School Scoop: Bromwell Elementary
Posted on 22. Mar, 2010 by KB in Bromwell, Posts
School: Bromwell Elementary
Website: http://bromwell.dpsk12.org/
Type: Public-DPS
Tours: Call the school to find out about tours
Main Phone: 303.388.5969
Principal: Jody Cohn
Location: 2500 East 4th Street, Denver, CO 80206–Congress Park Neighborhood/Cherry Creek Neighborhood
Hours: 8:25 AM-3:15 PM
Grades: Approximately 320 students attend (Kindergarten-5th Grade)
Average Class Size: This school has 2 classrooms per grade level. The average class size is 26 students.
Before/After Care: The school has Kaleidoscope Corner as well as several unique enrichment activities such as Catchpenny Kids Theatre, Jr. Engineer’s Club, Learn to Knit, and Science Matters Science Club. Many of these programs involve fees while others are sponsored by the PTSA.
Facilities/Playground: Bromwell’s new Learning Landscape consists of a large playground with two areas of equipment.
In the back of the school there is a large entrance, complete with a trellis, making this entrance a warm welcome for people entering from the south side (Cherry Creek shopping area). There is also a large field for organized play and sports. A good-sized urban garden is located on the west side of the school.
Special & Core Programs:
Physical Disabilities Center Program (PD)—This program services students with cognitive and physical disabilities. The children spend time in their regular classroom and also spend time working with therapists meeting their special needs through physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech/language, and augmented technology training. It’s a part inclusion model. The school is fully wheelchair accessible (including parts of the playground too).
The Dance Program-This program is funded by the PTSA. Students participate in the standard physical education program along with this additional one. Dance is offered to students in grades 2-5 for 25 minutes twice a week. The program focuses on creativity, movement, exercise, and choreography.
A full-time Gifted and Talented teacher works with small, grade-level groups and assists the classrooms teachers on ways to enrich the curriculum (most DPS elementary schools have only a half-time G & T teacher).
Impressions: I arrived for a morning tour at Bromwell in late February anxious to see this school. Many parents have heard about Bromwell since it has won a lot of awards for its academic achievements that make it a popular choice for many parents. However, I was interested in learning more about what else this school had to offer.
A parent volunteer named Greg took several of us around. I felt it was neat to have a dad as our tour guide–a first for me! He was very knowledgeable about the school, the programs, and enthusiastic about the new principal, Jody Cohn. I was surprised that only 3 parents (including myself) were on this tour. It is Bromwell after all! I then realized it’s February and the majority of interested parents visit schools before the application deadline in January.
The school itself is on one level. There were many student projects and artwork adorning the brick walls in the hall. As I made my way through the different classrooms, I couldn’t help but notice that each classroom felt small, almost cramped. Some classrooms I visited felt like a half of a classroom due to the retractable walls that separated them. Each classroom meanders into the next and many did not have doors. I wondered if this would be a distraction for children, especially those with attention or sensory issues. Our tour guide informed us that it can get noisy at times, but the children have adapted to this environment. With that being said, most classrooms were inviting, print-enriched, and cozy. About half of the classrooms were equipped with Promethean Boards, also known as Smart Boards. Grant money was used to buy these interactive white boards that seem to be gaining popularity amongst more and more elementary schools in Denver.
On the tour, I saw several children in wheelchairs in their regular classrooms. We visited the Physical Disabilities room shortly after and I saw a handful of children in the midst of their therapies. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this unique program exists here. As I stated before, I never heard much else about Bromwell besides it being rated “Excellent” due to the test scores and its active PTSA. While Bromwell doesn’t have the racial or socioeconomic diversity, I thought it was a great way to teach acceptance and tolerance through a disabilities program such as this. The program has been around for twenty years and caters to children with physical and cognitive disabilities.
One of the things that Bromwell is known for is its strong parent involvement. This has been a constant over the years. The PTSA tries to raise $500.00 per student to supplement the school budget each year! Much of the fundraising monies go towards the “specials” programming and after-school enrichment. I got the feeling if budget cuts occurred and the art teacher or gym teacher went from full-time to half-time, the PTSA wouldn’t stand for it. Fundraising money contributed to the beautiful Learning Landscape outdoors, the climbing wall in the cafeteria, and an array of after-school enrichment programs that I found myself envying for my children. Not only do they provide the standard after-school programs such as Destination Imagination or Chess Club but also many other unique programs. I received a packet describing the different enrichment classes offered for the November-March session (they try to do 3 sessions a year). There must have been close to 20 activities to choose from.
At the conclusion of the tour, we met Principal Cohn. She came to Bromwell after 10 years of teaching at another Denver elementary school. It was nice to sit down with her for a quick Question and Answer session. I think it’s so valuable to meet the principal while touring a school. They can provide insight and perspective that a parent tour guide can’t. She spoke with great enthusiasm about her first year at Bromwell and her vision for the school. I gathered that in the past, Bromwell was a very typical traditional school with strong academic achievements and parental involvement to support it. It seems as though Principal Cohn wants this to continue but hopes to stir things up a bit by bringing more meaningful programming to the forefront.
One of her biggest goals is a focus on differentiated learning. The goal being the teacher provides instruction to groups of children at the same learning level. It’s a great way to challenge students or support students in their learning. The students are not tied to one group but instead will move around to different groups depending on their ability to master skills and concepts. Principal Cohn said she hopes to see more of this for different grade levels in both math and reading.
She described a reading clinic that took place recently for students after school. The clinic was funded by grant money. It was for children who were at or near grade level in their reading but needed a little extra support. She was amazed at the results of the students and the progress that was made in a short period of time. Principal Cohn hopes to see this program continue next year too.
Beyond the programs she has helped to carry out this year, she has plans to implement several more in years to come that will make the curriculum more balanced. One such program is Peace Days. She envisions older students (grades 3-5) mentoring younger students with physical education activities out on the playground. The program would promote peace amongst the students and emphasize their no bullying policy. It would also engage students of varying grade levels to play together. She also mentioned providing more service learning opportunities for the students, a Multicultural Night that took place this year, the Holiday Boutique, and launching a program called From Seed to Table that ties in with the school garden.
I couldn’t help but feel excited that change was coming to this school. I truly believe that one of the most important aspects of a successful school is the leadership. It looks like Principal Cohn wants to prove to others that Bromwell is not just about the test scores.
We welcome your comments and impressions on Bromwell Elementary.
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