K-5 Placement:
Riffenburgh Elementary
Riffenburgh Elementary serves Fort Collins students as an IB World School. As stated by the International Baccalaureate website, "The PYP (primary years programme) offers an inquiry-based, transdisciplinary curriculum framework that builds conceptual understanding. It is a student-centered approach to education for children aged 3-12." This type of learning model emphasizes the ways students can interact with their learning community. Each year, students engage with one of 6 learner profiles. These 6 are "Who we are; Where we are in place and time; How we express ourselves; How the world works.; How we organize ourselves; and Sharing the planet."
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Riffenburgh has 27 full-time teachers for 450+ students from Kindergarten to 5th grade. There is an evenly split demographic between male and female students. Of the student population, 19% is comprised of economically disadvantaged students, and there is a 25% minority student population. There is support for bilingual and ELL students throughout the school. There is also support for students with interests in academic and arts-related clubs, including an after school rock band, choir, and art club. In terms of preparing elementary graduates, Riffenburgh rates highly in both district and state-wide data. The student-teacher ratio is at district standards, which is 17:1
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The art classroom at Riffenburgh is taught by Cole Zawadzki, who utilizes the TAB(Teaching Artistic Behaviors) pedagogy of art education. TAB is student choice-based, and believes that:
-The Child is the Artist
-The Classroom is the Child's Studio
-Artists decide their materials and Discover what Artists Do