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Neighborhood Schools

Challenge, Enrich, Connect

Nearly 70% of PSD families choose to send their children to a neighborhood school, the school located in the attendance area in which they live. Students at PSD neighborhood schools grow up together in a culture of academic excellence, community, and character development. Neighborhood schools teach PSD’s rigorous standards-driven curriculum, along with gifted, enrichment, and accelerated options.

Round-trip transportation is provided for:

  • elementary school students living more than 1 mile from their neighborhood school*
  • middle school students living more than 1½ miles from their neighborhood school
  • high school students living more than 2 miles from their neighborhood school

* One-way transportation is provided for half-day kindergarten students who live more than 1 mile from school.

Challenging Curriculum

Neighborhood schools emphasize academic excellence through PSD’s standards-driven curriculum.

  • District-wide standards identify what each child should know and be able to do in each subject, at each grade level.
  • PSD standards meet and exceed state and national educational requirements.
  • Courses and content are sequenced to help students build a succession of learning at each grade level.
  • Classroom instruction provides clear connections between the classroom and the world beyond.
  • PSD students consistently perform, on average, 4%–16% higher than students statewide in all subjects, at all grade levels on the rigorous CSAP tests.

Enrichment & Accelerated Programs

Enrichment, gifted and talented, and accelerated programs complement neighborhood schools’ standards-driven instruction and expand the classroom for students.

Elementary enrichment programs include accelerated math and reading, Odyssey of the Mind, Lego Robotics, Living History Rendezvous, Eco Week, art shows, honor choir, science fair, Spelling and Geography Bee, student leadership, and more.

Middle schools offer Science Olympiad, Math Counts, Science/Astronomy Club, vocal and instrumental music groups, athletics, Robotics, National Junior Honor Society, and more.

Each year hundreds of senior high students take part in a broad spectrum of extra-curricular activities in academics, music and theatre, and athletics, many advancing to state- and national-level competition.

Gifted & Talented

PSD’s gifted and talented education programs promote early identification of gifted students and match programming options for varying learning styles and student needs. All 3rd graders are tested for learning levels in May, and the elementary gifted program focuses on grades 4–6. Services at each school differ; however, elementary schools district wide serve gifted students in language arts and/or math.

Elementary Focus Schools

Academics, Wellness & Character Focus:
Tavelli Elementary is committed to excellence in academics, wellness and character education. Tavelli incorporates health, nutrition, and fitness into its rigorous curriculum, which is created to ensure literacy, numeracy, technology, and the arts.

Arts & Technology Focus:
Laurel Elementary School of Arts & Technology utilizes PSD’s standards-driven curriculum. Arts and state-of-the-art technology are infused into classroom instruction and used as tools to enhance learning.

Bilingual Focus:
Irish Elementary School offers a dual language program. This program is a choice parents make for their children and a separate application for the program is required. Information: 488-6900

Gifted & Talented Focus:
All elementary schools offer gifted programs, as well as many co-curricular, after-school opportunities for gifted learners. Beattie Elementary’s Lighthouse program provides gifted education alternatives with a full-time gifted teacher.

Project-Based Learning Focus:
Olander School for Project-Based Learning establishes a strong foundation in literacy, math, civic responsibility, and 21st century skills. Student-centered projects and individual inquiry equip students with a unique set of skills that excite them about learning while preparing them for future educational challenges.

Science Focus:
Putnam Elementary School of Science is an innovative neighborhood school integrating science and technology concepts into many academic areas. Putnam’s dedicated science lab and two technology labs help provide in-depth, integrated science study for all grade levels

Core Knowledge

The Core Knowledge sequence at PSD’s neighborhood schools and specialized, non-neighborhood schools (pages 8–9) is based on the belief there is a specific core of knowledge all students should learn from kindergarten through 8th grade. The Core Knowledge Sequence is a detailed outline of specific content, which can provide a solid and coherent foundation of learning. Core Knowledge Sequence by the Core Knowledge Foundation Curriculum presents a specific and sequential academic learning process as students build knowledge and skills from year to year.

Bethke, O’Dea, and Zach elementary neighborhood schools teach the Core Knowledge curriculum for grades kindergarten–5. The course of study teaches the varying ways humanity has expressed itself through history, art literature, music, religion, inventions and scientific discoveries.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

The Primary Years Program (PYP) for kindergarten–grade 5, Middle Years Program (MYP) for grades 6–10, and the Diploma Program for grades 11–12­ all follow a strong academic focus and international perspective.

The PYP IB program at Dunn, McGraw, and Bennett elementary schools provides children with foreign language instruction and uses inquiry-based teaching methods.

The MYP IB program at Lesher and Lincoln middle schools and at Poudre High School is an academically focused curriculum, which includes the study of eight subjects, foreign language and community service through an international perspective.

The IB Diploma Program at Poudre High School is an academically rigorous course of study. Students study six academic subjects during their final two years in high school and take extensive exams in each subject. Students also complete a 4,000-word researched essay and perform 150 hours of community service. College credit may be awarded based on scores of IB exams. Colorado law guarantees IB Diploma holders a minimum of 24 general education credits at all state public universities.

AP, College Credit

All PSD’s comprehensive high schools allow high school students to get a head start on college-level work by offering a variety of nationally recognized Advanced Placement (AP) courses. AP courses prepare high school students to take AP exams and earn credit or advanced standing at most of the nation’s colleges and universities. Information: www.collegeboard.com

Pre-Advanced Placement (Pre-AP) courses are offered in most PSD neighborhood middle schools and help prepare students for rigorous AP courses.

Through PSD’s college credit program, all eligible 11th- and 12th-grade students may take college courses at Colorado State University, Front Range Community College, or Aims Community College. Students can receive dual high school and college credit, and financial reimbursement may be given after successful completion of courses.

Download Neighborhood Schools at a Glance to see list of neighborhood schools and school details.

Attached Files: 
application/pdf iconNeighborhood_Schools_at_a_Glance.pdf