My daughter fell down the stairs and when she tried to compose herself the teacher yelled at and…read morekicked her out. She said that she "Doesn't care". I would not recommend this school.

Foods alright I guess lots of friends but lots of bully nice and mean teachers so over all midread more

I attended RMSEL and graduated in 2008. After that, I returned to work at RMSEL as a Wilderness…read moreFirst Responder for their expeditions. Now, my husband (also an RMSEL graduate) and I are looking at the school for our kindergarten-aged child. While RMSEL has grown and changed over the years, I believe its core values remain the same. The key takeaways I received from my time there are life skills that have followed me into adulthood and served me well in my career--resiliency, problem-solving, and independence. The expeditions were life-changing in so many ways: they offered my first experiences with developing countries, and they required a level of self-discipline that shaped who I am today. We currently have friends whose children are in kindergarten at RMSEL, and we love hearing about their experiences. Small class sizes, meeting children where they are, and introducing expeditions at such a young age are key reasons we're excited to return as a family. As a teenager, RMSEL was a blessing to me, even when I didn't always see it that way. Returning as an adult, I could recognize how the expeditions build resilience--even when the students themselves don't yet realize it. This school pushes kids to step outside their comfort zones, and many won't appreciate the benefits until years later. The very things I resisted as a teen are now the things I credit most for my personal growth. If you're looking for a school that teaches more than academics--a place that nurtures real-world life skills that will serve your children well into adulthood--RMSEL is a truly special place.

This school is a great school! If you like the outdoors. Every semester you get to go on a "crew…read moretrip"! Basically you travel out of the state with you class for a week. The destination is usually tied to your current learning and you basically get to learn about it in real time and it is very fun. This school also has a great community with doing stuff from "RMSEL Olympics" to "the cereal box challenge" and many more. This school is nothing like I've ever been to and it is an amazing experience. 10/10

If you're in the Cherry Creek School District, you know this name. It's the magnet school for…read moregifted and talented students in the district. I resisted at first and wanted my children to go the assigned school, Eastridge. In short, it didn't work and I applied for my daughter to get into the Challenge for 3rd grade. Lo and behold, her test scores, references, and kiddie resume got her in. The application is many pages but the info is easy to collect - a friend urged me to include her picture and artwork even though it doesn't say to. I watched my 3rd grade daughter's confidence soar last year. Homework expectations are high, but only during the week - none on weekends which is nice. My son applied and got in this year and I'm very satisfied they are getting the best elementary education they could and would dare to compare it to any private school curriculum. It's an elementary IB program - International Baccalaureate and continues up to the 8th grade. It's been a great gift to our family.

"After 12 years and two children at Challenge School, I couldn't be more grateful. The small K-8…read moresetting and diverse community foster lifelong friendships. The teachers are exceptionally dedicated and the academic preparation is top-tier. The accelerated math and focus on research/writing gave my daughter a huge advantage in her current IB high school program. While there are no formal sports or band, they had a strong musical program, and the kids stay active in competitive sports outside of school. It's a special community that I highly recommend, especially if you are concerned your child will be bored at the neighborhood school."

The Spanish teacher Ms. Ramos is horrible. She picks favorites, gets on to people for NO reason,…read moreand is just very rude. I am a student at Highline. One of my peers got in trouble for not hearing a question, because OTHERS were talking. I also just know that she is bad for everyone, because I asked one of my classmates their opinions on Ramos, and it was also negative. If you somehow manage to get rid of her, this would be an amazing school. But right now, this is a virus infecting the rating of the school. The other parts of the school is amazing.

This is a school that has very good educators, people with a vocation for service, the school is…read morerun by its teachers. It does not have a leader, there is no leadership, so do not expect them to comply with what they offer you, the offers are invalidated and if your child has a 504 plan, this school will not apply it, it will not evaluate it and it will not follow up, they do not have staff for this. If it occurs to you to claim, they will treat you like crazy or it will be the fault of the Covid and the staff (directive) bounces me around like a ball. They shamelessly disrespect you as a father. The mental health of students is not the priority of this school. And, immigrants, be careful here is white privilege, discrimination and exclusion. The board, directors and a principal of this school handles the laws, the procedures of "discipline" in a corrupt and convenient way.

Our daughter is attending Accelerated Schools. She has had the most WONDERFUL experience there as…read morehave we as her parents. This is the first positive school experience she has ever had. She is accelerating in every way and she has friends so many friends there! It is the most accepting environment. The entire staff has such a passion for what they do and sincerely want to help your child achieve their goals (whatever they may be). They meet your child where they are socially, academically, etc. Our daughter is neurodivergent and the entire staff is absolutely excellent at meeting the needs of neurodivergent children our opinion. They are ALL so warm, friendly and patient. Each and every staff member. They are also incredible at accommodating academically for each and every child's needs whether they are above grade level or below grade level. Some kids are above grade level in certain subjects and below in others. They recognize that and meet each and every child's individual needs per subject. They take the time to get to know each child and what they need extensively in every way. Our child's needs are accommodated for daily, she is accepted just as she is and is encouraged each and every day. It is such an accepting environment and provides the structure that she needs to excel. She is encouraged to become the best version of herself every single day, loves school and even wants to go on the weekends sometimes. We are overjoyed! Also, the school regularly provides many off-campus field trips as well which we feel is so important to practice social skills outside of the home and school setting. We have seen such a difference in our daughter due to these experiences. I don't know what more you could want for your child! We moved here from out of state for better services for her and we are so glad that we chose Accelerated Schools for her. The teachers are incredible. They sincerely care about each individual child very much. It is very apparent. The school is small enough that they are able to be provide the attention needed to each child which we feel is so important. I a former public school teacher and have taught in three different schools, three different grade levels and in two states. My degree is in Early Childhood Education. I have taught second, third and fifth grades. Needless to say, I am difficult to impress when it comes to education. Also, they encourage arts, music, cooking and other interests your child may have. They recently added "wheels" which has been wonderful for our daughter as they ride bikes, skateboards, etc. so they are getting exercise while spending time outdoors. They spend quite a bit of time outdoors when weather permits and have plenty of room to run around and a playground. It's just a wonderful, beautiful setting both inside and out. Also, the historic buildings are beautiful. The school also has recently had many areas organized by a professional organizer, and they are in the process of adding a beautiful new sensory room! It should be finished soon. If you are looking for an alternative for your child, please consider Accelerated Schools. The warm, friendly staff would be happy to speak with you and give you a tour to share more. We LOVE Accelerated Schools and feel so fortunate to have found it!

Our kiddo is engaged, progressing, and happy to be learning, which is a nice change from the past…read morefew years. This is an absolute incredible school and I am grateful we found it! I was not sure a school existed that was a good mix of a small class size and homeschool feel (meeting the child where they are at educationally) as well as challenging them to excel to grade level and beyond. Before coming to Accelerated Schools, we experienced ongoing concerns for the long-term educational needs of our child in a traditional public school classroom. We no longer have that concern. We considered switching to Accelerated Schools last spring when our child needed a change in their educational trajectory. The public school program they previously attended was no longer a good fit and we needed to support our child's neurodiversity as well as cognitive educational needs differently than a traditional public school classroom is capable of. We decided to begin at Accelerated Schools this fall and are thrilled with the environment and the support of the staff, who meet students up front, welcomes them by name, and genuinely care about the student as an individual. I hope this helps others who are seeking an amazing school for their child with differing needs. The environment also provides support for emotional and cognitive difficulties across age ranges of students. I have repeatedly experienced students being supported at varying levels of needs to be able to re-engage the child and continue their educational journey. The teachers go above and beyond to be support the kids and meet the child where they are every single day. I am most impressed by the patience of each teacher, no matter the difficulty a student is having each day. Thanks to the team of educators and professionals who are helping our amazing kids learn and supporting them to thrive to their greatest potential!

Denver Academy is an outstanding school. It evaluates the students strengths and weaknesses and…read moreprovides students with the academic tools to succeed. Its greatest attribute is that it provides students with self-esteem so they feel they can succeed and are not dumb.

Denver Academy is not the solution you are looking for…read more There were many situations that happened at my expense including a teacher announcing in front of the whole class that I had to be in therapy, in order to embarrass me. Another time my parents tried to write an email to the school about how it was hard for me to do a "working lunch" (where you sit in the classroom instead of going outside to complete work) because of issues with eating in the past. They completely disregarded my parents' worries until they escalated it to the principal who finally and indignantly accepted that I could sit in another room to do my work. At that point I hadn't been able to eat lunch at school for around a month. At one point during the year I finally felt comfortable eating in class and the teacher made a comment along the lines of "well looks like your parents were just being dramatic because now you can eat just fine, huh?" The same teacher later allegedly "mistook" my name in an email for someone else, (whose name sounds nor looks like mine in any way so he took me out of class during my final exam, yelled at me in his office until I was crying, threatened to expel me and told me I couldn't get into any college if I had that on my record. When my parents emailed him about it, he completely denied it and lied about it. This was what ultimately led me to have to leave the school halfway through the year and now I am completing the rest of my sophomore year online in a different program. This school takes advantage of desperate parents who want what is best for their child who has most likely been struggling in school. Their signature quote "We teach students the way they learn best" should be changed to "We teach students the way that is easiest for us". Where parents and kids think they have finally found a safe space for their kid to grow and thrive it is actually the opposite. The sheer amount of bullying from teachers and students alike that I witnessed at my time there is more than any public school I have ever been to in my life. Please do not send your child here.

So, it has taken me 3 years to decide if I like it, if I don't like it, or if I love it. My…read moredaughter is in 8th grade now and has been in the IP program at Hamilton for 3 years. She has been accepted, and is going into the International Baccalaureate program at George Washington. I did not like that the TAP kids were segregated from the IP kids at Hamilton. I did not like that the 6th grade and the 8th grade shared personal space. When I was in "Jr. High" it was 7th and 8th grade. The 6th-8thgrades provides an age range of 11-15 - kind of weird (still don't like it), but I realize this is the trend of the state, not the school. What I did like was the strong parental involvement, the strong academic IP program, and the fact that most of the kids Maddi was going to school with came from the stronger DPS elementary schools like Slavins, Cory and U.Park. What I now love is the teacher involvement with students as they move from middle school to high school, preparing them for an amazing academic program no matter what high school they choose. I love the parents who are moving from Middle school PTA partnerships to High school PTA partnerships. I love the friendships that my daughter has formed with a hugely diverse group of kids. And note: I love love love the Hamilton Middle School girls soccer team which has been ranked #1 in DPS for years now. My daughter plays sweeper :)

Bad school sometimes it can be fun but sometimes it gets very frustrating there was fights every…read moreother week and some teachers were really good and some were decent but the rules ruin it.

Over the years I have been in South several times for the purpose of attending large meetings. My…read morechildren did not go to South nor did I. Therefore, I can only write about the location, the building, and the amenities. Location, it is a beautiful area of Denver right next-door to Washington Park and it's large lake..The size of the school appears to be able to hold at least 1500 students plus and is well designed. It has a very large cafeteria as well as auditorium, all of which are located in a four story building. The main entry needs some work - the painted murals need refreshing. All in all, very nice.

Spent a semester at this school. Definitely has an "inner city school" feeling about it. I met some…read moregreat people while I attended, but I also would chat with sone kids in class and Id ask "any plans after high school?" To which they would respond "I'm not even thinking of finishing high school." or "I don't want to go to college, Ill work fast food somewhere." The drive from many students was sadly quite low and it affected many students around them. I also thought it was very odd when I had a history class taught by 3 different teachers. One teaching in Spanish, the next Arabic, then the final one in English. It was quite distracting and was an inefficient way to teach. I transferred out after a semester.

For All High School Drama Departments:…read more Our friends' daughter was in George Washington's production of The Secret Garden this past weekend. I was very impressed with the production and the fact that the drama teacher acted as a mentor and the students did everything else from director to producer to set and prop designers. It made me realize that this is the ultimate support of local art and education. For the price of the ticket, the Husband and I had a wonderful evening watching a well done production of The Secret Garden and for $1.50 more we shared a bottle of water and two cookies. You should check your local high school's theater productions and have a fun inexpensive evening out.

As an alum my viewpoint may be a bit biased and could be outdated, but in keeping up on news…read moretidbits and knowing how the programs there work, I can say with real confidence that GW is a Denver public school worth checking out. The nearby community is safe and convenient to a lot of businesses and shops. The programs such as IB on top of a strong AP program does produce a lot of good students. In terms of the student population I think GW has always had a healthy mix of varying ethnic and economic backgrounds. Both essential to developing well rounded personalities prepared to deal with the real world. If you are a planning to live in this school district definitely check things out for yourself, but don't discount GW just because its a "city" school.

I have a boy in Primary and a girl in Lower Elementary and so far, I couldn't be happier. We've…read moreattended other montessori schools before, as well as non-montessori public and private with my other kids, so I have a pretty wide scale of comparison. The kids are HAPPY - and that is the most important thing you can ask for! They are excited to go to school in the morning and happy to share what they are learning. They are, in comparison to their non-montessori peers very advanced both socially and academically, a lot more verbal and definitely way more independent. Time will tell how they will compare to their peers when they enter high-school, but if your child's need are not being met in this school - it is time to rethink your strategy. Both the Montessori education model and MSD teachers stress the importance of individualized curriculum and approaches to learning, so if your child is especially gifted, dyslexic or average, he or she will not feel any different, yet be learning at their highest potential. The community has been great so far as well - no one is cliquy, no one is cold (like some claimed) - it feels like a very welcoming environment to all - and I have met parents from different walks of life, different ages, economical status or upbringing. Kids have playground time together with other classes and already make friends school-wide :) And - I have to share this - me being me - when I see something wrong, even if tiny, I say it out loud and try to get it fixed. In all the previous schools my complaints would hit the wall of no response or 'thank you for your opinion but we will continue as we see fit' type of a response. For the first time (and my oldest is in college!) I have received a 'Thank you, you might be right' and 'How would you suggest we fix it' type of response! Taking feedback and constructive criticism has been something I've always thought just does not happen in school administration! I am so very excited (and proud!) to be a part of the MSD community!

Wonderful school. Caring teachers, consistent admin team, and great curriculum. We've been here for…read more2 years and our child is thriving. You can get as involved as you would like - plenty of opportunities to engage as a parent.