Academics – Connect Charter School

Academics at Pueblo’s Top Charter School

As Pueblo’s top charter school, The Connect School strives to create a learning environment that fosters growth, intellectual curiosity and a love of lifelong learning. We meet students at a critical stage in their development — the middle school years.

Students’ bodies are growing and changing, including their brains. Middle school is a time of advancement, discovery and increasing independence. That’s why it is so essential for a school to recognize this time of change in their lives and create a curriculum that can encourage and support these young learners. Students need to be both guided and empowered. Connect School has been built to honor both.

Putting Knowledge into Practice

Everything about the Connect School’s educational methodology is intentional. We are proud to offer our students a top-tier education that doesn’t just teach them the foundational academic basics, but also encourages them to demonstrate their understanding.

Demonstrations of Mastery

At Connect, we are deeply committed to our core subjects. They play a crucial role in shaping who our students will become. Equally important are experiences, human connection and individual interests. We at Connect build their future one experience at a time. We work to ensure that those experiences are vibrant, immersive and memorable. Two of our experiences, exhibitions and portfolio, make a profound difference in the Connect school experience.

Connect School’s mastery learning works so well for this age group because it is strategically organized, planned and presented. Our student-centered curriculum is effective; students earn their grades and develop a passion for creating and learning. We offer both short-term and long-term experiences, and they thrive in both.

Our mixed-age classes and community allow for students to serve as helpful role models and peer teachers Our code of Trust, Decency and Excellence helps guide them in·their actions. It works both in the classroom and in extracurricular activities.

Exhibitions

Facing Outward and Pointing Inward

Exhibitions are our most challenging and important signature program. Research starts in October with the selection of a topic. Deep research and analysis follow. A wide range of academic and interpersonal skills are used to produce the final product, which is presented to the public at Sangre De Cristo Conference Center in early February. Exhibitions are very important to the school. They create outward accountability, providing evidence of what students know and can do, and inward accountability, holding the school responsible for planning and teaching the classes that support students as they prepare for this and future challenges. The process is called “Facing Outward and Pointing Inward.”

Portfolio

Tracking Student Progress Over Time

One of the best ways to gain a deep picture of the student worker is through a "curated and living" student portfolio. Our student portfolios document a student's progress and understanding of disciplines and skills in specific classes and areas of study. Teachers and parents can use the portfolio to gauge how a student has grown and changed over the course of a school year and identify areas where additional support may be needed. This is done at a teacher, parent and student meeting held at the end of the school year.

Classes at The Connect Charter School

Reading

Junior Great Books
Powerful questions
Thinking skills
Side notes
Socratic discussion
Roundtable format
Spelling and vocabulary
Mixed classroom
Mastery learning

Writing

Write source references
Writer’s workshop
Writing process
Guide to Thinking and Learning
Mastery grading
8 pieces per quarter
Grammar and punctuation

Math

Saxon Math
Guaranteed performance in higher level mathematics
An incremental approach
Students learning math by doing math
Algebraic thinking
Practical applications

Social Studies

History, civics, economics and geography
Student-centered with engaging activities
Resources (City as Campus)
Mixed classroom
Mastery learning

Science

Smithsonian Science Education Center
Student-centered with simulations, activities and experiences
Experimental design
Star Dome
Mixed classroom
Mastery learning

Student Support

Before school
Test preparation
Study guides
Tutoring
Parent, teacher and student conferences
Student clubs after school

Top State Testing Scores for Charter Schools in Pueblo — and the State of Colorado

State testing is a demonstration of learning and The Connect Charter School has some of the best. We consistently rank amongst the top performing schools in Colorado and we are the top charter school in Pueblo. We achieve these goals not by practicing endless testing, but by equipping our students with solid skills in the most important subject areas.

We are a College Prep award-winning charter middle school. Accolades include U.S. News Best Schools, Niche #1 School in Pueblo County and National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.

“Pueblo’s Super School.” -The Pueblo Chieftain Newspaper

Admissions

Excited about starting your student’s journey at The Connect Charter School? Pueblo families can join the waiting list at any time. Learn more on our Admissions page.

Student Life

Students can join a variety of clubs designed to enrich their learning in the arts, expand their education or learn a new skill. Plus, we offer multiple school-wide events to encourage students to grow their social skills.

Community

We are a proud Pueblo school and we love our community. Find out how you can become a parent ambassador, plus work our students are doing as part of our student council.