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About our school
Park School believes in the opportunity for every learner to experience success and stretch to his or her maximum potential.
School beliefs include that:
* Students are independent learners in a cooperative community.
* Learning is enhanced through a cooperative effort of students, parents and all staff members.
* Students come to school at various developmental levels, and it is the school’s job to enhance their learning opportunities and help them gain the skills to function at their highest potential.
Our staff
Students at Park learn from 21 full-time certified teachers, one principal and eight to 10 itinerant teachers who teach subjects such as art, music, PE and special education. All teachers at the school are highly qualified, and one has earned National Board Certification. Two more teachers are in the process of applying for National Board Certification. More than half of the teachers at the school have 10 or more years of experience.
Students also have access to literacy tutors, a Central Wyoming Counseling Center counselor and a social work.
Our curriculum
Experiential learning is a key component of education at Park.
Students at Park learn math through an activity-based program that offers age-appropriate real-world problems. For reading, students learn through a combination of Balanced Literacy, guided reading groups and literature groups. Students also study writing daily, with writing workshops and the 6+1 Traits of Writing program.
District standards guide science and social studies instruction. Many topics are taught within a theme, such as Wyoming history, ecosystems or U.S. government. Students are then asked to choose a topic of interest within the theme and become an “expert” on the topic through research and a presentation.
Student progress is reported using checklists, portfolios and student-led conferences.
All students also have 80 to 90 minutes of Spanish instruction per week from a certified Spanish teacher.
Two of the district classrooms for gifted and talented students are housed at Park, each with one teacher and a shared paraprofessional. Students must be tested and meet certain qualifications to be included in this program.
Park believes in an inclusion program for special education students, where services are primarily delivered in the regular education classroom. Some one-on-one instruction is offered when necessary and in the best interest of the student.
Our activities
Park Elementary School offers an extended day program.
Playground supervision begins at 7:30 a.m. Fifth- and sixth-graders begin classes at 8 a.m. with instrumental music and enrichment classes.
All other students in kindergarten through fourth grade may come early for a morning reading program in the library or supervised playground time. Their classes begin at 8:30 a.m.
Breakfast is served from 7:45 to 8:15 a.m.
After school, playground supervision continues until 4:15 p.m. for bus students. Extracurricular volleyball and basketball are offered for students in grades five and six.
Park also sponsors a family book club that meets one evening per month to discuss a piece of children’s literature. And all students in grades three through six go on at least one overnight field trip per year.
Our families
Parents are actively involved in Park School. Parents are welcome in every classroom without an appointment. Parents also may serve on the Parent-Teacher Organization, Parent Advisory Group or NCA School Improvement Team. And Parents are sought to help with field trips and special events.
Parents are expected to help with homework, though that homework is often highly interactive, and may include playing an educational game at home. | 