A private New York State registered boarding school. Call us: (607) 637-8200
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  • Who We Are

    Who We Are

    Our students were in trouble at home, at school, and sometimes with the law...

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  • Decisions, Decisions

    Decisions, Decisions

    The decisions involved in selecting the right boarding school are never easy...

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  • Academics

    Academics

    Troubled teens who are academically stalled get a second chance at a first class education...

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  • Counseling

    Counseling

    A range of therapeutic resources helps students address their issues and better understand themselves and their behaviors...

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  • Extracurricular

    Extracurricular

    Our students discover and rediscover a passion for sports, music and the arts with programs that recognize and nurture their talents and gifts...

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  • Parent Resources

    Parent Resources

    To deal successfully with your teenager's problem behavior, you have to first understand it. We can help...

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Living Skills

Character education happens throughout the day and all around The Family Foundation School:  in classrooms and the dorms, during daily chores, at the dinner table discussing problems and feelings, on the playing field, on stage, and in the chapel.  We also have developed a course, Living Skills, which students take every semester while they're here.

The course is based on the 12 Steps of Recovery and teaches practical methods for practicing each step.  Since the program is essentially a spiritual one, we draw on many spiritual writings and traditions to enhance the curriculum.  Students also benefit from FFS staff who share their experience, strength, and hope.  The course also deals with practical issues in life such as money management, healthy living, and child care.  Morally it offers students ways to maintain their spiritual fitness by checking their thinking, assessing their own behavior and making amends.

Living Skills explains to students what we're trying to do at the school and how to live morally and ethically when they leave.

Living Skills Staff

Jan Cheripko Jan Cheripko Living Skills Instructor

B.A., St. Thomas Aquinas College

A career writer, editor and journalist, Jan began working part time at The Family Foundation School in 1986 and full time in 2000. In addition to conducting Living Skills classes, he teaches English and philosophy classes, and is the family leader of FFS Talbot House. He has also served as principal of the FFS middle school. A celebrated author of award-winning books for children and young adults, Jan has addressed audiences throughout the country and abroad on at-risk teens, addiction, and writing. He lives with his wife, Valray, and daughter, Julia, in Bethany, Pa. where he sits on the Borough Council.

Paul Geer Paul Geer Living Skills Instructor

B.M., SUNY Potsdam
M.A., California State University

A popular Living Skills teacher, Paul's primary responsibility at The Family Foundation School is choral and instrumental music instruction. Music director since 1991, Paul is credited with building the school's nationally recognized music program. Under his direction, the Family Singers have been winning accolades at the North American Music Festival for more than a dozen years, and have performed numerous concerts for local, regional, and national audiences. Paul has served as guest conductor for choral groups on many occasions, most notably the HOBY (Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership) chorus. He also served as an FFS family leader for a number of years. Paul and his wife Diane enjoy quiet country living in their home on the wooded FFS campus.

Michael A. Losicco Michael A. Losicco Living Skills Instructor

Mike, a long-time FFS Living Skills Instructor, has been associated with the program at the school for more than 20 years, and has held a variety of positions since joining the staff in 1998. Most notably, he served as chairman of the Performing Arts Department, and was family leader for a number of years. In 2005 Mike was named director-in-residence of Betton House in Scranton, Pa., a transitional program for young people leaving a structured environment and entering college and the workforce. In 2008 he returned to the school and is currently the Family and Group Counselor for the students of FFS Talbot House and a member of the Senior Floor staff. In his life outside the school, Mike is a hobbyist and collector of antique knives, and is currently enjoying the new role of grandfather.

Roxanne Losicco Roxanne Losicco Living Skills Instructor

B.A., English, Wilkes University

Roxi has held multiple positions at The Family Foundation School since joining the staff in 1994, including admissions counselor, external relations director, academic coordinator, and food service manager. From 2004 to 2008, she served as director-in-residence of Betton House, an affiliate program for young adults transitioning from a structured environment to college. She is currently a family leader of Lake House and supervises library activities as well. Roxi lives in Hancock and enjoys traveling and spending time with her daughters and grandchildren.

Reflections On Who We Are

Repairing the Ties that Bind

Published: Wednesday, June 5, 2013 Before there was a Family Foundation School, there was a family devastated by alcoholism and restored by the 12 Steps of recovery. What the Steps did for them they wanted to do for others, and The Family Foundation School

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11th Step 'Happy Class'

Published: Friday, May 31, 2013 One of the most surprising and welcome trends we're seeing among teenagers these days is the use of mindfulness meditation to cope with the pressures of growing up in an increasingly stressful world. One high school

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