Vision, Mission, Values - Summit Middle School

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SUMMIT VISION

A Caring Community of Scholars

SUMMIT MISSION

To provide a rigorous, academic curriculum that promotes high levels of student effort and academic achievement.
To foster high self-esteem through stimulating intellectual challenge and meaningful academic accomplishment.
To inspire in students a lifelong love of learning, a desire for self-development, and good citizenship.
To create a caring community of peers who value scholarship, academic achievement, and creativity.
To serve as an excellent preparation for students intending to study in rigorous college preparatory high school programs, including International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement.

SUMMIT VALUES

Scholarship. We are scholars giving our best efforts as we grow and achieve with the support of our school community.
Community. We are a caring and connected community where everyone is included and diversity is celebrated.
Trust. We rely on trust through positive relationships built upon character and competence.
Wellness. We cultivate health in mind and body.

“A great soul will be strong to live as well as think” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

ALL ABOUT SUMMIT'S MISSION & VISION

A Brief History of Summit!

Summit was founded in 1996 as Boulder Valley School District's first public charter school. The school was founded by a group of parents in the district who established the following mission of the school:

To provide a rigorous, academic curriculum that promotes high levels of student effort and academic achievement
To foster high self-esteem through stimulating intellectual challenge and meaningful academic accomplishment
To inspire in students a lifelong love of learning, a desire for self-development, and good citizenship
To create a caring community of peers who value scholarship, academic achievement, and creativity

To serve as an excellent preparation for students intending to study in rigorous college-preparatory high school programs, including International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement.

These are the core values of the school which continue to guide Summit to this day. Since its inception, Summit has been extremely successful in helping students to achieve their potential and the school's standardized test scores are always among the top few schools in Colorado.

Located in south Boulder, about a mile from the University of Colorado, Summit is housed in a beautifully renovated public school building in the Tantra Park neighborhood.

What makes Summit great?

Summit Middle School students love to learn. Our program offers classes for students who need or want more academic challenge, who are willing to work hard, and who value collaboration and connection in an exciting learning environment. Summit has a complete program, featuring foreign language (Spanish and French) beginning in 6th grade; four levels of English; math from pre-Algebra through Geometry and Algebra 2/Trigonometry; inspiring science and social studies courses; motivating classes in health and physical education; and creative electives in music, the arts, and technology. Summit is a caring community of peers who take on leadership projects, are active in school and community service and take pride in being scholar-athletes. Summit's rigorous curriculum is designed to prepare students fully for demanding courses in high school while it also fosters skills in self-directed learning, creativity, and life-long passions and curiosities.

Summit is a tuition-free, public charter school serving grades 6, 7 and 8 through mixed-age classes, grouped by interest, motivation, ability, developmental level, and mastery of previous material. Classes are taught by dedicated teachers who are specialists in their subject areas. Summit fosters high self-esteem through stimulating intellectual challenge, meaningful academic accomplishment, project-based learning and peer communities of friendship and support. Enrollment is via BVSD's open enrollment process (see our Enrollment Page for more information).

Summit's outstanding record of success is based on a number of factors including:

A well-developed hiring process that has ensured a high degree of outstanding teachers and administrators
A school-imbedded leadership structure that emphasizes professional growth and development for our teachers
A clearly focused mission emphasizing "a rigorous, academic curriculum that promotes high levels of student effort and academic achievement"
A diverse student population that helps create a vibrant school community
An environment that is small enough to be safe, caring and community-oriented
A well-rounded academic program, including development in the arts, music, drama, technology and athletics
Providing support for students who need an extra hand - i.e. tutoring, math and literacy labs, literacy support, special education, 504 plans, etc
Placing students in many subjects by academic level and interest rather than solely by grade level to enable students to be challenged at their full potential
Teaching cross-curricular skills in all core subjects
A teaching team that focuses on continuous learning, team-level instructional support and planning, and rigorous self-study of our discipline and our practice
Positioning our resources where they will most directly benefit our students
A school culture that values scholarship, meaningful academic achievement and creativity
A site-based management structure that allows us to operate with greater autonomy and less bureaucracy
A standards-based and benchmark-driven curriculum with clear, measurable objectives
A high degree of parental involvement, community involvement and mutual accountability for what is best for each student’s educational experience
Being data-driven and reflective
Goal-driven practices, including annual goals, data to support progress and next steps in those goals and reflection at each level of the organization
A spirit of continuous improvement, innovation and high expectations throughout our program

Key Points

Founded in 1996, Summit is a multi-faceted school of choice which provides a rigorous academic program with a multitude of opportunities for personal growth. Summit is a tuition-free, public charter school and is part of the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD). Enrollment is through the Open Enrollment Office at BVSD and is determined by a lottery run by the district.
Because Summit’s curriculum is accelerated, we have a school year of approximately 180 contact days. This means that when you enroll at Summit, you are signing up for a school year that will have more school days than the rest of BVSD.
Homework at Summit is an extension of classroom learning to promote student achievement, work habits and independence. Families should expect a homework load consistent with honors programs in other BVSD middle schools, with a range of homework time commitment from 1-3 hours per day depending on grade level expectations, project deadlines, learning styles and use of time in study hall. Parents play an active role in appropriately supporting their children’s work at home by enabling a balance between academics and extracurricular activities.
At Summit, both students and adults enjoy being part of a community of scholars. Our outstanding teachers and administrators love what they do, and our enthusiastic students embrace learning in a supportive and stimulating environment.
Summit prides itself on a vibrant school community, with Summit families coming from over 40 different countries and representing a rich array of cultural diversity.
Summit is a data-driven school. We use assessments to place students where they will receive the optimum level of challenge and to guide teachers in their instruction. We administer standardized tests such as TCAP and MAP. Summit’s TCAP scores are consistently among the highest in Colorado.
In order to provide the appropriate level of challenge and to support student interests, students at Summit are placed in their English, Math, World Language and 8th grade Science classes based on objective assessments, not grade level.
Summit has a standards-based curriculum. Students must demonstrate benchmark mastery in order to advance from one level to the next. English, Math, Social Studies, Science and World Language (French or Spanish) are considered core classes and are taken every day by all students. There are also two elective periods each day for students to explore diverse areas of interest.
Summit parents actively support the school through volunteering and financial support. We have an annual fund drive and strive for 100% parent participation at any level of giving.
Summit is governed by a Board of Directors which is elected by Summit families and faculty/staff.
Summit is a caring community that supports and educates students in developing respectful relationships, healthy problem solving skills, socially inclusive behavior, and respect and dignity for all students, teachers and community members.
Summit is a Green Star School, and we emphasize environmental awareness and energy conservation as an integral part of our program.

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