Section I

Here at Berthoud High School, the community could not be more welcoming. Students
and staff at the school are receptive, honest, and always willing and wanting to talk. Many of the
students are from Berthoud the town themselves, but others are from nearby places: Johnstown,
Loveland, Firestone, and Longmont. There are approximately 700 students at the school, most of
whom have a 20:1 student-teacher ratio. There is a moderate to high level of parental
involvement. Not only do parents consistently check in on their students progress, but I receive
multiple emails a week about why certain grades are lined up the way they are. Many of the
parents are also involved in student activities; they often fundraise, going door-to-door to
advocate for their childs education. At the Berthoud Bash, for instance, the parents alone raised
thousands of dollars, all of which went to the schools in this area (including the elementary and
middle schools surround Berthoud High School).
As for the students, several of them are involved in myriad activities. I myself host, with
Allison Lanter, an anime club on Thursday. Lanter also monitors credit recovery, a program
where students may make up for classes where they didnt perform well, and writing workshops
where students can practice their college composition outside of the regular classes. Many
students here at Berthoud advocate for their education as much as parents do. I have one student,
Tristan, who regularly checks in with me on her grades and how she could perform better next
time. She is one of several students who do so. This community is tightly knit since many of the
students have been friends for years, attending the same schools and courses since they were
only five. Its easy to see how they care about one another, deviating even from typical high
school cliques. While there are some, naturally, many of the students know that theyre welcome
in any conversation.
As far as support for the students go, there are other programs that initiate further
education on their behalf. While there is credit recovery and college writing workshops, there is
also advisory time. Every other week, on Wednesdays and Thursdays, students can take 30 or so
minutes after their second period class to go in and talk to teachers about how to make up or alter
their work to better their grades. Several teachers are directly involved, taking over sessions and
directing students on what work they can do for themselves. Any kid who gets a D or an F is also
enrolled in a response to intervention course, an actual course in their curriculum where they can
bring back their bad grades. There are more teachers who work in this specific area as well,
guiding them as they can. Again, there are also several clubs here at Berthoud where students can
feel welcome. Every day at 3:10, I hear the voices of the show choir practicing for their next
showcase. Once a week, the Physics club meets and they make paper airplanes and race, or they
design their own cars to be put on show. There are just so many different activities and courses
students can engage in that not only betters their education, but instills as sense of comradery,
feeling like they have a place where they can belong.
When it comes to demographics, a majority of the student population identifies as
Caucasian. 13% of the students at Berthoud identify with as minority, a majority of that
demographic being Hispanic. While being a mostly white school, student involvement is never
down despite the differences. As for the gender dynamics, females pull slightly ahead at 51% of

the population, 49% being male. This does not account for transitioning or transitioned
transgender students. 13% of the student population is eligible for free or reduced lunch, a
number statistically low compared to the Colorado average of 35%. More of the information on
the demographics of the school can be found here.
The classrooms environments at Berthoud would be considered a diverse one. While
most teachers have their own classrooms, several still travel from room to room. This doesnt
necessarily have an impact on student education, but it nevertheless makes a difference to the
teachers themselves. Most of the classrooms have their own personality, though. In Lanters
room, for instance, students can find many school-related memes, all of which are hilarious and
relevant. Not only do the students understand a little bit more about who Lanter is as a person,
but they can see a little bit about her classroom runs. Here is an example of one of the memes:

Its silly, but now students know a little bit more about her. She
also includes her standards on a chalkboard on the side of the room, so students know why she
does certain things. This negates their need to constantly as Why? Several teachers follow this
similar pattern of decorating, but many have other posters in their rooms dictating how to write a
paragraph or what the classroom expectations are. Not only do these decorations make it easier
for the teachers (so that they students arent confused on whats expected), but students have a
better transition from teacher to teacher.
As far as management goes, every teacher is different. With my classes, I try to follow the
Discovery model. In this, I redirect students when their behavior is poor, and if it gets to the
point where their behavior is no longer manageable in the classroom, I send them in the hall to
have a discussion. At this point, I havent yet needed to do this, but I imagine a day will come
where I need to. For other teachers, they have built enough rapport and relationships with the
students to the point that they dont need to have a system of redirects. For the most part,
students respect the seasoned teachers enough that management isnt an issue. Usually, telling
them once to quit (sternly, though) is enough to get them back on track. School-wide, there is no
set classroom management policy- they manage at their own pace.
Conflict resolution, while not prevalent at the school, is something that must happen on
occasion. Again, most teachers deal with it in their own way. An SRO on staff is always ready to
step in if need be, and deans are always roaming to make sure things are on track. As long as the
teachers are communicating what needs should be met in this area, there are plenty of resources
to go to as a means of solving resolution. Lastly, all schools have to deal with students with
special needs. Luckily, right on our rosters on the site we use for grading, attendance, and other
house-keeping issues, there are little flags and other icons that tell us exactly what their needs

are. Furthermore, all student 504 and IEPs are listed on that same sight. All teachers need do
(particularly at the beginning of the year or a semester) is to print out the readily accessible
information regarding and special student requests in order to aptly and preemptively take care of
any issues. Students are always welcome in counseling as well, knowing full well that its a place
for discussing issues. Berthoud high-schoolers have ample resources to bring their issues to
attention, and they are taken care of in detail by the staff.