RENAISSANCE: CENTRAL HIGH STUDENTS ENJOY RESURGENCE OF PRIDE, SPIRIT

Julia Jorgensen, right, Renaissance program coordinator, showed a scrapbook of success to members of the Renaissance student steering committee at Central High School, from left, Kristin Tallent, Tatum Kitchen and Erinn Schermann.

Katie Limbaugh, left, and Diandrai Webb looked at photographs of Renaissance activities.

Cape Girardeau Central High School students have enjoyed a renaissance of personal pride and school spirit, thanks to a seven-month-old program.

Central High's Renaissance program rewards students for academic success, improved attendance and good citizenship.

Rewards come in the form of food, store discounts and other prizes provided by local merchants.

Teachers who participate also qualify for prizes and recognition.

A high school principal in North Carolina started the Renaissance program in 1986. Since then it has spread to more than 6,000 schools nationwide.

English teacher Julia Howes Jorgensen heads up the program.

Jorgensen is enthusiastic about the morale-building program. No one cheers harder for the high school than Jorgensen.

Her parents graduated from Cape Central. So did she. Her son is a senior at Cape Central, and her daughter is in the eighth grade.

"I love Central," she said, her energetic smile punctuating the remark.

Spanish teacher Donna Ellis said the Renaissance program provides positive reinforcement at the school of more than 1,000 students where spirit and pride have been lacking at times.

Ellis said the program emphasizes a positive work ethic. It encourages students to succeed both academically and as citizens.

There are numerous incentives, from $5 cash drawings to doughnuts for students with perfect attendance. Small groups of students also are honored at a breakfast with the principal.

Nearly 50 local businesses and citizens have backed the program, offering everything from money to merchandise. Major employers, including Cape Girardeau's two hospitals and the Procter and Gamble Paper Products Co. plant, are among the sponsors.

Dr. Don Dennington, a local orthodontist, is one of the sponsors.

Each month, Dennington delivers a box of doughnuts to a first-hour class whose students had perfect attendance for a week and weren't tardy.

There is a drawing each month to select the winner from among the classes with perfect weekly attendance.

Dennington believes in the Renaissance program and its goal of getting students to perform well. "The idea is to encourage kids to do the right thing."

He said there isn't anything more important than educating youth.

The fact that a businessman is willing to bring doughnuts to school means a lot to the students, Jorgensen said. "The kids are just really turned on by that."

A 25-member student steering committee helps direct the program, along with a 15-member committee of parents and staff.

The program brings some positive public relations to students and the high school, students said.

Students earlier this year held an assembly honoring veterans. "Our veterans were really touched by it," said Jorgensen.

On Jan. 9, the school will be the host for a regional conference on the Renaissance program. Representatives from some 14 area schools are expected to attend.

Central will hold an academic pep rally on Feb. 7 at the Tiger Field House to recognize its honor roll students.

Students on the "A" honor roll will receive a gold card. Students on the "B" honor roll will receive orange cards. Students who have improved their grades will receive white cards.

The cards will give students discounts at area businesses, with "A" students receiving the most benefits.

Jorgensen said the program doesn't honor just the top students, but also rewards those who brought up their grades at every level.

Jorgensen said it encourages all students to improve academically.

"It encourages you to try harder," said Diandrai Webb, a three-sport athlete at Central and a member of the steering committee.

"Teen-agers a lot of times get a bad rap from TV," said senior Emily Trueblood, who serves on the steering committee. "They are just shown as lazy and good for nothing."

Trueblood said this program shows what students can accomplish.

"Central has a lot of good students and a lot of good things to offer," said Mark Ruark, assistant principal.

There are a lot of activities at the school. But this program is unique because its focus is the entire student body, Ruark said.