1824 Ridgewood Rd
Fort Collins, CO 80526

It's not an easy time for students, teachers and staff. We feel a lot of compassion for how challenging it must be. Due to Covid we haven't been allowed IN the building so we can't make an assessment of the facilities, beyond the playground, which is well-kept, the friendly crossing guard, and helpful pick-up/drop-off staff. Academically the school seems decent, and certainly after closures, virtual school, etc. there must be a lot of catch-up to do. The subjects and material don't seem very interesting or engaging. Nor is there much of anything that creates community or binds the student body, or families together with the school. There are no fun events. No field trips. No outdoor activities. No special guests. What we really take issue with is all of the drama, bullying and lack of proactiveness we have experienced in our child's classroom. It's awful. The school just doesn't haven't have enough resources to keep up, (they don't even have a dedicated art teacher, and many of the staff and teachers are doing double duty in areas, and the turnover of para-teachers and similar seems high). Our child comes home not just in tears, but no longer wants to attend in general, and they used to love school. There also seems to be a lot of punitive action by our child's teacher, so that when certain children are out of line the entire class must pay for in, recesses are taken away as well as activities when homework isn't up to snuff. We have even received a few general emails from the teacher expressing disappointment in the class, their work, etc. But upon follow-up not specifically our child, so it seems these should be sent on a case-by-case basis, not to everyone. These general "blasts" of negativity, from a teacher who hasn't been present much throughout the year are upsetting. Again, it's got to be a tough time to be a teacher, but we're generally considering moving schools.

I have been so happy with the education my child has received at Blevins. I went in not having a strong sense of the school and a bit concerned that maybe the education wouldn't be challenging enough for our child because they are gift and talented in literacy and math. We have been thrilled with the teachers, the GT program, and our child's academic growth. The sixth grade accelerated math program was wonderful. The teacher has been at the school for over two decades and has her masters in GT. She is WONDERFUL. Beyond that our child has thrived socially and has enjoyed engaging in sports. The parent involvement is strong. We LOVE LOVE LOVE being at a neighborhood school for the ease of community connection. We often do dining night outs with our neighbors and love the "Bruin Bash" that Blevins does every year. We are pleasantly surprised by how wonderful our experience has been!

Overall, our teen has had a great experience at Rocky. I think freshman, and sophomore years were a little tougher. But the teachers seem quite engaged and fun. I really recommend the clubs, and the debate team coach is excellent. The school counselor is very responsive and attentive. Overall, we’ve been happy and so has our kid.