Denton ISD Our Impact In Your Community Magazine Winter 2015-2016 | Page 12

Ryan High School’s James Self, Evan Bias,
Dante Wickfall and Valencia Young work
with Mrs. Kathryn McCully-Russell sorting some
of the daily donations that the local shelter,
Our Daily Bread, receives from Target.

where they have the opportunity to
participate as leaders. They also tutor
younger students and those who might
need extra academic assistance.
“Educators know that in order to deliver
a lesson, the teacher needs to know the
material and be prepared for questions
along with class discussion,” said Vernon
Reeves, Ryan High principal. “By coaching
these students in strategies on how to tutor
their peers, they are absorbing the content
at a more meaningful level than just
studying for a test.”
BLAST members have read the book
Strengths Finders 2.0 by Tom Rath and take
a research-driven assessment published
by Gallup. The assessment measures the
elements of a student’s personality; the
book shares strategies on how to develop
strengths to enhance talent.
According to students and parents, the
program already seems to be working
after just one semester.
My sophomore son is really enjoying
this class,” said Alicia Green, a parent of
a BLAST member. “He is challenged by
mentoring someone who is not always
receptive to his assistance. He is learning
a lot of skills that cannot be taught in a
typical classroom setting but are really
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important for success. He is learning to be
more encouraging