Gateway to Learning is an alternative high school in the South Sioux City School District. We are located on 1000 West 29th Street Suite 110 in South Sioux City, Nebraska. Gateway to Learning continues to grow and expand to meet the needs of our student population. The alternative high school is designed to meet the needs of ninety (90) high school students, grades 9-12. GTL is made up of four classrooms and there are four different programs in the building: GTL, STEPS, Extended Leave, and Freshman Academy.
An evening session (3:30-6:30) has been added to accomodate more students.

The GTL staff consists of four full time teachers, three aides, lead teacher, and a job coach.

Patti Echtenkamp - English GTL Teacher

Pat Brobst- Social Studies GTL Teacher
 

Ken Thorson- Math, Special Education, Freshman Academy, and GTL Teacher

Keith Hogan- Special Education, STEPS Teacher

Mary Hacker- Aid/Administrative Assistant

Juan Guerrero - Aid

Tish Utech - Aid

Bill Quinn- Job Coach

All students who attend a program in the GTL building participate in a full day of school. Upperclassmen attend a nontraditional school that includes: 1.) a half day of academic instruction and 2.) a half day of vocational instruction (training). The vocational curriculum is designed to teach students necessary work skills to be successful in the work place and to give students an opportunity to practice their new work skills in an area in which they are interested. Typically, students may participate in vocational training in one of the four ways:

1. A structured and supervised service learning class.

2. Independent volunteer service in the community at a location of the student’s choice.

3. An internship where the student has an opportunity to learn from an expert in a career of interest or

4. Work for credit, where the student is employed by a community business and earns pay for their hours of work.

Each of the above options allows the GTL and STEPS students an opportunity to receive support from our full time job coach, feedback on how to improve or explain their existing skills and high school credit towards graduation.

High School courses at GTL will be offered in three times blocks:

8:00 - 10:55 a.m. Morning Session

11:00 - 12:00 p.m. Exploratory and Independent Study Classes

12:20 - 3:10 p.m. Afternoon Session

3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Evening Session
 

GTL Program

The majority of the students in the building are enrolled in the GTL program. Students fill out an application for GTL, recommended by the high school administration or recommended by the Student Assistance Team (SAT). Most of these students have chosen to graduate from South Sioux City High School from GTL building. All of these students participate in a vocational and academic day.

STEPS Program

Students Transitioning and Entering Programs for Success (STEPS) is a unique program designed to provide additional options for those students returning to our district from residential placements or as an intervention for students prior to a residential placement. The STEPS program benefits our students in a number of ways. Students have the opportunity to stay in their home district. Students are offered vocational training for life skills. The program addresses cognitive, behavior and social/emotional needs of the students and offers additional supports as needed i.e.: counseling for students and families. Students benefit from strong SSCS curriculum in combination of independent study and teacher led courses at STEPS( typically students out of district do not benefit from SSC curriculum or teacher led courses). Finally, we believe that our students benefit from this program as a result of the formalized transition planning that will occur.

1. Referrals to the program coordinator may be instituted through SAT or Transition Team meeting for those students returning from residential placements.

2. A Personal Improvement Plan (PIP) is written in order to maximize student benefit and include schedule, transcript, vocational goals, routine updates regrading credits earned toward graduation.