Stedman Elementary School

Love it! Columbine is a great school with amazing kids, teachers, and leaders.

This is my family's fifth year at Hallett, and we love it! Principal Jefferson leads with love, and it is echoed in every member of the faculty and staff. The children here know that they are valued and respected, and this foundation makes it possible for them to leap into their learning! As a low-income parent, I've never been made to feel like my children deserved any less than any other child. My children are Black, and were not being served well by other schools in the Denver community, and not only are they happier at Hallett, but that joy is reflected in every area of their learning and growth.

My dear niece attended kindergarten here.We had an immense amount of troubles with her suddenly not waiting to go back to school. After seeking outside counseling, it became apparent that the "teaching style" of her instructor was causing her to feel shame and be fearful. This was heart breaking. We only wanted her to love school in her own neighborhood. This escalated until we finally were met with a mediator. This teacher was surprisingly closed minded and cold. I was surprised that she could be teaching for SO very long and become this callous. The rest of the year was arduous and barely tolerable. That summer we met several of the neighbors whom coincidentally had children in this same teacher's class. According to them, this was exactly their experience as well. We're still navigating emotional trauma that causes my niece to be distrustful and have anxiety in school settings, as a result. I wish there was something the school board or somebody would do. This teacher has never seen accountability. I would still recommend this school... Just not this teacher. She's a giant scar on what is otherwise a lovely school.

This is a delightfully diverse school that doesn't deserve its low school report card ratings. My son is in the 5th grade and due to an unusual set of special needs, has experienced six different schools. This is the ONLY one that has been able to meet them. My theory about the F rating is that the school serves a racially diverse population in a low income neighborhood. It's one of the few schools willing to work with challenging kids who are not going to boost any school's ratings. They were a turn-around school that started being successful on paper and were rewarded by less funding. In reality, the staff is top notch. The administration greets every child by name as they walk in the door. Most of the kids seem happy. Mr P. plays the ukelele as he supervises and chats with the kids on the playground. Mr. O. gave my son an extra keyboard after my son poured a drink on our one at home. Ms. F. emails my son's homework to me, since he can't seem to ever get home with it on his own. The principal, Ms E., leads the school with efficiency and patience. She is professional, yet approachable. Dr. G., the acting assistant principal, deals with the tough situations of discipline and difficult parent relationships, in a no-nonsense, yet fair manner. J., in the office, is the perfect person to tie the whole school together as she directs the flow of kids, parents, teachers, specialists to what they need and where they need to go. Please, give Smith a chance. It's so undervalued for the excellent job it does.

Montview is a really wonderful and caring environment for preschoolers and Kindergarten. The teachers are experienced and so professional, while also being incredibly warm and attentive. The physical space indoors and outdoors is nothing short of stunning and so wonderful for creative adventures. We have just adored our experience at Montview and can't wait for our younger children to attend!

I couldn’t be happier and more importantly, my kids could not be happier to be at this school. Academics are prioritized, therefore they are challenged and engaged in what they’re learning every day through the teachers who very clearly love what they do. The small class sizes and friendly student body has also made such a big impact on the positive outlook that my kids have in the way they look forward to going to school each day.