Students may wonder why they are taking Academic Community Environment (ACE), other than having a safe and helpful way to get information to them.

ACE created a new way to approach class meetings, so the experience was more personal and the students themselves got the chance to make a connection with an adult who is there to assist them.

“I did not know what to expect when I first entered my ACE classroom, but I quickly adjusted to it and I liked it,” said Max Brown, 10.

Students spend four years of high school in the same ACE class with the same teacher and students. In doing so, there hopefully will be a good bond within the ACE class.

“I wish the ACE class could change every year, so I can make new friends,” said Noelle Ritchie, 9.

The main purpose of ACE is to educate the students about a certain topic, such as bullying or abuse. Organizers believe that with just a small variety of students in a classroom, a deeper understanding can be reached by all.

Each student had something in common when they stepped in their ACE classroom. Some common connections were that they had gone to the same elementary school. Or, they were all new or foreign students.

“Some of the kids that were in my ACE classroom I knew from elementary school,” said Shane Brians, 10.