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.

A.C.

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.

A.H.

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.

C.B.

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.

D.W.

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.

J.C.

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.

J.G.

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.

J.M.

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.

M.R.

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.

R.B.

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.

V.K.

Foreign Language

Spanish I

This course teaches students the basic pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and punctuation of the Spanish language. It also instructs students how to use these skills in daily situations and conversations including such topics as family, travel, and sports. This course will enable students to read simple stories, view videos on selected topics, and write simple paragraphs in Spanish. Students will experience Spanish culture through videos, song, and dance.

Spanish II

In this course, students will build on the skills and knowledge gained previously. Students will increase their ability to read, write, and speak Spanish. They will acquire more difficult language concepts including imperfect, conditional, and future tenses. Topics such as going shopping, vacations, and health are discussed through oral, written, audio, and visual materials. Students learn about the cultures of Latin America through the same methods of instruction.

Spanish III

This course offers students the opportunity to apply in a practical fashion the elements of grammar, writing, and speaking learned in Spanish I and II. Much emphasis is placed on communicating in real-life situations in which Spanish is spoken, read, and written. Students will be expected to take the New York State Regents Examination in comprehensive Spanish at the completion of level III. This regents encompasses all aspects of the students' foreign language knowledge; oral, listening, and written.

Spanish IV

Students continue to work on refining their writing and listening skills. Emphasis is also placed on building vocabulary and expanding their reading ability in Spanish literature. Excerpts from such Spanish authors as Lope De Vega, Jose Marti y Ana Maria Matute are read, discussed, and acted out. Students review cultural information presented in past years and they present lessons to Spanish I-III classes. This class continues to lay the groundwork for successful placement in a college Spanish course.

Russian I

After a thorough introduction to the Russian sound system, the student is introduced to the Cyrillic alphabet and cursive writing. Recitation of short dialogues helps the student acquire a basic vocabulary and a familiarity with the Russian case system. The student is also introduced to the concept of verbal aspects in Russian.

 

Foreign Language Faculty

Pat Pat "Senora" Brown Language Department Chair

B.A., Notre Dame College
M.S., Wagner College

Pat Brown (known as "Senora" by staff and students) joined The Family Foundation School in 1995 as a Spanish teacher with a particular interest in Spanish geography and culture. Today she also serves as Language Department Chair. During her tenure at FFS, Senora has also served as a Family Leader. Off campus, she is actively involved in church affairs and is currently the Faith Formation Minister of St. Paul's parish in Hancock. She and her husband, Frank, reside in nearby French Woods.  

Veronica Heesh Veronica Heesh Spanish Teacher

B.A., UANE Torreon, Mexico

Veronica joined the Spanish faculty at The Family Foundation School in 2002 where she primarily teaches Spanish I. Her special interests are Latin American culture and Pre-Columbian history, culture, and traditions. A native of Mexico, she has introduced her students to many south-of-the-border traditions, including showing up in a Mexican fiesta dress each year on Cinco de Mayo. Veronica and her husband, David, live in Lake Como, Pa. with their two children, Michael and Elizabeth.

Bill Kromer Bill Kromer Spanish Teacher

B.A., Bard College
M.S.Ed., SUNY New Paltz
M.A. English, Middlebury College

Bill has been a member of the Spanish faculty at The Family Foundation School since 2005. Prior to that he taught Spanish and English at nearby Downsville Central School. Bill commutes to the school on his Harley Davidson motorcycle, weather permitting, and on the weekends serves as organist for St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Downsville and St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Margaretville. He and his wife, Blanca, have two grown daughters.

Natalya Kuchukov Natalya Kuchukov Russian Teacher

Kharkov School of Music, Russia

Natalya has been working at The Family Foundation School since 2002 as a student advisor and member of the support staff. She was the natural choice to teach Beginning Russian when the school added it to its Language Department offerings in 2009. A native of Russia, Natalya and her husband Yuri, FFS art teacher, live on the campus where they have been a welcoming presence for the school's Russian students.

Our dual-credit college courses, conducted by qualified college instructors, allow many students to stay and strengthen the changes and character development they have experienced with no loss of education opportunity.