Congratulations to PSD staff on their latest accomplishments and successes!

Congratulations to staff on their accomplishments!

Professional Successes and Student Pride

• Thank you and Congratulations to PSD staff retiring this year! See the list of 80 retirees. >>

• Linda Lacock and Nichole Guarriello, PSD Transportation: PSD Bus 3225 had several preschool kids that usually arrived at the bus crying or balking with parents having to carry them to their seats. After attempts to calm them with kindness, we resorted to using coloring pages, two squeaky pigs and two stretching worms. We now have eager kids who get to color or play with their favorite pig (yellow or orange), or pull on the squiggly worms. It is a happy bus now.

• Rocky Mountain High School students participated in the Colorado RISE Challenge and Caring for Our Watersheds this spring. See the results! >>

Awards and Recognitions

• Michelle Bowles, Fort Collins High School science teacher, was recognized with the 2023-24 AVS Teaching Award for Excellence in Secondary Science Education.

• Nicholas Chambers, Futures Lab lead aviation teacher, was selected as Educator of the Year by the Rocky Mountain Section of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. 

• Aspen Flores, Communications Department, has earned three awards from the 2024 Colorado School Public Relations Association (COSPRA) Communications Excellence and Professional Awards: Award of Excellence for “Poudre Global Academy Garden Club” in the Photography category; .Award of Merit for “Students benefit from interdisciplinary learning during River Week” in the Writing Category; and Award of Excellence for “Learning to read: What PSD’s new literacy curriculum looks like in elementary classrooms” in the Writing category..

• Dr. Yajaira Fuentes-Tauber, Rocky Mountain High School science teacher, has been selected for the National Science Teacher Association-NSTA’s Robert E. Yager Exemplary Teaching Award for District XIV (Arizona, Colorado, and Utah).This press release was distributed by NSTA through the Business Wire’s National Newsline.
  During the 2023-2024 CAST, AVS, and PAEMST Educators Ceremony the 2021-2023 Colorado State Finalists for PAEMST in the areas of science and mathematics were recognized. Dr. Fuentes-Tauber is one of three science state finalists for the 2023 cycle.

• Alex McCraw Cache La Poudre Elementary Integrated Services paraprofessional, was recently an awardee for the CURC honors for her poem "...For Dear Life." 

• Ben Rude and Chris Tholl, Fort Collins High School social studies teachers, were awarded a grant from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Outdoor Equity Grant Program. They were awarded almost $22,000 to take underprivileged FCHS students to a week of outdoor education at High Trails Outdoor Education Center in Florissant, Colorado. With the support of FCHS Principal Dr. Jen Roth, the two created a new class and curriculum with the goal of teaching students about ecology, environmental science, and outdoor stewardship before attending their outdoor education week.

• Rocky Mountain and Fossil Ridge High Schools' yearbooks earn Jostens National Yearbook Design Recognition: They have been recognized for excellence and are featured in the Jostens Look Book 2024, celebrating the best-of-the-best in yearbook design and inclusivity. Along with design excellence, the annually published Look Book honors the work of the students who created the yearbook over the course of 6-12 months. Fossil and Rocky were two of only 480 yearbooks selected from nearly one thousand yearbooks submitted. They received a copy of the Jostens Look Book 2024 with a plaque and banner from Jostens to recognize their outstanding achievement.

•  Barrett Golyer, 5A Coach of the Year selected by the Colorado High School Coaches Association, spring 2024  

• Sue Davidson, Lincoln Middle School teacher, selected for Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District Service Award, Educator of the Year, winter 23-24  

• Tracy Hernandez, PSD bus operator, for outstanding and professional work keeping students calm during a medical emergency on her bus, winter 23-24.

• PSD music directors and CMEA performing ensembles, Feb. 2024
  • Phuong Nguyen-Boltz Jazz Band 
  • Mike Perez-Kinard Symphonic Band 
  • Aaron Herman-FRHS Wind Symphony 
  • David Lonowski-PHS Impalaphonics Choir 
  • Bri McCormick and John Garner-FRHS Tenth Bass  
  • Elizabeth Hohweiler-RMHS Syrens  

• Poudre School District held the PSD Celebrates awards event in April to honor exceptional staff across the district. See the list of those honored and selected for awards.>>

Published!

• Meg Woodrich, Fort Collins High School teacher, contributed to an upcoming book titled "Challenging Bias and Promoting Transformative Education in Public Schooling Through Critical Literacy." Her contribution is Chapter Four, "Connecting Theory and Practice: Secondary ELA Teachers Using Critical Literacy to Engage Students in Disrupting Dominant Narratives." More information: IGI Global

• Dr. Sonja Gedde, Fossil Ridge High School assistant principal, had two articles published this spring: The first is titled "Restorative Practices Don't Just Belong in the Classroom; Leaders Should Use Them, Too," appearing in Education Week in February.  Restorative Practices Don’t Just Belong in the Classroom. Leaders Should Use Them, Too (Opinion) (edweek.org). The second article is "Invigorating Assistant Principal/Principal Relationships," published in Kappan May 1.  

• Dr. Yajaira Fuentes-Tauber, Rocky Mountain High School teacher, was featured in this Colorado Chalkbeat article "How this Colorado science teacher helps students become environmental changemakers" in April 2024.

Conferences, Presentations and Service

• Deborah Holman and Nikki Atkinson, Wellington Middle-High School teachers,  presented at the National Science Teachers Association Conference this March and their session was highlighted on NSTA TV.

• Gloria Carlson, a bilingual certified Orton-Gillingham practitioner and National Board-Certified teacher, was appointed a board member of the International Dyslexia Association - Rocky Mountain Branch -  in fall 2023. As a literacy expert and dedicated advocate for multilingual students, she promotes effective teaching methods and educational intervention strategies for all students.

• Dr. Sonja Gedde, Fossil Ridge High School assistant principal, spoke at the International Academic Forum on Education in Honolulu, Hawaii on Jan. 3. Her presentation, based on an action research project she conducted at FRHS, was called "From Collective Efficacy to Collective Effervescence: A New Foundation for Professional Learning."

• Aja Mattise-Lorenzen and Dr. Yajaira Fuentes-Tauber, Rocky Mountain High School teachers, co-presented two sessions at the National Science Teacher Association Conference in March at Denver. 

Education: Degrees and Certifications

• Alex McCraw Cache La Poudre Elementary Integrated Services paraprofessional, graduated with a degree in English Education from Colorado State University in May 2024.

• Taryn Weaver and Brittney Brown, Integrated Services sign-language, state-authorized educational sign language interpreters, recently passed the CASLI General Knowledge Exam and Ethics toward becoming "Nationally" certified interpreters. Note: Center for the Assessment of Sign Language Interpretation (CASLI) administers the exams that the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) uses for their national certification programs.

• Sara Littlejohn, Integrated Services teacher at Lopez Elementary, finished her master's degree in Special Education: Intervention Specialist - Academic Coaching and Leadership.

• Danny Zuniga Torres, Integrated Services teacher at Lopez Elementary, finished his master's degree in Special Education: Generalist (05-21) and Endorsement in Culturally/Linguistically Diverse Education (K-12).

• Dulcie Willis, PSD Grant Writer, joins a select group of more than 400 grant professionals who have attained the Grant Professional Certification (GPC) credential. Accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), the GPC is awarded to grant professionals who meet eligibility requirements and successfully demonstrate proficiency in the required competencies and skills of the grants profession. Individuals who receive the GPC credential must meet GPCI-set standards and pass a two-part written examination testing the competencies and skills required of grant professionals.

• Lux Andrade Uribe, Mextli Jimenez Colores, Clarissa Hernandez, Frida Mugica, and Ashlyn Patton, Irish Escuela Bilingue faculty, recently graduated from Colorado State University and Regis University, respectively. Frida, Ashlyn, Mextli, and Clari have all earned master's degrees and principal licensure, while Lux has completed an advanced degree in social work. Irish is extremely fortunate to have such talented and passionate equity leaders in our school, and we look forward to their continued success!