People support what they create. At Olde Columbine High School, the students and staff seek to create an atmosphere where human dignity is balanced with an academic enviornment. Necessary ingredients to such an atmosphere are individual recognition, mutual respect, self-honesty , self-esteem, openess, cooperation and trust. Within these boundries, there is freedom.
To help individuals acquire skills which will cause them to explore alternatives that lead to responsible choices.
Governance was established to make the functioning of Olde Columbine as democratic as possible. It is a tool used by students and staff alike to determine the appropriate school rules and procedures. It is a forum for disseminating information, putting on student presentations, and celebrating individuals' successes. Governance also functions as a supreme court to decide issues of fairness and any other matters which affect the school or an individual.
The main forum is a weekly Governance meeting which all students and staff must attend. It is a participatory democracy, with each student and staff member having one equal vote. Whether the matter at hand is a student appeal or a procedural change, the simple majority rules and the decisions become binding for all. Many students take advantage of this opportunity for self=direction by voicing their opinions before a vote is taken.
OCHS is adjacent to the Career Development Center (CDC). CDC porgrams are open to all OCHS students. CDC offers several career training programs, including radio and television broadcasting, dental assisting, welding trades, restaurant careers, and landscaping, among others. OCHS students are provided time in their regular schedules to attend CDC classes that interest them.
Individuals at OCHS are responsible for their own education. Theachers will make every effort to assist this process, but what is actually learned is the responsibility of the learner. It is the student's responsibility to keep track of his/her own attendance and academic progress. Students have access to their academic files at all times. In fulfilling the requirements for graduation, students may design a program at a place comfortable for them.
OCHS students have a variety of activities to choose from in addition to, or supplementing, their regular academic schedules. An important program at OCHS is the We're High On Life (WHOL) program. WHOL allows students to educate you young adults about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. Other programs including bowling, tennis, and yearbook or newspaper production. Students can also participate in Colorado Outdoors, a program that allows students to explore what Colorado has to offer through hiking, rock climbing, backpacking, and other outdoor activities. In addition to these optional progams, students and staff participate in an all-school hike during the fall quarter.
OCHS, an alternative high school in the St. Vrain Valley School Distict, was established in 1982 to meet the needs of students who find traditional public shool unsatisfactory.
Admission is open to individuals who have completed 8th grade and/or who are between 15 and 21 years of age. Most applicants live within the St. Vrain Valley School District, though residency is not a requirement.
Applicants are required to complete an admissions's process that includes an initial interview with the pricipal and a follow-;up interview with OCHS student and staff representative.
Fall enrollment averages about 85 students, providing small class size and individual teaching. Student-teacher ration is 15:1.
OCHS graduates fulfill the requirements of the St. Vrain Valley School District and are awarded a diploma. After graduation, students either enter the work force or seek higher education