FBCS: Resiliency, perseverance, and gratitude
Forrest M. Bird Charter School students pose for a photo. Pictured, from left, in the back row are Priscilla Cuaya, Harlee Pitner, Payton Rains, and Damian Gottwald. Pictured in the front row, from left, are Catherine Doss and Destiny Shamblin.
(Photo courtesy FORREST M. BIRD CHARTER SCHOOL)
Resiliency, perseverance, and gratitude. These words best describe the past year at Forrest M. Bird Charter School.
Students from across the northern Panhandle attend Forrest M. Bird Charter School for a variety of reasons: small class sizes, advanced opportunities, Project-based learning, and strong working relationships among staff, families, and students. One year ago, education faced a challenge not known in recent history, a pandemic. With the pandemic, teachers, students, and families saw their educational experiences move to full-time online education twice, reduced time in the school building, and returning full time for face-to-face education. FBCS also faced decisions of keeping staff and students healthy while continuing education expectations of the school’s mission: “Creating innovative learning opportunities by fostering community, individuality, and imagination.” Despite the challenges COVID-19 created, staff and students adjusted and learned valuable skills in all aspects of their lives.
FBCS teachers and staff worked more than ever. While tackling the additional and long work hours, they kept their creativity and passion and continually innovating to find ways to meet the needs of our kids in every way possible. Not only academically by re-structuring curricula and classrooms, but also by providing social, emotional and community supports to those who were in need as well. Students learned how to communicate more effectively and to see the importance in self-advocacy. FBCS continued to build authentic educational experiences to address the needs of the whole student, such as incorporating the Sources of Strength program in the middle school and developing an academic intervention program. Middle school office coordinator Maddie Herron said, “Now we are seeing students wanting to be at school, being excited to come to school each day, and seeing how much more they succeed in a classroom setting.”
Despite the challenges the year posed, FBCS students successfully excelled in their academic achievements. FBCS seniors exceeded the state averages in our SAT results in the fall in all areas. High school students earned a total of 161 college credits this year through the state-funded Advanced Opportunities program. Additionally, four seniors will receive their associate degrees and their high school diplomas in June. One senior will have completed his Plumbing year 2 certificate in the Plumbing Apprenticeship. These accomplishments in a normal year would be impressive; these accomplishments in a pandemic are especially noteworthy.
All at FBCS are greatly looking forward to the upcoming year where new projects will be introduced, live student and staff collaborations will return in full, and students will be able to return to their regular pre-COVID schedules. We at FBCS feel immense gratitude to all of our families and students during this past year. Watching students continue to learn while developing their own resiliency and perseverance was the greatest gift we received at FBCS this year.
Mary Jensen is administrator for Forrest M. Bird Charter Schools.