Karen Cooper, the head of the custodial staff is soon to be off on a new adventure ending her time here with us at Fossil Ridge. She will be working in a new environment as a custodian at Larimer, starting this Monday.

Cooper has been with Fossil “ever since it was dirt,” in April 2004, and started working when the school was under construction and still incomplete. She has been working for the Poudre School District for more than thirty years.

Born and raised in Colorado, Cooper graduated from Rocky Mountain High School in 1980. She began working as a custodian at Olander Elementary School for ten years before transitioning to Fossil Ridge. The greatest changes Cooper took notice of throughout the years was the drastic increase of students at Fossil.

“I am really sad to be leaving, but excited at the same time,” said Cooper, when asked about her new job opportunity. She was offered the job in September and after a lot of thought decided to take advantage of the new endeavor. “I felt like I needed a change,” Cooper stated.

Wanting to recognize and appreciate Cooper and her custodial staff, Key Club’s Leadership committee made a poster and brought in a couple dollars to get her a gift for her last day. “We wanted to let her know that we are thankful for her dedication and everything that she has done for us,” stated Emily Chao, a board member of Key Club. One of the best qualities of Fossil Ridge is its clean facility and campus. All the custodians deserve to be thanked and should be even more appreciated for all the hours they put in to maintain a clean environment.

“I will still keep in touch with many of my staff members. It’s not much of a retirement,” she laughed.

Fossil will greatly miss you Mrs. Karen Cooper! Take care and best wishes on your new job.