Janetter Brubacher hired as student support director
Eric Clark
News Editor
As a way to aid students considered "at-risk," Hillsboro High School, with the help of $57,000 and a new program director, will implement a student support program later this year.
Janette Brubacher, a longtime Hilllsboro resident, who has been with the school as a paraprofessional for the past seven years, was named the director of the new student support program according to principal Dale Honeck. Honeck said the addition of the program and the appointment of Brubacher are exciting for HHS.
"We think we're real fortunate to have Mrs. Brubacher," Honeck said. "She has a knowledge of what's going on in almost all of the classrooms. She knows what the program is all about, and she's a very good one-on-one. I think she's got all the tools to do a great job.
"I'm excited (about the program) because we have a chance to build something from nothing, and if we do it right, we'll be able to reach several students in our school," Honeck added.
Brubacher has a bachelor's of arts degree in social work from Tabor College. She said the combination of her background in school and her degree should make for a good recipe.
"This is really exciting for me because it combines my background in social work and my experiences with the kids here at school," Brubacher said. "I'm going to have the opportunity to experience some new and exciting things with the students I work with; some things that I haven't gotten to do with them before."
The new director said there are several components in the future student support program the high school will be looking at to assist students. Some of those components include, but are not limited to, academic assistance, behavioral assistance, community interaction, and vocational assistance.
"Kids really need a big adult support system," Brubacher said. "They need teachers, neighbors, families, and churches to help support them and to help them stay on track.
"If these kids don't have this kind of support system, how can we expect them to cope with their problems? I hope that as a committee we can be that support system," Brubacher said.
According to Honeck, the high school would like to have information about the support system available by mid-November and start the program as soon as tutors become available.