Wednesday, August 31, 2011

The August/September Art Newsletter!

Hello parents and students and welcome back for the 2011-2012 school year! I am very excited to be teaching your children all about the visual arts. This year promises to be the best yet because I am full time and will be spending more time with students. This year I decided to charge an art fee for each student. The reason for this was to save you time and money. The school is able to purchase the supplies we need in bulk, which is more cost effective, for example: a sketchbook alone costs $4 to $5 dollars and the school can get them for $2. The $5 fee buys the following for each student:
1.      Sketchbook
2.      Portfolio
3.      Markers, crayons, colored pencils
4.      White glue, Glue sticks
5.      Water color paints, acrylic paints
6.      Specialty paper
7.      Any other supplies we need for our projects
Thank you for supporting the art program at Pikes Peak Prep!
To start out the year our focus will be on space and form. During this unit K-6th grade students will be doing six projects. Each project will take about one week to complete.
1.      Shapes and forms
2.      Face forms
3.      Body forms
4.      Shapes in space
5.      Objects in space
6.      Animal forms
7th, 8th, and High School will begin by studying Marcel Duchamp and the Dada movement. We will also learn about the work of Joseph Cornell, Louise Nevelson, and Daniel Spoerri, among others. Students will complete an “assemblage” art project where they will be using/altering everyday objects to create a work of art.

Coach Johnson's August Newsletter

Coach Johnson, Physical Education

KindergartenKindergarten has been busy mastering locomotor skills. We have been practicing how to skip, gallop, run, walk backwards and walk sideways. In addition we have been learning how to perform these skills while maintaining personal space. These skills are important to master in order to progress to game play. They are doing a terrific job and we will continue to acquire new locomotor skills as we progress.

First GradeFirst grade has been refining their locomotor skills. Some movements including but not limited to: running, hopping, galloping and skipping. In addition they have also been refining their ability to stay within their personal space and practice safe behavior while locomoting.They have done a wonderful job and we have been able to move onto some tag games.

Second GradeSecond grade is improving their fitness and cardiovascular health. They have been doing warm up runs to improve their fitness and prepare them for physical activity. They have learned the importance of getting enough vitamin A through a tag game called “healthy eye tag”. They have also played capture the football and capture the frisbee.

Third GradeThird grade is also improving their fitness and cardiovascular health with warm up runs. They have played three tag games including: healthy eye tag, partner tag and frisbee tag. Third grade is also mastering their throwing and catching skills through practice with classmates and through game play. They have played capture the frisbee and capture the football.

Fourth GradeFourth grade is mastering throwing and catching skills. So far they have learned how to correctly throw and catch a frisbee. After practicing their throwing and catching skills, they were able to play capture the frisbee and learn strategies to use during game play. They are also working on their fitness levels with warm up runs.

Fifth GradeFifth grade started out the school year by learning how to be a team player. They practiced this by working in cooperative groups using jump bands. They also learned to work cooperatively together with a partner through activities that used playing cards while incorporating math mastery. Fifth grade is also refining their throwing and catching skills with footballs and frisbees.

Sixth GradeSixth grade has worked on their throwing and catching skills through practice with a partner and game play. Games played included boccer, ultimate Frisbee and capture the football. Sixth grade also started out the school year with team building activities. The activities included playing card relays and jump bands.

Seventh GradeSeventh grade has learned the importance of working together as a team through team building activities. Some activities they participated in included: jump bands and card relays. They have also played games that included capture the frisbee and capture the football. These games have improved their throwing and catching skills.

Eighth GradeEighth grade has been refining their catching and throwing skills. They have accomplished this by working in cooperative groups and through game play. Games that included: boccer, ultimate frisbee and ultimate football. They also complete warm up laps to prepare them for physical activity.

Ninth GradeNinth grade has been improving their physical fitness by performing a dynamic warm up. Their warm ups have also included pushups and sit ups. Soon we will start fitness testing. They have also participated in team building activities that included card relays and jump bands. These team building activities have transferred to their game play as a class. They have played some great games that included boccer, capture the football and ultimate frisbee.

Lady Eagles Volleyball TeamWe have two teams that include fourth through sixth grade and seventh through eighth grade. We played our first game against Colorado Springs Charter School on August 30th. Both of our teams played excellent games, with our younger players winning their match.

Ms. Kimball's 5th Grade Newsletter!


Monday, August 29, 2011

Pikes Peak Prep Video Clips

It may or may not be know that Pikes Peak Prep has their own YouTube Channel! Visit our channel to view videos of Pikes Peak Events including: 2011 Graduation, karaoke, the summer concert and more! Viewing these videos is a GREAT way to relive an experience or take part in one you missed!

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

2011 Graduation

Michael Snell never expected he would be receiving a high school diploma from Pikes Peak Prep and an Associate’s degree from Pikes Peak Community College simultaneously. His intelligence and strong work ethic earned him the honor as the 2011 Pikes Peak Prep Valedictorian.

Michael is a native of Colorado and was born at Memorial Hospital. His parents divorced and he ended up living with his dad who was a self-employed mason. The family had some difficult times that lead to family stress and finally Michael moved in with his mom. Michael joined Pikes Peak Prep four years ago and was able to take college classes and earn dual credits with Pikes Peak Prep. He was the first in his immediate family to get a college degree and other than his mom a high school diploma. Michael explained “I will be graduating college with my Bachelor’s degree by the time I am twenty years old. Not many people have the opportunity to finish early with very little school debt. I am so relieved that I don’t have to worry about student loans since Pikes Peak Prep paid for the tuition, books and transportation through their Middle College Program. It makes it so much easier for me and my family that they didn’t have to worry about paying for my Associate’s Degree.” Michael plans on continuing his education at CSU Pueblo.

Pikes Peak Prep held a small and intimate graduation ceremony at Colorado College. Of the four graduates, two of the students (Kennedy Collier, Anthony Dorner) were able to graduate early by completing all required credits within three years. The other graduate, Quintin Terrell, and Kennedy plan on joining the armed forces. Anthony Dorner will work and continue going to college and Michael Snell will be heading down to CSU Pueblo to continue his education focused on a Computer Information degree.

The ceremony included speakers Walt Glover, Pikes Peak Prep Board President and USOC CFO, Kevin Teasley, GEO (Greater Educational Opportunities) Founder and the principal of Pikes Peak Prep, Dr. Patricia Arnold. Cathy Robbins, Vice President of the El Pomar Foundation was the keynote speaker for the ceremony. Her message included some key statistical information:
84% or more are the average earnings a college graduate receives over a high school graduate.

9.7% is the current unemployment rate for high school graduates and 4.5% is the current unemployment rate for college graduates.

$800,000 - $1,000,000 is the difference in lifetime earnings for a college graduate over a high school graduate.

Lower risk of heart disease. There has been a thirty year study of thousands of people that have shown that there is significantly higher rate of blood pressure with high school graduates leading to an increased risk of heart disease.

Ms. Robbins speech reinforced Pikes Peak Prep’s belief in the importance of a strong educational foundation that will lead their students to college.

The ceremony concluded with a reception for the families, friends, staff and graduates that was hosted by Mike Edmonds of Colorado College.

Monday, August 22, 2011

From the Principal

Welcome to Pikes Peak Prep

We are so excited to begin the 2011 -2012 school year! We are thrilled to have so many familiar faces returning to our school; we also have a number of families that are with us for the first time to whom we would like to extend a warm welcome. Our entire staff looks forward to working with your children and providing them excellent educational opportunities. Pikes Peak Prep has a student-first focus where instruction, curriculum, and programs are designed to insure student growth and success. We individualize instruction to capitalize on student strength’s and interests and backfill any gaps in learning and areas of weakness.

We are very proud to offer our students a safe respectful learning environment in which they can thrive. We believe all children can and want to learn, and it is our responsibility to see this to fulfillment. We model and exemplify values of respect for self, others, time, and property.

Some fun extra-curricular plans for this year include:
Another great talent show in the fall. Our first talent show was so successful we thought we would get the year started with this activity.
More karaoke staff contests.
Additional fun afterschool clubs, music concerts and art projects.

Our parents and guardians are crucial and the number one reason for the success of our students.

At Pikes Peak Prep we strongly encourage parents to:
Volunteer in your child’s class, another classroom, or the front office.
Join and attend PTO meetings and events.
Participate in school programs and events.
Drive on fieldtrips.
Ask your child’s teacher what you can do at home to enrich the learning of the class (bulletin board items, etc.).
Talk to various classes about your career.
Participate in and support fundraising.

It is essential for parents to develop close connections with your child’s teachers and school administration in order to fully support your child in school-work and become your child’s strongest advocate. All of us working together as a team increases your child’s capabilities and potential.

I look forward to working with all parents and students. Thank you so much for entrusting your child(ren) to us and allowing us to serve you.

Dr. Patricia Arnold
Principal

Friday, August 19, 2011

New School Year, New Goals

The new school year is always a fun and exciting time for returning students who anticipate to see their old friends, meet their new teachers, and improve upon past performances. This year at Pikes Peak Prep, the students will continue to work diligently to achieve high test scores, improve upon many educational skills, and enjoy the new school year with their peers.  The teachers will continue to challenge the students to ensure that they are learning the necessary skills and tools needed to succeed in future classroom settings.  Pikes Peak Prep has many success stories from the past years, so why not add more this year? The new students as well as those familiar to the school should expect another school year filled with new goals that will provide for a more challenging yet very exciting time to learn and grow in our charter school.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Open House


 
Pikes Peak Prep held an open house for all families that will be attending this fall. The gym overflowed with parents and students listening carefully to Prinicipal, Dr. Arnold as she welcomed students and families, shared the increased academic achievement of students demonstrated on CSAP last school year, and reviewed student academic and behavior expectations. After, families had the opportunity to visit with the staff in their homerooms. Our new students were so excited and the entire school community had a sense of energy and anticipation for the first day of school. Families were provided time to purchase planners, ask questions, and meet with the music, art and Spanish teachers.

Help Students at Pikes Peak Prep

It's easy to help students at Pikes Peak Prep! View donation levels below to see how you could help a student!

A $50 donation provides: 4 full school uniforms for students in need
A $100 donation provides: the materials necessary to tutor a child
$500 helps to: Purchase or update computer hardware in a classroom
$1,000 will: Pay for a student to attend a 3-credit college course; includes: tuition, fees, books, counseling, and transportation
$5,000 enables us to: Purchase up-to-date science equipment for the high school classes
$10,000 graciously provides: A portion of the cost needed to staff each classroom with a “learning guide” to assist the licensed teacher

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

We Offer: Diagnostic and Prescriptive Teaching

To insure that all of our students succeed, Pikes Peak Prep employs diagnostic and prescriptive teaching. We do baseline testing of all our students for the purpose of identifying areas of strength, weaknesses, and any gaps in learning. This information then allows teachers to tailor their teaching in a very prescriptive way, much like a doctor treats problems, to backfill the gaps and build the weak areas with intervention strategies. By doing this, students are able to successfully move forward in learning without have a deficit. On-going formative assessment is routinely conducted, so that adjustments and course corrections can be made when and where needed.

Monday, August 15, 2011

PPP 2011-2012 Student Handbook

Every school has a set of rules and regulations for their students to follow! The 2011-2012 Pikes Peak Prek Student Handbook has now been posted on our website! Review the policies and procedures before starting school this Wednesday!

Thursday, August 11, 2011

PPP Offers Individualized Learning Plans!

Because our total enrollment is intentionally kept smaller than in traditional public schools or in parochial or private schools, we are able to offer individual attention to our students in the form of Individualized Learning Plans.

ILPs incorporate our teachers’ assessment of where the child currently stands academically, test scores, and – importantly – an assessment of how the student learns best.

With this information, we can develop a plan of attack that will guide our students’ academic progress and prepare them for college and beyond.

Feel comfortable contacting your child’s teacher about this option.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Free College: Partnerships

Pikes Peak Prep is deeply proud – and just as grateful – to have established educational partnerships with Pikes Peak Community College and with the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

PPCC was quick to agree with the theory behind our Middle College program. “Middle College” is a collaboration between a high school and a college or university to allow high school students who qualify to enroll in and take college courses for credit. Students take a combination of core high school courses and college courses to receive their diploma and graduate. The core classes are provided by teachers employed by the high school while the college courses are taken alongside real college students at the college.

One of the many goals of a Middle College program is simply to expose high school students who might not otherwise enroll in higher education to the college environment, demystify the college experience, and get those students working toward degrees. This helps the students, many of whom will be the first generation in their families to attend college, to build a solid belief in themselves, to stay in school and succeed, and to integrate directly into college from high school.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Pikes Peak Prep: "Breaking the Ice"

Pikes Peak Prep “Connections” was about “Breaking the Ice”. I know it’s still summer, but for a new student starting this fall, baby its cold outside! New teenage students foster some enormous fears and anxiety around new school, new teachers, new friends, new schedule, etc. So to help break the ice we had 2 days scheduled with 2 -1 ½ sessions of team building exercises for our Jr. high and high school students both new and returning. What a concept! The returning students welcomed our new students with open arms and fresh ideas that only kids can take ownership to as Ms. Ramey and myself jumped right into physical challenges such as the hula hoop pass and managed to endure the “support” and “mental challenge” exercises with great enthusiasm. Extremely positive feedback came from parents and students as we ended each session with root-beer floats. Now that warmed things up!

Monday, August 8, 2011

Who Attends Pikes Peak Prep?

The population scattergram below, or in PDF form here, shows how far our students will come for an education that fits. As a public charter school, any Colorado resident student may attend 21CCS, we are not restricted to attendance boundaries as traditional public schools are.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Important Dates

August is a very exciting month with the back to school preparations and the arrival of a new school year.  So what's more important than the excitement of going back to school? Having the right dates!  Important dates are approaching within the next few weeks.  Students and parents have easy access to Pikes Peak Prep Calendar by simply visiting the indicated link that provides direct access to the school's calendar.  The calendar lists important parent meetings, holidays, awards ceremonies, and of course the first day of school! In essence, summer is winding down and the school is excited to have the students return from summer vacation ready for another great educational school year!

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Our Mission

For each and every child that walks through our doors, college is an expectation. From day one at Pikes Peak Prep, students receive a tailored education to make this possible.

It’s an education that fits.

We’ve established innovative partnerships, like tutoring and our Middle College program, to build the skills and knowledge to be successful in life and learning. Your child will graduate prepared.

Mission Statement
Our mission is to provide a comprehensive educational experience to students in Colorado Springs, utilizing innovative methods of instruction designed to produce excellence in educational achievement.

Our vision is to go beyond a typical college prep education and empower our students with college experience, workforce readiness, and community leadership so that they are prepared to compete, excel and lead in the 21st Century’s global economy.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Our school is AWESOME!

We not only have our blog, but we have a Twitter and Facebook page that is updated with the latest Pikes Peak Prep news! Visit our Twitter and our Facebook page. Also, learn more about PPP on the website and explore the following items:

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Free College Credit Courses

We are extremely proud to offer our high school students entrance into our Middle College program at Pikes Peak Prep, where they can take free college courses for real college credit.

Middle College is a collaboration between a high school and a college or university to allow high school students who qualify to enroll in and take college courses for credit. Students take a combination of core high school courses and college courses to receive their diploma and graduate. The core classes are provided by teachers employed by the high school while the college courses are taken alongside real college students at the college.

One of the many goals of a middle college program is simply to expose high school students who might not otherwise enroll in higher education to the college environment, demystify the college experience, and get those students working toward degrees. This helps the students, many of whom will be the first generation in their families to attend college, to build a solid belief in themselves, to stay in school and succeed, and to integrate directly into college from high school.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Support Us

Pikes Peak Prep continues to strive to update classroom materials and provide new ways for students to learn in innovative ways.   There are many oppotunities for community members to be a part of the school by supporting us in ways such as the following: assisting in classrooms, donations of books, music supplies, etc. By visiting us online and checking out our "Support Us" link, it is simple to learn more about how one can make a generous contribution in helping our students succeed.  In essence, any kind of support would be greatly appreciated to ensure that our Pikes Peak Prep students have the necessary tools to grown and learn.

About Charter Schools

Charter schools are free, public schools in Colorado that have been “freed” from some of the rules and regulations that apply to traditional public schools and other private and parochial schools, but that are held to a different level of accountability. Because charter schools are actually created by the approval of a “charter,” the terms of the charter must be met in order for the charter school to remain open.

While charter schools obtain funding from the State, they only receive a portion of the funds that go to traditional public schools. Charter schools do receive the funds that follow a student in Colorado from public school to public school, but they do not receive the transportation funds and capital funds that traditional public schools receive.

Charter schools are developed by extremely dedicated individuals whose goal is to serve a particular population of students that, in their charter, they have shown is currently underserved. Because of the dedication and vision of the schools’ founders, charter schools can fair pretty well despite the drastically reduced funding, but funding and a tight budget are always issues.