5175 Manzana Dr
Colorado Springs, CO 80911

The campus security put me in a head lock .

Now, let me be clear, there are far worse high schools out there than Widefield High. But, having graduated from it last year, I very much get the sense that somewhere around 80% of the budget is put into sports. Most of the other departments, except perhaps the music department, appear to operate on a shoestring. This includes building maintenance, as many of the school's hallways and rooms appear as if they haven't been renovated in a long time. The school was built in 1958, after all. There was seemingly a socioeconomic divide between those who lived out east (in nicer neighborhoods) and those who lived closer to Widefield proper; with those living out east tending to have nicer clothes, accessories, and cars. There were almost certainly a number of fights and a fair amount of bullying going on, but I can't speak for certain because I was quite the social shut-in during my time there. Despite being in at least one Honors/AP class for most of my four years, I never really felt like I was getting a good education, either. I didn't personally think the curriculum in most classes was that challenging intellectually, though my grades sometimes tended to suffer anyways from poor executive function (arguably one could say that's a me problem). Much of what I know intellectually came from things I learned on my own time from my own research. The staff/teachers could be described as a mixed bag. Some were outright cruel; while others were very nice and supportive, even when I was letting my inner demons control me, academically speaking. Others could be pretty apathetic either way. There were almost certainly some that were there just for the paycheck, I'm sure. So, on the whole, probably just a pretty 'average' high school. I don't think I would settle for 'average' if I had the option to choose something better, obviously. But, well, living firmly in the middle of Widefield the community, I really didn't, and neither did many of my other pupils. There *are* other high schools in D3, obviously, but most of them are going to be of roughly the same quality as this Widefield, even if they're in a different district. When I was on the school robotics team, the first year we got to go to a much nicer school in Denver for the competition, and I was almost blown away by what even a public high school could be for those with means. But not everyone has access to such schools. I certainly didn't, and I can't really blame the school itself for that.

French Elementary has a kind and caring staff. Their top priority is student growth and development. French is a Leader in Me school promoting student and staff leadership now and in the future. Students can be a member of different Leader in Me groups. These groups introduce new students and families to the staff and other students. These students also can be seen helping with new bulletin boards in the hallways. Members of Leader in Me also can be found helping other students with homework in the library. French has a PTO and encourages parents and families to volunteer in the building and classrooms. Families are also invited to attend achievement nights, music programs and awards ceremonies as well as the community parade. French is a part of the community and encourages all families to become involved. French Elementary is a wonderful school, stop in for a visit.