafraid in a school environment, and my social anxiety has become so much more manageable as a result. Knowing that I don’t have to be scared of the people around me has also made it incredibly easier to focus on school, instead of keeping myself afloat, which is how I felt at South. I don’t have to be scared here and that means I can actually get my work done,” Ballew said.
Not only do students generally feel better at Fern, they actually see themselves doing better as a result.
“I never thought I’d be going to college, but it feels like a real attainable goal I can set my sights on. The majority of my peers are also planning on a similar path,” said Ballew. “Further down the road, I hope to find a career that I can thank my schooling for.”
Scott, who is currently enrolled at the Meramec Saint Louis Community College, had this to say about his experiences. “A lot of people come because they won’t finish their classes at their home school, and honestly I wouldn’t have either. A lot of people go right into working after high school as they have no desire to go to college, but a lot of people, like me, head to community college.”
It’s not just the students themselves who are positively impacted by Fern Ridge, though. Even the teachers and staff see their lives and the lives of others being changed by their experiences there.
“I’ve learned what feels like a career’s worth of knowledge and valuable information from my colleagues and from students at my school,” said Jordan Noyes, the math teacher at Fern Ridge. “I think the structures we provide have the potential to help a lot of students. I think we do a good job. Every student is different, every student has a whole long list of different types of needs, not only just academic, but social-emotional, mental, even just physical. There’s all kinds of different needs that every student has, so we do our very best to meet as many of those needs as we can on a daily basis.”
Of course, Fern isn’t a magical perfect ticket to a good life. As in any other school, you have to put forth the effort to reach your goals.
“I think some of the student body arrives at Fern assuming it will be an easy path to graduate. While it’s a big and helpful resource, if you don’t apply the skills and work towards graduation, then you’ll fail, like any other school,” said Russell. “You will not succeed if you don’t take strides toward succession.”
Ballew expressed something similar.
“I don’t want to say Fern is perfect. It’s not always the right fit for everyone, and it’s not just a place that magically makes things better. While I credit a lot of my success to Fern, I was only able to achieve this success by making changes in myself that were not easy. You have to be willing to hold yourself accountable one day, and you have to commit to self-improvement the way anyone else would,” she said. “Still, Fern is lovely, and I’m very grateful for it.”
School and life after can be terrifying and stressful, and Fern Ridge’s students and teachers know that better than anyone. To anyone struggling with their school lives, the people of Fern Ridge offer some advice.
“Fern is one of the most welcoming and accepting places I’ve ever been. I came into Fern with zero credits in my sophomore year, and now I’m going to be able to graduate on time. Credit recovery and academic success are possible, even when starting at the bottom. Fern will remind you that the only place to go from there is up, and as long as you’re willing to give something new and different a chance, you might be surprised. Even if you decide that Fern isn’t right for you, I’m sure you’d always have a place here,” Ballew said.
Additionally, Noyes advised, “If you’re considering it, just apply. There’s no commitment by just applying, and you can just gain a whole bunch of information through the application process itself. Depending on how the application goes, maybe you get an interview, maybe you get a tour, so just gain as much information as possible. That’s my advice for any sort of situation a student gets into, just get as much information as possible.”
Looking back on the way things have grown and changed at Fern these past few years, the students of Fern Ridge express their hopes and love for their school.
“I have hope that Fern will grow consistent in its ways, I think it could provide students with a little more stability,” said Russell. “I also hope for a financial future in which Fern is supported wholeheartedly by the rest of the district. Fern students deserve just as much as main Parkway students.”
On a similar note, Scott explained his wishes for Fern Ridge and its future students.
“I hope it can continue to be a safe space for students like and unlike me. I hope it can forever be the safe space it was for me, and I hope it continues to improve as years go by,” he said.
Ballew, too, brings forth dreams for both Fern’s and her own future.
“I hope that Fern is able to feel a little more complete in the future. I hope that any active problems become easier to manage, and that the environment becomes more stable and fulfilled. We’re still working through issues, as any school would, but I just hope a time will come when these problems are expected and students are able to go about their days with more confidence.”
