Fort Collins High School – Integrated Services Poudre School District

April 8, 2016

Fort Collins High School ACE program.

Klyd’s Closet sounds like the name of the newest Fort Collins boutique, however it is not new and it is not a boutique. It is an amazing little thrift/consignment shop run by the Fort Collins High School Alternative Cooperative Education program.

Klyd’s Closet got its name six years ago when it was founded because it was literally run out of a closet. Over the years, their space has expanded and sells merchandise such as healthy snacks, gently used donated goods, consigned items, and pieces created by students in other programs. The store gives students job, tendering and sales experience. In addition to Klyd’s Closet, ACE facilitates jobs in the FCHS cafeteria and ACE coffee shop. The goal is to expose students to a variety of jobs to help them find what connect with them. Students begin their work experience within FCHS and when ready, generally during their senior year, have the opportunity to apply for internships in the community. This semester, two students have internships with private companies in Fort Collins.

Program success can be directly attributed to the wonderful Integrated Service staff at FCHS. Director of Integrated Services Sarah Belleau says, “Cathy Hettleman has a ready smile and displays great enthusiasm when she talks about her students and their work experiences. She has provided creative solutions for students needing a more diverse experience.”

ACE teacher Cathy Hettleman is an energetic advocate for students, who believes in their potential for the future. She knows all too well that students with special needs are told what they cannot do. Her mission is to help them discover what they can do and where they will find success post-high school. Integrated Services paraprofessional Patty Daniels shares, “my favorite part is that we are able to support so many different kids. We are able to help so many different needs. The day just flies by. I love the variety.”

Klyd’s Closet is a student run organization and is always looking for donations and/or consigned items. Local businesses are welcome to consign items with the FCHS ACE program. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact Cathy Hettleman at chettlem@psdschools.org.

Poudre School District Integrated Services Director: Sarah Belleau 2407 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521

March 1, 2016March 1, 2016

Unified Basketball Regional Tournament: Part 1

November 16, 2015November 16, 2015

Aquaponics at Fort Collins High School.

With the weather growing colder you may think the time for gardening is over for the year. On the contrary, Speech Language Pathologist, Colleen Reyes, and students at Fort Collins High School are extending the growing season. With the use of the greenhouse at FCHS, an Apple grant, as well as a grant from Whole Foods, several projects have been funded for students with disabilities.

The Apple grant has helped fund two projects. The first portion of the grant was used to purchase poinsettia flowers and spider plants. These plants gave students the opportunity to utilize the greenhouse at Fort Collins High School, with their peers, while building on their speech and language skills. “Speech and language objectives targeted in these two tasks included the following: biology, botany, and science vocabulary introduced to the students, as well as teaching the sequencing, following directions, community experience, vocational and communication skills necessary for participation of working in the greenhouse,” says Reyes. Vocational learning opportunities for students include caring for plants, re-potting plants, root clipping, sweeping, washing windows and cleaning tables with independence.

The secondary portion of the grant is the partial funding of an aquaponics system for the greenhouse. The Aquaponics Source explains aquaponics as “the marriage of aquaculture (raising fish) and hydroponics (the soil-less growing of plants) that grows fish and plants together in one integrated system. The fish waste provides an organic food source for the growing plants and the plants provide a natural filter for the water the fish live in.” A grant from Whole Foods provides the funds for the growing system as well as the supplies necessary to keep the aquaponics system working.

Students are in charge of budgeting, shopping for parts for the gardening system, building the station and ultimately caring for the fish and plants. Students practice appropriate and functional communication through team work, following directions in a variety of settings and working with peers and the community.

The goal for this year is to grow lettuce, spinach, basil and green beans as well as an assortment of herbs. There are big plans for aquaponics growth in the future, but one thing is certain now – the students are loving their time in the greenhouse.

Poudre School District Integrated Services Director: Sarah Belleau 2407 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521

October 29, 2015November 16, 2015

What I Wish You Knew: Tyler’s Story.

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When asked “if there was anything you could share with the world, what would it be”, Tyler didn’t hesitate. “I wish people knew that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month. Everyone knows that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.” This subject hits very close to home for Tyler and his family.

In his 15 years of life Tyler has endured a lot. At the age of 8, while in the prime of his mini-cup driving career, Tyler became ill with what the family thought was a stomach bug. When his throwing up persisted, he was tested and the results came back with the dreaded “C” word. Tyler was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma, the most common brain tumor found in children. His particular type of cancer accounts for 18% of all pediatric brain tumors, according to the American Brain Tumor Association.

Tyler’s first course of treatment was an 8 hour surgery to remove tumors. Surgery was followed by 31 rounds of radiation and 9 major chemo treatment over 15 months. The cancer treatments were extremely hard on his body. “He would cry in his sleep because it hurt so much,” says Carrie, Tyler’s mom. While Tyler’s memories of the grueling months of treatment are hazy, he can still recall the pain.

So this brave young man has made it his personal mission to educate his community about Childhood Cancer. It comes down to simple math; the more awareness there is for cancer in children, the more donations and funding are given. The more donations and funding that occur, the more research happens and treatment options are created, equaling more opportunities for sick and dying children. According to the I Care I Cure Childhood Cancer Foundation, each year in the United States 13,500 children, age 19 and under, are diagnosed with cancer. Each day 36 children are diagnosed. These numbers all add up to cancer being the leading cause of death among children under of the age of 15 in the United States. Despite having a gentle voice, Tyler is doing all that he can to assure that his message is heard. In September, with the help of Fort Collins High School Speech and Language Clinician, Colleen Reyes, Tyler shared his cause at school. He set up a table where he passed out free yellow ribbons to raise awareness among his peers and school staff about Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Cancer has shaped Tyler in a profound way. Like many cancer survivors, there are side effects that accompany treatment. Tyler’s pituitary gland was damaged from treatment, which requires that take medications for the rest of his life, one of which is hormone replacement. With treatment he will continue to grow, however it will occur at a slower rate than his peers. Sometimes peers don’t understand why Tyler is smaller and can be unkind. With strength and determination Tyler uses his experience to educate people and fight for his fellow cancer patients.

After a fight for his life, Tyler is now cancer free! As a cancer survivor, Tyler is plagued by the constant fear of cancer reoccurring. “The hardest part of having cancer was to deal with having friends going through it,” said Tyler. “He watched a lot of friends die,” added Carrie. Tyler’s first friend he battled cancer with was recently diagnosed with a reoccurrence of cancer after 5 years being clear. “(It’s) hard to not know what is going to happen and what is in the future,” shared Tyler.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before Tyler found himself in another fight for his life. When Tyler was 5 years old he starting racing mini-cup cars competitively. “He was really good!” shared mom Carrie. While he was going through his cancer treatment the racing community rallied around him as one of their own. It was no surprise that as soon as his body was up to it, Tyler jumped back into the driver’s seat. The first race back, after winning the fight with cancer, Tyler suffered a car accident that left him in a coma. Six days after his accident, Tyler woke in a hospital with no memory of what had happened. As a result of the accident he suffered a traumatic brain injury. He spent 6 weeks in the hospital, re-learning basic skills such as walking, eating and much more. Tyler has new struggles and is figuring out how to live life under a new set of circumstances, but the 15 year old is forging ahead. His strength, courage and true selflessness in the face of adversity are inspiring and something we can all strive to achieve.

The Morgan Adams Foundation and Miracle Party are a few of the organizations Tyler supports in his quest to bring awareness.

Poudre School District Integrated Services Director: Sarah Belleau 2407 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521

October 12, 2015November 16, 2015

Fort Collins High School Shines Bright With Concession Stand.

The Project Unified flag football games are in full swing. While the players are on the field, another group of students are showing their school spirit off the field. Each week a group of students operate a concession stand for the football games. The concession stand is run by student volunteers from Fort Collins High School. Colleen Reyes, the Speech and Language Clinician for FCHS, started the concession stand as a way for students to support fellow Lambkins while also gaining job skill training. Reyes says the concession stand “is giving students opportunities to work with peers, practice customer service and money skills, as well as generalize communication skills outside of the classroom/ therapy setting.”

Student volunteers are tasked with buying prepackaged snacks to sell, setting the stand up, exchanging money, and supporting their school. Volunteers consist of students with and without disabilities. The proceeds from the stand go toward the Fort Collins High School Autism Program.

Poudre School District Integrated Services Director: Sarah Belleau 2407 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521

September 29, 2015November 16, 2015

Week 1 – Unified Flag Football Photos

Photos from the Flag Football program made possible through a partnership between Poudre School District athletic departments and Special Olympic of Colorado.

Poudre School District Integrated Services Director: Sarah Belleau 2407 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521

April 29, 2015November 16, 2015

Meet Stacy Sidebottom from Fort Collins High School.

High School teachers are so much more than just classroom teachers. They are mentors, cheerleaders and advocates for what a student’s future holds. They are constantly looking toward the future.

Named after the town in which it resides, Fort Collins High School is no stranger to preparing for the future. Stacy Sidebottom, teacher in the program for students with autism, is a shining light for the students she works with. Her colleagues recognize her dedication and love for her students. Here is what a few had to say about her:

“Stacey… cares for her students. She is little but mighty. Stacey takes on the day’s challenges head on. Every day, she strives to be a better teacher than she was the day before”.

“Stacey’s enthusiasm and positive attitude creates a wonderful learning environment.”

“Stacey stays calm and looks ahead for her students.”

“Stacey always looking for the positives in students! You’ll frequently hear her say “I just love that kid!” – She doesn’t make excuses for them; she rationalizes their behaviors and consequences, and is constantly modifying what will best serve that student. And when a student is having a particularly good day, she occasionally surprises them with a quick walk to Sonic for a treat!

“Stacey… is passionate about data collection and uses it expertly to make decisions about learning plans for her students. She is one of the coaches of our Unified team and puts her heart into giving her students the most positive high school experience possible. Her patience and resiliency enable her to manage any situation.”

Who is Stacy Sidebottom? Here is her story:

“I grew up in Littleton, Colorado. I attended the University of Northern Colorado for my undergrad and received my degree in special education in 2011. I started working at Fort Collins High School the semester following graduation as a long term sub in the autism classroom. Following my long term sub position at Fort Collins High School I took another sub position as an autism teacher at O’Dea Elementary School. These experiences made me realize that I want to pursue a career in working with students with autism. I was hired full time as an autism teacher back at Fort Collins High School the following year.

Through my teaching experience, I gained interest in shaping behavior and teaching independent living skills. I am currently finishing my master’s degree in applied behavior analysis at Arizona State University and plan on pursing Board Certified Behavior Analyst certification after graduation. My favorite part of my job is witnessing my student’s grow and gain skills that will allow them to live a happier life.”

“Every child deserves a champion- an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be.” Rita Pierson.

Poudre School District Integrated Services Director: Sarah Belleau 2407 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521

February 2, 2015February 2, 2015

Philanthropists of Fort Collins High School

Something Beautiful is Happening at Fort Collins High School!

We are raising money for a good cause, but even more important we want our voices to be heard. Please view and share the video that our class put together with the help of PSD tech. genius Michael Foster. You can donate, Feb. 2^nd through Feb. 28^th at the following link:

http://communityfunded.com/projects/kristac/help-fchs-prevent-suicide/?uref=C4V7YF

The students of the Fort Collins High School Give Next Service Learning class are philanthropists. We give of our time through service projects and volunteerism. We give of our talent through crafts that we make to give away and to sell to raise money to give away. We give of our treasure through providing grant money to local non-profit organizations who inspire positive change.

Our mission is to make a difference in our community with assistance from the Give Next Program of United Way of Larimer County, financial support from Woodward Charitable Trust, OtterCares Foundation, Houska Automotive, and additional fundraising efforts. Together we will fund local nonprofit organizations that focus on suicide prevention and bringing hope to the hopeless.

Krista Churchill

FCHS Integrated Services Teacher

Poudre School District Integrated Services Director: Sarah Belleau 2407 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521