6 years ago
4 years ago
Welcome to Breckenridge Elementary School, home of the bulldogs!
Principal: Mrs. Ann-Mari Westerhoff
August 31, 2021
Dear Breck El Parents and Guardians,
Welcome to the 2021-22 school year! As the new principal, I want to thank you all for the warm welcome. I truly appreciate the way that you have welcomed me into the Breck El community. I have been a part of Summit School District in many capacities since I moved here in the 1990’s. Most recently I was the assistant principal at Silverthorne Elementary for three years, and prior to that I was the English Language Development teacher at Upper Blue for twelve years. My philosophy centers around building strong relationships with students, staff, families and community members in order to best meet the needs of our precious students. I want every child at Breck El to achieve their highest academic potential and lifelong dreams, whatever they may be.
As we begin the third school year to be impacted by COVID-19, we are cognizant of the need to keep all students in school, while preventing the spread of COVID-19 and the Delta variant. Summit County Public Health and district leadership have determined that the safest way to achieve this goal is to have all students and staff wear masks inside school buildings. This has been going really well here at Breck El. Students are cooperative and really seem to enjoy being back in school with their classmates.
During the 18-19 school year, the Breck El community of students, staff and parents renewed its commitment to the IB Primary Years Program with its opportunities for higher level thinking and developed a plan to integrate outdoor activities with our units of inquiry. This concept was coined “Applied Learning” as students will be applying their knowledge outside of the classroom in an experiential setting. We plan to continue this work in each grade and will be sharing more information about the activities as the year progresses.
Safety and creating a positive environment will be top priorities and we will continue to make sure every child is seen, valued and heard at school with social emotional work through PBIS , Second Step, and morning meetings. Our PBIS expectations are for all students to be safe, respectful and responsible in all locations. We will roll out a new system called PBIS Rewards, which is similar to Kickboard, and gives us ways to reinforce and celebrate positive behavior choices. Classroom teachers and our counselor will teach the Second Step curriculum which is designed to equip students skills to solve problems and be successful in school. Finally, each classroom begins the day with a morning meeting to set the stage for the day.
Breckenridge Elementary is a vibrant, joyful school and we are fortunate to have an amazing staff and caring community. Please don’t hesitate to ask me if you have any questions or concerns. My door is always open!
Thank you for your support!
Ann-Mari Westerhoff
Principal
7 years ago
Why Breck Is Where You Want To Be
The World is our Classroom
The world is full of learning opportunities. Every day our children discover something new - even in their own backyards. Children have a natural eagerness to explore and understand, and at Breckenridge Elementary, we bring that excitement into a school environment. By encouraging children to be active learners, well-rounded individuals and engaged world citizens, we foster the growth of internationally-minded people and create positive attitudes. Thank you for joining us in the quest toward a cooperative, peaceful worldwide community!
School Highlights
The IB program is a comprehensive learning philosophy that has many important aspects. We encourage anyone to come by for a tour of our school to see our inner workings first-hand. In the meantime, here are a few highlights that make Breck El strong:
Academic Framework: Our curriculum framework consists of concepts, knowledge, skills, attitudes, and action. The knowledge component is developed through "units of inquiry" that explore six themes of global significance, namely: Sharing the Planet, Who We Are, How We Organize Ourselves, Where We Are in Place and Time, How the World Works, and How We Express Ourselves. Each theme is supported and balanced by subject areas that are creative and meaningful. Don't be surprised when your child comes home talking about Changing Habitats, Communities, Plants and Insects, Native Americans, Natural Disasters, Heroes, Inventions, Exploration, or Biomes/ Ecosystems.
Woven throughout these units of inquiry we have a consistent delivery of core curriculum Kindergarten through 5th Grade with Everyday Math (Math), Benchmark Literacy (Reading), and Lucy Calkins (Writing). We also have a school-wide agreed behavior program through Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS). You might hear our amazing kids talk about being "Bulldog Strong" which refers to him/her making a choice that is respectful, responsible, and safe!
Extra curricular activities involve STEAM, Chess Club, Choir, Basketball and Girls on the Run.
It Takes a Village: Parents at Breck Elementary have made a commitment to raising kids who are culturally aware, respectful of other people, and passionate about experiencing new things. To leverage the parent body's enthusiasm and further guide the healthy growth of our school, two organizations have been formed. The PTSA advocates for all children, organizes fund raisers, and pursues community-building initiatives. The BAAC is a parent/staff committee focused on the improvement of school programs with distinct academic- and community-driven goals. We welcome and encourage involvement from Breck families in these organizations!
Intercultural understanding: An important element of IB is mastery of a foreign language. Our foreign language is Spanish. Art and music characterizing cultures around the world further advance our students' understanding of different people and places. We embrace all cultures.