The Vision for Ridgewood Middle School
On Friday January 20, 2023, Ridgewood Middle School hosted a handful of Centenary students, including myself, and allowed us to talk to their 8th grade students about high school and college. This event was made possible through the joint effort of Dr. Christal Schoen from Centenary and Mr. Joseph Johnson of Ridgewood Middle School. It served as one of the last events for this year’s Dream Week.
Due to a small misinterpretation of the schedule, I found myself arriving at the middle school nearly 40 minutes early. Fortunately, Mr. Johnson, the assistant principal, kept me company and offered me a tour. I learned a lot about Mr. Johnson by the way he spoke to the students we ran into. If they were doing something they weren’t supposed to, he straightened them out, treating them more as young adults than the kids they were. His reasoning for this became apparent to me later that day.
He asked me if I knew what I was here to do, and I responded, “to tell these students our experiences in college and what to look forward to.” He smiled and explained that beyond just talking about our college experiences, he wants us to guide them through the process of getting from point A, Ridgewood Middle School, to point B, a college like Centenary. Mr. Johnson attributes his success to the big brother-little brother mentorship program his school had with Xavier University. Xavier’s mentors kept their mentees on track, and provided encouragement throughout the stressful milestones prior to college. Near the end of my tour, Mr. Johnson said that the students at Ridgewood Middle often find it difficult to keep up. Their reading scores took a fall as a result of the pandemic, and a lot of the students have parents that are too overworked to be reliable sources of homework help. Fostering a new relationship with Centenary College that will encourage his students and guide them towards success is his vision for Ridgewood Middle School.
The actual event started out with all of the 8th grade students seated in front of the Centenary students in the auditorium. They got a chance to ask us general questions about our experiences in college, such as the length of classes, dorm sizes, and curfews. Then we Centenary students were split up into designated classrooms, where groups of about ten 8th grade students cycled in and out of every twenty minutes. I really appreciated this system, because it created an open space where these students were allowed to ask me whatever came to mind without the pressure of their teacher or faculty lurking around. When the students were with me, I started by asking everyone to introduce themselves to me and tell me their favorite thing about their school. Many of them happily told me their name and listed their sport or favorite class, but I was disheartened to hear many of them also say that they didn’t like anything about their school. Comparing their words to the opinion I held about my middle school, which was in a well-funded county in Maryland, I could tell that they had an entirely different perspective on education than the one I grew up having. I, however, refuse to blame the school for this. One student articulated beautifully that he doesn’t love his school, but the administration tries to make it better. He respects that. His example was a trip they took to the Robinson Film Center, and other students chimed in on that being a great experience.
So what can improve these students’ experiences in school? Like Mr. Johnson said at the beginning of the day, the students need guidance. A lot of these students come from working class families, meaning they often do not have people at home that can commit enough time to make sure their assignments are turned in and tests are prepared for. After realizing this, I understood why Mr. Johnson spoke to his students with a stern voice. He wants to turn them into responsible and independent students that will be able to succeed throughout the rest of their education, despite any limitations they may have outside of school.
Just before I left, I found Mr. Johnson. I told him that I really enjoyed this experience and would like to stay in touch. We exchanged business cards, shook hands, and said our temporary good-byes. Centenary now has the potential to make a big impact on a school close to home, whether that be through more talks, weekly tutoring events, or a simple pen pal activity. These kids are the future of Shreveport, and it is important that we encourage them to expand and achieve their potential. So with great optimism, I look forward to the people that will join me and Mr. Johnson on furthering this vision for Ridgewood Middle School.
