This year, Apollo High School celebrates its 50th anniversary. Brand new in the fall of 1970, the school boasted innovative ideas and curriculum as well as a contemporary building design. Over many decades, the idea that high school students could create their own modular schedules tailored to their own interests endured. It was a pioneering concept that Jannine Provinzino, English teacher at Apollo from 1992-2001, reveled in.
Provinzino grew up in California. She attended Oregon State University, but finished her degree in English at the University of Minnesota. After college, she worked for Northwestern Bell while she and her husband started a family. As their children grew, she began volunteering part-time in her children’s school. It was during that time she decided to return to school herself to earn her education license. Provinzino obtained her English teaching license from St. Cloud State University (eventually her master’s degree) and taught for a year at Cathedral High School before accepting her position at Apollo.
“We still had the modular system [when I started],” explains Provinzino. “What a wonderful opportunity the students had. They had such great choices, responsibility, yet, it gave them freedom and growth, and excellent preparation for college and their future. For teachers, it was fabulous. We could make so many more connections. Because of the scheduling, we had more free time to meet with students and be open to working with students. It was something I really enjoyed.”
Provinzino used that freedom for growth herself. She believes teachers need to continue to learn and grow as well. The modular system allowed teachers to explore other areas and subjects to teach.
“The opportunity to teach so many classes and create my own classes was a real treat,” says Provinzino.
As the only woman in the language arts department when she started, she felt it important to create new classes to be more inclusive. She created Multicultural Women’s Literature. She also taught Humanities, Mass Communications, Film Study, American Literature, Research Writing and Language Arts 12 which included Shakespeare and writing college admission essays.
The Multicultural Women’s Literature class was one of Provinzino’s favorites and a popular class with students. She remembers one student who took the class as a “brilliant young girl,” new to country, who struggled with English. This young girl became one of the top students who graduated from Apollo in her senior year.
Some of Provinzino’s fondest memories come from class discussion.
“Being able to look at women’s literature and other cultures, Native American, Asian, African-American–it was really fun to be able to delve into literature like that. To be able to have those discussions with students from Shakespeare to ‘The Great Gatsby.’ We took a senior trip every year to the Guthrie Theater to see the Shakespearean play we studied in class. We’d find out what the Guthrie was presenting that year and we would read the play in class and then would go down to the theater. Those students were amazing. Many had not been to a play like that. It was a fun experience.”
Yet what Provinzino loved the most was getting to know her students, especially when they’d stop by to say hello even when they weren’t in her class at the time. Especially when they’d by and say, “I really did learn how to write.” She feels that helping a student succeed in some small way was invaluable.
“We also had the opportunity to work with such outstanding colleagues,” shares Provinzino. “There were just so many mentors and friends. We just all really cared about students.”
Many of the Apollo teachers still stay in touch. They are a close-knit group whether it’s chatting over coffee or staying connected on Facebook. There is a familial sense among them.
“I really enjoyed teaching there,” reflects Provinzino. “I loved the freedom for students and teachers. There were lots of opportunities for students to grow. For teachers to create classes, teach a number of classes–it was an opportunity for teachers to really get to know students.”
Today, Provinzino is retired from teaching. She has substitute taught over the years. She loves to read and travel, and a special treat is being a grandparent.
When she looks back at Apollo’s 50-year history, she’s proud to be a part of that history and know that she’s made a difference in the lives of so many students.
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