Jennifer Karowe, Nederland. “A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning.” –Brad Henry

Meet Tom Holmquist, Sandy Chervenak and Mark Walker, great teachers who give their all to their Chinook West students. 

Chinook West is the only contract school in Boulder Valley School District. It’s one of the many good things that come out of TEENS, Inc. It’s a fully accredited school that caters to students that desire a non-traditional setting. Its mission is to promote and support each student’s educational goals and life aspirations. Its vision is that students leave prepared to make responsible choices about emotional and personal well-being and have the life and academic skills to accomplish their goals.

Tom, Sandy and Mark work as a team and each teach several subjects, Tom specializes in language arts and athletics. He’s been teaching at Chinook West for five years. Tom (he says there’s no ‘Mr. Holmquist’) is motivated by making a difference in the lives of youth who face obstacles, he also has faced. 

“I am honest with my students about my experiences and try to be a positive role model,” Tom says. “I try to keep it light. I make myself vulnerable to them and make the learning environment fun while still holding high standards.”

Sandy teaches science and health. She truly cares about everyone at Chinook West and since the school is so small, she feels she really does know each and every student. Chinook West currently has 24 students. 

Sandy is motivated by the fact that she had a rough time in high school and was saved by a place like Chinook West. “Without it, my life could have gone on a much less positive trajectory.” 

“There’s a level of trust here,” she says. “We are a solid, stable resource for our students.”

Mark teaches math and history. He believes that Chinook West can help the kids who fall through the cracks at a mainstream school. “We can help those kids succeed,” he says. “As teachers, we have a chance to really make a difference in their lives. We teach the in-between skills that aren’t on any standardized tests.”

As teachers, they mentor and advise their students as they navigate their education and their lives. “We give them second, third, fourth… twentieth chances.” Sandy says. “Kids should be able to make mistakes and not have it ruin the rest of their lives.”

“Our students choose to come here, and they stay,” says Bill Pollock, Chinook West’s Academic Director.  “It’s rare that anyone drops out of Chinook West,” he says. “And, these are kids who would not be in school if they weren’t here.”

Twenty four students have chosen these great teachers who genuinely respect each individual student for who they are. 

Together Tom, Sandy, Mark and Bill put the Chinook West mission and vision into practice by teaching the life effectiveness skills of social competence; time management/goal setting; conflict resolution; healthy risk taking; and perseverance/resiliency in addition to meeting Colorado’s academic standards.

Together, they teach the value of being kind. Together, they believe their students will succeed. “It looks different. It sounds alternative. It’s neither,” says Pollock. “There’s nothing different or alternative in a student learning in a manner with which they are comfortable and where they are listened to and heard.”

Jennifer Karowe is a former TEENS, Inc. Board member and local mom of two.

(Originally published in the January 16, 2020, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)