North Adams receives religious and character program presentation
LifeWise, a Biblebased program that instructs and advises students at sites away from their elementary schools, appears headed for a start at North Adams Community Schools after a proposal for it was given at the school board’s January session.
Two local women involved in the Decaturarea LifeWise steering committee – Kelli Simon and Tandra Bard – made the presentation to the board, with Simon saying she and her husband have two children in NA schools, while Bard said that of her and her husband’s four children, two graduated from Bellmont High School and one is still an NA student.
NA superintendent Kim Hiatt said the national program is an outgrowth of LifeWise Academy that was founded in Van Wert, Ohio. The Christian non- denominational organization has more than 25,000 students involved in 276 schools, with 150 more schools scheduled to start this fall.
The women said the local steering committee met with Superintendent Hiatt and Bellmont Elementary School Principal Aaron Baker a few weeks ago to “address a number of questions and potential concerns.”
Hiatt stated that a formal “letter of support” for LifeWise will be presented to the school board at its February meeting.
Bard said South Adams Elementary School began a LifeWise project last fall and Adams Central Elementary will begin its association with the program on January 29. The program starts with students in grades one through four, with fifth graders possibly added at some point.
The program will operate once a week, lasting 40-50 minutes, with adult volunteers in charge, according to Hiatt. Every student involved must receive permission from his or her parent or parents in order to participate in LifeWise’s offerings.
Bard announced that more than 140 people in the North Adams district have signed an “interest list” for LifeWise “to help support and reinforce character education through a releasedtime Bible educational opportunity.”
“Released time” means students are released from school and will be transported by bus to a nearby location for LifeWise instructions. No LifeWise activities will take place on the campus of any public school.
Simon and Bard said LifeWise received a donation of a large bus that will be used to move the students in Adams County.
A written statement handed out by Bard and Simon said this about LifeWise:
“LifeWise is committed to keeping the program legal, simple, and practical.
“We keep it legal by diligently adhering to federal, state, and local laws and policies to keep religious and public institutions separate.
“We keep it simple by focusing on the central messages of the Bible: foundational themes that speak to the common issues of people.
“We keep it practical so we can see a lasting change in schools, communities, and students and to seek to make the instruction actionable.”
The statement goes on to say this:
“LifeWise is beneficial in multiple ways. Research shows improvement academically and behaviorally in students involved in released-time programs. Released-time programs can reinforce character development and improve mental health. Families, businesses, and organizations benefit from investment in students’ morals and character development.”
The LifeWise statement ends by stating: “An opportunity like this is not meant to feel as if it is ‘one more thing’ for schools to implement. As a parent-permitted opportunity, we want to work with our school to find the best way to implement this into the [school] day and make sure that, prior to launch, all parties involved feel comfortable with the details.
“This is a great opportunity for those in this community who love and support our educators to come alongside and help carry part of the load that so many of us feel today.
“We believe the longterm investment in our students’ lives and their characters is greatly benefited with the addition of released time.”
NA board member Tim Ehlerding said character development aids student improvement in various ways. He added that it’s “exciting” to see the support that people and businesses have for such a program as LifeWise.
Board salaries Accidentally omitted in other stories from the school board meeting was the fact that a 7-0 vote approved retaining each member’s $2,000 per year salary.