The Family Foundation School

In my life before The Family School I was extremely self-centered. I hurt everyone around me to get what I wanted and got a lot of negative attention by acting like a psycho. I had no interest in God because he probably didn't want me to steal, lie, cheat, or use substances.

My life became unmanageable early on. I was kicked out of 8th grade for drinking and drugging, and a year later was thrown out of 9th grade for the same reasons. I also owed thousands of dollars in gambling debt and spent my life running from those I owed money to.

Before FFS, my life was unmanageable and out of control. I was shooting heroin, selling drugs, stealing, and lying to my parents. I did anything to blind me from reality because I hated who I had become.

At home I was an overeater and extremely overweight. Going to school was the last thing on my mind. I stayed home and slept all day, then got up and stayed out all night. I was rude and disrespectful and had fits of temper.

At home I perfected the art of quitting. My attempts at sports, school, and relationships amounted to nothing but pathetic stories because I never followed through. I did not like myself and wanted to escape the judgment of others.

My life at home was full of lies and deceit. I became part of the tough crowd in middle school, and in high school I was in and out of detention, got into bad relationships, ran away and was sent to a psych ward.

To put it bluntly, I was a drunk. I didn't care about my family, or God, just drinking and smoking. I was drug-tested for the first time at 12, at 13 I was in outpatient rehab, and at 15 I was sent to wilderness and then to The Family School.

I was 15 and my mother was driving me to the hospital. She was crying, but all I could think of was what a good job I had done not eating. I felt no remorse, only the desire to leave and continue killing myself.

I am an alcoholic and a drug addict who couldn't live life on life's terms, so I drank. When my dad was diagnosed with cancer, I was introduced to heavier drugs and started stealing and selling his pain medication.

I was empty, angry, miserable, and lonely at home, and used any means possible to numb my feelings. I dropped out of school. Nothing really mattered, and I was quickly using up my friends and family.

Outdoor Activities

Runners Club

The FFS runners club meets regularly on Saturday mornings for a good 3-mile run. After a bit of stretching, they set out, everyone at his or her own pace. But fast or slow, they all complete the course. Afterwards, students are led in a workout in the gym. Each year the running club competes in at least two 5K races. The competition gives students something to work towards and they usually do very well. The positive energy generated by getting in shape and staying healthy is a main benefit of the runners club.

Hiking

The hiking activity is an opportunity for students to enjoy walks through the woods and fields and to see and learn about the environment and ecology of upstate New York. Class size is restricted to eight students to ensure silence and engagement with what is around them. Students are introduced to basic hiking skills, wildlife identification and items of seasonal interest such as migratory song birds, animal tracks, and trail maintenance and construction. During bad weather inside activities include map and compass use, wildlife identification, etc.

Dog Training

At FFS we train search-and-rescue (SAR) dogs and do initial training for our employees' puppies. All students who have the time and interest, and who are making progress in the program, are eligible to participate in the regular K9 training program. These students work with us over the period of one or more semesters and learn how to read K9 body language and how to interact with dogs of different temperaments. We use social learning and classical and operant conditioning techniques. This theoretical knowledge is then mixed with hands-on experience.Recent activity of the K9 training program can be followed at The Family School Doghouse.

The K9 program also has informal components that take place throughout the school day such as walking the dogs, participating in puppy socialization activities, and formal and informal obedience training. There are also several adult dogs on campus that are either certified therapy dogs or therapy dogs in training. Our therapy dogs can be seen in the houses and "hanging out" with students in the evenings and on weekends, where they serve the emotional needs of students who aren't necessarily signed up for the K9 training program. They provide comfort, a non-judgmental ear and are frequently used to deescalate intense emotions.

Fly Fishing

Click on the photo to read a news article from the Times Herald-Record of Middletown, New York, that contains an interview with Family School fly-fishing instructor Pete Jacques.

Outdoor Activities Staff

Carlton Williams Running Club

A.D.A., A.A.S., Alcohol & Drug Abuse Counseling, Sullivan Community College

Carlton has been with The Family Foundation School since 1997, serving as counselor for two family units, as well as facilitator for the student adoption group, and has been part of the admissions staff. He also heads up the FFS running club and serves as the girls' basketball coach. In 2004 he was named Section IX OCIAA Coach of the Year. Carlton's prior experience includes working in several substance abuse rehabs as an adolescent drug counselor, and with mentally challenged adults. The father of six children, he enjoys spending time with his grandson Isaiah.

Rita Argiros, Ph.D. Dog Training

B.A., M.A., Ph.D. Sociology, Binghamton University

Rita, the FFS premier dog trainer, assumed administrative duties as Vice President for Administrative Affairs in 2000 when her parents, Tony and Betty Argiros, founders of the school, retired. Prior to that, she was associate professor of sociology at St. Cloud State University where her areas of expertise included research methods and statistics, social inequality, and social problems. Rita continues to teach college-level courses in sociology and statistics at FFS. She also leads the school's Venture Crew which incorporates dog training, another area of expertise. She is the current president of Eagle Valley Search Dogs, and she and her husband, Sid Parham, share their home with search dogs Ripley and Raven.

Year after year we bring home armloads of trophies from the annual North American Music Festival, journalism awards for both the school newspaper and yearbook, and national honors for our debate team.