| Woodland Park May Get School In Woods |
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Woodland Park fourthgraders could be studying among aspen trees and at
the edge of a small lake in a few years. Officials from Woodland Park School District RE-2 and the Catamount Institute have plans to open a school that would focus on science and the environment. A few people from each group and the Woodland Park community met Friday afternoon at the Catamount Institute’s Mountain Campus in Woodland Park. They shared their thoughts about the proposed school while sitting on logs around a campfire ring. Yellow aspens glittered; several friendly birds flitted close, looking for crumbs. Plans for the school, tentatively named the Catamount Mountain School, call for it to be at the entrance to the property at 3168 County Road 28. The Catamount Institute, which owns the 177 acres, is a nonprofit organization that promotes “ecological stewardship.” About 25 students would be chosen each year to attend the school. The school would provide another opportunity for educators to reach students, said Superintendent Guy Arseneau. “Every child needs to find that niche,” he said. Students would be able to identify the insects that are right outside their window and count a tree’s rings to understand how old it is, Arseneau said. “Let them truly become naturalists for the year,” said Eric Cefus, executive director of the Catamount Institute. There are opportunities outside of science as well. Cefus said a physical education lesson could become a snowshoeing trek, for example, and Gateway Elementary School Principal KayLynn Waddell noted the possibilities of combining nature with art. The group had considered opening the school in fall 2008, but said Friday it will likely open in August 2009. “There’s a lot we have to do,” Cefus said, including gathering community support and determining the curriculum and funding. Organizers will look to The School in the Woods in Academy School District 20 for some information, especially about curriculum. School in the Woods is a similar program that opened in 1999 and was created by two science teachers. “All the parents are going to want to be out here,” said school board member Amy Nieman. CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0394 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . |
