Ridgeview Classical Schools

Ridgeview Classical Schools
Location
United States
Information
Type	Public charter school
Established	2001
Locale	Fort Collins
Principal	Florian Hild
Grades	K-12
Mascot	Hoplite

Ridgeview Classical Schools (abbreviated RCS, also known as Ridgeview) is a small charter school located at 1800 South Lemay, Fort Collins, Colorado. The school divides into three parts: elementary (K-6), intermediate (7-8), and high school (9-12). There is no cafeteria in school. Ridgeview serves about 770 students, and about 200 of them are high school students. School colors are blue and gold.

Philosophy

Ridgeview declares its mission to be, "to develop the academic potential and personal character of each student through academically rigorous, content-rich, educational programs." Its mission is being practiced through intense classes. Many humanity classes at Ridgeview are heavily discussion-based, and every student is encouraged to take part in every class. Students are required to read the text before the class in order to participate; some classes assign homework questions that students have to answer based on what they read before class.

Unlike most other high schools, Ridgeview seeks to achieve its mission through a classical education, offering old but famous and noteworthy readings. The current principal, Mr.Hild, says, "RCS is staying the course of teaching Americans the wisdom of their ancestors. RCS students learn from Socrates, Bach, Franklin, and Churchill, to name a few giants of our civilization. Our goal is to follow Newton's famous insight that seeing farther than others is accomplished by standing on the shoulders of giants. Getting to these heights is accomplished by studying the best that has been said and done in our history. This includes good character as well as good academics: our ambition is to teach good habits to our students, based on the cardinal virtues and our character pillars of citizenship, cooperation, courage, honesty, integrity, perseverance, respect, and responsibility."

High School

Ridgeview Classical Schools' high school is one of the two public charter schools in the Poudre school district. Full-time students take eight classes and have a thirty-minute study hall period everyday. The first class starts at 7:30 a.m., and the school day ends at 3:00 p.m. Everyday before the first class, teachers and students recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Beside regular classes, the school offers AP classes and extracurricular programs. The size of its senior classes have ranged from nine to forty-eight.

Academics

Ridgeview's high school starts its classical education with readings that ranges back to Greece; in the Classical Literature class, students read and discuss about such books as Iliad and Odysseus, and in the Wester Civilization I class, they learn about the Greek and Roman history. There are also others classes that are in the criteria of the classical education. In humanity classes, students are often assigned to write essays or papers on the readings that they have done. Through each paper, students are expected to present their own ideas as well as to show their understanding of the text.

At the end of their junior year, students are required to write and present a junior thesis, using the texts and materials that they have went through and any other materials that support their theses. Also, the seniors have to write and present their theses. Senior thesis is the biggest project that students have to complete in order to graduate: it has to be twenty pages at least, and its topic is, "what is the good life?"

Ridgeview also offers AP classes, such as Calculus, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics, etc.

Achievements and Recognitions

Based on the CSAP scores, ACT scores, academic growth, etc., Ridgeview has been rated as the best high school in Colorado in 2005,2006, and 2010. Moreover, in 2008, "US News and World Report ranked Ridgeview Classical Schools' High School as 15th in the country, 4th US charter school, and 4th open-enrollment high school in the nation." Ridgeview is mentioned in E. D. Hirsch, Jr.'s The Making of Americans: Democracy and Our Schools.

Ridgeview's Science Bowl team won the regional competition and went on to the national final in 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years.

Extracurricular Activities

• After School Club
• Chess Club
• Engineering Club
• Folk Singers & Dancers Club
• Geography Club
• Hoplite Helpers
• Guitar Club
• Science Bowl
• Scout Troops
• Madrigal
• Yearbook Club
• Veritas
• Student Council