Challenges all in the ‘family’ for West SAIL students

       They like being challenged.
       That's the message from three sixth-graders in West Middle School's Student-Centered Academic Interdisciplinary Lab (SAIL) program.
       “It's fun getting a challenge and being around other kids that need a challenge, too,” said Megan Trujillo.
        A product of Jackson Elementary, which has some classes for gifted students but not a SAIL program, she admitted that the year has been “harder” than those she's previously experienced, but in a good way. “I was bored before,” she said.
       Ethan Burke and Dustin Ordway both came out of the grades 4-5 SAIL program at Stratton Elementary. For Ethan, that meant a fairly seamless transition to West's SAIL program, while Dustin confessed the math has been a “little harder.”
        The project-oriented aspects of SAIL can make non-SAIL West students a little jealous, Ethan said, but both he and Dustin said that's not a real problem and they get along fine with the “mainstream” students.
        Each of the threesome said they enjoy the way they are challenged as part of a “bonding” process that pulls the 75 SAIL students and teachers together.
       “It's like a family,” Megan said.

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