The Portage Chamber of Commerce Monthly Luncheon was held at the Woodland Park Community Center on Thursday with a key focus on the Portage Township Schools Education Programs.
“Portage is one of three schools in Northwest Indiana that received an exemplary grade, we are a high quality school, not a good quality, a high quality school system,” Frattacia stated.
Portage High School offers the largest dual credit program in Northwest Indiana. A student can earn up to 30 credit hours for college which equals out to a year of tuition, and have the ability to prepare for college level classes in high school.
“I believe what we have been able to accomplish with kids is not short of extraordinary,” Frattacia added.
A new addition to the middle school level this year is every seventh and eighth grader will take a semester of engineering; one semester in seventh grade and one semester in eighth. Another addition is each student at the middle school will be given a career survey. The administration's goal with this survey is to give the students a reality check about the career they will be fit for at their current level of performance.
“We progress because we make constant decisions on how to make the child’s education a better experience,” Frattacia said.
Frattacia wants the Portage community to be proud of the school system. His goal is to have the people take pride in the fact that the high school has two state championships under its belt, the fact that the fine arts program at the high school is being recognized state wide, he fact that people are coming from across the region to join the Junior ROTC program, and the fact that every high school student graduates with Microsoft Academy Certificate which they can use to find jobs in the business field right out of high school.
Frattacia plans to put this “Statement of Mission” all over the schools and businesses of Portage.
“To provide our students with the opportunities and the support that will enable them to develop and consistently manifest the Knowledge, Skills of Thoughts, Strength of Character and Physical Health that are necessary to effectively pursue and ultimately to achieve Happiness; to ‘Live a Good Life.’”