ScoopToo

School Scoop: Polaris @ Ebert Elementary

Posted on 14. Mar, 2010 by JM in Polaris -DPS, Posts, School Scoop

School: Polaris at Ebert Elementary

Website: http://polarisprogram.dpsk12.org/

Type: Public Magnet – DPS

Tours: Tours run weekly, usually on Mondays at 9:00 and 10:00. Call to schedule an appointment.

Main Phone: (303) 292-4629

Principal: Karin Johnson

Location: 410 Park Avenue West, Denver, CO  80205 (Curtis Park Neighborhood)

Hours: 8:45 AM-3:30 PM

Grades: Kindergarten – 5^th Grade

Average Class Size: There are up to 345 students at Polaris in grades K-5 (26 students per class).  There is ONE Kindergarten class of 25 students, two 1^st grade classes, two 2^nd grade, two 3^rd grade, three 4^th grade and three 5^th grade classes.

Before/After Care: Polaris offers aftercare (Kaleidoscope Corner) as well as a few after school enrichment programs that vary throughout the year.

Facilities/Playground: In 2004, Polaris moved from its original location at Crofton Elementary to the former Ebert Elementary school location in NE Denver. The reason for this move was to have more space as the school grew from 98 students in 2000 to almost 200 in 4 years.  There are two connecting portions of the building, one was the original Ebert Elementary school and then the newer portion built in 2006.  The new construction also included a Learning Landscape playground design with new climbing structures and a turf playing field.

The older portion of the school, where the upper grades have classes, is very dark and somewhat depressing. On the lower floors, the windows are covered in wire mesh (presumably to ward off vandals) and there are exposed pipes on the ceilings. There is a lot more light due to the large windows on the upper floors but it doesn’t hide the fact it’s a very old building.  My husband (who was with me on the first tour) felt it gave the building “character” and it reminded him of the school he went to as a kid.

The gymnasium is also very small but for a K-5 school with 340+ students, I suppose a large gym is not necessary.  The hallways were cluttered with musical instruments art projects, coats, backpacks and various other items that made me wonder what happens during fire drills.

The library is expansive and was designed with highly gifted children in mind.  It contains books that go beyond a typical public school library to support the advanced curriculum.

Special & Core Programs: The Polaris at Ebert program was developed by a woman named Diana Howard in 2000 who was passionate about nurturing the needs of highly gifted children.  She has her Ph.D. from the University of Denver in the field of Gifted Education and for eight years she led the school to be a thriving and coveted educational environment for students (parents) in Denver.

Polaris is built around an accelerated and arts infused education that is intended to be more expansive and go beyond the standard DPS curriculum.  I am told they go “harder, faster, and deeper” into subjects on a global perspective.

There are specials classes that include art, music, drama, dance, PE, tech lab and library time.  On a rotating basis, each student participates in these specials.  Additionally, every Friday, there is a very popular electives program.  Students have the opportunity to choose two different one-hour elective each quarter.

Impressions: It’s a good thing I visited this school on two occasions.  The first time was a year ago, given by an enthusiastic parent, when I was seriously considering their Kindergarten program for my son.  He misses the October 1st DPS cutoff date for Kindergarten by a couple of weeks so we had to get him assessed for Advanced K and Early Entrance.  Beyond all of these various tests and factors, we still would have had to choice in to the program given we are out of their enrollment boundary line.  Needless to say, we chose not to apply given the combination of these factors and the unlikelihood that we would have gotten in.  I also did not feel it was the right kind of environment for my son.

If you have a child with sensory issues or a child that likes a sense of order and structure, I don’t think this would be a positive environment.  Though the Kindergarten classroom is in the newer section of the building, it is heavily cluttered and the environment was tipping the scales toward being raucous. Perhaps this is different than how others have experienced the room on their tours, but mine was quite alarming.  Not only was the classroom jam packed with learning materials it also housed several animal cages – I’m not even sure what type.  I think I saw a bird and a couple of guinea pigs, maybe even a rabbit.  To top it off (and again, maybe I was there on an off day) there were fly strips, yes FLY STRIPS, dangling from the ceiling and flies buzzing around my head.  The entire tour group was swatting them away from our faces for quite some time.  The kids didn’t seem to notice because they were probably used to them, but can you imagine trying to work on a handwriting assignment or read a book and having birds chirping and flies buzzing around your head!

The first and second grade classrooms were much more peaceful and cheery.  They were also quite active though not as disarming as the Kindergarten room.  The lunchroom was also over in this section and sadly, there were tables in the hallway because the room could not accommodate all of the children.

The dichotomy of the lower grades side of the building with the upper grades side of the building is quite stark.  For me, it went from an energy driven buzz (literally) for the younger grades to a more gloomy and cerebral state-of-mind on the older side.  Though it shouldn’t matter much to me as a parent, I do feel that it’s important to know if this type of environment will have a negative impact on your child.  There are some children who might be more sensitive to their surroundings than others.

Getting to the point of Polaris @ Ebert being a school dedicated to serve the unique needs of highly gifted learners, if you sense your child is in this range, you should definitely check this school out.  The approach that Polaris takes is a highly integrated one that nurtures each child in his or her own way.  The talented and highly trained staff explores alongside the children to approach learning in ways that most typical public school children do not.  The teachers have strong partnerships with their students and collaborate with other teachers, staff, parents and community members for their extensive art and science integrated curriculum.

On my second visit to Polaris last week, I did not take the tour but did speak with the Librarian, Gail Axt, to learn her perspective on the school and its students. She was quite impassioned about Polaris and I could tell she had a deep love for the children. I asked about the social and emotional need of children who are highly gifted and how they deal with these issues.  It was made clear to me that the teachers and staff understand the unique needs of children in this range and have experience supporting them.  She led us through what each grade studies and how they strive to integrate art, music and science through their curriculum.  She said “in order to be citizens of the world, children need to be exposed to all parts of the world whether it be history, music, or culture”.

Ms. Axt also spoke very highly of the electives program which happens each Friday in the last two hours of the school day.  Members from the community along with teachers and parents run these electives and they vary each quarter and from year to year.  They might include pottery, craft making, ballet, knitting, yo-yo-ing, bread making, etc.  There is an incredible variety and the options are ever-changing.

I left Polaris @ Ebert much more positive than the first time around. I saw a side of the school that led me to believe that they were not elitist or educational separatists, but a home where children with unique talents and learning abilities can question the world and thrive.

I’d like to offer a point of advice if you really feel strongly about this school and getting your child into the program: If you don’t get in for the Kindergarten year, apply for your child when they are entering 1^st Grade.  There is only one Kindergarten classroom and there are hundreds of applicants for these spots. There are two 1^st Grade classrooms which means that there is an additional 25 spots that open up. Most people have secured a spot elsewhere at this point, and if you can muster keeping your child where they are for one more year, you have a good chance of getting in.  Of course, if you don’t, you will certainly need a back up plan.

Tags: curtis park schools, denver kindergarten, denver schools, ebert, gail axt, gifted and talented, highly gifted, karin johnson, polaris, polaris @ ebert, polaris at ebert