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STUDENT VOICES Textron/Chamber School
I attended the Textron/Chamber of Commerce Providence Public Charter School. It wasn't like any other high school. I can say that because I attended two other public schools before choosing Chambers. Everything was different—the social environment, the teaching styles, and the comfort I felt there. It was like a home to me. To begin with, I was very confused about which high school I wanted to go to. I chose a very big school with 30 to 40 students in each class. It was a violent social environment, and I felt as though I didn't belong. During my sophomore year, I attended another large high school. This was an even worse experience. I was not learning very much. The teachers showed no admiration for the students, and yet again I felt as if I didn't belong. Then, a man named Paul Lewis introduced me to Textron/Chamber. He told me that it was a small school with fewer students and a lot more comfort. I started my first year at Chambers as a junior. At first, I couldn't adjust to all of the strict rules or to the teachers who always wanted to know what was the matter. My mother told me to give it time, and I guess that was all I needed to do—give it time. I realized that I wasn't into the school because I didn't want to be. Coming in with a negative attitude did not help me at all. Once I realized that, I began to love the school. Chambers was not only a place for education, but also a place where people could feel safe and comfortable. It was a place where students actually came first. The females had their dean, and the males had theirs. The principal did a great job of keeping the school together, although I never expressed that to him. I can say that I knew every teacher. I loved the fact that I could go to any of them for help, even if I didn't have their class. My junior year in the school turned out to be great. I was never good at math. I never even paid attention. That changed when I met Mr. Davis. He taught me math in a different style, and I became interested and learned to appreciate it. That year, the sophomores had a lot of stress about the mandatory NWEA tests. The tests measured math, reading, and writing skills, and you needed a certain score to pass into the eleventh grade. The tests also came in handy because they showed the teachers where your weaknesses were—and that is where the help began. We had a tutoring program in which anyone who needed help in any subject could get a tutor. My senior year at Chambers was the best year of my high school career. There was a class worth two credits called the Senior Internship Class. This class was divided into two different courses. There was Senior Research, which I chose, and the WISE program. In Senior Research, students wrote papers on assigned topics and gave an oral presentation on one topic at the end of each quarter. In the WISE program, students chose a site to attend three days a week, kept a journal, talked about their experiences, and gave an oral presentation at the end of each quarter. I think I went through it all my senior year. I've experienced what life should be as a teenager. I learned about true friendship and how to speak out for what I believe in. The most important thing I learned was about the real world after high school. I learned what to expect in college and even after college. It is not easy because now that I'm in college, I'm on my own. I have to be able to depend on myself. But everything that I was told and taught, I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Chambers isn't just any school. It is a school where teachers and students actually know and care about each other. Students can actually say that they come first. I felt like a lost cause, and they made sure that I knew how intelligent and talented I was. You graduate from that school with memories you will truly never forget and important lessons that will be used in the future. A changed young adult has Chambers to thank for that.
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