On August 22, 2018, Farmington High School opened its doors to students for the very first time. The air was bursting with anticipation and students waited eagerly for the first bell to ring. Each student joined Farmington High School with questions, not knowing entirely what to expect. Would the teachers be nice? What would the snack bar be like? Where are my classes? One thing was sure, Farmington High School had a clear mission statement: to “provide students with a purposeful, personalized, and preparatory education which will allow them to be successful in their chosen career field and postsecondary settings.” This mission statement has been published, but how the students have perceived this message varied on many levels.

Farmington High School Junior, Allison Bunker, explained that she was worried about coming to Farmington High School in fear of missing old friends, but found that the purpose centered education here at Farmington High School made the transition much easier. She said that FHS’s goal to help students achieve a purposeful education has been very useful with the theater program. Bunker desires to be a costume designer one day, and Farmington gives students the opportunity to take classes with a purpose to help them reach future goals. Another way FHS focuses on student goals is through the Summit Program, which is a large part of having a personalized education. When asked about Summit, Bunker explained that it was rough at first but believes it gives students a real-world experience. She wished that “Summit allowed more teacher feedback, actual words to help teach what to do rather than what is wrong.”
Dallin Bertosoch, a Senior, had a similar wish. Bertosoch said that he wished teachers would, “Let the students know what the teacher wants from the assignments, tell us directly rather than just sending us to canvas.” He commented that Summit has been helpful to make students responsible for their work. The personal student responsibility that Bertosoch has noticed is a huge part of the preparatory education goal of Farmington High School.

Many students at Farmington High School have noticed the administration putting a huge emphasis on making sure that students are getting a prepared, personal, and purposeful education and hope that it continues to impact life at FHS. Students are excited to see what the school has to offer this year, and many years to come. Overall, this term has been viewed as a success, and hopefully the rest of the year will continue to be as well.