Summer math program in Cape teaches respect and teamwork

In a small room at the Cape Girardeau courthouse annex, nine boys worked on math worksheets while the summer sun shone outside. The teachers joked that it smelled like a locker room, part of the laid-back atmosphere of a different kind of classroom.

At the 12-day summer school for juvenile offenders, students who have a record of fighting in school or other behavior issues are on a level playing field.

"Here, they're all in the same boat," said Tim Kluesner, one of the program's two teachers. "They're all here for the same reason."

Probation officers recommend students for the math program, which also counts toward their community service.

Respect, goal setting and team building are a key part of the curriculum, said Jason Bruns, the program's other teacher. Students attend the class four days a week from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and receive half of a high school math credit.

Jason Bruns, left, helps Brent Smith, 16, with a math worksheet during a summer camp for juveniles Thursday in the Court Annex building in Cape Girardeau. (Elizabeth Dodd)

The credit is administered through the Jackson School District, but the program is a mix of students from Cape Girardeau and Jackson. Students range from fifth grade to high school.

Bruns and Kluesner, teachers at Jackson Middle School, have been teaching for the program since it started five years ago. Bruns said they quickly learned to incorporate science experiments and team-building activities to keep the students active, engaged and focused.

Kluesner said it is hard to keep the students motivated, especially during the summertime. But he approaches them with respect and treats them like any other student.

"They're here to do math," he said. "They're not doing time."

The program also helps make up for lost classroom time so they will be better prepared for classes in the fall, Bruns said.

"Most of them got booted out of school for whatever reason, so we're trying to fill in the gap," Bruns said.

Tyson Abraham, 16, said he feels less pressure because students are not afraid to ask questions. He was not as confident during school, he said.

"I didn't want them to think I was dumb or anything, so I kept trying to do it myself," said Abraham, who will be a junior at Cape Girardeau Central High School.

Abraham said he is on probation for violating curfew. He said he also spent a year at the district's Alternative Education Center in eighth grade after getting in trouble for fighting.

He said he now wants to stay focused on finishing high school and make up for a failed math class.

"I really need to break the family chain because half of my family didn't graduate," he said.

Education is a key component for helping juvenile offenders, said Randy Rhodes, juvenile officer for the 32nd Judicial Circuit, which covers Cape Girardeau, Perry and Bollinger counties.

"Really the only thing that works in juvenile courts and delinquency is keeping them in school," he said.

Rhodes said about 70 juveniles are on probation throughout the three-county circuit. The program is available to offenders in Cape Girardeau county, which funds the majority of the $4,500 summer school.

Getting students through the education system is the best preparation for life after they turn 18, he said.

"If you can figure out a way to get them to graduate, then you've done something," he said.

abusch@semissourian.com

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Pertinent address:

44 N. Lorimier St. Cape Girardeau, MO