JefffCo/Douglas/CCSD High School Parents help! (Denver, Aurora: 2014, neighborhoods)

[loi1916]

Hi All!!

So, we are moving next summer. I will have an upcoming freshman and 4th grader. I have been scanning JeffCo/Douglas/CCSD because the oldest is a huge huge huge field hockey player. She is also on a killer cheer squad at her middle school here (really...the stuff they do I can't believe they are doing at 11-13), loves art and is in the MS version of honors classes. I also don't want an IB school for either of my girls and would like 1500-2500 kids-ish. I have a few questions...I know, how can there be more!

JeffCo: I was looking at Conifer, Golden, Ralston Valley, Chatfield, Evergreen
Douglas: I got tired to navigating their website and looking for hidden data so, open season
CCSD: I think I like Grandview best of CCSD, but would like CCHS and SHHS feedback or any others...

I want to know about languages other then Spanish going through to the AP level (also kinda hard to dig out of Douglas county) and good AP offerings in general...

I wanted to know about cheering, it appears to be very very informal/low key in Denver as a whole, is that correct?

I wanted to know any other stats (esp in Douglas) like elective classes/test scores/ELL/free-reduced/grad %/size of student body.

I see alot of things about vouchers/school choice going on, is there a district that's in trouble to the point of a lot of schools empyting out by parent choice?

I wanted to know about overall feel of schools I listed above or others in those counties that you like to put forth
Clique-y in an obnoxious 80s movie way v. everyone just kinda hangs w who they want to.
Material posessions focus v. "you got that on sale?? Nice!"
Teachers who convey content efficiently.
Vocational programs, etc.
School/Community spirit so to speak
Common sense/reality based admin

I'm stunned to be asking as I'm an avid researcher, but I really was frustrated with the Douglas site and thus overwhelmed by the time I started looking at CCSD. So I thought I'd throw myself on your mercy!! Any overall vibes on neighborhoods/counties etc are also welcome!! We have about a 500K budget especially as my finding a job may be very hard. Thanks!!!

[ALStafford]

My kiddo is at Lakewood High, which I know you didn't ask about, but I can state that although it is an IB school, students are NOT required to be part of the IB program. My kiddo had less than no interest in it. She is taking many AP courses, though, as an alternative to the IB program. She has many friends both in and not in IB, there's no differentiation or separation of the IB students. So, if a school otherwise meets your needs, and IS an IB school, find out if it's required to be part of IB program.

Since Lakewood High isn't on your list, I won't run down the other questions, but thought that you might want to know this about IB. If you do want to know about Lakewood High, let me know, and I'd be happy to help!

[alliern]

My son will be entering his freshman year at Conifer High School in August. He's been in the GT program throughout middle school and will continue with the most difficult level of academics in all subjects that Conifer offers its incoming freshman. All Honors and 1 AP class in his first year. After reviewing his course load, I was so happy that I wasn't in high school. Tough stuff!!! The list of electives that CHS offers is quite extensive with many different arts/photography/media courses. I am attending a parent meeting for the GT program tonight so I'll have more info after that.

Conifer HS recently ranked #15 in the state and Evergreen HS ranked #7. They are both on U.S. News & World Report's list of best high schools nationwide. Both have a graduation rate that is very high (upper 90%). They each offer between 17-19 AP courses that students can take. I believe Conifer has about 850 students and Evergreen 950 students.

Generally speaking, EHS has a more affluent population and Conifer is a bit more mixed. I know tons of kids that attend both schools and they all speak highly of their schools. School spirit is very strong. I really haven't heard anything negative about either. I did hear negative stuff about the local middle school and have lived through some of it over the past three years, but it wasn't earth-shattering negative stuff...

From what I can tell, after living in Evergreen for the past 7 years, both of our local high schools are very, very good.

[TigerLily24]

Originally Posted by loi1916

Hi All!!

So, we are moving next summer. I will have an upcoming freshman and 4th grader. I have been scanning JeffCo/Douglas/CCSD because the oldest is a huge huge huge field hockey player. She is also on a killer cheer squad at her middle school here (really...the stuff they do I can't believe they are doing at 11-13), loves art and is in the MS version of honors classes. I also don't want an IB school for either of my girls and would like 1500-2500 kids-ish. I have a few questions...I know, how can there be more!

JeffCo: I was looking at Conifer, Golden, Ralston Valley, Chatfield, Evergreen
Douglas: I got tired to navigating their website and looking for hidden data so, open season
CCSD: I think I like Grandview best of CCSD, but would like CCHS and SHHS feedback or any others...

I want to know about languages other then Spanish going through to the AP level (also kinda hard to dig out of Douglas county) and good AP offerings in general...

I wanted to know about cheering, it appears to be very very informal/low key in Denver as a whole, is that correct?

I wanted to know any other stats (esp in Douglas) like elective classes/test scores/ELL/free-reduced/grad %/size of student body.

I see alot of things about vouchers/school choice going on, is there a district that's in trouble to the point of a lot of schools empyting out by parent choice?

I wanted to know about overall feel of schools I listed above or others in those counties that you like to put forth
Clique-y in an obnoxious 80s movie way v. everyone just kinda hangs w who they want to.
Material posessions focus v. "you got that on sale?? Nice!"
Teachers who convey content efficiently.
Vocational programs, etc.
School/Community spirit so to speak
Common sense/reality based admin

I'm stunned to be asking as I'm an avid researcher, but I really was frustrated with the Douglas site and thus overwhelmed by the time I started looking at CCSD. So I thought I'd throw myself on your mercy!! Any overall vibes on neighborhoods/counties etc are also welcome!! We have about a 500K budget especially as my finding a job may be very hard. Thanks!!!

Cheer and poms are actually quite big here, but, in a low-key sort of Colorado way.
Lots of kids start poms outside of school at the pre- and elementary level. The area dance schools offer classes to the little ones.

From the Grandview HS wikipedia page:

"In 2009 the Grandview Poms team placed fifth in the nation in the Large Varsity Poms division and ninth in the Large Varsity Jazz Division.

Also in 2009 the Grandview Cheerleaders placed fifth nationally in the Large Varsity Division at UCA Nationals.

In 2009, the Grandview Poms team won the title of League Champions, USA Regional Hip Hop Champions, and UDA Regional Large Pom Champions.

In 2010, the Grandview Cheer team won their second state championship.

In 2014, the Grandview Poms team and the girls Softball team both won the 5A State Championship."

It does also note that Grandview offers Girls' Field Hockey.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandvi...rora,_Colorado)

The school's webpage:

http://grandview.cherrycreekschools....s/default.aspx

[Katarina Witt]

First of all, I know nothing about any of those schools. Why am I here, then, you ask? To let the OP know that if her daughter wants to play field hockey and the school she attends doesn't offer it, all is not lost. She can play on a team in the closest school in her district that does offer it. If no school in the district offers it, she can play on the team in the next closest district that does. That is what my kids did with gymnastics. The only HS in the Boulder Valley SD that offers gymnastics is Broomfield High School. There were always several girls from other district HSs, and some from private schools in the district as well.

[randomparent]

If you want to know what AP courses are available at CCHS, go to the school's website and read the handbook. You can find it under Registrar. I would post a link, but iOS is not playing nice with C-D since the latest update. At last count, I believe there were 37 or so. AP foreign language & literature offerings include Spanish, French, German, Latin, & Chinese (Mandarin).

[loi1916]

Originally Posted by ALStafford

My kiddo is at Lakewood High, which I know you didn't ask about, but I can state that although it is an IB school, students are NOT required to be part of the IB program. My kiddo had less than no interest in it. She is taking many AP courses, though, as an alternative to the IB program. She has many friends both in and not in IB, there's no differentiation or separation of the IB students. So, if a school otherwise meets your needs, and IS an IB school, find out if it's required to be part of IB program.

Since Lakewood High isn't on your list, I won't run down the other questions, but thought that you might want to know this about IB. If you do want to know about Lakewood High, let me know, and I'd be happy to help!

Actually I didn't realize schools would offer IB and AP in the same system, ours here don't, it's IB or bust. I'd love to hear more about Lakewood!!

[randomparent]

It would appear that the best way to learn about AP offerings in language is through each school's individual website. For example, a quick scan of (DCSD) Rock Canyon High School's site revealed AP Foreign Language courses in Spanish, French, & Chinese. CCSD's Grand View offers AP courses in Spanish, French, German, & Chinese. JeffCo's Chatfield was a bit confusing, but I surmise from its on-line course catalog that AP prep foreign language courses are available in Spanish, French, & German.

[loi1916]

Katarina,

Thanks for the tip about crossing districts!! I had no idea you could do that either. I knew they could do it at another county school but not across districts, that opens up other sections of the city! Yay! and, geez more school websites...

[Gorges]

Originally Posted by loi1916

Actually I didn't realize schools would offer IB and AP in the same system, ours here don't, it's IB or bust. I'd love to hear more about Lakewood!!

I assume that all IB schools in the Denver area also offer AP, right?