Polaris is a K-12 school within Poudre School District that partners with the national education reform model of Expeditionary Learning (EL). Polaris utilizes the 10 Design Principles and five Core Practice Benchmarks of Expeditionary Learning to achieve our mission of "developing 21st century learners through rigorous academic course work, high quality adventure experiences, character development, and leadership opportunities." Together—as parents, students, teachers, and staff—we strive to create the ideal learning environment for adolescents. Our K-12 environment supports child and adolescent development, experiential curriculum, life skills, and connections between kids and their community.
Learning Culture
Polaris does not serve a specific neighborhood, it is a 100% school of choice program within Poudre School District. Our classes are capped at 18 at the elementary level and hover between 22 - 29 students at the secondary level. The fundamental idea behind Expeditionary Learning is that students learn more by experiencing the world around them. Expeditionary Learning harnesses the students’ natural passion to learn and helps children develop the curiosity, knowledge, skills, and personal qualities they need for successful adulthood. EL describes three "buckets of success" they strive for in their schools and their students, they are as follows:
Polaris does not serve a specific neighborhood, it is a 100% school of choice program within Poudre School District. Our classes are capped at 18 at the elementary level and hover between 22 - 29 students at the secondary level. The fundamental idea behind Expeditionary Learning is that students learn more by experiencing the world around them. Expeditionary Learning harnesses the students’ natural passion to learn and helps children develop the curiosity, knowledge, skills, and personal qualities they need for successful adulthood. EL describes three "buckets of success" they strive for in their schools and their students, they are as follows:
- Success on traditional measures
- Enhancing character, engagement, & motivation
- Producing quality products and performances that represent "real work"
Polaris Community
The parents at Polaris are very involved in the school. Polaris has the most active parent volunteers in the district. Parent Action Crew is a group that represents the parent community and helps support the staff through fund-raising and organizing events.
Parents help with adventure, fieldwork and intensives. Intensives are fun for students and parents. Intensives are where students spend a week learning about topics such as computers, music, art, adventure and the other exciting options. We love to have our parents participate, drive, chaperone, and lend their personal expertise to these experiences.
The parents at Polaris are very involved in the school. Polaris has the most active parent volunteers in the district. Parent Action Crew is a group that represents the parent community and helps support the staff through fund-raising and organizing events.
Parents help with adventure, fieldwork and intensives. Intensives are fun for students and parents. Intensives are where students spend a week learning about topics such as computers, music, art, adventure and the other exciting options. We love to have our parents participate, drive, chaperone, and lend their personal expertise to these experiences.
Health Care at Polaris
Our school is fortunate to have an experienced full-time Health Technician on staff as well as a school district Registered Nurse who visits weekly to address student health care as needed. If your student has specific health care needs, daily medication, or a chronic medical condition that requires supervision, please be sure to include this information when you register your student for school or as a change in your student's health is discovered. For certain medical conditions a Health Care Action Plan (HCAP) may be deemed necessary by your physician and the school district.
Our school is fortunate to have an experienced full-time Health Technician on staff as well as a school district Registered Nurse who visits weekly to address student health care as needed. If your student has specific health care needs, daily medication, or a chronic medical condition that requires supervision, please be sure to include this information when you register your student for school or as a change in your student's health is discovered. For certain medical conditions a Health Care Action Plan (HCAP) may be deemed necessary by your physician and the school district.
Demographics at Polaris
230 students, or 87.8% of the student population at Polaris Expeditionary Learning School identify as Caucasian, making up the majority of the student body. A typical school in Fort Collins is made up of 73.5% Caucasian students, so Polaris Expeditionary Learning School has a slightly different ethnic distribution compared to other schools in the city.
The demographic breakdown of Polaris Expeditionary Learning School is drastically different from that of a typical school in the state of Colorado, which is made up of 56.1% Caucasian students on average.
Males outnumber females at Polaris Expeditionary Learning School, where the student body is 56% male and 43% female.
Compared to Fort CollinsThe average school in Fort Collins is 50% male, which means that Polaris Expeditionary Learning School has a higher than average proportion of male students compared to other schools in the city.
Compared to ColoradoMost schools in the state of Colorado are 52% male and 48% female on average.
Any child at a participating school may purchase a meal through the National School Lunch Program. Children from families with incomes at or below 130% of the poverty level are eligible for free meals. Those with incomes between 130% and 185% of the poverty level are eligible for reduced‐price meals, for which students can be charged no more than 40 cents. For the period July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2014, 130 percent of the poverty level is $30,615 annual income for a family of four; 185 percent is $43,568.
The median household income in Fort Collins city is $53,359 per year. This city's median income is above the eligibility threshold for reduced price lunch, which may have an impact on the proportion of students eligible under the National School Lunch Program.
230 students, or 87.8% of the student population at Polaris Expeditionary Learning School identify as Caucasian, making up the majority of the student body. A typical school in Fort Collins is made up of 73.5% Caucasian students, so Polaris Expeditionary Learning School has a slightly different ethnic distribution compared to other schools in the city.
The demographic breakdown of Polaris Expeditionary Learning School is drastically different from that of a typical school in the state of Colorado, which is made up of 56.1% Caucasian students on average.
Males outnumber females at Polaris Expeditionary Learning School, where the student body is 56% male and 43% female.
Compared to Fort CollinsThe average school in Fort Collins is 50% male, which means that Polaris Expeditionary Learning School has a higher than average proportion of male students compared to other schools in the city.
Compared to ColoradoMost schools in the state of Colorado are 52% male and 48% female on average.
Any child at a participating school may purchase a meal through the National School Lunch Program. Children from families with incomes at or below 130% of the poverty level are eligible for free meals. Those with incomes between 130% and 185% of the poverty level are eligible for reduced‐price meals, for which students can be charged no more than 40 cents. For the period July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2014, 130 percent of the poverty level is $30,615 annual income for a family of four; 185 percent is $43,568.
The median household income in Fort Collins city is $53,359 per year. This city's median income is above the eligibility threshold for reduced price lunch, which may have an impact on the proportion of students eligible under the National School Lunch Program.
School Culture
Polaris has a goal of building a culture that is founded on respect, responsibility, courage, and kindness, where students and adults are committed to quality work and citizenship. School structures and traditions such as crew, community meetings, exhibitions of student work, and service learning ensure that every student is known and cared for, that student leadership is nurtured, and that contributions to the school and world are celebrated. Students and staff are supported to do better work and be better people than they thought possible.
The foundation of Polaris is a community that brings out the best in students and staff. The school climate is characterized by safety, kindness, joy in learning, and positive leadership by staff and students. The school’s mission encompasses academic success and compassionate character. The school celebrates both student academic growth and character development. Teachers and school leaders communicate clear expectations for student character and model those values in their own practice. Policies and practices encourage students to take responsibility for learning, to demonstrate empathy and caring, and to be stewards of the school.
Polaris has a goal of building a culture that is founded on respect, responsibility, courage, and kindness, where students and adults are committed to quality work and citizenship. School structures and traditions such as crew, community meetings, exhibitions of student work, and service learning ensure that every student is known and cared for, that student leadership is nurtured, and that contributions to the school and world are celebrated. Students and staff are supported to do better work and be better people than they thought possible.
The foundation of Polaris is a community that brings out the best in students and staff. The school climate is characterized by safety, kindness, joy in learning, and positive leadership by staff and students. The school’s mission encompasses academic success and compassionate character. The school celebrates both student academic growth and character development. Teachers and school leaders communicate clear expectations for student character and model those values in their own practice. Policies and practices encourage students to take responsibility for learning, to demonstrate empathy and caring, and to be stewards of the school.
About the Students:
Student A likes to have her voice heard during class, and wants to keep her art in her own style.
Student B has difficulty focusing throughout class, and he likes tot take the art assignment in his own direction.
Student C has a quieter presence in class, and she has very thoughtful reflections on her own artwork.
Student D is another quiet student in class, and she is eager to get involved with her art when surrounded by peers.
Student E likes to add to class discussions with helpful remarks, and he is a fast worker that likes to expand onto his original ideas.
Student F is a thoughtful contributor to class discussions and he likes to finish his art quickly, but with a slight push he will expand on his ideas.
Student G comes in to class with a lower energy level than the rest of her classmates, but when she warms up she is ready to dive into her art project, focusing on the details within the whole project.
Student H is energetic and enthusiastic every class period, and loves pursuing deeper learning, but sometimes gets distracted and directs his energy at talking with his friends.
Student I is very intelligent and articulate but is enamored with war, has some difficulties in his family situation, and tries to get away with minimal effort unless pushed to excel.
Student J is very helpful and always volunteers to clean things up, and is fairly quiet but consistently contributes good ideas to class discussions.
Student K is talkative and energetic, and is excited about creating but needs some pushing to develop deeper ideas and products.
Student L works hard and stays engaged with class work, and stays in the background of discussions but pays thorough attention.
Student M is full of questions and new ideas, and spends a long time narrowing down his ideas for artwork, often fluctuation between different ones to the point of making very slow progress on the product.
Student N is very enthusiastic and loves learning and talking about all his ideas and processes with others; often his narrative about his artwork is far more detailed and clear than the references loosely shown in his work.
Student O likes to joke around with friends and frequently contributes to class discussions; she shows thorough understanding but sometimes gets distracted by side conversations.
Silas- Student P is very driven in ideation and creating his artwork; he enjoys participating in side conversations with his table-mates and classmates around him.
Student Q started the semester shy about her opinions, but ready to show her artwork to the teacher and her peers, and receiving feedback from others points of views.
Student R is very focused during our class time, she likes to bounce ideas off of her friends, but always comes back to her assignment and getting her work done.
Student A likes to have her voice heard during class, and wants to keep her art in her own style.
Student B has difficulty focusing throughout class, and he likes tot take the art assignment in his own direction.
Student C has a quieter presence in class, and she has very thoughtful reflections on her own artwork.
Student D is another quiet student in class, and she is eager to get involved with her art when surrounded by peers.
Student E likes to add to class discussions with helpful remarks, and he is a fast worker that likes to expand onto his original ideas.
Student F is a thoughtful contributor to class discussions and he likes to finish his art quickly, but with a slight push he will expand on his ideas.
Student G comes in to class with a lower energy level than the rest of her classmates, but when she warms up she is ready to dive into her art project, focusing on the details within the whole project.
Student H is energetic and enthusiastic every class period, and loves pursuing deeper learning, but sometimes gets distracted and directs his energy at talking with his friends.
Student I is very intelligent and articulate but is enamored with war, has some difficulties in his family situation, and tries to get away with minimal effort unless pushed to excel.
Student J is very helpful and always volunteers to clean things up, and is fairly quiet but consistently contributes good ideas to class discussions.
Student K is talkative and energetic, and is excited about creating but needs some pushing to develop deeper ideas and products.
Student L works hard and stays engaged with class work, and stays in the background of discussions but pays thorough attention.
Student M is full of questions and new ideas, and spends a long time narrowing down his ideas for artwork, often fluctuation between different ones to the point of making very slow progress on the product.
Student N is very enthusiastic and loves learning and talking about all his ideas and processes with others; often his narrative about his artwork is far more detailed and clear than the references loosely shown in his work.
Student O likes to joke around with friends and frequently contributes to class discussions; she shows thorough understanding but sometimes gets distracted by side conversations.
Silas- Student P is very driven in ideation and creating his artwork; he enjoys participating in side conversations with his table-mates and classmates around him.
Student Q started the semester shy about her opinions, but ready to show her artwork to the teacher and her peers, and receiving feedback from others points of views.
Student R is very focused during our class time, she likes to bounce ideas off of her friends, but always comes back to her assignment and getting her work done.
School Wide Policies
Our Learning
Our standards-based grading and assessment practices at Polaris Expeditionary Learning School assess students on a scale of Insufficient Evidence (F), Partially Proficient(C), Proficient (B), and Advanced (A).
Thinking Critically
Our Learning
Our standards-based grading and assessment practices at Polaris Expeditionary Learning School assess students on a scale of Insufficient Evidence (F), Partially Proficient(C), Proficient (B), and Advanced (A).
Thinking Critically
- Reasoning is adequately developed through an accurate interpretation/ calculation of available information.
- Analyzes information and ideas from varied perspectives
- Deconstructs and draws connections across varied concepts, texts and arguments
- Conclusions and perspective are adequately supported with relevant evidence
- Synthesize information into a new way of understanding the topic
- Develops and expresses a point of view, concept or idea in varied ways
- Applies an artistic process and the skills to communicate his or her message
- Communicates their ideas and concepts with varied forms of media appropriate for the class or targeted audience
- Demonstrates an adequate understanding of and applies standard project-planning skill
- Establishes goals and the strategies to meet those goals in a timely manner
- Uses information and resources
- Adequately
- Is flexible and willing to take some risk in approaching problems
- Recognizes problems in situations also identifies the relationships between problems
- Purposes and evaluates the varied and reasonable solutions to address a dilemma
- Conveys a well-developed idea to a target audience effectively
- Communication is well organized with few errors, did not interfere with understanding
- Listens for understanding usually request clarification before or making further contribution to discourse or continuing the task