WEBVTT 00:00:05.046 --> 00:00:06.336 >> Todd Whiteman: My name is Todd Whiteman. 00:00:06.336 --> 00:00:07.766 I'm the Principal here at Foxfire. 00:00:08.486 --> 00:00:14.126 Foxfire began with the five founding principles that we refer to as the Five Big Rocks. 00:00:14.336 --> 00:00:18.956 And any decision we make or evaluate is based around these five areas. 00:00:18.996 --> 00:00:22.916 They start with number one, the core values of our program. 00:00:23.436 --> 00:00:26.066 Number two: wellness, student and staff wellness. 00:00:26.636 --> 00:00:28.886 Number three is the communication process. 00:00:29.346 --> 00:00:35.086 Number four is building success, celebrating success, and building relationships, 00:00:35.716 --> 00:00:39.996 and the fifth one is the non-academic barriers that our kids face. 00:00:40.316 --> 00:00:46.826 The typical student of Foxfire looks very similar to the following: Legal issues, 00:00:47.266 --> 00:00:53.036 in and out of jail, on probation, in and out of adult prison, juvenile detention centers. 00:00:54.496 --> 00:00:58.986 Credit deficient is a huge thing that we see when kids come through the door. 00:00:59.056 --> 00:01:03.536 They've been in school two, three years and have one to five to six credits. 00:01:04.146 --> 00:01:11.176 They deal with mental issues whether it's anger management, depression, bipolar. 00:01:11.666 --> 00:01:14.546 The majority of our students are poverty based. 00:01:14.766 --> 00:01:18.906 We utilized ten core values here, but there is one core value that stands out the most 00:01:19.006 --> 00:01:23.296 and that's of the utmost importance to our students, and that's the value of caring. 00:01:23.656 --> 00:01:25.986 >> Whiteman to student: Warren, what'd you find out about your truck? 00:01:26.136 --> 00:01:26.386 >> Warren: Nothing. 00:01:26.386 --> 00:01:26.656 >> Whiteman to student: Nothing? 00:01:26.656 --> 00:01:28.296 Did you have the keys in it? 00:01:28.296 --> 00:01:29.286 Did they hotwire it? 00:01:29.546 --> 00:01:30.886 >> Whiteman: Our students, a lot of times, 00:01:30.886 --> 00:01:35.056 don't understand what caring looks like and what appropriate caring is. 00:01:35.486 --> 00:01:37.866 From the staff standpoint we have to care about these kids. 00:01:38.156 --> 00:01:39.676 We have to care about them unconditionally. 00:01:40.036 --> 00:01:43.186 >> Warren: They said that the two cars that caught on fire in Avondale, 00:01:43.616 --> 00:01:45.166 they think that my truck was linked to it. 00:01:45.166 --> 00:01:46.196 >> Whiteman to student: You're kidding me. 00:01:46.626 --> 00:01:48.646 I'm sorry to hear about that, buddy. 00:01:48.896 --> 00:01:51.816 >> Whiteman: And most important we've got to get our students to care about themselves. 00:01:52.216 --> 00:01:56.346 A lot of our students typically say they care about their education, and I say, "Well, 00:01:56.346 --> 00:02:01.696 let me see your past record," and, "You have been absent, truant, 90 percent of your academic career." 00:02:01.696 --> 00:02:03.386 >> Whiteman to student: If you're not going to be here, what should you do? 00:02:03.956 --> 00:02:04.576 >> Student: Go and get work. 00:02:05.036 --> 00:02:05.876 >> Whiteman to student: Well, how about call? 00:02:05.876 --> 00:02:06.936 That would be the first step. 00:02:06.986 --> 00:02:08.455 If you weren't going to make it to work, what would you do? 00:02:08.966 --> 00:02:09.276 >> Student: Call. 00:02:09.455 --> 00:02:12.256 >> Whiteman: The core values that we've embraced here are simply the same ones 00:02:12.256 --> 00:02:14.216 that I've utilized as a coach over the years, 00:02:14.816 --> 00:02:18.346 and they're a critical component of what we do because they hold us together. 00:02:18.856 --> 00:02:22.846 We fully believe that embracing these values, 00:02:23.046 --> 00:02:26.106 success will become a byproduct of an embracement of this. 00:02:26.206 --> 00:02:29.106 We also fully believe that during adverse times, 00:02:29.266 --> 00:02:34.676 or when we come up against failures that the core values is what will hold us together 00:02:34.676 --> 00:02:38.816 as a staff as a community and for our students. 00:02:39.336 --> 00:02:41.886 >> Whiteman to student: Well, the concern is there still has to be some accountability. 00:02:41.886 --> 00:02:43.346 You still have to have the accountability to get there. 00:02:43.346 --> 00:02:46.186 I can get you all the jobs in the world, but you've got to go. 00:02:46.186 --> 00:02:46.316 >> Student: Right. 00:02:47.236 --> 00:02:48.406 >> Whiteman to student: Right now we're zero for three. 00:02:49.226 --> 00:02:50.406 Three strikes, you're out. 00:02:50.786 --> 00:02:52.426 I'll be over there in a few minutes, I'll talk, 00:02:52.426 --> 00:02:54.686 and if we can still continue getting in the program, great. 00:02:54.686 --> 00:02:58.966 If we can't, we're going to have to move on and look at something else, some other option. 00:02:59.216 --> 00:03:03.256 >> Whiteman: The core values that we really focus on are honesty, 00:03:03.256 --> 00:03:05.606 commitment, teamwork-especially teamwork. 00:03:05.946 --> 00:03:08.166 We also put a huge emphasis on accountability. 00:03:08.166 --> 00:03:09.196 We fully embrace it. 00:03:09.246 --> 00:03:14.556 We have a core value honor roll that we utilize with our students and staff. 00:03:14.716 --> 00:03:20.906 And we do that every nine weeks-quarterly-and as a staff the students get to select the values 00:03:20.906 --> 00:03:22.596 that they see depicted by our staff, 00:03:22.766 --> 00:03:27.216 and on the flip side of that we depict what values are being demonstrated 00:03:27.216 --> 00:03:28.426 by each individual student. 00:03:28.556 --> 00:03:29.346 >> Student: What's going on, how are you? 00:03:29.526 --> 00:03:30.516 >> Whiteman to student: You still going to football? 00:03:30.616 --> 00:03:33.526 >> Whiteman: Building relationships is one of the big rocks that we focus on, 00:03:33.526 --> 00:03:35.906 and it is critical in what we do in a number of ways, 00:03:36.196 --> 00:03:41.666 but one of the small things that we do is our staff is in the parking lot as students come 00:03:41.666 --> 00:03:43.416 into the building everyday to greet them. 00:03:43.956 --> 00:03:47.586 Sometimes we have a thing called a Curbside Coffee where we give coffee to the parents 00:03:47.646 --> 00:03:49.046 and the students, or hot chocolate, 00:03:49.646 --> 00:03:51.346 and it's important because for a lot 00:03:51.346 --> 00:03:54.546 of these kids this might be the first smiling face they've seen in the day. 00:03:54.936 --> 00:03:59.706 Another thing we do here at Foxfire is that we've embraced the concept of "Postive Postcards." 00:04:00.016 --> 00:04:04.576 Staff is required to send two postcards each week to students, 00:04:05.126 --> 00:04:06.856 and those postcards are very simple. 00:04:06.856 --> 00:04:10.566 They could have a message as simple as "You're doing a great job. 00:04:10.566 --> 00:04:11.416 Keep up the good work." 00:04:11.866 --> 00:04:17.916 One of the focuses is that with Postive Postcard there has to be one postcard out of two that is 00:04:17.916 --> 00:04:21.776 to a student who is struggling, and it could be, "I understand what's going on. 00:04:21.935 --> 00:04:23.676 I know the things at home aren't easy." 00:04:24.106 --> 00:04:25.266 Those things go a long ways. 00:04:25.986 --> 00:04:30.776 The core values have greatly impacted the culture here at Foxfire from the student standpoint 00:04:30.946 --> 00:04:34.346 and staff standpoint, but most importantly from the school standpoint. 00:04:34.856 --> 00:04:40.086 When people walk into this building they recognize and they feel the value is being embraced. 00:04:40.086 --> 00:04:45.436 They see the passion, but they also-they've clearly defined the expectations what Foxfire 00:04:45.436 --> 00:04:45.926 is about. 00:04:46.406 --> 00:04:51.026 We provide opportunities for kids, but they have to jump through some hoops 00:04:51.026 --> 00:04:54.106 and some of the hoops they have to jump through are displaying these core values. 00:04:54.206 --> 00:04:55.456 >> Student: I've got my two paragraphs. 00:04:56.076 --> 00:04:58.336 >> Teacher: Okay, for your scholarship applications? 00:04:59.106 --> 00:05:02.366 >> Whiteman: Getting our kids to high school graduation is not an easy process. 00:05:02.636 --> 00:05:08.376 Obviously the big rocks and especially the core values we use as a vehicle to get them there, 00:05:08.376 --> 00:05:11.236 but that's just one vehicle that we get there. 00:05:11.626 --> 00:05:13.746 We do what is ever best for the students. 00:05:13.956 --> 00:05:17.806 We do what's best for the program, and we have to be very flexible. 00:05:17.806 --> 00:05:20.896 We have to treat each individual student as an individual.