Flatirons Academy Distinctives

Like other high-performing schools, we believe in our quality teachers, academic excellence and strong community. The primary difference at Flatirons Academy is we are serving students and families by providing a distinctively Christian education. In addition to our Biblically integrated curriculum and culture, we seek to design every aspect of the student experience to promote a flourishing life for each student through education. Below are some of the ways we seek to accomplish this task that are different from other school options.

A school for families

Universal Access vs. Individual Plans

At Flatirons Academy, we provide an academic program designed to create a shared student experience that provides the greatest opportunities for all students. Teachers focus on the use of universal-design-for-instruction strategies to provide a meaningful learning experience to a broad spectrum of learners during classroom instruction instead of “pulling out” students from core instruction for remedial or accelerated activities or employing formal academic plans. This occurs in a traditional classroom setting with a single teacher and without individual accommodations.

In some other systems, students are either placed on a remedial track or required to gain special designations early in life in order to access the most rigorous learning in high school. Our K-8 program emphasizes balanced student development while creating full access to our Advanced Placement ® offerings in high school. This means that high school students have the opportunity to engage in advanced level coursework in each academic area they want based on their future goals, not because, or in spite of, a label.

This results in meaningful student engagement with a diverse community of learners instead of a series of individualized experiences. As students mature, they are expected to develop a deep understanding of learning strategies that they will use for lifelong learning.

Rhythms of Grace

Block Schedule

Flatirons Academy designs schedules with the student experience in mind. In middle school and high school, students have a modified block schedule with three core courses on Monday and Wednesday, and three different core courses on Tuesday and Thursday. The block schedule lengthens the time between when work is assigned and when it is due, decreasing stress around homework. It reduces the number of subjects each day, providing longer periods for sustained focus, and training students to engage more deeply. It limits the number of books and notebooks students are carrying and the number of daily transitions, reducing passing periods and the inefficiencies at the beginning and end of classes. The net effect is a calmer, more academically focused environment.

Bison Day

In many modified block schedules, students rotate through all of their classes one day a week, but Flatirons Academy uses Fridays differently. On Fridays, middle school and high school students focus on English and math, since competency in these subjects makes other subjects more accessible. For math, students execute a tutorial program where they select content for additional focus and work together in groups to problem solve. Students present to the group and math teachers moderate discussions. For English, a research based reading program is used to cultivate a love for reading and lifelong learning. Fridays also include time for make-up work and teachers do not assign new homework. This additional challenge and support for each student maximizes individual growth and provides a more authentic education for students.

Students worship together on Friday. Elementary, middle school, and high school students have separate chapel times where they worship through song and hear from God’s word. In middle school and high school, there is a focus on corporate times of prayer, silence for individual prayer, and applying the Gospel to the issues facing students. The time of silence can be a rare commodity in a culture dominated by unending videos, music, and social media.

For middle school and high school students, Fridays begin approximately an hour later than normal and also include Societies, a version of clubs where students engage with friends in co-curricular activities. The result is Fridays begin a transition to the weekend, providing students with a meaningful close to the week and a greater opportunity to fully engage family life and other activities on the weekend. Bison Day presents an alternative vision for education, where students can engage the type of learning that will extend beyond the formal classroom.

Thoughtful Guardrails

Family, Marriage, Gender

Flatirons Academy affirms God designed marriage as the union between one man and one woman, defined biologically, and that families are the primary structure of society. School policies, instruction, and culture are defined by these beliefs.

There is increasing pressure for schools to step into roles belonging to parents, and Flatirons Academy consciously works to resist this movement. Our school counselor, a licensed professional therapist with experience in crisis counseling and an M.A. from Denver Seminary, communicates with families to address significant issues from a biblical perspective.

To learn more about our distinctives in athletics, visit our Flatirons Athletics page.

To learn more about the values informing our distinctives, visit our Salt, Light, Family, Community page.