East Allen County Times • June 21, 2013 fwdailynews.com • A5

classes meet in a class-room and in the media center.

Julie Davies and two colleagues teach a class on childhood literature. For their second lesson, each child’s notebook featured a red pebble. “They each have a little red stone that is glued into their writer’s notebook with a list of wishes that they had,” David said. “They picked one of those wishes as if it came true, and they’re going to write a piece about how that wish came true.”

Mikhyah Austin said the class makes her feel good about her work. “It helps because they let me write a lot, and I have a big imagination,” she said. “First I’ll say that I don’t know something, and then I’ll write something and everybody likes it.”

The class is an opportu-nity to expand vocabulary. Colton Htut had the latest entry on a chart of “million dollar words.” He had to downsize his letters in order to spell “supercalifragilisticexpia-lidocious.” He explained that the word fits those situations when a person isn’t sure what to say.

In another classroom, students delved into the American Revolution. When they’ve finished their studies, they will report on the Revolution. Director of Academics

Margret “Tardy” Ubelhor explained that one goal of the class is to distinguish fact from opinion. “We taught that facts have to be verified,” she said, “so our reading activities are all about finding facts and opinions, finding out which we can verify and which we can’t.”

Resources include books on Colonial life. Students research housing and clothing, but also consider how the Colo-nists felt about the British and how the British felt about the Colonists.

Students will make crafts, and perhaps butter and candles, and will learn to make fire by friction, so the group can cook outside. They also will create a newspaper, complete with headlines, bylines, columns, illustra-tions and advertising.

“One person will

read it, and be the town crier, and ring the bell,” Ubelhor said.

Summer classes began June 11, and continue 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday through July 3.

About 40 students arrive before 9 each morning, and study until 1 p.m. Transportation is available each way. “If we think a child needs to be here and their parents work or have other obli-gations during the day, we go get them. We have two buses running Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in the morning and in the afternoon so students can be here on time, have breakfast and have lunch, and then get on the bus and go home.”

The fall term begins Aug. 8. Find registration and enrollment help at johnsonacademy.com.

SUMMER from Page A1 Trine picks up Johnson Academy sponsorship

Timothy L. Johnson Academy has received a three-year sponsorship from Trine University.

The school on the east side of Fort Wayne lies within the East Allen County School District. This past school year, 180 of its 302 students lived within the East Allen boundaries.

Ball State University’s Office of Charter Schools dropped its sponsorship of Johnson Academy on Jan. 22, citing academic performance. The academy appealed the decision but withdrew the appeal before the April 18 hearing date. The East Allen County School Board considered spon-soring the academy, but voted against the course at an April 9 board meeting.

If it had not found a new sponsor, the acade-my’s charter would have expired June 30.

Trine attached several conditions to its offer to sponsor the academy. David Wood, managing director of Trine’s Educa-tion One arm, read the conditions at the June 10 meeting of the academy’s board of directors. The offer was accepted by the

board members present, without dissent. Also at the table were Trine Senior Vice President Michael R. Bock and Johnson Academy School Leader Steve Bollier.

Under Trine’s account-ability plan, the academy must meet several require-ments, including but not limited to:

Achieve a grade of C or better during the first year of sponsorship.

Improve to an A during the three-year sponsor-ship.

Establish art and music programs.

Entrust day-to-day operation to the school

staff.Allow regular moni-

toring by Trine staff.About 100 adults

attended a public hearing immediately prior to the board meeting. Many of those attending were Johnson staff members or volunteers. Twenty-three adults and five students addressed the hearing, all commending the academy and calling for its continued sponsorship.

“Together we’re going to figure this out,” Bock said. “We don’t bring all the answers, but with all the folks in this room, we know the answers are there.”

By Garth Snowgsnow@kpcnews.net

Timothy L. Johnson Academy School Leader Steve Bollier, left, and Trine University Senior Vice President Michael R. Bock listen as Johnson parent Ebonee Pilot addresses a public hearing about the charter school.

Photo by Garth Snow

Julie Davies helps James Barnes with a literature lesson at Timothy L. Johnson Academy. The children’s literature enrichment class is for grades two through six. In all, Johnson Academy offers three summer school classes.

Photo by Garth Snow

Fatherly love.Traditionally, we are led to believe that menare not nurturers. But as contemporary viewsreshape the way we think, we learn that men arecompassionate and hold their families dear.And if anyone knows compassionand families, it’s us.

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