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

So far so good! My 5 year old starts kindergarten this and with everything in the world going on I…read morewas really hesitant to place him in a physical school instead of schooling him online atound my work schedule. After a lot of research I applied for collegiate and we were accepted. Before enroll jefco even notified my Megan was contacting me to guide me, answer questions, be of any assistance and set up a walk-through to check out the school. During the enrollment process she checked in and updated me frequently. At registration completion they had everything organized and the entire staff was helpful, friendly and welcoming. Another reason I was interested in this school is the class sizes, they are small allowing note attention to my childs learning with the teachers not having to focus on 16 students at a time. My son loses interest quickly if he isnt involved or doesnt feel included so I look forward to the advancements he will make with his teacher and 8-11 fellow classmates. Im grateful to be apart of this community so far and having my son in a school I feel comfortable with leaving him at during the day was my main priority. Will update my review as we get more into it.

My son attended this school for one year as an eighth grader after having moved from another state…read moreinto CO during the summer. In my opinion, it was a great fit for him after having had multiple life changes over the previous few years. (divorce, multiple moves, so on) The small class sizes here allow teachers to gain a perspective on students that a typical classroom, quite simply, probably wouldn't allow. I thoroughly appreciated the insights teachers provided during P/T conferences. They gave not only academic but social insights into my son's life that I would not have otherwise had. (Don't tell him I said that ) Having said all of that, he decided to go to elsewhere for his high school years. Whether or not it's a good decision for him remains to be seen. In any case, I would urge parents (and their students!) to consider Collegiate Academy. As parents we must help our kids decide what is best for them at a given time. The beauty of Jeffco is this ability to have options. We haven't had this option presented so cleanly to us in any other school system. Please check them out.

"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."

This school is amazing for students. The fast-paced classes are often hands-on and creative…read more Students are challenged daily to achieve to the best of their abilities. "Immersion" happens twice a year, and involves a few days of "deep diving" into non-traditional subjects to accommodate the way gifted children tend to learn. The topics change each time, so there is a wide berth of opportunities. The take-home workload often matches the pace of the classrooms, and parent/adult involvement is important to the overall success of children as they grow and evolve. Our family has had a fantastic experience here.

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.

My children have attended this school for 3 years. With that being said I have seen a lot in this…read moreschool. I felt like I had to fight for my sons IEP at first and have had a couple meetings with the Principal over the last few years. It wasn't until this year when the school called CPS on me because my son came to school with a bruise that I absolutely lost it. My son has come home from the school with bruises on him many times and not even a simple note sent home letting me know what happened. The CPS worker evaluated my house and realized real fast that there was no threat and that my son is in fact autistic. The CPS worker told me to tell the school if they are not reporting any of my sons injuries at school to threaten them with calling the police and opening an investigation. It wasn't until this threat that I started getting updates on my son on almost a daily basis. From my son falling off the chair to slipping off the sidewalk during recess. I really felt like the school should've contacted me before taking such harsh actions knowing for a fact that this is an extremely clumsy child and hurts himself on a daily basis. Last year my son fell off the playground equipment and I got a call home saying that he had and I quote "a small fall" but when he came home with a piece of paper it had stated that he fell 5 feet off the playground equipment onto his head. This is not a small fall and I personally believe that my son should've been taken to the emergency room. After that the instructions stated that if there was any drainage from the ear to seek medical attention right away. When I sent him to school the next day he seem to be find in the morning. It wasn't until after school that his teacher let me know that his ear was draining ALL DAY. My son should've been taken to the hospital right away or at least I should've been notified right away. I do believe that there are some things that need to be put into place to make the school better. There are some exceptional employees here though that I have always gotten along with. For one the lunch ladies are always kind and they treat the children with respect. Ms. Apodaca Is one of the best kindergarten teachers I have met. As for next year my preschoolers will be the only ones attending the school as the school I'm enrolling my other children in does not offer preschool. But my older children will not be going back to this school the following year. Some aspects on the school. There is definitely not enough parking for parents and pick up is crazy! From cars pushing through other cars and cars trying to speed up to not let people get out of parking. I have personally seen car is almost hit children because there is not enough supervision out during pick up time. There is designated parking for the teachers but most times you only see some of the teacher parking filled in a lot of empty spots in the teachers park out on the road were a parent should be parking to pick up students. This makes it extremely hard for parents to find parking when it is time to pick up their students. There has been times where I've had to park anywhere from a block to two blocks away just to walk and get my child from school. I do believe that more teachers need to be spread out around the school during drop off to make sure that the children are crossing the road safely and that cars are following the rules. I also believe that there should be a teacher out that helps the flow of traffic. To make sure that cars can get out of the parking in the cars park not in the middle of the street but in the designated parking to pick up their children. Having a teacher that keeps constant flow of this would make it a lot easier on pick up. The school does not have a parking lot for parents which makes it even more dangerous to pick up the students.

Fantastic school, I went there as a kid and now my kids get to go there! Wouldn't want them…read moreanywhere else :) The teachers are so nice, the front office works so hard, and you can tell the kids are so happy and healthy. Best part is my kids LOVE going to school!

Avoid at all costs. Staff has an entitled and curt demeanor with a LARGE side of snarky unwarranted…read morebad attitudes in the front office. Incredibly disappointing.

Very good school and it's very good very good good and teacher very nice and staff very niceread more

Hope this review stays up so that others will not make the same mistake. Driving through here on a…read morelast minute whim heading to Wyoming, we drove by Columbine to pay respects, ended up in the tiny parking lot out front and was stalked/ followed by their many armed security personnel (waste of taxpayer money). One security, being hostile, hopped in front of the moving vehicle, asking questions and wanting the DL, trying very hard to scare you instead of just simply directing you to the memorial site, which makes more sense. They did have a no trespass sign, but it was miss if you blink. The school was shabbier and smaller than what was seen in pictures, but I wouldn't want to attend anyway due to the tense and dark atmosphere residing there. The people are very dark, brooding and mean. Be careful going over there. You will be looked at as a felon. The security, that's planted at the school, automatically assumes that you are coming to start trouble because they want to make sure they're doing their job this time. Now, I'll take the blame for being a gawker, but I really was trying to pay respects passing thru on my way to something else. Since it was a major news story, I'm not sure what they expect.

CCS has been the most amazing education for our kids. The teachers are incredible, the culture is…read moreone that upholds high academic standards according to the true classical model, while also upholding and fully integrating it with the historic Christian faith. We love the 4-day per week model that allows us extra family time. With the small class sizes, fun and engaging lessons, and caring teachers and staff, my children are truly thriving!

We've seen incredible growth in our children both academically and spiritually since joining this…read moreschool. Their confidence, biblical understanding, and love for learning have flourished. The teachers truly care and create a nurturing, Christ-centered environment. We're so grateful for this school and wish they started sooner.