We are so proud of the work being done in Poudre School District.
Lisa Hernandez, Lead BCBA,lead Autism Coach and SLP was awarded Employee of the Year for the City of Fort Collins Commission on Disabilities!
Poudre School District parent, Cari Brown, received the Mayor’s Award – Spirit of Fort Collins for the City of Fort Collins Commission on Disabilities for her work to support legislation for increased home supports for children with autism.
Linda Miller, Poudre School District parent, 
was recognized for her outstanding volunteerism, received the Mayor’s Award as the Volunteer of the Year for the City of Fort Collins Commission on Disabilities.
Also, congratulations go out to all of our Mayors Award Nominees:
Bryan Kiel, Poudre High School Assistant Principal and Integrated Services Case Manager recognized on behalf of Poudre High School; Brenda Pacior Carroll, Olander Elementary SLP and Gayna Jobe, Cooper Home Integrated Services Teacher.
During the summer, there is a group of hard working people preparing for the youngest among us to start school. For much of the summer, some of the 
What is early childhood education? Seems simple enough to answer. It is the education children receive before they are of kindergarten age. Early childhood education in Poudre School District is comprised of a few existing programs, as well as a designated number of openings for tuition based preschool. These programs are Head Start, Colorado Preschool Program and special education.
has an Individual Education Plan (IEP), there is no cost to the program. Lunch and snacks are purchased by guardians for all programs, with some reduction based upon financial need.
The Colorado Preschool Program (CPP) is a state funded initiative that started in 1988 designed to help 4 and 5 year olds in need of language development. The program served 2,000 children beginning in 1988. In 1992, Colorado Senate passed a bill to make CPP a permanent program. “This bill also expanded the target population to not only include children in need of language development, but also children ‘who lack overall learning readiness due to significant family risk factors and children being served by Social Services as neglected or dependent children’.” (
Early Childhood Education offers a wonderful mix of educational tools not only for students but also for families and parents. The program includes home visits, center visit, community events and written material for parents. For students, the benefits seem endless. The program is well rounded by educating children not only on academics but also health, nutrition and being a part of the community. It is a collaborative plan with parents and teachers working closely together to increase student growth and achievement.
teacher in Poudre School District, offered a look into a typical day. They begin with welcome and large group time working on letters, numbers and academia. Followed this is breakfast for the morning class and lunch follows for the afternoon group. Next comes bathroom time to brush teeth. Story time follows, then centers and work stations. After working and playing hard, the group shares a snack then has goodbye time. No matter what the activity, everything is treated as a learning opportunity. At lunch and snack, different food groups are discussed and everything is tested with either “a 
lick, nibble or bite” according to Mrs. Fuller. During show and tell, questions like “what is a question?”, “what is a comment?” teach the children valuable group skills. There are designated times where school phycologists, occupational therapists and speech language clinicians come to work with children in their school environment.
To know early childhood education is to be a part of something bigger than just one person or school. That being said, it is the people who are the heart and soul of the program that make it effective and special. They give life to the ideas and the initiative called Head Start that was discussed so long ago by Sargent Shriver and his colleagues. So what is early childhood education? Just look at the smiles on the faces of the future.
After that opportunity, Estes Park called his name and he took on a hybrid role as Director of Special Education as well as Elementary School Principal. Cale’s heart to change the way special education is viewed school wide lead him to work for two years as a second grade, general education teacher. His hope was to model how general education could facilitate and embrace children with disabilities. After a few years, he realized the best way to enact change was from an administrative level. Centennial BOCES in Greeley was the place he felt he was able to make a difference. At Centennial BOCES, Cale’s role was Assistant Director of Special Education. Not looking for a change, Cale felt settled in his role as Assistant Director. When a position as an Integrated Services Coordinator came up in the city he calls home he had to investigate further. While interviewing with PSD, the vision and mission of Integrated Services resonated deeply with him. Cale has made the transition to PSD with enthusiasm and is a delight to have around.
software programs offer symbols, pictures and words tobe printed or added to devices by teaching staff, to assist in communication. The intent came about as staff desired time to create more extensive and interactive lesson plans, to use as resources in supporting grade level curricular areas. The technology allows for content ranged from simple words to complex sentences. Poudre School District occupational therapists Trisha Atherly and Elizabeth Crawford 
and speech and language pathologist Anne Scott, created a course to teach educators how the technology can be used. Participants spent time learning about these programs, then were given the opportunity to work using them. They created assignments as well as boards to use in their own classrooms. They then had the chance to share what they had created with their peers and dialogue about their products.
The halls were a buzz at Rocky Mountain High School. It signified the end of the school year coming and school check-out for students who were graduating the following weekend. I was invited to visit the Alternative Cooperative Education 
or ACE class and learn about gardens they were planting collaboratively with student council for the community. Instead of slowing down in anticipation of the end, RMHS teachers were not only continuing with their great work, but also starting new projects to teach job skills and how to give back to the community. I went into the day already completely impressed by the opportunities they provide for students and their future but I had no idea what a special culture they have created.
able to sell for a profit; there is a concession stand, The Rock Stop, which students in the ACE program run and operate. The list of employment experiences goes on and on. There will be time to talk about all of the wonderful work and real life education opportunities within the program, but that will come at a later date. This article is focusing on the staff who create the amazing experiences for students at RMHS.
etching machine and fans. This particular day was filled with excitement for those that were moving on and a sigh of relief for those whose fate had been up in the air. In a classroom full of life I found the desks of Kim Nigro and Patti Haugen. It feels like visiting old friends, even though these are woman I have just met. They are beyond welcoming.
be on time and schedules would be kept but when students came to say goodbye work paused. Kim and Patti, as proud as though the students were their own children, gushed over each one who came through. It was sincere and loving. Students had found a home and people who loved them in a critical time between youth and young adulthood. Many who may have little support and encouragement at home came to this room, with these people, and found exactly what they were missing.
school. The last of those K-5th graders she had once known were bringing sheets for her to sign, signaling the end of their time together. As Kim and Patti talked about their students, I could see their heartbreak for what some students had been through and pride for how far they had come. They beamed as they discussed each student. As students walked away Kim would say, “just keep moving forward, not back.” These simple words carried weight as students knew what she meant and with that left with smiles and two cheerleaders beckoning “we love you”.
who care about students and their futures. Yet this day, I was blown away at how much that love for people drives these two individuals. Kim and Patti chose to finish the school year strong, giving all that they have to their kids. I hope with all of my heart that their students remember that day forever and when the time comes, they reference it as a time they were loved and valued, remembering it with the clearest details.
area. As I grew up in such a beautiful place, my favorite activities are mostly outdoor oriented. I enjoy hiking, playing with my dogs, biking, and just being outside. Luckily, Fort Collins is an outdoor town and a good place to pursue my higher education. I moved to Fort Collins to attend CSU for Psychology and Human Development and Family Studies. After graduating in 2010, I worked in an autism program in a nearby city and found the job that I was meant to do. The next year, I enrolled at UNC to obtain my teaching license and Master’s in Special Education. While going to school, I worked at O’Dea Elementary School in the autism program as a paraprofessional. When I graduated from UNC, I was so lucky to get a job in Poudre School District as a teacher in O’Dea’s autism program. My favorite part of my job is seeing the kids smiling faces every day. I enjoy watching my students learn new information and the excitement they express when they make a connection to the material.”
way to disseminate information in an interactive, way that is sure to impact student accomplishments. Teresa Ashton is a calm, supportive presence. Janet Klein encourages the educators through information focused on who it is at the center of everything we do… the students. Julie Woolner’s smile encourages teachers to participate and truly engage to optimize the opportunity. The group together creates an amazing trifecta that Poudre School District Integrated Services is truly lucky to have!
Nestled in a hallway between two grade levels at Bacon Elementary School is the energetic classroom of Jill Cottingham. When praised for the work she is doing with her students she is quick to shift attention from herself and share the praise with all her colleagues in the Poudre School District autism program. Her care and enthusiasm for her students creates a warm, welcome environment. Here is more about Jill:
something different … something special about the community. The hallways are sprinkled with blue puzzle pieces. On the puzzle pieces are messages of encouragement written by the small hands that fill the school. To the students and staff of O’Dea Elementary, autism is a word free of any stigma. It is a word that may be used to help understand and appreciate their peer sitting at their table or a friend from the playground. Odea Elementary is a place that has a smile around every corner. In the classroom of Megan Conahan, there are an abundance of smiles! “Megan is a bright ball of light at O’Dea! She brings such a level of enthusiasm and love to her position working with our children with autism. There are days that can be very challenging, yet Megan continues to bring positive energy to her work. ” Says O’Dea principal Laurie Corso.
Integrated Services Poudre School District 