LA VETA/ AGUILAR/ WALSENBURG — We do great things in the La Veta Ag Program and the La Veta FFA Chapter. Our Ag Program is built on classroom instruction, supervised agriculture experience, and FFA. The Aguilar school district approached us last spring interested in starting an Ag Program. They brought over a busload of students and some staff to visit our shop/classroom and our Ag students. After talking to the Ag Advisory Committee and the FFA officers, we decided to mentor and help start their Ag program and FFA Chapter. After meeting with administration from both school districts, and creating a memorandum of understanding, we moved forward with the 2015-2016 school year. To be an Ag Program a school has to have a certified teacher who has an endorsement in Agriculture. They also have to become chartered through the FFA Organization. I (Mrs. Rheuby) travel daily to Aguilar for the first hour to teach Intro to Agriculture, Monday-Thursday. There are currently 12 students enrolled in that course. I am then in La Veta for the 3rd-6th hours teaching my regularly scheduled courses. The Aguilar students will be considered part of La Veta FFA until we can get them chartered. They will be competing with us and helping the La Veta Chapter at the regional and state career development events. My goal is that Aguilar will become an approved program at the state level this fall and that they will have an FFA charter by next summer. I will become their mentor for the
2016-2017 school years and be close by to answer any questions they may have. There is a shortage of Ag teachers in the state, but Aguilar already has a teacher who will take over the newly built Ag Program next year. We are also sharing a Spanish teacher with Aguilar and John Mall High School and it has been beneficial to all three school districts.
