The Foundation House begins
by JULIE S
April 15, 2010
This upcoming fall, there will be a new pilot program at the Dexter High School for some freshman called the Foundation House, also known as “the freshman house”. This program will be a team of 120 or so students. There will be four main teachers and classes, and students will be traveling with their core class. The purpose of the program is to help students transition from middle school to high school.

It has been rumored that the seniors will have their own team, and the two teams will not be interacting even at lunch. No, that is not what is going to happen. All students' classes and schedules will continue on as normal except for those students who have been randomly selected for the Foundation House. Allie D, 7th grade, said, “I like the idea of the Foundation House. It will make the first year in high school easier!”

There is a way out of the Foundation House for students who feel this pilot program will not benefit them. The students will be chosen at random for the Foundation House and will be able to opt out. Also students who test out of a certain freshman course will not be in the Foundation House. The Foundation House will only accommodate freshman courses.

There have been several parent meetings about the Foundation House for parents, and the feedback from the parents has been very supportive. Some parents worry that this will make the transition from a freshman to a sophomore more difficult. Though, many parents were supportive towards this program saying that it would help their kids stay focused on school work, instead of high school drama.  

There was also a meeting for 8th grade students on March 25 to answer some questions.  At that time, students learned the Foundation House team will still have lunch and some electives with a mixed group of DHS students from all grades.