FORTiTUDE
160 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 200 ratingsWhat is FORTiTUDE? It's our strength. It's the connections between Fort Zumwalt School District and the community our schools serve. Fort Zumwalt designed the FORTiTUDE podcast to bring you a new style of conversation about our schools. It's our hope to bring you important news, interesting conversation and a few laughs.
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Episodes
S3E4 - Let's Eat
October 11, 2020 18:00 - 15 minutes - 29.4 MBRegistered dietician Paul Becker, Director of FZ Student Nutrition Services, walks us through the USDA program currently in place that has waived breakfast and lunch charges for Fort Zumwalt students. Becker explains what’s available to students for free, how long families can expect the program to last, and how it’s working for families whose students are attending class through FZ Virtual.
S3E3 - Superintendent's Update
September 27, 2020 17:00 - 19 minutes - 37.3 MBHalf-way through the first quarter of the school year, Fort Zumwalt Superintendent Dr. Bernie DuBray provides an update on in-person learning, virtual learning, the district’s financial outlook and activities at the high schools. Tune in to keep up with Fort Zumwalt.
S3E2: VOTE: How to get it done in St. Charles County
September 20, 2020 18:00 - 21 minutes - 40.4 MBDirector of Elections Kurt Bahr joins us to explain the details of absentee voting, mail-in voting, in-person voting, curbside voting and more. Get the deadlines. Get the guidelines. Get resources online. Get it all from the source on voting in St. Charles County: Director of Elections Kurt Bahr.
S3E1 - Back to School 2020
August 21, 2020 12:26 - 20 minutes - 40.1 MBFort Zumwalt Superintendent Dr. Bernie DuBray walks through what the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year is going to look like. From FZ Virtual to our in-person classrooms, from the bus to the lunchroom, this year will look different in a lot of ways. But one thing remains a constant, the strength in our community.
S2E25 - COVID 19 - Military Class of 2020
May 29, 2020 16:40 - 17 minutes - 32.9 MBBehind the COVID-19 Closure the Class of 2020 navigated the final steps in their high school careers and the first steps down the path to what’s next. For about 50, that path is to service in the armed forces. In this episode of the FORTiTUDE podcast, meet Joseph Holliday, who is enlisting in the Air Force, and Maiya Woebling, who has been appointed to the Air Force Academy, and their moms. Tune in as they discuss the end of the school year, the decision to serve, and the process they have e...
S2E24 - Visit with Jen Waters
May 18, 2020 19:09 - 21 minutes - 42.3 MBAs the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction, Jen Waters mobilized her team in early March to pare down existing curriculum to essential components students need to succeed. Working closely with the Technology department, they then pushed that out to teachers and families via a virtual platform of unprecedented scale in Fort Zumwalt School District. Now, as the first quarter of virtual learning in district history closes out the 2019-2020 school year, this same team has intro...
S2E23 - COVID-19 Update With Jeremy Moore
May 11, 2020 13:29 - 29 minutes - 56.6 MBWe visit with Jeremy Moore, Assistant Superintendent of Student Personnel Services, to discuss the actions his department has undertaken to help the district through the COVID 19 closures. FORTiTUDE: Strength in community.
S2E22 - COVID-19 Update With Dr. DuBray
May 05, 2020 13:12 - 25 minutes - 47.8 MBThe Fortitude crew meets up with Dr DuBray to chat about the latest news and information related to the District's response to the Coronavirus pandemic.
S2E21 - School Safety
March 04, 2020 19:00 - 28 minutes - 58.7 MBSchool safety. It’s always front-of-mind. In Fort Zumwalt School District, there are layers of safety measures in place for everything from managing visitors to responding to severe weather. In the newest episode of the FORTiTUDE podcast, we sit down with Superintendent Dr. Bernie DuBray and Assistant Superintendent for Student Personnel Services Mr. Jeremy Moore to help you learn more about the physical features, technical tools and people in place in Fort Zumwalt Schools to keep students a...
Summer programs 2020
February 19, 2020 21:03 - 14 minutes - 27 MBStudents and parents might just be trying to get to Spring Break, but at the Fort Zuwmalt Curriculum and Instruction Office, Summer has been the state of mind. Tuesday at the regular meeting of the Board of Education, the Board approved plans for summer programming. Tune in to the newest episode of the FORTiTUDE podcast to hear about the exciting FREE opportunities that will be available to students grades K - 12 this summer. For more details, head over to https://www.fz.k12.mo.us/news/wh...
S2E19 - Student Nutrition Services: New Rules
February 06, 2020 20:36 - 17 minutes - 36 MBSchool lunch programs are making headlines again as federal rules could be changing for next school year. What will that mean for your hungry kid? Tune in as Paul Becker, FZSD Director of Student Nutrition Services, talks about the possible changes in Zumwalt cafeteria options, the benefits of working in our cafeterias, and the online information available to parents on this episode of the FORiTUDE podcast.
S2E18 - Dr. Margie Vandeven
January 21, 2020 21:00 - 45 minutes - 89.8 MBMissouri Commissioner of Education Dr. Margie Vandeven sits down to discuss what lies ahead for students and teachers across the state. Learn about the role of the commissioner and how the work of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education connects the state legislature to local school boards and our classrooms. “We lift those we serve, our children, by lifting up those who serve them, our teachers.” she says.
Fortitude Rewind - Snow Day
December 11, 2019 19:00 - 23 minutes - 50.4 MBThis week we bring you a favorite episode from the past, Snow Day... CAPS intern Annalise Harry takes the opportunity to grill Dr DuBray on how snow days work in the district, and what the process of making that decision looks like.
S2E17 - Empty Bowls
November 27, 2019 19:00 - 42 minutes - 84.5 MBWelcome to Hope High School, Fort Zumwalt's alternative high school. And welcome to their biggest community event of the year: Empty Bowls. Empty Bowls raises funds for a local food pantry each year. Students coordinate, publicize, create, cook and serve to raise funds to support neighbors in need. Learn about the alternative high school environment from students and staff and about the unifying force of the Empty Bowls event in this episode of the FORTiTUDE podcast.
S2E16 - WHS Winter Activities
November 13, 2019 22:21 - 11 minutes - 27.2 MBIn case you didn’t notice this week …. Winter is here. But when it’s cold outside, it’s hot in the gym. Tune in to FORTiTUDE for a wrap on fall activities and a preview of what’s to come in basketball, wrestling, swimming, theater and more. We sit down with each of our activities coordinators so they can fill us in on the busy winter schedule. FZW Activities Coordinator Neil Nowack rounds up the fall season and lets us know what to watch for from wrestling to dance, as winter starts.
S2E15 - SHS Winter Activities
November 13, 2019 22:15 - 10 minutes - 25.8 MBIn case you didn’t notice this week …. Winter is here. But when it’s cold outside, it’s hot in the gym. Tune in to FORTiTUDE for a wrap on fall activities and a preview of what’s to come in basketball, wrestling, swimming, theater and more. We sit down with each of our activities coordinators so they can fill us in on the busy winter schedule. FZS Acitivies Coordinator Ryan Rapp makes sure we know fall sports aren’t done yet! After an update on soccer and more, he gives us some insights on...
S2E14 - NHS Winter Activities
November 13, 2019 22:09 - 15 minutes - 34.8 MBIn case you didn’t notice this week …. Winter is here. But when it’s cold outside, it’s hot in the gym. Tune in to FORTiTUDE for a wrap on fall activities and a preview of what’s to come in basketball, wrestling, swimming, theater and more. We sit down with each of our activities coordinators so they can fill us in on the busy winter schedule. FZE Activities Coordinator Tim Grimes talks about the fall season (soccer, swimming, band and more), highlights what we should watch for during the ...
S2E13 - NHS Winter Activities
November 13, 2019 18:00 - 19 minutes - 37 MBIn case you didn’t notice this week …. Winter is here. But when it’s cold outside, it’s hot in the gym. Tune in to FORTiTUDE for a wrap on fall activities and a preview of what’s to come in basketball, wrestling, swimming, theater and more. We sit down with each of our activities coordinators so they can fill us in on the busy winter schedule. FZN Activities Coordinator Ted Hickey talks about the fall season (football, soccer, band and more), highlights what we should watch for during the ...
S2E12 - Symphony Notes
October 30, 2019 18:00 - 11 minutes - 20.6 MBIn the newest episode of the FORTiTUDE podcast we check in with middle school orchestra teachers Chris Torretta from DuBray and Jenina Kenessey from North (and North High). Tune in to learn more about the role of music in our students' lives, how new technology supports that learning and about Chris and Jenina's unique opportunity to perform with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.
S2E11 - DIGITAL WELLNESS: PARENT QUESTIONS ANSWERED
October 16, 2019 18:00 - 14 minutes - 27.5 MBWe went out to a CyberSafety night for parents at Lewis & Clark Elementary School to find out what parents would like to know about keeping kids safe on their devices and online. Fort Zumwalt Director of Technology JB Mette answers a few of their questions, providing a few tips, tricks and tools to help track usage and create conversation on the role of technology in our lives.
S2E10 - Girls4Tech
October 02, 2019 18:00 - 8 minutes - 21.3 MBYou can't win if you don't play. Just ask Dardenne Elementary technology teacher Stacey Sweeso. Submitting a contest application last spring turned into a hands-on tech adventure for all of the fourth and fifth-grade girls at her school this fall. Tune in to learn about MasterCard's visit with their Girls4Tech program and get a peek into one of our elementary technology classrooms.
S2E9 - Creating Safe Building Cultures
September 18, 2019 18:00 - 46 minutes - 92.3 MBFort Zumwalt School District is a trauma-informed school district. In this episode of FORTiTUDE, Dr. Jerry Cox, a consulting psychologist with FZSD for 27 years, and Dr. Dede McCullough, Executive Director for Behavioral Support Services, explan how this initiative came to be, and how the district meets the needs of students and staff through this process. Creating trauma-informed schools helps our staff and our community understand the prevalance of trauma in our children, the impact that...
S2E8 - IMPACT Testing
September 04, 2019 18:00 - 19 minutes - 43.2 MBThere are many layers to student safety, including keeping athletes safe at practice and in competition. Since the early 2000s South High alum Dr. Brandon Larkin has worked with Fort Zumwalt School District to evaluate and monitor concussion patients in five sports across the district. Tune in as Larkin, board certified in pediatrics and primary care sports medicine, explains how an athlete can appear to be better, but still need time to heal. To learn more about Dr. Larkin, visit his prof...
S2E7 - FZS Fall Activities
August 18, 2019 17:45 - 12 minutes - 24.1 MBChecking in on our Bulldogs. South High Activities Coordinator Ryan Rapp sits down with a preview of the fall activities schedule, from defending a state soccer title to the fall show and choir's upcoming performance at state. Tune in to this episode of the FORTiTUDE podcast, where he also shares an overview of the district's Positive Coaching philosophy.
S2E6 - FZE Fall Activities
August 18, 2019 17:30 - 19 minutes - 41.2 MBAthletes and musicians have been hard at work since before school started. There's so much to be involved in! Tune in as East High Activities Coordinator Tim Grimes previews the fall activities schedule and shares some of the benefits for students who are involved in a variety of extracurricular activities in this episode of the FORTiTUDE podcast.
S2E5 - FZW Fall Activities
August 18, 2019 17:15 - 11 minutes - 25.7 MBMeet West High Activities Coordinator Neil Nowack! Hear what he most looks forward to in his first year in his new role. Get a glimpse of what to watch for with sports, band and other activities this fall. Plus, get the scoop on the Jaguars schedule during homecoming week, all in this episode of the FORTiTUDE podcast.
S2E4 - FZN Fall Activities
August 18, 2019 17:00 - 22 minutes - 46.9 MBAre you ready? Our athletes, musicians and performers are! Check in with North High Activities Coordinator Ted Hickey for a glimpse into everything from band and girls tennis to yes, Panthers football. He also offers some insight to MSHSAA changes on the horizon in this episode of the FORTiTUDE podcast.
S2E3 - Meet Earl Draper
August 11, 2019 16:03 - 5 minutes - 14.6 MBThis week we’ll be putting our new principals in the spotlight, a quick introduction to their new school community and to the Fort Zumwalt community. Today meet Earl Draper, the new Principal for DuBray Middle School. Dr. Draper comes to Fort Zumwalt by way of the City of St. Charles School District and is ready to get tuned in to his new students and their community.
S2E2 - Meet Sandy Connors
August 07, 2019 23:02 - 5 minutes - 13.7 MBThis week we’ll be putting our new principals in the spotlight, a quick introduction to their new school community and to the Fort Zumwalt community. Today meet Sandy Connors, the new Principal for Westhoff Elementary School. We can't wait for you to learn the many different ways Mrs. Connors has taught students in St. Charles County.
S2E1 - Meet Amy Neill
August 03, 2019 17:00 - 7 minutes - 17.7 MBThis week we’ll be putting our new principals in the spotlight, a quick introduction to their new school community and to the Fort Zumwalt community. Today meet Amy Neill, the new School Principal for Progress South Elementary School. This is Mrs. Neill’s 20th year in education, and she can’t wait for it to get started!
Episode 23 - Road Trip to the Veteran's Museum
July 21, 2019 17:00 - 21 minutes - 43.7 MBDid you know research shows that students can lose two to three months of learning while they’re away from the classroom? It’s called Summer Slide. But there are a number of ways to keep students active mentally throughout the summer. To help Fight Summer Slide, we make a road trip to the Saint Charles County Veteran’s Museum in O’Fallon, MO. Committed to the mission that Every Veteran Has a Story, this new museum highlights the work and sacrifices of our local heroes. Listen to hear their...
Episode 22 - Fight Summer Slide - Visit the Library
July 14, 2019 17:00 - 20 minutes - 41.3 MBDid you know research shows that students can lose two to three months of learning while they’re away from the classroom? It’s called Summer Slide. But there are a number of ways to keep students active mentally throughout the summer. To help Fight Summer Slide, we make a field trip to the St. Charles City-County Library to find out what’s available for kids, teens and even parents to stay active and even get some cool free stuff in the process.
Episode 21 - Now Hiring
June 10, 2019 01:07 - 25 minutes - 46.9 MBWant to make a difference every day? As a member of the Fort Zumwalt School District support staff team you can! Listen to learn about the opportunities and the benefits when you Work For FZSD.
Episode 20 - Summer Projects
May 26, 2019 17:00 - 24 minutes - 52 MBAaaah. Summer. A time to rest, relax and renovate. Renovate? Yes renovate. Because in the eight short weeks that are a summer, there’s a lot of maintenance, upgrades and additions that are required so our 24 schools are ready for our 18,000 students when they return. Get a taste of the summer project life in this episode.
Episode 19 - Summer Slide
May 12, 2019 17:00 - 20 minutes - 43.9 MBWe’re right on the edge of summer, which is exciting! But did you know research shows that students can lose two to three months of learning while they’re away from the classroom? It’s called Summer Slide. Keep your children busy, and keep their skills sharp, with these everyday activities to help us all fight summer slide.
Episode 18 - Teacher Appreciation
May 07, 2019 12:30 - 28 minutes - 53.3 MBJuan, Laura, and JB recall the teachers that made the greatest impact to their lives, and wish to thank all the teachers out there for all the hard work they do.
Episode 17 - Let's Eat
April 28, 2019 21:10 - 22 minutes - 46.5 MBWho’s Hungry? We dive into what happens in our school cafeterias as we sit down with Paul Becker, Director of Student Nutrition Services.
Episode 16 - Not Your Parents' Library
April 14, 2019 17:00 - 36 minutes - 73.7 MBWhen your child tells you it’s library day, what do you think of? What if your 7th or 11th grader talks to you about the school library, what do you imagine? Flint Hill Elementary’s Julie Jamieson, the district library/media curriculum coordinator, and West High’s Shannon Grieshaber sit down to help us better understand all the action going on in our libraries.
Episode 15 - Career Ready: CAPS
March 31, 2019 17:00 - 42 minutes - 84.1 MBNicole Whitesell, Director of St Charles County CAPS program, and West High student and CAPS associate Annalise Harry tell us what this program is, how it works and why it’s important to get hands-on experience before graduating high school.
Episode 14 - Spring Sports
March 24, 2019 17:00 - 41 minutes - 82.1 MBWe discuss the Spring Activities season with the Activities Coordinators from the 4 Fort Zumwalt High Schools.
Bonus Episode - West High Dance
March 17, 2019 17:00 - 33 minutes - 66.1 MBWe’re joined by members of the championship winning West High Competitive Dance Team, and find out what it takes to bring home a trophy.
Bonus Episode - Summer Camp
March 10, 2019 17:00 - 11 minutes - 30.9 MBEveryone’s already thinking about summer. Tune in for a summary of all Fort Zumwalt has to offer, from physics to football.
Episode 13 - Get to Work
March 03, 2019 18:00 - 33 minutes - 66.7 MBSince 1963 the Fort Zumwalt School District has provided students the opportunity for hands-on training in our woods and metals shops. Things have changed quite a bit since then, in the workplace and in our classrooms. Tune in as we talk with Pat Brown, Andy McHaffie, and Erin Williams about the opportunities for our students in Industrial Technology and Engineering and other Career Technical Education courses.
Episode 12 - ESP: Our Suicide Awareness Initiative - Part 3
February 17, 2019 18:30 - 35 minutes - 76.5 MBEducate. Support. Prevent. These are the focal points of Fort Zumwalt School District’s suicide awareness and prevention initiative, work that has been ongoing in our schools for more than 20 years. In this three-part conversation we sit down with experts who work in our schools with our students and our staff to shed light on what this program looks like and why it’s critical in our schools. This is the third of a 3 part series.
Episode 11 - ESP: Our Suicide Awareness Initiative - Part 2
February 17, 2019 18:15 - 29 minutes - 56 MBEducate. Support. Prevent. These are the focal points of Fort Zumwalt School District’s suicide awareness and prevention initiative, work that has been ongoing in our schools for more than 20 years. In this three-part conversation we sit down with experts who work in our schools with our students and our staff to shed light on what this program looks like and why it’s critical in our schools. This is the second of a 3 part series.
Episode 10 - ESP: Our Suicide Awareness Initiative - Part 1
February 17, 2019 18:00 - 25 minutes - 47.4 MBEducate. Support. Prevent. These are the focal points of Fort Zumwalt School District’s suicide awareness and prevention initiative, work that has been ongoing in our schools for more than 20 years. In this three-part conversation we sit down with experts who work in our schools with our students and our staff to shed light on what this program looks like and why it’s critical in our schools. This is the first of a 3 part series.
Bonus Episode - Snow Day
February 10, 2019 18:00 - 23 minutes - 47.6 MBCAPS intern Annalise Harry takes the opportunity to grill Dr DuBray on how snow days work in the district, and what the process of making that decision looks like.
Episode 9 - Grow Your Own Teacher
February 03, 2019 18:00 - 43 minutes - 92.2 MBSince 2005 the Grow Your Own Teacher program has been taking Fort Zumwalt graduates and helping them become Fort Zumwalt teachers. We talk about how we do it, and what it means for our students.
Episode 8 - Strength in Diversity
January 20, 2019 18:00 - 1 hour - 125 MBJB and Laura take over the episode and interview Juan and Rockwood School District’s Brittany Hogan, Coordinator Educational Equity and Diversity. Learn how they help their schools and educators navigate those difficult conversations pertaining to diversity and inclusion.
Episode 7 - The Holiday Special
January 06, 2019 18:00 - 19 minutes - 43.8 MBWe return from the Holiday Break to bring you sounds from around the District in celebration of the season, and hear from Guests of Podcasts past about their favorite Holiday traditions.