School: Stedman Elementary

Website: http://stedman.dpsk12.org/

Type: DPS-Public

Tours: Call ahead to schedule a tour. Best times available to tour are in the mornings from 9:15-11 or the afternoons from 1:30-3:00.

Main Phone: 303.322.7781

Principal: Deborah Johnson-Graham

Location: 2940 Dexter Street, Denver, CO 80207—(north) Park Hill neighborhood

Hours: 8:45 AM-3:45 PM (early release day every other Friday)

Grades: ECE-5^th Grade

Average Class Size: There are approximately 350 students that attend this school. Class size is 25 students or less on average. There is a half-day ECE program for 3 year olds and a half-day and full day ECE for four year olds. It is one of the eight DPS schools that offer Advanced Kindergarten. There is one Advanced K class.

Before/After Care: After school programs are offered to students in various grade levels at different times throughout the school year (e.g. golf, a science club through the Museum of Nature and Science, etc). An after school tutoring program is available for students (M-Th).

Facilities/Playground: The playground is wonderful; everything has had a facelift!  It gives me hope for the school my children attend. The equipment is new, bright, and colorful. The organized play areas on the black top have colorful paint for hopscotch, four-square, and other games.  There was another spacious black top with several basketball nets. Also, there’s a grassy area for organized play and a small community garden that is maintained by the staff, children, and parents at Stedman.

Special & Core Programs: A half-day ECE program for three year olds is offered. It also has a half-day and full day ECE program for four year olds. There is one Advanced Kindergarten classroom at this school.

A strong after school tutoring program is offered to the students. They have to qualify for the Free & Reduced Lunch Program (close to 90% of the students do) and be recommended by their classroom teacher in order to participate. The program runs after school Monday-Thursday by paid teachers. There is even tutoring on Saturdays! Last year approximately eighty children participated. The students spend half their time on a computer working on literacy software called Lexia, the remaining time is spent with a teacher on specific academic needs. The tutoring is for strengthening both reading and mathematic skills. I wonder if this program has contributed to the recent rise in test scores?

Stedman has several partnerships within the community including the Mobile Health Clinic that visits once a month to provide their services to families, Walmart donates items for various events and projects throughout the year, and the community garden which is tended to by students, staff, and parents.

Impressions: Thus far, most of the school profiles we’ve completed have been written about the schools that everyone has been talking about for one reason or another. Today, I visited a school that hasn’t received much buzz with the exception of the recognition it received on the first official day of school this year. Stedman Elementary School, was recognized for its academic growth (one of the best in Colorado).  Students have made tremendous, double digit gains in math, reading, and writing.

Stedman Elementary is located in the northern historic Park Hill neighborhood of Denver. It’s a beautiful old brick building. I didn’t even know it existed until recently when I drove through Park Hill looking for Satchel’s Market. It caught my eye because of the beautifully updated playground. I am always pleasantly surprised to find these old schools in Denver to be so bright and inviting once inside. This was the case at Stedman. The hallways were neat and full of light. Artwork was sporadically hung on the walls. The school has two levels so it was easy to find my way around. I joined a small tour already in progress.  The other two women were interested in the Advanced Kindergarten classroom.

A family liaison escorted us around the building. I love the idea of a family liaison. He was laid-back and the tour was very informal, yet informative. A large part of his job is communicating to the Spanish speaking population at Stedman, running family events at the school, leading tours for parents, and oh yes, he’s the half time computer teacher as well. He’s worked at the school for five years and has recently seen some new, positive changes. Some of these include more teacher retention the last couple of years, an expanding student population (some students and teachers came from nearby Hallett when it closed), and a fairly new, very involved principal. Diversity is welcomed and celebrated at Stedman. The majority of the student population is comprised of African-American and Hispanic students.

Many of the classrooms I visited were cheerful and cozy. I couldn’t help but notice the class size that seemed smaller than many of the DPS schools I’ve toured. Staff seemed friendly and many invited us into their classrooms to take a closer look. The computer lab was smaller in size than others I’ve visited but complete with new Dell computers. The new computers along with several SMART boards, were paid for by the recent technology bond. I visited a few classrooms where the SMART boards were being used. They remind me of a more advanced overhead projector. The SMART boards are basically interactive whiteboards (connected to a computer and digital projector) that help engage students with various learning styles. They are interactive and engaging to children. I haven’t seen many of these and thought it was a great learning tool for the students. The library next door to the computer lab was quite small, however many brand new books filled its shelves thanks to a recent grant they received. The librarian is also the part-time gifted and talented teacher. The auditorium looked a bit dated. I don’t remember seeing any chairs in this room, just carpet, which makes me wonder now if the children sit on the floor for school assemblies. The music teacher also conducts music class in the auditorium due to space issues. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts, there is no art program at this school. Because of this, they do try to provide enrichment programs in art after school.

Their character education program is taught and reinforced constantly through monthly school wide assemblies. Many of the teachers that day were wearing tee shirts with the “RAPPS” logo. School spirit was all around us and it was contagious. And speaking of teachers, not long ago a third grade teacher received a teacher of the year award for her outstanding work facilitating and running the tutoring program after school. How lucky for the students at Stedman!

This year Stedman is trying out a new school wide enrichment program on the early release days that occur every other Friday. The children meet in small groups across grade levels to learn further about a topic of interest. All teachers participate and facilitate the learning. I mean all adults participate in this program, including the janitor who runs an art class and the computer teacher, a guitar class. I loved the idea of all staff partaking in this project, not just the classroom teachers. This is what community and collaboration is all about! It sounds like a promising program where children take an active role in the learning.

The school’s achievements should be applauded but there is still work to be done. Stedman students still perform below the 50% proficiency mark in all subjects of the Colorado Student Assessment Program. However, school officials are hopeful and optimistic that change is on its way in this small school that has deep roots within the Park Hill community. I can see why people have so much hope for a school like Stedman where change is on the way!

To hear directly from Stedman Principal Deborah Johnson-Graham, click here!

We welcome your comments and impressions on your experience with Stedman Elementary.

The School Scoop category of our blog is a compilation of our impressions on both public and private schools around Denver. These “profiles” include vital facts about the school along with our impressions from visits, discussions with parents and interviews with staff.  We plan to add quite a few more profiles this fall so keep checking back for schools that you have interest in learning more about!

We hope to also educate you on the vision of each school from multiple perspectives, provide information on special & core programs that each school has to offer as well as provide a forum for parents to comment on their experiences with the school.

It’s important to remember that the impressions section on the school profiles is just that, an impression.  While visiting the school we take into consideration many factors beyond just what we see and hear. It’s your job as a parent to research and visit the schools that interest you most, so you can get a vibe, and see which schools have left an impactful impression on you.  Do not rely on our profiles or parent comments alone; see for yourself.

We are not including a full report on public school CSAP test scores in our reviews because we do not feel that they are a highly relevant part of the process.  If it’s test scores you seek, then you can find them at the Colorado School Accountability Report Website.

School:  THE LOGAN SCHOOL for CREATIVE LEARNING

Website: http://www.theloganschool.org/

Main Phone: 303-340-2444

Type: Private accredited member of the Association of Colorado Independent Schools

Tuition: Tuition for 2009/2010 school year is $14,090 per student.  Need-based scholarships are available.

Tours: Parent information sessions and tours take place beginning in October through the middle of December.  Call or email Rachel Shields to schedule: 303-340-2444 x133 or Rachel.shields@theloganschool.org.

Head of School: Andrew Slater

Director of Admissions: Becky Godec

Location: 1005 Yosemite Street, Denver, CO 80230 – Lowry Neighborhood

Hours: 8:30 am to 3:00 pm

Before/After Care: Extended Care is available before school from 7:30 to 8:30 and after school from 3:10 until 6:00 for $5/hr.

Students: 248, ages 4-14, 19% students of color, avg. class sizes range from 16 in the younger classrooms to 22 students in the older classrooms.

Playground/Facilities: At first, driving up to the school, I was slightly put off by the location and campus as it seemed somewhat barren and, quite frankly, ugly. The decommissioned Lowry Air Force military space did not appeal to me.  This quickly changed as I got to the front and saw a nice playground, attractive landscaping in the main entrance area, and a modernized renovation to the main building. There are a total of three buildings on the campus, one that holds the lunch facility and extended care and another that holds a huge gymnasium and a theatre.  There are also playing fields on campus for sports such as soccer and baseball as well as another playground area.  In total, the campus is about 13 acres. 

Special & Core Programs: Since The Logan School is an experiential learning institution, students participate in a variety of field trips to meet their needs for individual units, class units, environmental education and service learning needs.  Some of those trips for the upper level students will be overnight trips.  The Logan School also has a student Expo in the winter where students showcase the work they’ve done since the beginning of the school year on their individual units.  There are a number of extra curricular activities including a school rock band, poetry competitions, MathCounts, geography and spelling bees.  On campus there is a natural wetlands, a hands on butterfly habitat and a garden. 

Impressions: I have visited the Logan School on several occasions and, after my initial poor first impression of the campus, I was thoroughly pleased.  Both my husband and I were greeted each time by the front entrance with a handshake from either current parents, the Admissions Director or the Assistant Admissions Director.  Prior to the tour, we were briefed on the school, its philosophy and direction, shown a video, and given an opportunity to ask any questions we had.  Then, we were led around the school by some of the most polite Upper Level (8^th graders) students we have ever encountered.

It was great to be taken around the campus by a student rather than an Administrator or a parent that might give a biased view of the school.  We were able to ask the students their perspective on particular qualities of the school that we would not have been able to get from anyone else.  We were also given an opportunity to see the children “in action” and speak to some of the teachers to get a clearer picture of how the Logan teaching philosophy works.

The Logan School philosophy is quite different than a traditional school in that the students are empowered to be extremely independent and think for themselves. Early in the school year, they choose a “Unit”  to study and then apply more traditional subjects to that Unit.  For instance, if they chose insects to be their Unit, then they would apply math, reading, science, etc. to the subject of insects.  There is a culminating “Expo” in February where the children present their work on the Unit to parents and faculty. Then in the Spring, they typically choose another area of study.  Teachers act as facilitators and mentors while encouraging independence at the same time. Then in each homeroom, the lead teacher covers other subjects such as World History, Geography or Science so that it is more multidimensional.

This experiential style of learning may, or may not be right for your child so it’s up to the parent to understand what type of learner your child is and if it makes sense for them. This experience-based style instruction is then taken beyond the classroom to include several field trips that allow students to explore art, environmental studies, foreign languages, business, etc. and to then be applied to their studies.

It seems that the Logan School has a very rich learning environment that fosters a unique way of thinking for children.  The school is indeed for students that have gifted and creative tendencies, however, it is not exclusive or pretentious.  The qualification of “gifted” is more than just a test score; they’re seeking students that would be impacted the greatest from the style of instruction Logan offers.  Students who are the best fit for this school are those that do fall in the gifted range, but have other qualities on top of that.  A child might score in the 99.8^th percentile on an intelligence test, however, they might not learn in a way that would allow them to succeed at Logan. One thing to also understand is that, while Logan does offer instruction to 4 year olds, those children must be “Kindergarten-ready”.  Logan does not consider true age as much as they do readiness, both emotionally and intellectually.

Logan looks at the child “as a whole” through the admission process and considers heavily each aspect of the application package including the 2 hour observation of the child, an intelligence test score, teacher evaluations, and the parent questionnaire.  The admission process is lengthy but there is a reason for it.  There are typically very few spots for incoming 4 and 5 year olds.  For the 2009/2010 school year there was approximately 1 spot for every 2 applicants and even fewer openings for the younger students.  There were also quite a few sibling applicants and they are given first priority.

Parents are expected to participate in school fundraisers including an annual spring auction and to also be involved in school and classroom activities.  Volunteerism and philanthropy are a very important part of the school community.  There is a well-established Parent Association and a Board of Trustees that manage Logan’s events and affairs.

You should consider this school heavily if you are able to afford private school and believe your child could prosper within an experiential environment.  Do think long and hard about the fact that, if accepted, your child could be in this school for 10 or more years.  There are only about 248 students and it goes from age 4 through 14, or until high school.  Making the transition to a traditional high school has been known to be tricky, but students coming from Logan tend to adjust quickly, especially in the more advanced classes, due to their independence and ability to apply their experiences to each new learning environment.

We welcome your comments and impressions on your experience with The Logan School.

School:  MONTCLAIR ELEMENTARY (aka: MONTCLAIR SCHOOL OF ACADEMICS AND ENRICHMENT)

Website: http://montclair.dpsk12.org

Type: Public-DPS

Tours: Generally take place late fall.

Main Phone: (303) 333-5497

Principal: Shannon Hagerman

Location: 1151 Newport Street, Denver, CO 80020 / Montclair Neighborhood

Hours:  8:55 am-3:45 pm

Grades: ECE-5th Grade–3 Full Day Kindergarten classrooms

Average Class Size: It varies….K-2 classrooms try to maintain 25 or less students in each classroom with full-time paraprofessionals and grades 3-5 usually have less than 30 students per classroom.

Before/After Care: Programs are tuition-based and grant funded. After school extensions such as Brownies, Rocky Mountain Children’s Choir, Destination Imagination, and Girls on the Run are offered as well. *Update: Kaleidoscope Corner now runs the after school program.

Playground: There is one large playground with designated areas for children in the upper grades and lower grades. The lower grade’s equipment needs a significant upgrade. The upper grade’s area just had a few pieces of new playground equipment installed. There is a blacktop for basketball and another for tether ball. There is also a large grass area with two baseball fields and play area for organized activities. I was told that future plans are being carried out to update equipment and create a learning landscape. The plans are to take place in 2010 after other prioritized construction of the school is complete.  *Update: Learning Landscape completed 2010!

Special & Core Programs: Montclair uses Renzulli’s Schoolwide Enrichment Model. Some of the programs include Brown Bag Lunches where children eat lunch and learn about a topic of interest from a guest speaker, Enrichment Clusters where children from varying grade levels come together and choose a topic of interest and learn about it in depth over an 8 week period, monthly assemblies and monthly field trips including one unique field trip per grade level that ties into the curriculum (e.g. Kindergarten Bunked with the Beasts this year at the Denver Zoo), High Strides Classrooms which is an accelerated program offered for students at or above grade level in literacy and Progressive Classrooms which are an intervention-based program designed to develop a strong foundation of literacy skills to students. There is also a schoolwide event called International Night which is a celebration of the diverse community that attends Montclair and includes performances and food from around the world.

Impressions: I visited this school on several occasions. It’s a great little neighborhood school adjacent to a park where parents and children meet after school occasionally. The school was clean and the hallways were adorned with great artwork. The children seemed very engaged when I visited the classrooms. I met the Principal, several parents and a few staff members, all of whom were very enthusiastic about the school and the transformation it has been through. Shannon Hagerman, the principal, tells me there is a high level of teacher quality at the school. Twenty-two out of twenty-four staff members voted in favor of becoming Colorado State’s first “Innovation School” at the elementary level. This tells me the staff is confident in their ability to teach and put forth a great effort to increase student academic achievement, along with strengthening their own professional development through annual coursework.

I was so impressed in learning about their programs which really focus on the individual learner and how best to support or enrich the child. Also, children in some grade levels switch classrooms for certain subjects. Each grade level is divided up between classrooms for their “specials.” In this way, the students are ensured a differentiated learning experience. Shannon Hagerman greeted children in the hallways and seemed to know every child by name. I felt a very strong sense of community here at Montclair.

After talking to several parents, I learned that they have a “growing” PTA with two major fundraisers. The PTA  also strongly supports the enrichment programs at the school. I got the impression there are different levels of parental involvement from the highly involved to the less frequently involved. Also, some of the parents I spoke to choiced in to Montclair due to the variety of enrichment programs that are offered to students, smaller class sizes in K-2 classrooms, and a more diverse student body compared to their neighborhood schools.

Montclair has received a lot of local media attention over the past few years due to their school-wide revitalization plan. It’s a Beacon School and recently was designated a School of Innovation. This means Montclair was granted autonomy from district and state rules which allows them to control their own budget, curriculum, hiring, school calendar, etc. Because of these things, Montclair’s popularity has increased over the past few years with more children choicing in (over 25%), along with a growing number of children on wait lists. Their innovative school reform efforts are being recognized and in April, The U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan visited Montclair to learn more about their programs.

We welcome your comments and impressions on your experience with Montclair Elementary.