A well-defined and thorough curriculum is the basis of Creekside’s academic program at all grades. The goal of our curriculum is to provide students with an in-depth knowledge at each grade, and for each grade to build on the skills and knowledge learned in previous grades. Concepts from different curriculum areas are often tied together in broad units that provide students the opportunity to view related concepts from a variety of viewpoints. For instance, the kindergarten unit on Antarctica will involve map skills, measuring and comparing temperatures, measuring distances, and learning the adaptive skills of penguins. Students are encouraged to develop problem solving skills and independent thinking at all grade levels.
Creekside is fortunate to have both math and literacy experts (coaches) on staff. Their sole function at the school is to provide teachers with the most up-to-date information on best teaching practices in these areas. They consult with teachers regarding students who need additional challenge or help, and to create school-wide programs that are consistent and build from grade to grade.
Core Content Areas
Literacy
Creekside Elementary School offers intensive, small group literacy instruction for every child. In our balanced literacy program, children who are reading above grade level are challenged to continue to expand their reading skills and comprehension, and children who are struggling are provided the necessary supports to bring them to grade level. Highly trained staff members teach all reading groups. Creekside's extensive reading library of 26,400+ leveled books allows every student to take home a reading book every night.Math
Creekside has high mathematical expectations for all students. To ensure learning success in mathematics we concentrate on five content areas: number sense, patterns and algebra, probability and data analysis, geometry, measurement and computation. The staff at Creekside uses an innovative balance of two mathematics curricula, Scott Foresman Addison Wesley and Investigations. Teachers strive to both embody and inspire mathematical proficiency through a focused and systematic approach. Students will learn by hands-on lessons. Our goal is that students not only develop proficiency, but also learn to think mathematically. The use of additional staff members and parent volunteers results in a small teacher to student ratio during math lessons.Social Studies
Creekside’s Social Studies program is composed of three elements (history, geography and civics) in kindergarten through fifth. Beginning in first grade an additional element, economics, is added. Students master a concept by investigating the topic in increasing depth over subsequent years. For instance, students begin to learn about map skills in kindergarten by exploring how landmasses are represented. By fifth grade they will apply these skills by analyzing how the geography of a continent has shaped it’s culture and economics. By the time students complete fifth grade they will have explored the history of Colorado, the United States and the Age of Exploration and completed in-depth units that relate to all seven continents. Our annual International Festival is the culmination of each class’s study of a foreign country. Creekside’s international population brings these lessons to life in a meaningful and exciting way.Science
Science also uses the learning by doing approach. Scientific knowledge advances when students observe objects and events, think about how they relate to what is known, test their ideas in logical ways, and generate explanations that integrate new information. Therefore, the science philosophy at Creekside encompasses what we know (content) and how we come to know it (process). Additionally, at the intermediate level, students take part in the CU engineering program that includes five months of reinforcement of science and math.
Specials and Integration
Creekside's Art, Music and Physical Education teachers work closely with classroom teachers to integrate many of the classroom thematic units and concepts into Art, Music and P.E. Our specialist teachers also are active in planning many all-school events such as all-school sing alongs, the annual Fun Run and Field & Fun days, and ongoing displays of student artwork.
Art
In Art, students are encouraged to discover, explore and experiment with various media, tools, processes and techniques. Students will become familiar with various elements of art and the works of many famous artists. Art classes at Creekside are intended to develop a positive attitude and life-long appreciation for Art.Physical Education
In Physical Education, children are given a safe, fun environment to develop motor skills and teamwork. They also learn components of healthy physical fitness so they can make fitness a lifetime habit.Music
At Creekside, the music repertoire is closely tied to the Social Studies curriculum. Music classes focus on singing and movement. Students are provided with opportunities to play a variety of musical instruments and develop music reading skills through individual and group study. Students also create their own music and play games in order to foster a life-long appreciation of music. Art, Music and Physical Education teachers collaborate on annual programs at each grade level.Library
Children check out one or more library books each week. During library time, they will also learn how to use the library as a research tool. Parents may request a library card in their own name that allows them to check out additional children books for reading at home. Click here to visit the library page.
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