West High School in Denver, Colorado - Essay Example

?West High School in Denver, Colorado “We turn dreams into futures.” This is the motto of the Denver High School, the topic of my research. I went to Denver West High School and examined the school’s environment, teachers, students, and academic and extra-curricular flow of activities. I went to Mr. Jorge Loera, principal Denver West High School and asked permission to visit and observed at least three classes to feature in my essay. Mr. Loera gave me the class of Ms. Anderson, Mr. Clymo, and Ms. Headrick. West Denver High School was described in general and in three specific classes. The feature includes Denver West High School’s history, academic programs, the qualities of the teachers’ selected and class interaction, and the students’ viewpoint. The teacher-parent-students’ relationship were also discussed as West Denver High School includes parents in the child’s learning. Brief History West High School or New Denver West High School Home of the Cowboys was pioneered by Owen J. Goldrick. His school opened in 1859 in a log cabin with 13 students. West High School was organized in 1883 and in January, 1884 moved to a wonderful new building on Colfax Ave. and Mariposa St. called the Franklin School. For years, the name of Franklin School and West High School were synonymous. On June 13, 1884, at 2:00PM, Charles McDonough, Effie Hallam, Lelia Williams, Frances Brandt, Laura Duccy, and Morrison Stillwell became the first graduates of West High School. On a cold January morning in 1926, 1000 students and teachers said "goodbye" to their school of 33 years and marched from 5th and Fox to the new West High School at 9th and Elati. After 83 years, it is still the Home of the Cowboys. The Academic Program Denver’s West High School serves grades 9-12 in the Denver Country 1 School District. The school is dedicated to the academic success of the student. West High School creates partnership with parents in building the character and academic performance of the students. Math, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, World Languages, Fine Arts, Music, Physical Education, and Career Technical Education are the subjects being taught in Denver West High School. The only teachers in Career Technical Education are Mr. Clayton, Ms. Pegues, and Mr. Mascarenas. Math subject focuses on Algebra, Geometry, Probability and Statistics, and Pre-calculus. English program entails American Hispanic, British, and World Literature, and College Preparation Reading and Writing. Science covers the topic related to Advance Placement Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, and Physics. Social studies include topics such as Advance Placement Government and United States History, Civics, Psychology, Geography, Hispanic History and Student Council. World Languages that are being taught by teachers are German, French, and Spanish. Fine Arts offered activities related to Band, Computer Arts, Video/Film Production, Chorus, Dance, Photography, Ceramics/Sculpture, Drawing/Painting, and Theater/Drama. Academic Calendar Plan for Music, Physical Education, and Career Technical Education are not yet available so related subjects/topics under this academic program were not yet posted. The extra-curricular activity that this school is best known for is Radio/Video/Multimedia. Extra-curricular activities are heavily encouraged by the school and most of the students are involved in the activity. West High School also offers programs for children with learning differences or disabilities. The administration, as well as the teachers makes sure that every student are aware of the academic program and calendar to inform the students and the parents about the subjects being taught everyday in the class. Based on GreatSchool’s Rating Criteria, Denver High School has 1 out of 10 rating criteria. The GreatSchool rating criteria is based on the comparison of test results in different states. The school also has an average Community Rating of 3 out of 5 stars, based on reviews from 20 school community members. The Teachers There is 1 full-time equivalent teacher in 17 students. This is the same teacher-student ratio required by the state. Teacher’s commitment to every student’s success exceeds students’ expectations. Teachers in Denver High School, as viewed by the student, are very traditional in teaching. There are 54 teachers in Denver West High School. I visited and observed the class of Ms. Tracy Anderson, Mr. Richard Clymo, and Ms. Christine Headrick. Ms. Tracy Anderson. Ms. Anderson teaches Science. She is very enthusiastic in teaching and makes sure that every student understands the topic before introducing another topic. I noticed that she was able to raise the curiosity among her students because they are asking questions time after time. On the other hand, Mr. Richard Clymo is a Math teacher. Mr. Clymo looks smart. During the class, he gave the students activity. Each student was given a packet of artistic circles constructed with a compass and a straightedge. Mr. Clymo instructed the students to explore different designs out of those circles. Some students found it appealing to discover the designs by themselves. Students also discovered that circles can be divided into six equal parts by using only the radius. Students’ of Mr. Clymo’s class felt amazed about their learning and found their teacher’s idea as the most effective way in teaching Math. It was during hands-on experiences that students enjoy learning. Ms. Christine Headrick is one of the Denver’s High School English teachers. The student viewed her as kind and patient. Even when the student is so frustrated with the subject, Ms. Headrick would just sit patiently and will explain the student about the topic they found difficult. Ms. Headrick also has a good voice quality that the students found it interesting to listen to the topics. Teachers in Denver West High School got positive feedbacks from parents and community members because of being supportive and enthusiastic in developing academic excellence. The Students Denver West High School is a public school that has 789 students from grades 9-12. There are 17 students per full-time teacher. Approximately 87% of the students’ population are Hispanic, 5% White, Non-Hispanic, 5% Black, Non-Hispanic, 2% American Indian/Alaskan Native, and Read More