Community- The area of Fort Collins encompasses 55.83 square miles. Currently, there are 151,330 current residents. The median family income of these residents is roughly $74,313 annually, and approximately 51.5% percent of the population has completed four or more years of college. The most common industry in Fort Collins is the Educational Services industry, with 12% of males and 19% of females employed (City-Data). The second most common employing industries are Construction for males and Health Care for females (City-Data). In November 2013 Amendment 66 was proposed in order to increase taxes to increase public education funding. This measure was not supported and did not pass in Larimer County.
*Statistics courtesy of www.fcgov.com and http://www.city-data.com/city/Fort-Collins-Colorado.html
*Statistics courtesy of www.fcgov.com and http://www.city-data.com/city/Fort-Collins-Colorado.html
School:
The culture of Rocky Mountain High School is one that is very prideful and fosters positive behavior. Students throughout the school are encouraged to get involved in school activities and show their “Lobo Pride”. This culture is created through the student participation in these activities, such as the weekly news show and the school newspaper, the Highlighter. These mediums provide students with the opportunity to reach out to one another and encourage a close knit and prideful culture. This culture is also reflected in the many posters throughout the school advertising different ways for students to get involved.
RMHS also has a variety of programs for its students. The school has many departments including Career and Technology, Integrated Services, Language Arts, Math, Performing Arts (choir, band, and orchestra), Physical Education, Science, Social Studies, Visual Arts, and World Languages. Within these departments the school also offers many AP classes as well as Gifted and Talented Enrichment programs. These programs, such as National Honor Society, provide students with opportunities to expand their education beyond the everyday classroom. The school also provides many services to support their students, including a Counseling and College and Career Center.
On the opposite side, there are also programs put in to place for struggling students. RMHS works closely with Partners Mentoring Youth, a local mentoring agency for at risk youth. They also have the Voyager program, which is, again, designed for at risk students. The Voyager program is a unique program due to the emphasis that is placed on every individual student. Students who struggle can also seek help with the National Honor Society, an enrichment program that provides opportunities for students to tutor their peers.
The school encourages parent’s involvement through the use of Synergy, an online grading system. This allows for parents to check on the academic process of their children. Also, the school has many volunteer opportunities for parents who would like to be further involved in the school. Parents are encouraged to become involved in certain types of extra-curricular activities, such as athletics. Parents also have frequent contact with teachers through meetings such as parent-teacher conferences and, when necessary, meetings about behavior misconduct.
When dealing with the issue of misconduct, there are a few programs in place. Poudre School District is involved in using Positive Behavior Interventions and Support. Essentially, this is a preventative approach to misconduct. RMHS adheres to their district policy. Positive behavior is encouraged through the idea of the “Lobo Way”. This is a set of expectations that the students are encouraged, both by staff and by each
other, to adhere to.
This is reflected in their mission statement. Their mission statement states, “Rocky Mountain High School inspires, guides, and supports our students, faculty and staff to reach their maximum potential in a caring, challenging and safe environment. In accordance with the tradition of the ‘Lobo Way,’ we, the Rocky Mountain High School community, believe: in the value and dignity of each individual, in the development of intellectual and creative skills, in the importance of self-discovery, in equal opportunity for learning, in preparation for life's work and lifelong learning, in a safe environment, in opportunities for service to society, that all members are empowered through participation, and that education thrives in a democratic environment”.
The Lobo Way also affects the learning climate of the school. In the video on the main page, it states that Rocky strives to “inspire, guide, and support students and staff to reach maximum potential in a caring, challenging, and safe environment”. This mission is reflected in the learning climate of the school. RMHS offers a wide range of classes for students to take. There are many options within the core subjects that go beyond basic material. Classes such as World Literature, Short Fiction, and British Literature and Composition fulfill the Common Core requirements while providing students with enough variety to study subjects that interest them. There are also many types of classes that are outside the realm of core subjects, such as Pottery, that provide students with a well rounded classroom experience. This helps to create a positive learning climate.
Rocky Mountain High School is situated in the city of Fort Collins, which encompasses a 55.83 square mile area. RMHS is a rather large school with roughly 2,122 students in attendance. Out of these 2,122 students, approximately 83% of them are continuing their education in a higher learning institute. According to GreatSchools.org, 78% of the student population is categorized as white. The rest of the student population is made up of Hispanic (14%),Asian (2%), African American (2%), Mixed Race(2%), and American Indian (1%). Also according to GreatSchools.org, 23% of the student population is eligible for free and reduced lunch. RMHS has an approximate staff population of 160, 18 of which are members of the English department.
*Information provided by RMHS website http://eweb.psdschools.org/schools/rockymountain/
*Information credited to GreatSchools.org was determined at http://www.greatschools.org/colorado/fort-collins/687-Rocky-Mountain-High-School/?tab=demographics
Classroom- Students and Classroom:
This curriculum is designed for a 10th grade World Literature course. This is considered a regular level course that is typically taken by sophomores.This class is designed to introduce the students to the literature of the world by studying the regions of Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. They are exposed to both ancient texts as well as contemporary. There is also a wide range of the type of texts including both short stories, novels, and a movie. They will also be focusing on multiple modes of writing, including literary analysis writing, narrative writing, and research based writing. Laptops are provided for all students at Rocky so technology is almost always available to be used in the classroom.
There are approximately 30 students in the class.In this classroom, I deal with a wide range of ability levels. I have two students with IEPs. One student has been diagnosed with Autism and the other with Aspbergers. The student with Autism often needs modifications in order to help him succeed. The student with Aspergers has also been categorized as gifted. There are two students with diabetes.There is also one student who has previously been in the AP program, so he typically has lessons somewhat adapted so he feels more challenged . Five of the students are also enrolled in the Voyager program (this program mentioned above).
The racial demographic in the room is very reflective of the overall school demographic It is a primarily Caucasian classroom with two Hispanic students, one African American student, and one foreign exchange student from Brazil. While the foreign exchange student speaks English very well, he does seem to struggle sometimes with writing. There are no ELL students in this classroom.
Within this group of students there are many different interests. Many of the students play sports. Two of the students play football and the foreign exchange student plays soccer. Another student is a member of the JV cheerleading squad. A few of the students are also involved in art. One student in particular is heavily involved in pottery. This wide range of involvement in extra curricular activities helps to bring a wide range of abilities into the classroom. For instance, the student involved in art has done some pottery for a class project.
This curriculum is designed for a 10th grade World Literature course. This is considered a regular level course that is typically taken by sophomores.This class is designed to introduce the students to the literature of the world by studying the regions of Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. They are exposed to both ancient texts as well as contemporary. There is also a wide range of the type of texts including both short stories, novels, and a movie. They will also be focusing on multiple modes of writing, including literary analysis writing, narrative writing, and research based writing. Laptops are provided for all students at Rocky so technology is almost always available to be used in the classroom.
There are approximately 30 students in the class.In this classroom, I deal with a wide range of ability levels. I have two students with IEPs. One student has been diagnosed with Autism and the other with Aspbergers. The student with Autism often needs modifications in order to help him succeed. The student with Aspergers has also been categorized as gifted. There are two students with diabetes.There is also one student who has previously been in the AP program, so he typically has lessons somewhat adapted so he feels more challenged . Five of the students are also enrolled in the Voyager program (this program mentioned above).
The racial demographic in the room is very reflective of the overall school demographic It is a primarily Caucasian classroom with two Hispanic students, one African American student, and one foreign exchange student from Brazil. While the foreign exchange student speaks English very well, he does seem to struggle sometimes with writing. There are no ELL students in this classroom.
Within this group of students there are many different interests. Many of the students play sports. Two of the students play football and the foreign exchange student plays soccer. Another student is a member of the JV cheerleading squad. A few of the students are also involved in art. One student in particular is heavily involved in pottery. This wide range of involvement in extra curricular activities helps to bring a wide range of abilities into the classroom. For instance, the student involved in art has done some pottery for a class project.