By MICHAEL McCULLOH

> The high-schoolers at Mooseheart are no different than any other American teenager: they can’t wait to get their driver’s license and experience the thrill of getting behind the wheel of a car.

The driver’s education program at Mooseheart High School, however, has a few differences from most public schools—and, frankly, some advantages.

Driver’s Education Instructor Dianne Raymond said the program follows all the standard guidelines mandated by the Illinois State Board of Education: students must have at least 30 hours of classroom time and at least six hours of driving time. All the standard rules and regulations are taught, and students are shown that a driver’s license is a privilege, and must be taken seriously.

But if one were to walk into a driver’s education class at Mooseheart, they would not see a large class with students sitting in simulated driver’s seats. They would see five, maybe six students conversing with a teacher about different scenarios they might encounter on the road.



Drivers Education Instructor Dianne Raymond (left) enjoys teaching a small class of students, because she is able to learn each one’s strengths and weaknesses on a greater basis than she would have on a larger class.

Raymond knows what areas need to be addressed to the students because of the small class size and the daily discussions and driving lessons. Indeed, most public school classes might meet two or three days a week, whereas Mooseheart students meet for five days a week per semester. This helps Raymond and the students all bond into a tight-knit group—and allows Raymond to work with each student on an individual basis.

“It is a good time to not only teach them, but to get to know them on a personal level and not just an educational context,” Raymond said. Many may have never been out on the road or even behind the wheel in a driveway, as might some students from a more stable family background, she added. Another bonus for Mooseheart students: they don’t have to come up with the cash to pay either for student permits or for a class fee.

And while there are no simulated driving machines used by many high schools across the country, it is no problem with Mooseheart students. Why? More actual driving time!

“I like the fact that we were able to get out on the road quite a bit,” said senior Danny Anderson.

Once students have received a license, they may not drive off-campus unless it is approved and with a family teacher or campus employee.

Raymond said she is always proud when she hears that a student gets their license “on the first try”—because she knows at that point that she has done her job.

> For roughly a decade, Cultural Awareness Week has been a tradition every February for Mooseheart students. During this festive week, students see, hear, taste and learn from a multitude of cultures around the world. The week is important to Mooseheart students because the campus itself features students from a variety of different cultures and backgrounds, according to Family and Consumer Sciences Instructor Helena Kies, who has helped coordinate the event every year since the beginning.



Highlights this this year included a visit from Lakota-tribe speaker Chuck Watson and his family.

Fourth-grader Oumaru Abdulahi had no problem learning the moves taught by stepdancers from nearby West Aurora High School. In fact, as soon as Abdulahi started dancing, he quickly became the center of attention!