FHS Quarter One Newsletter

Welcome back, families!

We hope you've had a great summer and are ready for an exciting new school year. We've got some fantastic plans to make this year special for every student.

Our big focus this year is simple: we want every child to feel like they truly belong here. We believe that when students feel connected and valued, they do better in school and life.

Here's what's new:

1. We've given our House program a fun makeover. Students will now enjoy:

   • Cool clubs to explore their interests
   • Time to learn about managing emotions and building friendships
   • Fun activities to connect with classmates and teachers

2. We're also helping students think about their future:

   • We're using an awesome tool called Xello to help students plan for life after high school
   • We're teaching important skills that colleges and employers love to see

Our goal is to create a school where every student feels at home, does their best, and gets ready for whatever comes next.

We can't wait to see your children grow, learn, and shine this year. Let's make it a great one together!

Katie was a student of Thompson School District in her youth, and is thrilled to be back as a first-year teacher. So far, her favorite thing about Ferguson is the helpful and kind staff. Before becoming a teacher, Katie spent her twenties traveling the world as a flight attendant. In her free time, she loves hiking, gardening, reading, and watching reality TV.

Hi I'm Rob and I am excited to be here at Ferguson! I have been teaching and playing music in Northern Colorado for over 20 years. My favorite thing to do is share music with other people and teaching is the best way that I do that. I play trombone with Salsa Forte and Choice City 7 and sub with many other groups in Northern Colorado as well as in the surrounding areas. I would love to see you at one of my gigs! Outside of music I have many other passions. I love spending time with my wife and son, I play competitive ultimate frisbee and competitive disc golf, and I am an avid sports fan. It has been a joy getting to know the students at Ferguson this year and I look forward to making music with them.

Hey everybody! I'm Tyler and I am the Visual Arts Teacher here at FHS. Let me tell you a bit about what I am doing in my classes this quarter. All visual arts classes focus on the elements of art, principles of design and visual communication. In Commercial Art, a class that focuses on the business applications of arts and art careers, we are currently doing a unit on branding- creating the look and feel of a company. In Drawing, we are doing a unit on sketching, watercolor and creating an artwork about Americana (American culture, American things). In Art Exploration, our introductory art course, we are focusing on line and visual movement in creating a light painting- a synthesis of drawing and photography. Finally in Sculpture and Ceramics we are doubling up- we are doing an introductory project- Kiln Guardians- as a kind of a pretest, while at the same time preparing for our next project where we dive into the history and heritage of clay and I am teaching them how to refine clay out of mud. We will then make a project out of that wild clay.

- Tyler Smith, Visual Arts Teacher

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Hello! I'm Rob the new music teacher at FHS. The music program here is all about participation and exposure. Students in music exploration and music ensemble are learning the basics of how to play guitar, bass, drums, piano, and to sing. The goal is to have performable pieces at the end of each quarter. In guitar and piano classes the goal is the same but focuses on just one instrument. In choir we are preparing various songs to perform as well as working on our music reading and ensemble skills.

-Rob Borger, Music Teacher

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Hola! In Spanish I and 2 we are learning not only grammar and vocabulary, but also diving into many cultural aspects of Hispanic and Latin American culture. Art, music, food, and holidays are all also a huge part of what makes a language what it is. Students will explore various topics in depth through reading, writing, listening, and speaking and language learning will take place through the lens of interculturality.

- Anastasia Pankau, World Language Teacher

Congratulations to JT Flint, this month's Loveland Rotary Club Student of the Month! JT was nominated by Ferguson High School staff for showing leadership, academic growth, and community involvement. He has demonstrated great accountability, perseverance, and commitment to his pathway to graduation. Great job, JT!

I have been in TSD for a total of 6 years with this being my 7th year. I started out at the New Vision Charter School 4-8 Campus as the Office Manager, then moved to Mountain View HS as the Counseling Secretary. Last year, I came to FHS and TCC where I have a very unique hybrid role. My mornings consist of working as a Teacher’s Aide in the Grounded Coffee Shop on the Ferguson side of the building. I assist Geoff and the students with multiple tasks throughout the morning! I balance our inventory for Ferguson Fabrics & Grounded, watch our budget, purchase our food, do our invoicing and make community connections. My love for cooking and working with students is a perfect way to start my day! I enjoy the student interaction and being able to build relationships with our kids. I get to show them how to learn real life skills they can use in the working world. What is special about this is that I can relate to these students. I grew up with APD (Auditory Processing Disorder) and ADHD. Waaayyyy back in my early childhood, students like me were overlooked. I was extremely shy, very sensitive, had poor retention skills and was not diagnosed until I was an adult. I also have 2 sons who are on the spectrum, so I can relate to a lot of our students. I have a BA degree from UNC in Sociology, Family Studies and in Child & Adolescent Psychology. I’m half way through my master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling as well. I love to learn! This brings me to the other half of my role! In the afternoons, I switch gears and my role becomes Secretary for TCC. I assist Staff and Students with all things related to TCC including emails, scheduling, sending out acceptance letters, setting up events, setting up field trips (both FHS & TCC) etc. I also keep track of all athletic eligibility for TCC student athletes and report out to all TSD High Schools on a weekly basis. I love my job! There is NEVER a dull moment!

🥗 Friday, September 19th is our first Ferguson Family Lunch! Students and staff will break bread together and enjoy a meal prepared by our very own Grounded Coffee Shop!

📌 Thursday October 9th, End of Quarter 1!

❌ Friday, October 10th is No School for students!

🏆 Friday, October 24th is our Quarter 1 Awards Ceremony!! Parents and Guardians, Family, Friends, all are welcome! Come join us for our celebrations!

Did you know that the proposed $99 million bond, placed on this November’s ballot by the Board of Education, would provide funding for key projects at FHS/TCC? To learn more about the proposed bond, please visit https://www.tsdbond.org/high/fhs-tcc.

Now that school is back in, it is a good time to remind parents to be on the alert for head lice. Head lice is a common childhood condition. All places where children get together are places where head lice can be transferred. Clean hair and home are no guarantee that head lice will not find your child. Please take a moment now and periodically throughout the year, to check your child’s hair for nits (eggs), which can usually be seen long before lice can be located. Nits are small, white to tan particles found in the hair that look a lot like dandruff, except that dandruff is loose and can be brushed from the hair, whereas nits are attached to the hair shaft and cannot be easily removed. Lice are very small (flea sized) and do not like light, so they can be hard to find. If your child is experiencing itching of the scalp or you see something in the hair and are not sure what it is, feel free to stop by the health office and allow us to check.

Sincerely,

School Nurse

September marks Suicide Prevention Month. Create hope in your family and your community by educating yourself about suicide prevention. Learn the warning signs and risk factors, how to support someone considering suicide, and familiarize yourself with 988Lifeline. Learn more at samhsa.gov/suicide.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Students can talk to a School Counselor, or call or text 988, or chat 988lifeline.org.

Resources:

Promote National Suicide Prevention Month

Suicide Prevention Month | SAMHSA

Alliance for Suicide Prevention in Larimer County

~ Submitted by Dr. María Gabriel, Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion