Soaring Hawk Elementary School

We had high hopes for this school, but the teacher our son had really let us down. She refused to see he was advanced for his age, and insisted he needed to be held back instead. She stuck him in a corner with the IEP kids instead and he wasted away. We finally moved out of the area to escape these nightmare schools in the meadows (all three of them have female principals who 'phone consult' with each other on 'certain students' so there's no clean slate in the meadows at all. Now we live in a much better feeder area and our son is on an ALP (advanced learning plan) and taking courses 2 levels ahead of his grade. He's never had on issue since we got out of that area. Frankly, all Meadows schools stink with overpopulation (up to 30 a class) and gossipy administration and teachers. Our experience was a nightmare for our son. Thrilled to have left Soaring Hawk!
—Submitted by a parent

We have had an amazing experience with Soaring Hawk Elementary over the past 2 years. This year the school earned an "A" on the Colorado school grades report which is just icing on the cake. Our son attended full day kindergarten (2011-2012) and is now in the 1st grade which is a "loop class" so he will have the same teacher when he goes into 2nd grade. If you've never heard about looping, google it and decide for yourself. I am not sure if they offer looped classes for all grades so you'll want to ask the staff about it. I cannot say enough wonderful things about our son's teacher. She is so kind and patient with the children and she treats them as if they were her own. She excels at getting the kids excited about learning and you can tell that she truly loves what she does. We are very thankful to have her as our son's teacher for 2 years. Our son also attends the school's before and after school program. The ladies that run the program are fantastic. Every week they have special activities planned and they even offer homework help in the afternoons. I wish every child had access to a school like Soaring Hawk. They're definitely doing something right!
—Submitted by a parent

Soaring Hawk faculty and staff pretty much encourages bullying. The administration has a very indifferent attitudes about the safety and welfare of their student. This school does not follow Douglas Counties policies. The first two years at this school the environment was much better but progressed into a very "hostile" environment for some students with administration and teachers turning their heads and letting it continue.
—Submitted by a parent

This was the first year my kids attended Soaring Hawk. I was impressed with the way the teachers and students welcomed my kids to the school and made them feel at home right away. Parents are very involved. My kids loved their teachers and had a great year!
—Submitted by a parent

We were new to the area and school and have been overwhelmingly happy with the school. Having one child on an IEP and one far advanced, they really have the tools and experts to deal with both of their learning styles. Also love that they are not on their original track system but a modified schedule. Great Teachers!!
—Submitted by a parent

This is our first year on track schedule and at SHE. My first grader is having a great year and reading wonderfully after having an absolutely miserable kindergarten experience in a nearby district and blue ribbon school. My daughter has special needs and ESL. Her social experience has had mixed reviews, but the teachers have all made a tremendous effort to encourage and work with her. Communications regarding expectations and homework are clear and positive. I am not sold on the track schedule, but there is a move to change to a regular schedule in the future. It is definitely overcrowded and more schools are needed in this district.
—Submitted by a parent

I have been very pleased with this school, they seem to deal with the children on an individual basis according to their strengths and weaknesses instead of a 'one size fits all' approach that so many others have. They also have been very considerate of individual children with religious and cultural customs that my be different from the mainstream. I recommend this school highly.
—Submitted by Anna, a parent

The staff at SHE is concerned only with CSAP test scores and only reinforce learning to that degree. Music and art seem to take a back seat to all other academic courses. SHE has a new principal in 2007 and the school is no longer the safe and enriching environment it started out as. Bullying tactics are not stopped and children have more than one incident before parents are notified. I do not recommend this school.
—Submitted by a parent

We have just moved to the area a couple of months ago. Soaring Hawk has been an awesome school. The staff has been friendly, they have many activities for the children to get involved in, and they go to school all year round. My daughter loves to go to school. They also welcome parent involvement. I volunteer at least once a week, and love it. No school is perfect, but this one really comes close.
—Submitted by Amy Gilkison, a parent