Columbine is a unique school in the Boulder Valley School District. We have numerous second language learners in our school. In 2000, we recognized that we had to change our methods and practices of instruction to ensure all children are challenged and engaged in a rigorous curriculum. Since then, we have engaged in a significant restructuring effort to align our resources and develop our teachers' capacity to differentiate curriculum and instruction for all our children.
Thus, our school is unique in that we...
Offer class sizes of 18 children or less, kindergarten through fifth grade;
Conduct literacy instruction for extended periods of time (11/2 to 2 hours) in groups of 12 children, or less, with one highly trained teacher;
Provide intensive training and planning for staff to differentiate our curriculum for all children - second language learners, gifted children and all those in between;
Integrate higher order thinking into all our academic instruction;
Emphasize a dynamic approach to research in science and social studies that expands thinking and gives meaningful application to reading and writing;
Provide excellent second language instruction for Spanish speaking children to learn English and for English speaking children to learn Spanish.
The results of our test scores may not be impressive taken together, yet when broken down to subgroups reveal a different story. Our native English speakers are scoring at the BVSD average or higher and our second language learners are making impressive gains.
Beyond test scores, the true story of our school lies in the enthusiastic engagement of our children and the dedication of our staff. These observations, as well as CSAP scores, are also important indicators of our school's success. I invite you to come see why I'm so proud of our achievements here at Columbine. I have an open door policy and I am always happy to meet with you to answer questions, address concerns and provide support. Email me at: lynn.widger@bvsd.org