ABOUT INSPIRATION VIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Opened in the fall of 2019, Inspiration View Elementary School (IVES) is District 49’s newest neighborhood school, located in the POWER ZONE at 9233 Vista del Pico Boulevard in the Banning Lewis Ranch community, Colorado Springs.  

At IVES, our mission is to foster individual student promise and passions through arts integrated learning. This intentional focus cultivates an environment that allows all students to develop as creative risk takers who collaborate, communicate, and celebrate through diverse learning opportunities while discovering their love of learning as they evolve as authentic human beings. IVES adds to District 49’s portfolio of schools with this arts Integrated approach to teaching and learning and an inclusive philosophy.  Students are challenged to grow and achieve, regardless of their educational plan, in the general education classroom.   We plan our programs and schedules to fully include every student in all learning opportunities and experiences at IVES.

To further our mission, Inspiration View Elementary School is proud to be a Kennedy Center Partners in Education (KC PIE) school. Through this affiliation with the Kennedy Center, we benefit from a network of schools, teaching artists, and arts organizations around the country. IVES belongs to the local KC PIE partnership, Pikes Peak Arts Integration Collaborative, which includes other local school districts, the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, Ent Center for Arts. 

 

Learning

Inspiration View Elementary School (IVES), is dedicated to engaging all students in a creative process which “connects an art form and another subject area and meets evolving objectives in both.” (Kennedy Center definition of Arts Integration) Grade level teachers and studio teachers work together to plan and teach units. If students are learning about ratios and proportions in math, they may also be learning perspective standards in art. To demonstrate their learning of these particular standards students may create a landscape painting exhibiting ratio, proportion and perspective. This kind of approach provides real life application for what students are learning. It is authentic, connected, and includes authentic tasks for authentic audiences. We seek to create learning environments that build positive relationships, engages all through their individual passions and talents, and fosters collaboration.

 

Educational Resources:

• Core Knowledge Language Arts(CKLA) - English Language Arts (ELA) Curriculum which integrates Science and Social Studies.

• iReady- Math

• Supporting programs and assessments: Lexia Learning, ST Math, SIPPS, Star Reading and Math, DIBELS8 Reading

 

Teaching

At IVES, the role of educators is to facilitate learning in an environment where  educators and students together design dynamic learning experiences. Teachers will coach students at their point of need. Co-teaching and collaboration are key components of the teaching at Inspiration View Elementary School. General education teachers, studio teachers, and other instructional specialists plan together to integrate both content and arts standards, as well as instructional practices that will best support student learning for all. 

Our teachers creatively innovate while implementing research affirmed practices that engage, motivate, and challenge. A wide range of tools and supports  provide educators with a variety of methods for reaching all students.  Creativity in classrooms enables teachers to transform the classroom from a place to sit and receive instruction, to one where learners share ideas, build team capacity, deepen critical thinking, and leverage individual passions and talents.

Leadership

At Inspiration View, leadership is not defined by title or position, but rather by actions. Our leaders will model, encourage, cultivate, nurture, and support the discovery of our students’ passions and talents and support innovation while prioritizing their work to reflect the mission and vision of IVES. 

Leaders at Inspiration View serve as ambassadors for our school. Our affiliation with the Kennedy Center, Partners in Education, fostering partnerships among arts organizations, schools, and communities is such an example. Leadership regularly participates in community events and district engagements promoting our school to potential students, parents, and high-quality educators. Partnerships with middle and high schools in our zone and other arts integration schools in the region establish and strengthen learning opportunities.

Resource allocation at Inspiration View will be directly tied to vision-related priorities and needs. In doing so, our leaders  create a purposeful community with a culture of excellence, collaboration, and proactive communication based on our vision and mission.

Collaborative relationships, effective communication structures, and the intentional nurturing of leadership attributes amongst our students and the staff encourage a continuation of growth, ensure academic excellence, and build capacity amongst all members of our IVES community.

 

Professional Learning

At Inspiration View Elementary School, ongoing professional growth is a cornerstone to evolving arts integration and inclusion throughout our school. Purposeful, targeted, and meaningful professional learning ensures that transformative practices are effective, evident, and widespread.  Opportunities that support arts integration and inclusion through authentic problem-based inquiry, technology integration, collaboration, and pedagogical best practices are the current focus. District 49 and IVES also facilitate robust structures of self-directed professional learning based on need, interest, and passion.

To model the expectations for our classrooms, professional learning will include individualized and collaborative opportunities for face-to-face engagements, online modules, and blended options. To enhance authenticity, we will engage multiple partners to provide professional learning opportunities based on individual needs and preferences. Teachers will collaborate with and learn from in-building coaches, district support staff, other arts integration and inclusion educators and consultants. 

Professional learning communities are focused on student and teacher needs identified and driven by our vision. An awareness of strengths, opportunities for growth, preferred modes of learning, and optimal work/productivity time(s) will help each staff member craft his/her own personal plan to realize growth. Routine self-assessment and reflection enable staff members to benchmark their skill development against zone-defined and globally relevant standards.

Through a personalized approach to professional development, educators at Inspiration View Elementary are empowered to hone and advance their skills and build individual capacity ultimately establishing themselves as world-class educators.

 

Wider Community

A positive relationship between the school and community is essential to the continued growth and success of both. IVES consistently builds and fosters reciprocal partnerships with our family stakeholders, as well as local, regional, national, and international arts organizations, businesses, community and civic organizations. We actively foster, nurture, and maintain these positive partnerships through regular communication to further develop knowledge, skills, and an understanding of local and global working structures. Partners collaborate with teachers, leaders, and learners to ensure learning experiences further the mission and vision of Inspiration View Elementary and connects IVES  to the wider community.

Inspiration View Elementary  encourages and welcomes a community-focused approach to facilities usage. Our school  serves as the community hub for learning with outreach branches to higher education, businesses, and civic organizations. We  currently offer before and after school programs that help keep kids safe, assist working parents, and extend the school day with enriching experiences.

 

Inspiration View Elementary School