Addressing any existing gaps in the students’ math and language arts skills to develop significant progress in literacy/numeracy skills
High expectations
Accountability
Relational capacity
Character development and introspection
Developing technology skills
Advocacy with students and families
An extension of Community Prep School, a public charter school authorized by Colorado Springs School District 11.
A small group (12-15 students) of incoming freshmen, who will meet at a location outside of the existing CPS campus.
Led by two teachers.
A predetermined, year-long curriculum that will earn each student 11.25 credits.
Statistically, the 9th grade, or freshman year in high school, is the most frequently failed grade … many factors contribute to this:
Adjustment to a new, larger social setting
Increased classwork and homework
Challenging academic content
Gaps in students’ academic foundation
The Freshman Academy is designed to be a small group of students (12-15), who will all be working together to master the same classroom challenges. The distractions and stress of trying to find their place in a larger, more age-diverse student body will be eliminated.
Students will complete a full 9th grade curriculum, and work to fill in the gaps in any areas where they may be struggling.
Creating more time and space for reviewing concepts that students may find difficult to grasp, or may have missed altogether, will enable them to more easily understand the new content they are being presented with.
With regular attendance and consistent participation, homework will rarely if ever be necessary.
An ongoing, 4-year curriculum focusing on social-emotional development, self-discipline, and personal and community identity.
An ongoing, 4-year curriculum focusing on preparing for and transitioning to an independent, fulfilling life after high school.
A concrete, skills-based curriculum that will challenge students to create positive change in their lives. Students can develop many of the positive social skills necessary to be successful in school and in life.
A course that will cover fractions, decimals and signed numbers. Some basic exponents and geometry terminology will also be covered. (Pre Algebra)
A course centered on reading for all purposes. Additionally, students will receive an introduction to basic grammar, language usage/vocabulary development, mechanics and ongoing refinements within the writing process.
A course that will teach the skills necessary to create documents, spreadsheets, chart/graphs, video and audio recordings, and original graphics in the Google suite of apps. Student Website
A course that will examine the causes and impact of climate change, and allow for opportunities to contemplate a more responsible path forward.
A course that will examine the period in history known as “The Renaissance”, and which will consider its importance as a turning point in world history.
A course that will dig deep into the importance of understanding and utilizing words as tools for learning, persuasion, and communication.
A course that will examine wellness in regard to physical, social, spiritual , and psychological factors.
A class in which students will have the opportunity to participate in projects that benefit the school community and the community at large.
The CPS Freshman Academy 2022-23 school year will begin on August 1, 2022, and conclude on June 9, 2023.
We will observe the same national holidays as Colorado Springs School District 11, but will not have teacher work days on the same calendar days (our teacher work days will fall on Fridays, when students are not in the building).
The Freshman Academy will meet Monday - Thursday each week. The only exception will be on Friday, October 1st - the day the district observes “Count Day”.
Because we operate on a 4-day school week, regular attendance is vitally important to a student’s success.
Students will not be allowed to leave for lunch unless we, as a group, are leaving campus for lunch. We would prefer to use that time to build bonds of community, and a system of support for each other. We also would prefer for parents to know where their students are during school hours.
When gaps develop in a student's academic experience they are typically most pronounced and most easily identified in the areas of math and English language arts.
To address gaps in reading, we will be using a program called Reading Plus, which helps to strengthen a reader's focus and pacing in terms of eye-muscle movement. This program has been very successful in improving students' reading skills, focus and retention, and vocabulary development. In addition to students working on Reading Plus every morning, we will do a lot of reading and analysis together as a group.
To address gaps in math, we will be working with manipulatives (physical objects to represent math concepts), and creating real-life projects that utilize math skills and concepts to find solutions.
The Freshman Academy will observe all district, county and state protocols as it relates to the Covid-19 pandemic. While conditions and requirements may change by July 2022, as of now, we plan to:
Have masks and hand sanitizer available to all students and staff
Practice social distancing throughout the school day
Sanitize the facility each day
Deep clean our facility weekly
Take and record the temperature of each staff member and student each day upon arrival
Confirm and document that each staff member and student are symptom-free upon arrival
The Freshman Academy will be able to observe these safety protocols more easily than most schools. We will be 17 people sharing about 2,000 square feet of space.
The space is essentially one large room with a variety of different "stations" to be used for different purposes. Large work tables for group projects, individual workspaces for individual work, and a large living room area for group reading and group discussions.
Outside of an infectious outbreak, we should be able to conduct in-person learning every day of the year, unless the state or county shuts down all schools completely.
We would all benefit greatly from an entire year of uninterrupted, in-person learning.
The Freshman Academy is a pilot program of Community Prep School, which is a public charter school, so there is no cost for your student to attend the Freshman Academy.
The computer, books, and other supplies that your student will need will be provided by the school.
Lunch will also be supplied, at no cost, by the school each day.
The only cost to you will be transportation to and from school. The Freshman Academy is located within walking distance of the downtown METRO Mountain Transit bus terminal (5 blocks). If financial assistance is needed to purchase a bus pass, please discuss this with the Freshman Academy staff during the application/interview process.
“My mindset has become more positive. Now I feel like I can do more things than before.” - Elisha Wisinger
“Before I would take my emotions out on everyone, but now I am doing a lot better at controlling my emotions.” - Savannah Carter
To enroll in Community Prep School's Freshman Academy…
Complete the Freshman Academy Application and Enrollment Papers by downloading them or picking them up from 408 S Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80903 Suite #10
Enrollment Interviews:
Please email, fainfo@communityprepschool.org, to schedule your enrollment interview as soon as all of the enrollment paperwork is completed.
Teacher
Freshman Academy Lead/Founder
Teacher
Outdoor Education Coordinator
Advocate
