Glendale High School West is a small part of our campus that most Nitro students probably don’t know about. As a former student there, I have my own share of information and opinions, but I wanted to get an understanding of how Glendale West operates from someone who works within the school, Mr. Craig Cotter.
“What exactly is Glendale West?” you may ask. And Mr. Cotter has your answer: “Glendale West is a school for students who may need extra help behaviorally, academically, and/or emotionally.”
Mr. Cotter explained that Glendale West is one of the few schools that is a part of the Foothill SELPA (Special Education Local Plan Area). This makes it possible for students from several different districts to attend schools like Glendale West that are designed to help students with a wide range of challenges.
Each Glendale West student is allowed one hour of weekly one-on-one counseling and one hour of group counseling, and they are given 5-10-minute breaks after asking a staff member for permission. The school offers a lot more, too, like parent counseling if requested, and extra 15-minute check-ins with the counselor.
There’s also a point system at Glendale West that’s quite different from other schools, but it’s a good motivator for those who are struggling. If you have good behavior in each class, you get a certain number of points for your behavior and hard work, and at the end of the day, if you have perfect or near-perfect points, you gain a day of excellence. At the end of each week, you get between one and three grab bags, depending on how many points you have by the end of the week. This basically means that you can get snacks from the snack shed or a drink from the fridge.
After five days of excellence, you get two extra grab bags, after ten days, you get a special ten-dollar lunch of your choice, and after fifteen days, you get a ten-dollar item from Amazon. But you can save these rewards up over time and have more money for lunch or Amazon items.
Overall, this is a good rewards system, but it just did not work for me. Last year, my attendance was poor, so I kept breaking my streak of excellent days, and it made me wanna rip my hair out and scream.
Ultimately, I think the best part of Glendale West is that students can receive support in more than just one way. They set goals academically, emotionally, and behaviorally that they can work to achieve. It’s all a matter of whether they’re willing to really put in the effort to be the best versions of themselves.
But sometimes Glendale West isn’t the right place for some people. It wasn’t for me.
My own personal experience at Glendale West was pretty neutral. I didn’t really click with anyone there except for maybe one or two people, but the emotional support and the amount of memories I have from being there honestly made it worth it.
Despite the fact that I don’t attend classes at Glendale West anymore, I wish the best for all the students there. I also have endless appreciation for the staff who helped not only me, but many others.
