• Category 2

    Selected in 2017

  • Grades: pre k - 5
    School Setting: rural
    Town Population: 4
    Student Enrollment: 350
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 0%
    White/Caucasian: 82%
    Hispanic: 14%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 2%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 2%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:19
    % Reduced Lunch: 37%
    % ELL Learners: 1%
    Founded: 1993
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Katie Rexford
  • CONTACT:
    490 Meadow Park Drive
    Divide, CO 80814
    719-686-2403
    krexford@wpsdk12.org
SUMMIT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Divide, CO
Our success rest on our ability to engage parents.
Describe specific programs in place to ensure that families are involved in the success of your school and students.
Summit Studio was developed to allow parents to help run the classes. We have many parents engaged in the operation of these courses. The success of this program is resting on our ability to engage parents. Parents have been willing to be involved in this program because there are specific goals and direction for parents as they participate.

In addition to increasing parental engagement during our school day, we have grown our parent organization through pointed communication and a welcome format. These parents have made a commitment to provided additional Family Fun Night opportunities in order to engage more families!

Describe the most successful activity your school has initiated to strengthen ties to your community.
Our school has been fortunate to engage in E3 - Elevate your Environmental Educational! This is a partnership with Catamount Institute and their talented instructors. Our students engage in learning opportunities throughout the year. Kindergarten and 1st grade stay on site, while grades 2 - 5 travel to a local ranch to participate in environmental learning in their natural local surroundings.
Describe the program or initiative that has had the greatest positive effect on student achievement, including closing achievement or opportunity gaps, if applicable.
In order to meet the growing needs of our building, we adopted a new component to our schedule. We have developed a time once a week when teachers can collaborate and students can engage in a meaningful learning experience. We created Summit Studio.

During the inception of Summit Studio, the question was asked about Destination Imagination. Originally this was a program that was offered solo to our gifted and talented student population. This programs drives at critical thinking, problem solving, and teamwork. With the positive results that we had seen with our gifted and talented population, we decided to find a way to bring this opportunity to all students. Summit Studio was that opportunity! During this time in the week, students are able to participate on a Destination Imagination team among other course options that are geared towards critical thinking, problem solving skills and teamwork.
Describe how data is used to improve student achievement and inform decision making.
We have been able to build a schedule that allows each grade level to participate in weekly collaboration with one another. During this time, they meet with the instructional resource teacher, the principal, and their teammates.

Together we analyze data including STAR and DIBELs results, classroom assessments, observational data, and state standards. We use these components to make determinations on what groups need to be developed, information that needs to be covered or adjustments that need to be made. There is a relentless focus to understand exactly where our students are and what they need in order to be successful!
Describe your school culture and explain changes you’ve taken to improve it.
As a school,we believe in every students' ability to achieve great things. We also strive to help students learn not only academic standards, but behavior standards as well. Knowing that all behaviors are a way for students to communicate their needs, we are working hard to give them the appropriate words and actions to communicate their needs, so they do not resort to troublesome behaviors.

In order to assist us with this process we are working as a staff in learning Love and Logic techniques. We are also committed to learning other techniques and strategies together in order to best serve our students.
Stats
  • Category 2

    Selected in 2017

  • Grades: pre k - 5
    School Setting: rural
    Town Population: 4
    Student Enrollment: 350
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 0%
    White/Caucasian: 82%
    Hispanic: 14%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 2%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 2%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:19
    % Reduced Lunch: 37%
    % ELL Learners: 1%
    Founded: 1993
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Katie Rexford
  • CONTACT:
    490 Meadow Park Drive
    Divide, CO 80814
    719-686-2403
    krexford@wpsdk12.org