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Today we had two students compete all of their graduation requirements. Tess Town plans on attending KVCC to study to become an electrician. Sam Allen is looking forward to opening her own equestrian facility. Both of these young ladies have worked hard to reach this point of their lives. We are so very proud of them! Many thanks to US Naval Academy Midshipman Peter Sinkovitz for visiting us to talk about the Naval Academy. Peter talked about applying to the academy, his daily routine and all the neat stuff he gets to do. We wish Peter the best of luck as he pursues a career as a naval pilot and aerospace engineer. (Yes, that's a rocket scientist to you and me.)  Yesterday, two of our students and Mrs. Stage attended a Healthy Cooking class at the new Culinary School at KVCC. They learned how to choose and cook with healthy ingredients. They were surprised to learn that black bean brownies are really quite delicious. We a looking forward to them sharing what they learned.  On March 3, Gateway Academy students traveled to Stryker Instrument. While at Stryker we learned about Stryker's business, the Instruments division and the employment expectations and benefits. We also toured the Instruments division to learn about skilled trades.
   It is estimated that about 10 to 15 percent of children and teens are depressed at any given time. Research indicates that one of every four adolescents will have an episode of major depression during high school with the average age of onset being 14 years! (https://psychcentral.com/lib/depression-in-teens-and-children/)
According to Mayoclinic.org, exercise releases feel-good brain chemicals that may ease depression and reduce immune system chemicals that can worsen depression. Fortunately, students at Gateway are able to visit the Sherman Lake YMCA weekly, thanks to generous gifts from the Gull Lake Youth Depression Committee and a private donor. Students are able to swim, play basketball, use weights and the cardio machines, plus take full advantage of the great programs Sherman Lake YMCA offers. Thank you Gull Lake Youth Depression Committee for giving our students a chance to be active and reduce stress. And thank you to the donor who continually invests in our students! We were able to move into our new facility during Christmas break and students have taken full advantage of our fantastic kitchen. Students have been able to organize menu plans, shop for ingredients, prepare meals, cook and clean up. When students learn life skills, they are better prepared to be successful after high school. At Gateway, we include car maintenance, tax preparation, laundry skills, applying and interviewing for employment, budgeting, problem solving within a small group, and many other practical skills in our curriculum. In addition to working toward a diploma, learning life skills, and participating in community service, students have visited (or will be visiting) Lake Michigan College, Michigan Career and Technical Institute, Stryker, and the culinary school at KVCC. Our graduates have many college and career choices: one of our 2017 graduates even enlisted in the Navy and begins her basic training this summer (we are really proud of you, Rikki!). Gateway is a school that meets the needs of students who haven’t been successful in other programs. We do this by offering mental health service in our building, having a small student to teacher ratio, encouraging participation in community service events, and teaching life skills. We have high expectations from each of our students and they don’t let us down! If you would like more information about what Gateway can do for your child, contact Lynnette Walker at 269-548-3425 or lwalker@gulllakecs.org. Today we celebrated the first birthday of AnnMarie, one of our Gateway babies. She enjoyed her birthday cake, pizza, presents and all the activity. We are very proud of her mother for continuing on with her education despite the difficulties of being a single mother. Way to go Today we visited MCTI and learned about different career training programs that they have available, from Pharmacy Tech to CNC to Weatherization. We also had a delicious lunch of beef and pork brisket, make by the culinary arts students. We encourage you to see what MCTI has to offer.
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