Standing before the freshmen gathered in the cafeteria at the North River Future Ready Center, Principal Amanda Baron told students she wanted them to help build out what the program would look like in the years to come.
“You guys are the pioneers of this program,” she said. “You are the first inaugural class of the North River Future Ready Center. It’s huge. You guys are going to get to shape what this looks like for every other student that comes after you. That’s a big deal.”
Wednesday was the first day of classes for Hamilton County Schools. At the future ready center, it also marked a new beginning.
This year, the campus is starting its transition from being the stand-alone Sequoyah High to serving as a centralized hub where multiple schools send students to learn skills for a variety of career fields. County and district officials announced in April that the site would become the school system’s second future ready center.
The 175 students in this year’s freshman class come from Hixson, Red Bank, Sale Creek and Soddy Daisy high schools and will spend the first three hours of their day at North River before taking a bus back to their home high school.
Hamilton County students return for first day of school
(READ MORE: What to know as Hamilton County students return to school)
Students have the choice to participate in one of nine career pathways, ranging from cosmetology to welding. The pathways are grouped into institutes based on their industry, creating a smaller learning community within the center that students also take their English and science classes with.
On Wednesday morning, the ninth graders divided into their institutes to get to know their peers before taking a tour of campus.
Students in the institute of medical technology made their way to health science teacher Tessa Buttram’s classroom. The institute hosts pathways to nursing and veterinary sciences, which are both new to the campus this year.
Some of the classroom walls were purposefully left blank, Buttram told students, so that they could help envision what the space and the program will look like.
“You’re not only going to be learning about health science,” she said. “You’re going to be learning how to be professional. You’re going to be learning how to be responsible, hold each other accountable, all the things that will get you ready for a career.”
For now, the campus is operating under a joint capacity. Signs for Sequoyah and North River will sit side by side until the 10th-12th grade students who previously enrolled in Sequoyah’s full-time program graduate.
Over 500 students will be served by the campus this school year, and Baron expects that in four years once the transition is complete, the reach will grow to 800 students. In comparison, she said, Sequoyah served around 250 students this past school year.
“We want to be the hub for this community,” Baron said in an interview. “If you’ve got something that you need that falls in any one of those five institutes, we’d love for them to be the first ones to come here. ‘I need an oil change.’ We want you to stop by our auto maintenance and have us do it, and just kind of start to become that hub in this area, where if you want something done, we’ve got talented and skilled students to do that.”
Around 60 of the ninth grade students come from Hixson High, Principal Dan Lunt said. The biggest change, he said, is the number of opportunities available to students.
“I love the fact that we push career planning,” he said in an interview. “Because career, you may need college to go there, but ultimately, we’re putting our kids in the mindset of what career do you want in your life? How do you want to take care of yourself? How do you want to take care of maybe a family in the future? What’s your passion? That’s your career. That’s your love, so now here’s several ways to get there and we’re going to make sure you have the tools necessary to do that.”
As he walked the black and gold colored halls of Hixson High on Wednesday morning, he greeted students, introducing himself and asking about their interests.
Lunt, who is new to Hamilton County this year, said he hoped that students feel like they belong and have hope because they have a plan for the future.
District officials this year have pushed for schools to create an environment where every student has an adult who knows their name and story.
“I really hope our teachers take that to heart,” North River Community Superintendent Lee Ziegler said during his visit to Hixson High, “and that in this building, every student has someone that they’re connected to because we know that connected students … do better.”
Contact education reporter Shannon Coan at scoan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6396.