Gilpin Elementary

At Gilpin County Elementary School our mission is to care for and nurture each student's academic, social, and emotional needs in a safe and secure school environment. Small student numbers in classes allow teachers to provide individualized student attention. We also believe in educating the "whole child" and in addition to literacy, math, social studies, and science, we offer music, art, technology, physical education, and library media instruction at all elementary grade levels. Our elementary school offers traditional programming instruction classes and Montessori programming instruction classes. Montessori instruction is provided by Colorado-licensed and Montessori-certified teachers.

Pre-School programming provides parents and students with both Traditional and Montessori options. Both full-day, four-day-a-week, and half-day morning, four-day-a-week slots are available.

We also offer a full-day kindergarten program. The children benefit from a full-day kindergarten experience and show significant progress in literacy, math, general learning, and social skills. Full-day kindergarten children spend more time in teacher-directed individual work.

Our elementary library offers the Accelerated Reader program. Accelerated Reader is a reading incentive program that facilitates reading practice by providing students and teachers feedback based on the books students read. The program gives students the opportunity to practice reading books at their level, provides feedback on student comprehension of books and helps students establish goals for their reading. The elementary library has recently received the distinction of a Model Library through Renaissance Learning.

Snow Dodgers is our recreational ski and snowboard club open to all students in grades 4-12. The ski season begins the first week of December and often lasts through mid-April. Every Friday, our kids board a bus and travel to Loveland Ski Area for a full day of fun on the ski slopes. To learn more see our Snow Dodgers Page.

Our teachers are focused on curriculum alignment and delivering Colorado Standards and the Common Core curriculum to students. Teacher use research-based instructional strategies to engage students in the learning. And, teachers frequently monitor student achievement and growth to generate data to inform teacher instruction to students. Teachers care about your child and his/her educational experience at Gilpin County Elementary School.

Gilpin County Elementary Montessori Program

Our program is based on the Montessori style of teaching, a child-centered educational approach developed by acclaimed Maria Montessori, an Italian physician, educator, and innovator. We have a deep respect for children as unique and full of potential. We utilize Montessori materials, foster children to follow their own passions, and guide children toward developing the skills necessary to be lifelong learners. Students will work individually and in small groups throughout the work cycles. Depending on your child's age, he or she will benefit from individualized lessons, an engaging curriculum, social and emotional development, and much more.

The Montessori classrooms contain a carefully prepared environment that is orderly, precise, and attractive. It invites learning without being over-stimulating. The classrooms operate in a manner that allows children to explore and experience success while also allowing for creative extensions within each exercise.

Montessori Practices:

  1. Democratic and nondiscriminatory principles.

  2. Respect for self, others, and the environment.

  3. Respect for the religious and cultural beliefs of all.

  4. Children are presented with lessons individually and in small groups.

  5. The teacher's role is to be a guide to each child.

  6. Multi-age classrooms encourage peer group learning.

At GCES, we deliver a quality Montessori program. Our program contains the 5 core components essential for implementing an excellent program. The 5 core components are that we have properly trained Montessori Teachers, multi-age classrooms, the use of Montessori materials, child-directed work, and uninterrupted work cycles.

Elementary Staff