Welcome!
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Mingle for Montclair - November 14th, 2009
The school’s biggest fundraiser, the ‘Mingle for Montclair’ Auction will be on Saturday, November 14th, 2009 at 6PM This event is a fun, social evening for our parents, staff and neighborhood community. The money raised helps pay for the many special programs, field trips and other enrichment activities all of our children enjoy. |
At the Montclair School of Academics & Enrichment, all students are provided with a set of experiences that will allow them to become lifelong learners. At Montclair we offer:
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high-energy, authentic learning experiences that are desinged to promote, engage and motivate students;
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a collaborative learning and teaching community geared toward standards-based academic achievement;
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a school community where students talents are recognized and developed;
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small group learning opportunities geared to each students' strengths and experiences;
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a systematic plan for nurturing, enhancing and monitoring each student's academic progress and achievement;
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a continuous emphasis on character development and lifelong learning habits;
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an integrated environment where the diverse cultures of our global community are an asset;
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a program where high expectations are set and met by all...with no excuses.
In doing so, we help one another be the very best we can be.
Through the implementation of our revitalization plan, the Early High Strides program for academic achievement and enrichment is now being offered. Students accepted into the Early High Strides program engage in curriculum at an accelerated pace and work on integrated, interest-based enrichment projects. Additionally, the school’s library and technology lab has been completely renovated and an enhanced character education program will improve safety and discipline. We are truly taking the formative steps toward becoming one of the city's finest elementary schools.
Special programs we offer:
- Music
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Physical Education/Dance Movement
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Library/Technology
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Junior Great Books
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Extended Day Program - before and after school care
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Tutoring before and after school
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ECE preschool program
Program Descriptions
In order to meet the many diverse learning needs of our students, Montclair offers two programmatic alternatives:
The PROGRESSIVE PROGRAM is a child-centered program designed to meet the needs of students who learn best with structure and support in the main content areas of reading and writing. Students in the Progressive Program have the benefit of well-trained classroom teachers and specialists skilled in making sure that students progress in their mastery of reading and math. Students enjoy the full grade level curriculum, including science and social studies as well as access to a supplemental reading program. They also fully benefit from our enrichment program.
EARLY HIGH STRIDES is an intensive learning program in which students will be expected to master the regular, grade level DPS school curriculum in greater depth and at a more rigorous pace. Critical and creative thinking will be emphasized in all subject areas. In addition, there will be opportunities for students to explore areas of personal interest and work at an age-appropriate level of independence. These students also enjoy our full enrichment program. Click here for more Early High Strides Program information.
All students Montclair School of Academics & Enrichment enjoy a full ENRICHMENT PROGRAM, including Brown Bag Lunches, Enrichment Clusters, field trips, speakers and assemblies. This allows all of our students to experience and learn more about topics of interest to them, beyond the regular curriculum.
Applications are also available in the office.
Revitilization of Montclair
In the 90's and into the new century, Montclair struggled with low enrollment, poor student performance and lack of support from the surrounding neighborhood. In 2004, with the appointment of a Revitalization Committee and a new principal, the process of change was initiated. The revitalization effort began in earnest in October 2004 when a comprehensive neighborhood survey was conducted to establish an understanding of the community’s perceptions of the school and what would be required to rejuvenate the instructional program at Montclair. Using the information revealed through a detailed ogranization diagnosis, coupled with the results from the community survey, a detailed plan for redesign was submitted and approved by the Denver Public Schools’ Board of Education in February 2005.
In March 2005, a Community Kick-Off was held to unveil the plan to the community and to begin recruitment efforts. Shortly on the heels of this event, Montclair was the recipient of significant positive press in the local and national media. John Temple's editorial column in the Rocky Mountain News published on Saturday, March 5, 2005 had an incredible impact on changing the perceptions of the community in relation to the school. Montclair was later showcased in a segment focused on the marketing of public schools that aired on Fox National News on March, 26, 2005. Since that time there has been a tremendous change in the overall acceptance of Montclair both within the district and the larger community.
On the heels of an intensive staff retreat in June 2005, which provided intensive professional development, the new instructional program based on the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (Renzulli) was implemented in the fall of 2005. A sharp increase enrollment ensued. Families from all portions of the school’s boundary area, from other areas within the district, as well as nearby private schools began attending Montclair. Data-driven, student-focused instruction with curricular integration and enrichment experiences are extended to all students.
The 2005-06 school year opened with the implementation of a new instructional model as a result of the school's major revitalization effort. The framework for the new instructional program is built upon Renzulli's Schoolwide Enrichment Model (Dr. Joseph Renzulli http://gifted.uconn.edu/sem/ )and is designed to bring learning to life as students experience a multitude of enrichment experiences directly connected to grade level content standards.
We were honored to be nominated for the 2006 National School Change Award in March. We submitted a lengthy and detailed application however given the fact that we are only in the beginning stages of our revitalization effort, we were not one of the six national finalists. We were strongly encouraged to re-apply in the upcoming years.
In June 2006, the majority of classroom teachers attended the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) national summer conference. This served as another valuable professional development opportunity for our teachers to develop and refine their skills in the area of instructional differentiation.
Montclair Today
Montclair Elementary has a projected enrollment of 450 students for the 2009-10 school year. Over the past five years we have made important and significant progress as we strive to improve student achievement, increase enrollment, invigorate the instructional program and boost parent engagement. In the spring of 2009, the DPS Board approved Montclair's application to become one of the first Innovation Schools in Colorado. The following tale based on the classic childhood story The Little Engine that Could, retells part of the story of Montclair.
PTA Meeting