Highlands Ranch Information (Denver, Castle Rock, Delta: trip , health, home)

[2bindenver]

Activity Guide (broken link)

[Sters]

Thanks. Are there any townhomes you recommend with either 3-4 bedrooms? Any complexes, rental or townhome, I should avoid in HIghlands Ranch? Any input would be helpful.

Thanks

[2bindenver]

Highlands Ranch is a subdivision. There are no "bad" parts, just nice and nicer

[nathalie.pearson]

We're moving to HR at the end of the school year and I'm curious to know if summer activities fill up quick? Or if you can still find spots available in June?

Thanks!

[2bindenver]

Originally Posted by nathalie.pearson

We're moving to HR at the end of the school year and I'm curious to know if summer activities fill up quick? Or if you can still find spots available in June?

Thanks!

Schools are out here in May & June. A good number of kids start school the beginning of July.

Rec Center Daycamps are pay as you drop off. They do not oversell the space available. You walk up to the registration desk, ask for you kid to be enrolled for whatever days you need, pay and go.

They do need a complete registration package, including immunizations.

[thedfly]

JULY?? Are there schools in Highlands Ranch that don't start until Aug/Sept? I would want my children to have a normal summer vacation and if it's not available in Highlands Ranch, I would be looking at other locations.

[paloma524]

I have three children under the age of five so elementary schools are HUGE in our decision on where to buy in Highlands Ranch. I have done all of the research and have stacks of papers full of statistics, graphs, test scores, etc. but what I am lacking is some real, relevant information from parents of kids who are there now.

Are there some elem schools that are better than other regarding academics, sports, extracurricular activities?

Is one principal known to be better?

Are any of these schools brand new, or do they all have a proven track record?

Any help would be appreciated!

[nathalie.pearson]

I know at least one elementary school in HR is going to a "conventional" (not year round) calender for 2008 - 2009 year. Are all the elementary schools doing the switch or it's only a few?

When you move from an area with regular school year calendar to an area with year-round calendar, can you choose the track you want your child to start? My son will be in school until June 4th. I would prefer he doesn't start school right away when we get there...

Thank you for your help.

[BTNS_TX]

Originally Posted by nathalie.pearson

I know at least one elementary school in HR is going to a "conventional" (not year round) calender for 2008 - 2009 year. Are all the elementary schools doing the switch or it's only a few?

When you move from an area with regular school year calendar to an area with year-round calendar, can you choose the track you want your child to start? My son will be in school until June 4th. I would prefer he doesn't start school right away when we get there...

Thank you for your help.

Our elementary, Saddle Ranch, which serves Westridge (as do some other elementaries) is switching to conventional.

As of now, they have sent out questionnaires to the parents asking if they prefer modified or traditional conventional, but there will no more year-round.

If you do choose a school that is year-round, you can request the track that best fits your family's needs.

For example, we moved here in June and selected Track A (no problems getting it) because it most closely mirrored the high school conventional calendar with Spring Break and finishing the same week in May.

That meant a July start, but for my daughter this was good as she got to jump right in and meet some other kids and make friends easily. She also loves the more frequent long breaks.

One of the tracks didn't start until almost August, which would have been within a week or so of traditional calendars, but they go well into June.

She is in 6th now, so next year she'll be back on the conventional middle school anyway, but it was a fun year.

[BTNS_TX]

Originally Posted by paloma524

Are there some elem schools that are better than other regarding academics, sports, extracurricular activities?

Is one principal known to be better?

Are any of these schools brand new, or do they all have a proven track record?

Any help would be appreciated!

All of the elementary schools offer the same programs. No sports. All have before-school programs for working parents (because the schools don't start until 9:00). As far as I know, the closest you'll get to extracurricular is the music program. Older kids get to choose band, orchestra, or choir, although when they move into middle school lots of children who didn't do these in elementary join in.

I know our school, Saddle Ranch, was sharing facilities through the summer and fall with one of the two new schools in the district. Stone Mountain just opened this month. It's beautiful.

The only principal I've heard any critical remarks about is over at Coyote Creek. Apparently she is the only one who refuses to let the kids participate in the Star Ranch OutDoor Ed program (held in the fall). It's a week of great fun and outdoor learning for the 6th graders. Some of the parents were talking about their older children who attended Coyote Creek missing out on this because of her.

Our principal, Fred Rundle, is amazing. Wonderful with the kids, extremely fair, easy to work with. He takes time out to be at every after school thing he can, including our choir's Christmas party at Old Chicago, serving pizza, pouring drinks, directing traffic, very hands-on and friendly.

I know that's a limited perspective, but perhaps others can add their experiences to mine.