News Release
September 6, 2005
Ellis Elementary School Dedicates Learning Landscape And Kicks Off Character Education Sept. 9
At 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 9, Ellis Elementary School will celebrate the completion of its new Learning Landscape and kick off its character education program.
The ceremony will take place on the new learning landscape. There are climbing places, stepping stones, bridges to cross, capped mushrooms to play under, slides to breeze down, drums to pound, bells to ring, bars to monkey around on and places to hide. There is also a tether ball area, soccer field and running track. Painted on the blacktop are four-square, hopscotch and basketball game areas.
It is not just a place for children to play but also to wonder, discover and learn. "Imagine all the places that share this parallel," reads one of the large stones in the middle of the landscape. Two large stones have the longitude and latitude of Denver. When reading them we discover we share a parallel with Spain and China. Brass plates in the cement also point in different directions around the world, and a map of the United States is painted on the black top.
In addition to all of this, there is colorful new foliage bordering the play area. There is also a geography garden by the main playground and a butterfly garden in the kindergarten play area.
The Learning Landscapes project was funded through the $310 million general obligation bond approved by Denver voters in November 2003.
The objective of the Learning Landscapes initiative includes reducing discipline issues on school grounds, providing better physical education and resources for classroom projects, establishing a gathering place for neighborhood families and strengthening neighborhood-school partnerships.
The character education program has similar goals. Character education promotes core values in all phases of school life and includes proactive strategies and practices that help children not only understand core, ethical values, but also care about and act upon them. The universal values stressed in character education include respect, responsibility, citizenship, caring and honesty.
"Ellis Elementary School believes character education is critical to the healthy development of its young learners," said principal Khoa Nguyen. For the past two years while preparing the implementation of character education, Ellis faculty and staff have worked on a creed to guide the thinking, decision making and everyday responsibilities at Ellis in correlation with character education.
"By adhering to the standards set in the creed, Ellis will be a school that soars toward excellence," said Nguyen.
Every student and staff member will have the opportunity to make a commitment to creating a school of character and culture during a formal signing of a school banner featuring the Ellis creed. Those who make the commitment and sign the banner will receive a magnet with the Ellis creed on it to take home to remind them of the standards that are valued at Ellis.
The entire character education program is operated by the DPS Office of Educating for Character and is funded by grants.
Ellis Elementary School is located at 1651 S. Dahlia St. The phone number is 303-756-8363.