Soaring Heights is a PK-8 school in Erie, Colorado. We are located in a state-of-the-art building that is equipped with warn, naturally-lit classrooms, two makerspaces, a large media center, science labs, four music rooms, two gyms, a track, and a baseball field.
We are a STEM-focus school with an emphasis on Neuroscience where students have access to daily Innovation Time. Soaring Heights PK-8 is committed to fostering the needs of the whole child by encouraging each student to reach their unique potential both academically and socially.
Mission
Soaring Heights PK-8 is committed to fostering the needs of the whole child by encouraging each student to reach their unique potential both academically and socially. We will empower students to achieve academic growth, inspire them to become engaged citizens ready to contribute to our world and to prepare them to live out the core values of the school: responsibility, integrity, and service.
Vision
We believe it is imperative to prepare students to succeed in a rapidly changing world and highly competitive international economy. Beyond participating in a rigorous academic curriculum, students must acquire the ability to think logically and critically, communicate effectively, give and receive feedback, and show empathy towards others. We believe that students, teachers, and parents are all essential to and are responsible for the learning process.
Core Values:
Responsibility (Accountable for Choices, Discipline, Time Management, Safety)
Integrity (Honesty, Character, Commitment, Effort )
Service (Citizenship, Community, Leadership, Kindness)
Excellence (Independent, Self-directing, Confident, Achievement)
What are the Strengths of a PK-8 Model?
While there are numerous benefits to a PK-8 model, four main strengths are:
- Curriculum acceleration: Our PK-8 model offers the opportunity for student’s needs for advancement to be met in our building or by simply walking next door to the high school. For example, a 5th grade student could take a 7th grade math class or an 8th grade student could take Algebra II at the high school.
- Diverse programming options: As part of a large district and economies of scale, Soaring Heights offers the same kind of core classes, electives (band, choir, orchestra), and enrichment programs (robotics, coding, etc.) available at a traditional middle school. Therefore, students are able to gain the benefits of a small school without sacrificing the kind of programing available.
- Size: The size of our elementary and middle school will allow for a much more personalized and rigorous learning environment/experience. With only 300-350 students at the middle level as compared to larger schools (Erie Middle School currently has 1,100 students), we will be able to not only more closely monitor each student’s progress but provide the necessary support or advancement that they will need.
- Smoother transitions: The middle school years can be stressful for students and families as children grapple with the physical and emotional changes of adolescence. Some of this stress and anxiety comes from a change in physical environment from elementary school to middle school and from middle school to high school. In a PK-8, a completely new building culture, new teachers and students is minimized as all of these variables will be the same. Collaboration between teachers to support students will be as simple as walking down the hall. The proximity to Erie High School allows for similar benefits from 8th to 9th grade.
