School Information :: TAG :: Enrichment Opportunities
TAG Home / Overview / Our Vision / Characteristics / TAG Identification / In the Classroom / Enrichment Opportunities / Opportunities for Parents / Contact
Enrichment Opportunities Offered by the Lafayette Elementary TAG Office
The Lafayette Elementary School TAG Office offers many ongoing enrichment activities throughout the school year.
These programs are offered before or after school. Some of these programs are:
Challenge 24 Math - This mental math challenge opportunity is offered to K–5 grade students. Students
develop their math skills and enhance their awareness of number sense by eliminating paper/pencil computation.
Teams will be created to compete within Lafayette Elementary and possibly extend to other Boulder Valley schools
in the future.
Chess Club - Currently
more than 40 students K–5 participate in our after-school chess program. Beginning and intermediate levels of
play are offered. Through small group coaching beginning players learn strategic moves that help improve their
level of play. Intermediate students develop strategies that enhance their level of play. The intermediate group
competes internally each week to establish membership of the competitive team. The competitive team participates
in matches with other Boulder Valley schools.
Destination Imagination - Students K-5 participate on teams with seven members coached by parent
volunteers. Each team meets regularly to work out solutions to a problem determined by the Destination
Imagination program national advisors. K–2 students participate in a non-competitive problem and give a
performance at the Boulder Valley School District DI Event. Students in grades 3–5 compete at the district,
state, and sometimes national levels. Learn more by reading the Destination Imagination brochure (download)
or visit their web site (www.idodi.org).
District Literary Magazine - Each spring the Boulder Valley School District TAG Office publishes a
literary magazine containing poems, stories, and artwork produced by Boulder Valley students. Lafayette
Elementary School students are encouraged to use their literary and artistic talents to develop submissions for
the magazine. Every school receives a copy of this publication.
Drama Club - Students in grades 3–5 meet weekly after school to hone their acting skills. A production is
written, rehearsed, and videotaped each month centered on the Character Matters Word of the Month. The videotape
is then shared with the entire student body. Students also enhance performance skills for participation in
Lafayette Elementary School’s yearly musical production.
G.A.M.E.S. - Lafayette Elementary 4th and 5th grade girls are
taking advantage of a rare opportunity allowing them to look
through the eyes of scientists during Girls at the Museum
Exploring Science program, a partnership between the
elementary school and the University of Colorado Museum
of Natural History, Boulder. The after-school program gives
girls an edge in science by literally putting them in touch with
the scientific community. The program targets 4th and 5th
grade girls to help stimulate a continued interest in science as
they continue through their academic studies.
Spelling Bee - Both primary and intermediate students participate in a spelling bee at Lafayette
Elementary. The school winner from the intermediate division then moves on to the Boulder Valley District
Spelling Bee. Winners may go as far as the state and national level bees.
Student Newspaper - In our newspaper created for students by students, fourth and fifth graders write and
publish their own work. Students meet once a week after school to generate interesting topics that are covered
in three published newspapers: December holiday issue, spring issue, and end-of-year issue. The entire student
body receives copies of the newspaper.
Super Saturdays and Sometimes - The Boulder Valley School District Office of Advanced Academic Services
offers schools the opportunity to write grants for money to provide before-school, after-school, or weekend
enrichment activities for students. Working cooperatively, the TAG Office and PTA won a grant for the National
PTA Art Reflections Program for this school year. Students submitted entries in literature and the visual arts.
Another Super Saturdays opportunity coming in May 2006 is a competition within Lafayette Elementary School that
encompasses oral reading, math, spelling, writing, and duet acting. We will apply each year for these grants
that benefit many students at Lafayette Elementary School.
Geography Club/National GeoBee - Primary and intermediate geography clubs for K-5 students meet weekly
before school. Primary students do an in-depth study of the United States and a general study of continents,
countries, landforms, and waterways of the world. Intermediate students re-energize their knowledge of the
United States, continents, countries, landforms, and waterways. They study diverse cultures as well as political
and historical events that impact the way our world looks today. These students use this knowledge to
participate in the National GeoBee sponsored by National Geographic Magazine.
Other Co-Curricular Opportunities for enrichment offered at Lafayette Elementary:
Choir - The Lafayette Cougar Pride Choir is a diverse, non-auditioned group of singers from grades 3-5
who perform for the school and community throughout the year. Cougar Pride members perform songs in many
languages and musical styles as they consistently strive for excellence.
Hand Bell Choir & Taiko Drum Ensemble - These co-curricular programs are offered to students in grades
4–5. Students audition and are selected for the entire school year. They perform for parents and the student
body as well as at community events and nursing homes.
Intramurals - One day a week after school students in grades 3–5 may elect to participate in a wide
variety of intramural sports activities. Offerings include flag football, floor hockey, climbing walls,
basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, and training for the annual Bolder Boulder 10k race.
Outdoor Education - Fifth grade students participate in an outdoor education program that provides
opportunities to experience real life ecology structures and connections to the outdoors through an overnight
outing with teachers and parents.
Science Fair - A school-wide science fair is open to all students K-5. Students display their science
projects for viewing by students and parents. The fair is presented as a non-competitive activity.
T.E.A.M.S. (Technology & Engineering to Enhance Science & Math) - CU graduate engineering students
enhance science learning in our classrooms as well as after school as part of a weekly program. A National
Science Foundation (NSF) award was presented to the Integrated Teaching and Learning Laboratory (ITLL) of the CU
College of Engineering and Applied Sciences to continue efforts to partner with the six Lafayette schools to
enhance our science and math curricula. The program places graduate student “Fellows” in classrooms one day each
week and in an after school club atmosphere. The Fellows use engineering as a vehicle to integrate hands-on
science and math instruction, exposing students and teachers to the joys and challenges of engineering in an
inquiry based way that helps them understand the relationship between math and science.
