Alexander Dawson School (Lafayette, Colorado)
Dawson School is an independent, private, co-educational, college preparatory day school founded in 1970. Located in Lafayette, Colorado, United States. The school serves children from kindergarten through twelfth grade (K–12) in Lower, Middle, and Upper School on a campus of 107 acres (430,000 m2).[1]
Dawson School | |
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Address | |
10455 Dawson Drive , Colorado 80026 United States | |
Coordinates | 40°3′47″N 105°6′39″W |
Information | |
Type | Independent, Day school |
Motto | Nothing Without Labor |
Established | 1970 |
CEEB code | 060867 |
Head teacher | George P. Moore |
Enrollment | 520 |
Average class size | 15 students |
Student to teacher ratio | 7:1 |
Campus type | Suburban |
Color(s) | Blue and white |
Athletics | 13 sports |
Mascot | Mustang |
Website | www |
History
In 1967, Girard B. Henderson established the Colorado Junior Republic (CJR) School at Stapp Lakes, Colorado. The school started as a summer school for underprivileged children. In 1970, it expanded into a year-round school, and then converted to a college preparatory program.[2][3][4]
Early years
In 1970, the school moved to Lafayette, Colorado, where construction began on several new buildings. An industrious student body, "citizens" attended class, worked the farm and ranch, prepared meals, built structures, flew airplanes, and ran athletic and theatrical programs.[5]
In 1980, the school changed its name to Alexander Dawson School in honor of Henderson's father, Alexander Dawson Henderson. Responding to increasing demand for a rigorous academic program, the school developed into a college preparatory independent school.[2]
In the 1990s, the school grew from 26 students in grades 7-12 to a population of 386, grades K-12, and was now an independent day school. The school introduced the concept of community service or service-learning when it began and became a hot education topic where it is a graduation requirement. Bill Clinton adopted the idea as one of the key reforms for improving American schools.[6]
2000–present
Athletic programs became more competitive; today, most sports participate in post-season play, and the school has earned numerous district, regional, and state trophies. Mandarin was added to the world languages curriculum in 2007, and two years later, the language immersion program expanded into China. The Speech and Debate Club launched that same year, and has earned numerous state championships, and a FIRST Robotics Competition program launched as well.[7]
On September 6, 2000, the Alexander Dawson Foundation opened a sister school in the Summerlin, Nevada. The Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain is an independent, day school with over 150 students from kindergarten through fifth grade.[8][9]
In 2005, Dawson School celebrated the 100th anniversary of Henderson's birthday at the school in Colorado. In 2020, Dawson School celebrated its 50th anniversary.[7]
Today's campus
Dawson's 107-acre (430,000 m2) campus includes an Upper School, a Middle School, and a Lower School. The Athletic Center contains two gyms and a conditioning facility; The Arts Center includes a theater, dance studio, band room, and fine arts studios. In 2018, the first new construction in 20 years was seen with the opening of the Dining Commons, a multi-purpose space for dining, meetings, and events. In 2010, the previous dining space was repurposed into the Learning Commons, and an updated library/student center was added. In 2020, the Dawson School Arts Center opened, a 24,500 acres (9,900 ha) building with classrooms, labs, maker space, and flexible spaces. The campus also includes cottages with classrooms, tennis courts, baseball fields, soccer and lacrosse fields, a swimming pool, learning gardens, a gymnasium, and an orchard.[10]
Academics
The class and Winterim trips (see Experiential education) are a hallmark of the Upper School experience. In addition, seniors must complete a Senior Project: Seniors spend the last weeks of their high school career in internships of their own design that expose them to career and community service possibilities for the future, and then to make an extensive presentation to faculty and peers on that experience.[7]
Experiential education
Dawson School's academic program incorporates a serious focus on experiential, outdoor education. In the Lower School, this takes the form of numerous field/overnight trips. Middle and Upper School class trips integrate curriculum with life skills, character development, citizenship, team-building, and science.[7]
During Winterim Week, students devote time to an experiential, thematic study of one topic. In grades K-4, special activities are designed for them on campus; grades five and six take week-long trips as a class. From seventh through twelfth grades, students select a week-long Winterim experience. These typically fall into one of these categories: community service, academic enhancement, technology/arts/athletic education, cultural/religious diversity awareness, environmental awareness, or wilderness adventure. International trips can focus on language, culture, and community service; they may also include ecological, cultural, historical, or wilderness adventure programs.[7]
Faculty
Over 75 faculty members work collaboratively with over 40 additional staff to accomplish all of Dawson School's programs. Faculty are nationally recruited for their expertise in their subject areas, as well as for their diverse outside interests. Dawson faculty have an average of 17 years of experience, and 67% have, or are working on, graduate degrees.[7]
College counseling
Full-time on-site college counseling is available to all Dawson School students. Beginning in eighth grade, students are introduced to age-appropriate college admissions topics; by Upper School, time is allotted for learning about and completing the admissions process, and sophomores and juniors may participate in college visit trips during Winterim. A focus is maintained on finding the best fit for each student.[7]
Special programs
Dawson School offers a number of special programs, including extracurricular activities and summer camps as well as outreach through the Dawson Summer Initiative.[7]
Summer camps
Dawson School offers an extensive program of summer camps, with more than 100 camps taking place on campus over eight weeks. Programs include sports camps such as soccer, tennis, volleyball, flag football, basketball, baseball, lacrosse, and cheerleading; arts camps such as cartooning, creative writing, performance, woodworking, and painting; technology, programming, robotics, and filmmaking camps; academic camps focused on math, science, engineering, and languages.[1]
Dawson Summer Initiative
Dawson Summer Initiative is a tuition-free, five-week program that provides enriching intellectual opportunities for high-achieving public middle school students from Boulder County and surrounding areas. Students accepted into the program pursue real-world concepts, projects, and ideas in a dynamic and respectful environment. Past themes have included Water, Epidemic, Energy, Food, Climate, and the Digital Divide. Those who successfully complete the previous summer's thematic session may attend a two-week session the following summer focusing on leadership. The programs are underwritten by the Alexander Dawson Foundation and take place on the Dawson School campus.[7]
Governance and accreditation
Dawson School is governed by a Board of Trustees: six trustees from the Alexander Dawson Foundation and four volunteer parent and alumni trustees. The board holds the school in trust and has a fiduciary obligation to safeguard the institution and its future well-being. According to the Foundation’s charter, the board’s primary responsibilities include approving the school’s annual budget and maintaining the authority to hire and fire the headmaster. The board also assists the school in developing long-term strategies and school policies.[7]
Dawson School is accredited by the ACIS (Association of Colorado Independent Schools); they are also a member of CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education), ISM (Independent School Management), and NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools).[4]
Publications
- Alexander Dawson School, Nothing Without Labor and Love of the Land, Alexander Dawson School, Lafayette, Colorado, 2012
- The Hub, The Colorado Junior Republic, Volume 2, 1973-1974
- Add A Fourth "R"...Responsibility," Colorado Junior Republic School, Lafayette, Colorado, ca. 1973
References
- Peterson's (2011). Private Secondary Schools. ISBN 9780768935189. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
{{cite book}}
:|work=
ignored (help) - Bryan Welch (November 8, 1981). "Colorado's Free Enterprise High". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
- "Ashram buys pristine mountain retreat". The Daily Sentinel. Grand Junction, Colorado. August 8, 1988. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
- Bill Boas (March 19, 1986). "Alexander Dawson School goes preppy". The Louisville Times. Louisville, Colorado. 73 (39). Retrieved 2023-06-08.
- "Colorado Junior Republic Holds Open House". The Lafayette Leader. Lafayette, Colorado. 70 (4). January 28, 1971. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
- "Teens learn how to serve others and discover how the world works". Asheville Citizen-Times. Asheville, North Carolina. December 25, 1993. p. 26. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
- "History At A Glance". Lafayette. Colorado: Alexander Dawson School. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
- The Southwest View newspaper, "School to Open This Fall," by Judy DeLoretta, Wednesday, March 22, 2000, pg. 1A, 12A
- "The Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain". Private School Review. Las Vegas, Nevada. 4 June 2023. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
- Ford, Alan (2007). A Sense of Entry Designing the Welcoming Schoo. ISBN 9781864702385. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
{{cite book}}
:|work=
ignored (help)
External links
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