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Setting and context

Rocky Mountain High School is a unique school belonging to Fort Collins
Poudre School District. What makes the school so unique isnt any material aspect
of the school, but the community that is shared by the rocky mountain faculty and
students alike. This unique community is the actualization of Rockys mission
statement, 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, and the Lobo Way. In short, Rockys Lobo Way means
doing the right thing even when no one is looking. Through the actualization of
their mission statement and an emphasis on the Lobo Way, a community built
upon mutual respect, development, and equal opportunity creates an electric
environment unique to Rocky Mountain High School.
Due to this influential community, there are countless programs and
activities, both academic and extracurricular, offered to the student body.
Extracurricular activities that are offered to students include numerous school
sponsored athletic teams, as well as a wide array of school sponsored club. The
athletics included range from football to dance, and the clubs offered range from
Link Crew to German Club. With the amount of extracurricular activities offered, its
hard for students to not find something they want to contribute to. As for academic
resources and programs, Rocky has programs that are aimed to assist students on
any point in the success spectrum. To help differentiate learning for those who are
struggling, there are 504s and IEPs, as well as numerous integrated services
classes and events. For the students who struggle transitioning to high school,
there is the voyager program that offers content specific classes that are aimed at

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teaching the skills to be a professional student in that particular content area.
Rockys also offers classes for advanced students, such as pre-AP and AP classes for
a number of content areas. The programs, activities, and resources arent just
limited to students, in many cases parents are able to get nearly as involved as
their kids. For example, parents are able to volunteer for events, activities, and
special projects via the Rocky website. With such a long list of programs offered to
students, you would expect a similarly long list of programs to encourage
appropriate behavior, however you would be wrong. As students learn to
understand and follow the Lobo Way, they begin to police themselves in a mature
fashion. While the school still implements a loose dress code and restrictions on
certain obvious actions, most matters are dealt with by the Lobo Way.
The extensive list of resources Rocky offers to its students isnt just for show,
for it fosters a growth mindset learning environment that mirrors the individuals that
comprise Rockys unique community. Since Rockys community is built around
respect and equal opportunity, the learning climate and culture nearly perfectly
reflect the ideals the school exhibits on a daily basis. While in the classroom,
students and faculty consistently treat each other with equal respect regardless of
each individuals learning capabilities or culture. With this learning climate, teachers
can effectively cater to each students needs to the best of their abilities, as well as
respect the various cultures and backgrounds the student body brings to school,
while helping them grow to become successful citizens. Through the community and
the learning climate, Rocky offers its 1966 students an environment and culture of
respect and equal opportunity for all.

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The classroom that I am currently placed in, is an American Government class
comprised for 33 senior level students. The classroom is roughly a 1:1 boy to girl
ratio, and the majority of the students in this particular classroom are white. The
course is designed to inform the students of historical background of the American
system of government, as well as help ready the students in becoming participatory
citizens. For the most part the students have no issues grasping the content, but
they are still held to high standards by their instructor. Discussions are an almost
daily occurrence in the lesson plans, so the class could not operate on a daily basis
if there wasnt a great deal of respect between peers. For the most part the
students debate current issues in a civil and mature manner.
Rocky Mountain High School is a unique institution that takes pride in its
electric community. The schools community consistently succeeds in creating a
comfortable learning environment that out does it self by constantly raising the
standards they hold themselves to. I would wager, one would have trouble finding a
learning environment that positively effects students as much as Rockys does.
Demographics for Rock Mountain High School
Total Enrollment: 1966 Students, roughly 500 students per grade level.
Ethnicity/Race: 78% White enrollment, 14% Hispanic enrollment.
Gender: 52% male, 48% female.
Economic status: 22% free lunch program, 5% reduced-price lunch program.
Works Cited

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https://rmh.psdschools.org/

http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/colorado/districts/poudre-schooldistrict-r-1/rocky-mountain-high-school-4144/student-body