MORE ABOUT HEATHERWOOD ELEMENTARY

This page contains detailed information about Heatherwood Elementary's staff, media center, curriculum, instruction, and student success. The Staff        The Heatherwood staff is known throughout the Boulder Valley School District and State of Colorado for its leadership and innovation. They have been in the forefront of standards development and curriculum revision. The school annually receives mini-grants from the District for special projects.        Heatherwood's team teaching provides teachers the opportunity to utilize their best strengths in developing creative activities to captivate student interest. It also provides for more than one teacher to know and to work with your child. A wide variety of professionals interact with the students, all enhancing student learning opportunities. These include special education staff, trained paraeducators, a social worker, a speech therapist, custodians and school volunteers.        Each semester there is at least one student teacher learning from the many master teachers here at Heatherwood. The teacher turnover rate is very low at Heatherwood, indicative of the commitment to their profession and of the high morale and team spirit. Many of the staff come from this neighborhood. This truly enhances the meaning of "neighborhood school." Media Center - Library        The Heatherwood Media Center - Library is a critical component of our school. Central to teaching and learning at Heatherwood is our research-based Media Center - Library which enables children to learn through discovery and inquiry. The Media Center - Library is located prominently in the center of the school. Under the management of our certified Library Media specialist, library materials and media center software continually improve the ability of teachers to address children's various learning needs and styles. Each grade level does research projects and our Media Specialist works closely with the teacher and students in the instruction and development of these age-appropriate projects.        The Heatherwood Media Center - Library serves the entire community, preschool through adult, even in the summer. (See the Library page for information about library activities.) Available materials include over 18,000 books, other standard and innovative research sources, parenting and professional materials, computers and software, videos, audio tapes, puppets and even musical instruments. The Curriculum        In the academic curriculum, the foundation of which is set by the District, Heatherwood provides a strong balance between the development of basic skills and of higher level thinking. Program evaluation, with input from staff and parents, is an ongoing endeavor. Art, music, and physical education are valued as essential, not supplemental, to the development of healthy, well-educated children. Copies of the BVSD grade-level parent guides and curriculum guides are available in the school office. Instruction        Students at Heatherwood are building a foundation for being lifelong, active learners. Teaching methods incorporate a variety of approaches to enhance learning opportunities for students regardless of their learning style. Teachers use developmentally appropriate materials and activities to introduce and reinforce concepts. Large group, small group and individualized instruction are the basis of student learning at Heatherwood.        Teachers utilize technology as a tool for curriculum instruction. Students have access to a wide variety of computer programs. Computers, located in each classroom, are used for word processing, problem solving, and reinforcement of content area skills.        Diversity of thought and learning style are honored while celebrating the richness of the cultures around us. Student Success        Heatherwood encourages a love for learning among students while requiring a high level of mastery of basic skills and "high order" thinking and problem solving. We believe student success is particularly enhanced with a strong parent-student-teacher partnership commitment.        Heatherwood builds leadership skills in our students through an active student council and conflict resolution program. We strive to challenge our students in unique ways. There are many enrichment opportunities and the Talented and Gifted Program (TAG).        There is a diversity of programs at Heatherwood using music, art, and physical education. Many opportunities to share student successes come through the many school activities and student work displays.        Heatherwood students perform well on standardized achievement assessments, and the Heatherwood staff and the School Improvement Team (SIT) work together to evaluate and improve student achievement. For more information on student achievement, see Frequently Asked Questions about Heatherwood Elementary. More Information        The Heatherwood Information page contains a list of sources of information about Heatherwood Elementary.