Dear Falcon Nation,

As we finally enter winter and the holidays, we need to make you aware of a recent Colorado State Board of Education approval that will impact how some District 49 weather delays and cancellations are handled at Falcon High School this year.

In October, the State Board of Education approved the Falcon High School innovation plan. Our plan includes five e-days (electronic school days) each school year to use during district called inclement weather schedule changes and/or testing days.

The purpose of adding the option of calling an e-day is so we can continue to move forward with our learning at Falcon High School when weather makes it difficult or dangerous to get to campus.

What is an e-day at Falcon High School?
When a FHS e-day is called, students are not required to come to the building, but can attend school via an online option through Schoology.  It is important to note that not every delayed start or snow day called by District 49 will be designated as an e-day at FHS, but students will want to be prepared "just in case."

If a student does not have Internet access at home or through their phone plan, they should touch base with their teacher the day before inclement weather is expected. This meeting allows students to download the required material to their Kindle ahead of time. Students should be proactive and let their teachers know early if they anticipate or experience any problems.

We will work with the district office to evaluate the weather and assess how many hours we have accumulated toward meeting the number of contact hours required by the state for high school students.

If an e-day is called for Falcon High School during a District 49 delay or closure due to weather, families will be notified via a text message and email. Additionally, it will be posted by 5:30 a.m. on the Falcon High School website, D49.org/FHS. Many students follow District 49 on Twitter. A Falcon High School e-day will also be communicated on social media.

Here’s an example. District 49 calls a two-hour delay due icy road conditions in the morning. Because some of our students are new drivers, we may call an e-day at FHS so that our students can stay home and learn through Schoology. Even though the rest of the district is on a delayed start, FHS students and staff will not report to campus on an e-day; Learning will take place at home.

E-day specifics as stated in the FHS innovation plan
Lesson plans for e-learning days will be available on Schoology. The lessons will cover the same material that would be covered via traditional instruction in the classroom. Students that don’t have Internet access at home will have one week to complete the assignments uploaded by their teachers. Falcon High School will meet the following criteria for e-learning days:

a) All students and teachers have the ability to access the Internet or instructional materials when they are away from the school building. This may include downloading of materials the day before inclement weather is expected.

b) Parents and students will have the ability to reach teachers via email for help and questions throughout the "virtual" learning day or if students are unable to access email, teachers will be available by email the week following the e-learning day. Students will have one week to complete the e-learning day work if they are unable to access the assignment and/or teacher on the “virtual” learning day (with administrative approval).

c) All content given to students during "virtual” classes is content that would have been presented had a normal day been in session.

E-days are new for Falcon High School. The FHS staff will work collaboratively with our families to successfully implement this opportunity to continue our learning when weather makes travel to school difficult or unsafe.

E-days only apply to Falcon High School, not to other schools in Falcon Zone or other zones in District49. We appreciate your support and collaboration as we move to make things safer and more convenient for our FHS students and families. Please do not hesitate to contact a member of the FHS administration if you have any questions regarding e-days.

Timberline partners with Falcon High School on Career Pathways
By: Becky Garber, Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado   

The Irrigation 101 training provided by ALCC for high school teachers in January was a hit with Dave Kranz – a teacher at Falcon High School, Colorado Springs. Soon after loading up his Irrigation System in a Box from that training and driving back to the Springs, he was on the phone with Tim Emick, owner of Timberline Landscaping, Inc. Kranz was inspired to be the first Landscape Career Pathway school in his area, and he wanted to know how soon they could get together and talk shop.

“I just don’t want to do this – I want to do it the right way,” says Kranz. And that is why he contacted Timberline. During spring break, he got into a Timberline truck to see firsthand what the industry does. That included getting into the mud with Timberline’s John Butters to help repair a mainline.

Though his teaching background is in social studies and special education, Kranz is a good fit for teaching Career and Technical Education – an assignment his administrators had asked him to accept about 2 years ago. While in middle school, Kranz bought a lawn mower for five dollars and dragged it behind his bicycle to mow lawns in his Minnesota neighborhood.  Hands-on experience as an adult helped qualify him to be an Ag/Ed teacher, which is the big umbrella under which Career Pathways fits. He spent time on a ranch in Montana working cows and training colts. He still has a small business on the side feeding horses. He’s an aggie who also loves irrigation.

With his certifications now complete and with support from the school, Kranz talks excitedly about launching a curriculum that connects high school students with the landscape industry. His vision is to begin school year 2017-2018 with 15-20 students including boys and girls “who are taking classes because they are really interested and want to do this.” Students in the program will be able to do a work/study program during spring break and spend their last two months spring semester doing internships – mainly irrigation.

Timberline’s help as an industry advisor has been key. Says Kranz, “We have it worked out to be the first year-long high school offering landscaping, design and installation in the State of Colorado. There’s no way I could do this by myself. Timberline has offered design people and others to come in and help.”

The Colorado Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments in two cases at Falcon High School in Peyton on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016, before an audience of students. The public also is invited to attend.

The visit is part of the Colorado Judicial Branch’s Courts in the Community, the outreach program the Colorado Supreme Court and Court of Appeals initiated on Law Day (May 1), 1986. The Courts in the Community program was developed to give Colorado high school students firsthand experience in how the Colorado judicial system works and illustrate how disputes are resolved in a democratic society. These are not mock proceedings. The court will hear arguments in actual cases from which it will issue opinions. The court generally issues opinions within a few weeks of the arguments.

The 22 judges of the Colorado Court of Appeals sit in divisions of three judges to hear cases. Judges hearing cases at Falcon High School are Daniel M. Taubman, Stephanie Dunn and Karen M. Ashby.

Falcon High School students competed in the Colorado State Knowledge Bowl Competition at Colorado College on April 16 and 17. The tournament is recognition of academic excellence among many of the finest students in Colorado’s secondary schools. Fifty-seven teams from across Colorado participated in the event.

Students tested their knowledge in categories such as earth science, quotations, physics, mythology, algebra, art, literature, and much more. The Falcons beat out many 1A, 2A, 3A, and some 4A schools.

Participants of the Falcon High School Knowledge Bowl Team included: Seniors Nathan Prestwich and Zachary Gebhardt, Juniors Rio Davies, Alexandra Weisler, Luzi Valdez, Ciara McCarter, and Ashley Mengel, and Freshmen Brenna Prestwich and Marisa Edmonds.

Congratulations on the hard work work and success.