Boulder Universal Online School

We have been an Eisenhower family since 2019 and absolutely love our neighborhood school. It's a more traditional elementary approach than some of the speciality schools in our neighborhood (think BCSIS, High Peaks, and Horizons) but it's been wonderful for my gifted, ADHD, anxious kids. They get the care, attention, and challenge they need. It has also opened up a whole new sense of belonging in our neighborhood. We know our neighbor families and my kids can ride to their bikes to friends' houses without even having to cross busy streets. It's truly the elementary school dream!

My children have attended Coal Creek Elementary for several years and they thrive in terms of learning and social-emotional engagement. The teachers are all very involved, intelligent, and nurturing. We’ve been impressed with our children’s progress in reading, math, and their ability to make friends and engage positively with other adults as well as grow empathy for others with disabilities. Coal Creek is a wonderful neighborhood school and we’ve made friends with fun and kind parents.

Our daughter attended Mountain Shadows International School from YCC level to the Upper Elementary. The AMI Montessori certified teachers here and the school's leadership are incredible. It is a true global learning school that teaches respect, cultural awareness, and formative life skills from the very start. In terms of academics, they allow deep learning & exploration for all core subjects. Their project based approach to learning helps students truly grasp concepts and see how the live in the real world. For example math isn't worksheets - it's an understanding of the material and strategies then applied to real world examples. Also, in the Upper Elementary they put a special focus on "going-outs" which is navigating the world with confidence and independence taking field trips via public transport to Denver Museums, local libraries and events. Also service work within the community. Would highly recommend this school for a modern, forward thinking and thoughtful student education.

When my son (now a first grader) did his shadow day at Bixby as part of our inquiry process, 3 students and 2 adults addressed him by name when saying goodbye. I remember being surprised by that, but now see that it's just a normal part of the culture in this special school: your child will be seen and known. Even if just visiting for a couple of hours! If you've ever had a fear that your child is too far ahead, or will be left behind, or will somehow fall by the wayside in some way, I can tell you that the administration and the teachers at Bixby will see your child, meet them where they are, give them exactly what they need, and sweep them into a love of learning each subject--both through their true passion for their work and through their belief that children are whole human beings who deserve to be treated as such.The teachers at this school are some of the best I've encountered, and many of them have taught at Bixby for over a decade (or 2!) as well as entrusted their own kids to Bixby. I think that speaks volumes. The "middle school model" where subject-specialists teach their own subjects, starting in 1st grade, seemed unusual first glance but now I cannot imagine it any other way. How can one person teach math AND reading AND science at every other elementary school? When I hear the math teachers speak, I feel giddy and want to take math classes myself. When I sat in with the Creative Design (aka Art) teacher, I suddenly felt like I was capable of great creative work. It's truly magical and I do not understand the secret sauce of it all except to say that the culture in this school is solid and I hope that nothing ever shakes it. My 6 year old would rather be at school than at home (and has explicitly told me so!), and on Halloween he was more jazzed up about his candy charting graph project for Bixby than actually eating candy. On top of all of this, they have trips, lunches, swim lessons, and an incredible and beautiful campus with so many fun Bixby "Rites of Passage" (the one-foot swing!) that the kids love. If you're wondering about Bixby, just book your tour now. It deserves a place in the running. If you want your kid to love going to school, master everything they need to learn academically, be guided through the nuance of social relationships, and feel confident about how to be a human in this complex world, there's no better choice (and we toured all the other schools!). We couldn't be happier here.