Overview
Since 1970 the Aspen Community School has been committed to offering academic excellence in a safe small-school environment. Learning in small classes, and among children of mixed ages, encourages rapport and respect among students and teachers alike. The climate of openness allows curiosity to thrive, and individuality to shine.
Learning is personal and vital. Academic education becomes relevant through an integrated curriculum and hands-on projects. Teacher led instruction is balanced with abundant opportunities for children to initiate and complete their own processes of discovery. Our emphasis on the arts and wellness nurtures the whole child during these formative early years.
Our curriculum incorporates community participation, social emotional instruction, service, outdoor education and visual and performing arts. Achievements in the classroom and outdoors are internalized through school-wide presentations, individualized reports and age-specific review. What’s internalized becomes an impetus for lifelong learning. Our students become and remain curious self-directed learners. They take responsibility for their own education, and take to heart the responsibility for serving their community.
The Aspen Community School provides:
· A strong academic program combined with a focus on the physical and emotional well being of the child
· An integrated curriculum to teach children to become critical thinkers and make learning relevant to their lives
· Intimate class size with a small student: teacher ratio
· A K-8 student body maximum of 122 children
· Team-taught learning centers that combine two classes (e.g. 1st and 2nd grades) and two teachers. Students and teachers alike benefit from multi-age and multi-year classrooms
· Community Mentoring Programs featuring local artists and professionals who engage with students in unique project-based mentoring and in-service sessions
· Teachers who are passionate and knowledgeable in their academic fields as well as committed coaches, counselors and outdoor leaders
· Classrooms designed as warm, comfortable, safe and stimulating spaces for learning
· A true community environment where students are called upon to contribute to the success of the community
Students who graduate from ACS have the confidence and skills to solve a complex math problem, write a research paper, use visual arts to illustrate a science project, speak in public and collaborate on a project. Most importantly, our students understand that they are learners. They are capable of asking for and finding the information they need to succeed. To achieve this, we focus on:
Relevance – The integrated, experiential and project-based approach to learning makes students’ study relevant to their lives. When students investigate a topic through the lenses of art, music, reading, math, writing and scientific experimentation, they understand that learning is a discovery process that evolves using a compilation of reasoning skills, creativity and determination that spans all disciplines.
Relationships – Forming authentic learning relationships – particularly between a student and a passionate, skilled teacher or mentor – makes an indelible impression in a child’s life and is essential to growth. We enable this by recognizing our students are individuals, engaging them as community members, and keeping our class sizes small so these relationships can grow.
Excellence – Excellence is paramount. The culture of our school is to do our best by giving complete effort and attention to every experience. We celebrate achievement in countless areas of study and behavior including portfolio presentations, homework, social emotional skills, collaboration with peers, and mentoring younger students.
Community – We are a learning community; we learn together. Every week we meet as a school to celebrate achievement, view student work and solve problems relevant to the entire school. The essence of community is that together we are stronger than we are on our own.
Curriculum
Core subjects are taught using a variety of techniques including direct teacher instruction, inquiry-based exploration, cooperative group learning and individualized instruction. Classes are aligned to the Colorado State Standards. We address four core subjects each day:
· Literacy focuses on fostering a love, understanding and facility for reading and writing, including daily use of those skills as well as the study of foreign languages.
· Mathematics includes basic computation and advanced mathematical concepts, which in turn enable students to apply problem solving and critical thinking to real-world projects such as designing and building a drift boat or creating a life-size replica of a dinosaur skeleton.
· Wellness reflects our commitment to emotional and physical health. We span a broad spectrum of subjects, from cardio-vascular exercise and nutritional health to conflict resolution and outdoor education.
· Visual and Performing Arts enhance the academic foundation, providing a vital outlet for creativity and self-expression as well as an opportunity to explore high level concepts. We take advantage of each chance we get to integrate the arts into learning – from everyday classroom projects and annual theater productions to music workshops and cultural field trips.
Spiral subjects are 8- to 10-week projects that “spiral” in and out of the core curriculum and involve the entire school. Twice a year, these spirals are introduced into the curriculum. Each classroom harnesses multiple disciplines – math, art, music, Spanish, social studies, spelling, science and more – and focuses them toward the holistic, in-depth study of a subject.
Following are some of the spiral units planned for the 2008-2009 school year:
- Science Each learning center develops an age appropriate, standards based science unit. Some units take place in the fall, others in the spring.
- Interdisciplinary Performing Arts Unit I This December all students will work with dance professionals to create an integrated, cross-age performance based on an academic theme: This is truly an all-school undertaking, with all students and staff participating and performing.
- Social Studies Inquiry/Research This eight-week K-2 unit allows students to investigate deeply an area of personal interest. Students use a variety of academic skills to become an expert in their chosen area of interest. The unit culminates in sharing information, reports and projects with fellow students and parents. Students in the 3-8th grade focus on Colorado and United States history through literature, primary sources, debate and field trips.
- Interdisciplinary Performing Arts Unit II This unit culminates in our annual Spring Musical and has been a tradition for over 30 years. The entire school community creates an original musical around a theme (immigration, mythology, history, etc.), and performs at the Wheeler Opera House.
Description of Student Assessments
ACS uses a variety of tools to assess student learning. Of paramount importance is direct teacher observation of student progress. Classes at ACS are small, allowing teachers an unprecedented opportunity to work directly with individual students on a daily basis. Each teacher keeps regular and accurate records of student growth, important interactions and challenges. Teaching teams meet weekly to discuss student progress and formulate instructional strategies. Students are required to keep a detailed portfolio, which houses examples of their work in each discipline, as well as student reflection on their learning. Teacher evaluations, both formal and informal, are also kept in the portfolio. Students are required to present their portfolios three times per year. Two portfolio presentations include parents and teachers. The third presentation is open to all community members. In addition, 8th grade students individually present their portfolio to a panel of community members as a requirement for graduation. The purpose of all portfolio presentations is for students to demonstrate their learning and achievements.
In addition to these assessments ACS also uses the following assessments:
· DRA and QRI Reading Assessments
· Title I Selection Test (mathematics)
· SRI Scholastic Reading Inventory
· Six Trait Writing
· CSAP (grades 3-8)
