Setting + Context
COYOTE RIDGE ELEMENTARY, AN IB WORLD SCHOOL | FORT COLLINS, CO
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Overview & Takeaways
At Coyote Ridge, I was teaching off of an art cart which traveled to each cohort within each grade level, K-5. My class sizes ranged from 15-25 students per classroom. The students were very kind and excited to learn. I had very few behavior issues because of the amazing crisis team and advice/support from the staff. I truly felt at home at this school and am extremely sad to leave. I became very close with the staff and my mentor, very much feeling like an employee and a part of the family versus a temporary young teacher. I will always remember the relationships and happy memories I gained from this experience. I truly connect with the IB model as well, finding a great deal of inspiration in cross-connecting all content and finding ways to make student learning feel purposeful. The way that I was included and encouraged at Coyote Ridge Elementary will stick with me forever and impact the way I welcome new employees and students to my future school of employment.
What does it mean to be an IB World School?
"Twelve years young, Coyote Ridge is a public elementary school and is part of the International Baccalaureate – Primary Years Programme (IB-PYP). This means that students receive instruction in the same Colorado Standards as all public schools in Colorado, but with instructional strategies and techniques which help students to see the connections between the subjects, allowing them to construct their own understanding and make meaning of their world. Combining high expectations with high levels of support, we focus on all areas of a child’s development in a whole-child centered approach.
Instruction is facilitated through Units of Inquiry which have been aligned and build upon each other in relevance and rigor from pre-kindergarten through 5th grade to ensure that state standards are learned and overlaps in curriculum are avoided. We provide a global perspective and aspire for students to appreciate their place in the world, and to take action to help shape it. Our school climate: Cohesive, collaborative, and interconnected staff; a spirit of doing "whatever it takes" for every student to succeed."
Mission Statement
Coyote Ridge Elementary provides their students with a challenging inquiry-based education to:
Lesson Plans
Coyote Ridge Lesson Plan #1 | Personal Flag Project
Coyote Ridge Lesson Plan #2 | Creative Creature Mix-Up! Project
At Coyote Ridge, I was teaching off of an art cart which traveled to each cohort within each grade level, K-5. My class sizes ranged from 15-25 students per classroom. The students were very kind and excited to learn. I had very few behavior issues because of the amazing crisis team and advice/support from the staff. I truly felt at home at this school and am extremely sad to leave. I became very close with the staff and my mentor, very much feeling like an employee and a part of the family versus a temporary young teacher. I will always remember the relationships and happy memories I gained from this experience. I truly connect with the IB model as well, finding a great deal of inspiration in cross-connecting all content and finding ways to make student learning feel purposeful. The way that I was included and encouraged at Coyote Ridge Elementary will stick with me forever and impact the way I welcome new employees and students to my future school of employment.
What does it mean to be an IB World School?
"Twelve years young, Coyote Ridge is a public elementary school and is part of the International Baccalaureate – Primary Years Programme (IB-PYP). This means that students receive instruction in the same Colorado Standards as all public schools in Colorado, but with instructional strategies and techniques which help students to see the connections between the subjects, allowing them to construct their own understanding and make meaning of their world. Combining high expectations with high levels of support, we focus on all areas of a child’s development in a whole-child centered approach.
Instruction is facilitated through Units of Inquiry which have been aligned and build upon each other in relevance and rigor from pre-kindergarten through 5th grade to ensure that state standards are learned and overlaps in curriculum are avoided. We provide a global perspective and aspire for students to appreciate their place in the world, and to take action to help shape it. Our school climate: Cohesive, collaborative, and interconnected staff; a spirit of doing "whatever it takes" for every student to succeed."
Mission Statement
Coyote Ridge Elementary provides their students with a challenging inquiry-based education to:
- Pursue academic excellence
- Embrace differences
- Encourage lifelong learning
- Become responsible world citizens
- Foster personal growth and reflection
Lesson Plans
Coyote Ridge Lesson Plan #1 | Personal Flag Project
Coyote Ridge Lesson Plan #2 | Creative Creature Mix-Up! Project
LESSONS DESCRIPTIONS + STUDENT EXAMPLES
For the "Personal Flag Project" 3rd and 4th grade students were tasked with sewing their own burlap flag that used symbolism to reflect a key part of their identity. Through the project, they took part in research/discovery, ideation, creation, and a written reflection. They were able to use beads and markers to decorate their flags as well, finishing the piece with their own plastic flag pole! Many students did not have prior sewing experience when they began this project. They were so intrigued and excited about the process that they took their projects outside to recess (unbeknownst to me!) and continued working on them outside of art class! :)
For the "Creative Creature Mix-Up" project, 2nd grade students explored composite creatures from around the world. We discussed how various characteristics of animals make them identifiable. We talked about purpose in terms of animal characteristics and how we can pick and choose from them to tell a new story. Students practiced sculpting with play doh, then completed their final sculptures with Model Magic, mixed-media, and watercolor paint. As their "connect" piece, students created a habitat for their creature to provide their audience with more information about their creature's purpose and why they made specific decisions within the composition.
