Our School

As one of the highest ranked elementary schools in the state of Colorado, Larkspur Elementary continues to offer what parents are seeking...a supportive, nurturing and inviting environment that fosters the love of learning by providing a progressive set of tools that include:

• Small Class Sizes
• Outdoor Classrooms
• Science Lab
• Eureka Math
• Integrated Curriculum
• Technology Lab
• Orchestra, Band & Choir
• Art, Music, Foreign Language and PE
• Licensed Teachers and Adminstrator
• Champions Preschool/Before and After Care

 

Larkspur Elementary engages students through immersion in our local environment, or setting, as the context for learning. Our local setting or community (environment) is what we refer to when we say "environment-based education." In this program, our staff provides hands-on educational activities in indoor and outdoor classrooms each day. Larkspur students benefit from student-led inquiry, true and original science activities, and real-world application of knowledge and skills.
 

The idea behind this is simple: make learning meaningful and interesting. It is natural for human beings to be interested in the world around them. No one is surprised to see the curiosity of small children examining a worm or a flower, or asking why the sky is blue or the wind blows. Yet we put these same children into sterile, constricted environments and expect them to sit and be quiet when their bodies and minds want to be engaged and active. Through our environment-based program, we strive to make learning relevant.

Many people think of environment-based education as environmental education. While some student activities may delve into environmental concerns or issues, this is not the focus of environment-based education. The program at Larkspur Elementary includes service learning, collaborative teaching, community-based investigations, integrated/interdisciplinary instruction, and learning activities that require students to work collaboratively and independently. In addition, students engage in activities to help them understand natural and social/human systems that exist in our world.

In addition to classroom work, Larkspur students engage in outside learning activities to enrich or extend concepts that have been introduced in the classroom. Students spend outside time on our campus on a regular basis. On occasion, students visit different areas of our nearby community to support the academic focus of our school.

 

 

WHAT SETS LARKSPUR APART?

What sets Larkspur Elementary apart from other schools in DCSD? Larkspur Elementary is nestled in the woods just 15 minutes south of Castle Rock. Our school is ranked in the top 5% of Colorado elementary schools in the area of academic performance and also received an A grade by coloradoschoolgrades.com. Optimizing on our beautiful outdoor spaces, Larkspur Elementary teachers are implementing an Environment based program in which teachers use surrounding outdoor areas as an integrating context for learning. Students learn the interaction between natural and social systems through community-based investigations, defining community needs, and service learning projects. Our 9-acre Larkspur campus includes 6 outdoor classrooms, 2 outdoor gardens, 4 indoor aeroponic gardens, a wetland, and a certified wildlife habitat. Students take part in whole school character building initiatives including reducing environmental impact and costs, improving health and wellness, and supporting communities in need through resource drives.

 

Awarded the National Green 
Ribbon Award in 2014

 

WHAT DOES LARKSPUR HAVE TO OFFER?

Larkspur Elementary Offers:
Rigorous pandemic Hybrid learning options • Small School Environment • Small Class Sizes • Outdoor Learning classrooms, EIC • District busing available for designated routes/locations • Colorado state Academic Standard-aligned curriculum • Stable school leadership/administration (5+ years at Larkspur Elem.) • Veteran, stable instructional staff; most with advanced degrees • On-site AN programming and moderate needs academic/behavioral support • Full time School Psychologist and School Counselor • Integrated Specials available each day: STEAM, Art, Music, PE, Technology, Library • Band, Orchestra, Choir (on hold during pandemic) • Committed PTO • Strong Community Partnerships • PBIS, Bobcat TRACKS • Lego Robotic program (on hold during pandemic) Community of Learners • Self-pay Before and After School childcare Program, and much more. Call to visit!