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School Over Troubled Water:
The Bridge To Success
by Beverly Konic
When Carol Patterson took over as the new principal of Palo Verde Middle
School in the fall of 2011, she knew what she was walking into. The school
was failing academically; student discipline issues were huge; teachers’
morale was bad; parents were disengaged and the school had a bad
reputation in the community. The campus itself looked old and tired.
To assist the new principal, the local neighborhood group, United
Neighbors Association, brought together existing community resources
to create a collaborative partnership called
CLASS (Community Leaders Actively
Supporting Schools). What CLASS didn’t
know was that later that spring a delightful,
visionary and energetic blond haired
woman would graciously join the group as
its facilitator, help create and implement a
strategic plan, recruit more partners and
then perform near-miracles. That woman was
Tracey Beal, currently Pastor of Community
Development at Pure Heart Church. Why her
commitment? She says, “Every kid deserves a
good school, with people who care about them
and their school.”
Renamed Urban Plunge and led by Pure Heart Church, the group brings
together an expanded local partnership of churches, universities,
neighbors, businesses, city government and others to work together
to improve urban schools. The name, Urban Plunge, represents a
local version of the national Christian urban mission movement that
works with churches to engage parishioners in Christ-like service to
their communities.
Working closely together, both Ms. Beal and Ms. Patterson realized that
the immediate and the most drastic need was to turn the school around
academically. While Ms. Patterson worked with the teachers to raise
morale and increase accountability for academic work, Urban Plunge
supported the teachers by showing that they appreciated and valued
them. One of their biggest projects was the complete remodeling of the
dilapidated teachers’ lounge by recruiting local businesses to donate design
talents and construction materials and with volunteers doing much of
the work.
The teachers and administration have another important goal for these
middle school students. They are partnering with Urban Plunge to
change the negative student culture to one that encourages and rewards
kindness and respect. Most profoundly, for the past three years Young Life
College students have worked and played with the middle school students
and spoke openly in their classrooms
about their own difficult but successful
struggles to attend college. For so many
of these students it was the first time they
could envision a future for themselves as
college students.
Beautifying the school is a further strategy
to improve morale and pride. Twice a
year, spring and fall, Urban Plunge, as
part of the #PHCommunityServiceDay,
continues working on school improvement
projects selected by the Palo Verde
students, teachers and administration.
Ms. Beal says, “In partnership with the
School District, all of us joined hands to raise money for plants, trees and
landscaping materials. We worked our hearts out so that the outside of
the school could begin to reflect what was happening on the inside.” Two
hundred bushes and trees were planted. Alleys were cleaned up. Weeds
were pulled. Painting was done.
“The soccer field,” Ms. Beal says, “is a beautiful story. The kids really
wanted to play soccer.” While the kids raised money for the soccer goals,
she relates, the partners, helped by school faculty, kids and administration,
converted an old baseball diamond into a soccer field. It was a massive
undertaking. They broke up and moved concrete, removed lighting poles,
22 | CANYON CORRIDOR CONNECTION
Communi t y Highl ights
Your time has come to shine
All your dreams are on their way...
See how they shine
Oh, if you need a friend
I’m sailing right behind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
Abbreviated song lyrics from
Bridge Over
Troubled Water
by Simon and Garfunkel
“ “
The Palo Verde Teacher’s Lounge after Urban Plunge had a chance to organize it.
Urban Plunge volunteers weeding outside Palo Verde Middle School.