Principal
Dr. Kevin Gates
Dear Families,
I am honored to serve as principal of Nevin Platt Middle School and I look forward to working with you this year. Nevin Platt Middle School is one school with two great programs. Platt is a School of Excellence where children thrive in an academic environment provided by highly-qualified teachers and staff committed to each student’s intellectual, physical and emotional needs. We understand that preadolescent children bridge the educational span between elementary school and high school, and we design our school environment and instruction to match those needs. Our programming focuses on academic rigor, encourages exploration of the arts and humanities, promotes technological expertise, and supports community building in a safe environment.
At Platt we design our instruction to best meet the requirements for students developmentally. Teachers work in academic-interdisciplinary teams, share a common planning time to monitor student progress, and provide a daily advisory time. Elective teachers are assigned to each team and are advocates for students. Each grade level (sixth, seventh, eighth) is a team with the exception of one team called “CHOICE” which is multi-grade. “CHOICE” is an acronym that stands for "Cooperative Hands-On Integrated Community Education." Students on this team attend mixed-grade-level classes and stay with the same team of teachers for three years. For students who perform better in an experiential environment and enjoy projects as a means of demonstrating learning, this is a great option. Students may apply for this three-year program only through the open-enrollment process.
Platt is recognized as a John J. Irwin School of Excellence by the state of Colorado. We attribute this distinction to the highly-skilled, dedicated staff supported by a community that values education, and children who come ready to learn and are eager to excel. Because of our consistently close working relationships, Platt succeeds year after year. We continuously evaluate our school operations and recommit each year to excellent instruction and to creating an environment that exemplifies safety and academic rigor. We are determined to instill in students habits of heart and mind that will foster curiosity about the world in which they live and engender genuine tolerance for other people. Students eager to learn, supported by parents and excellent teachers, set Platt apart as an exemplary school.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kevin Gates