Fox Bridges Program Helps At-Risk Students Reach Their Goals

Cody Petit, an aspiring artist and musician, was falling behind in high school.

“Any time anybody gave me a piece of paper in school, I had a tendency to draw and write lyrics,” said Petit, 18, a senior in the Fox C-6 School District.

That didn’t bode well for his academic progress at Seckman High School. 

Petit knew he needed help, so last year, he reached out to the district’s Bridges program, an alternative high school program that helps students get caught up and graduate with their class. There are currently about 45 students enrolled in the program, which holds classes in the lower level of the district administration building on the Fox campus at 745 Jeffco Blvd.

“Not everybody fits into high school properly. Just not everybody belongs there,” Petit said. “But when you come into Bridges, it’s a family. It’s a lot easier to get a lot more done with a lot more support.”

With a student teacher ratio of 12-to-1 and a focus on academics as well as behavioral, social and motivational skills, Bridges helped Petit catch up on his school work. He is now on target to graduate with his class. After graduation, he plans to study music production and art at Webster University.

A nontraditional program

Bridges works to help at-risk students maintain academic progress while focusing on additional behavioral, social, and motivational skills.

Director of Alternative Education Jamie Critchlow said the nontraditional Bridges educational program combines academic and life-skills preparedness to help students succeed where conventional methods have failed.

The goal, Critchlow said, is to address each student’s individual needs to catch them up with the other students in their class so they can return to their respective high schools.

“It’s a program that’s designed for our upper class at-risk students,” Critchlow said. “Each of the kids are unique in their needs. Our goal isn’t to graduate them from here. Our goal is to get them caught up so they can get back in the regular high school setting.”

The Bridges students recently formed their own Character Council that took a recent field trip to the ropes course at Beaumont Scout Reservation off Antire Road to work on leadership, team building and problem-solving skills.

The Character Council also is working to erect a Pole of Hope flagpole and veterans’ memorial outside the Bridges building. The project is being incorporated into the Bridges curriculum, with government classes studying the flag, language arts classes writing the words for the plaque, math classes calculating measurements and square footage for the memorial and media classes handling public outreach to involve veterans groups in the project.

Bridges was introduced in the Fox School District five years ago. Since then, the district has seen a steady decline in its dropout rate, currently at 1.21 percent. The trend has been mirrored by an increase in the district’s graduation rate.

Alyssa Bennett, 19, a senior, said Bridges is the only reason she is still in school.

“This is the only reason why I’m graduating, because I’m short so many credits,” Bennett said. “I had quit going to school pretty much. If I was still in high school, I would have already dropped out.”

Starting early

Assistant Superintendent Lorenzo Rizzi said the district’s focus on the whole student starts in the elementary schools.

“Teachers differentiate their instructions to meet all the students’ needs with a whole child approach,” Rizzi said. “That carries over into to middle school and ninth grade with the teaming concept where a team of teachers are responsible for a group of students to provide a continuity of care for every student.”

Character education is woven throughout the curriculum, Rizzi said, and alternative programs such as Bridges provide students with an opportunity to use their talents and learn in a way that best suits their needs.

“Our alternative programs, including Bridges, provide students with an opportunity to use their talents and to learn in a way that best suits their needs,” Rizzi said. “We make every effort to provide a positive and caring environment for all students.”