Frequenty Asked Questions
What is your location?
Our school is located at 1057 North Park Street in Castle Rock, Colorado. (We are one block north of the Wolfensberger Rd. & Park St. intersection behind Enterprise.)
What are the vision and goals for Woodlands Academy?
We envision Woodlands Academy becoming one of the finest schools in Colorado by preparing students, through a challenging integrated academic program, for the International Baccalaureate, Honors and Advanced Placement classes at private and public high schools. Our program is solutions-based and emphasizes the application of knowledge and skills. We believe that interweaving the roles of parents, teachers, and students is integral to our schoolÂ’s vision.
What is your curriculum? We follow an adaptation of the proven Core Knowledge sequence for History, Science, Literature, Art and Music, with support from other accredited resources in Math, Language Arts, and foreign languages.
What are the criteria for admission?
Woodlands Academy is a private, selective, intermediate/middle school for qualified students in grades 3 through 8. Students should score at or above grade level in Math, Reading, Grammar and Writing, or demonstrate the potential to do so with appropriate instruction.
We will not rule out a student based on low test scores alone, but will use these results as a guideline to plan the student's program. Our staff will administer grade level testing after receiving student Intent to Enroll forms. Woodlands Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, or national, or ethnic origin.
What is your School Calendar year?
Our school year begins the Monday before Labor Day and ends in early June. This year we will begin classes on August 24, 2009. We will have fall, winter and spring holidays with the Douglas County traditional school schedule. Our last week of school will be the week after Memorial Day, 2010.
What is your tuition?
Tuition is $7,000 for the 2009-2010 school year. Families with more than one student enrolled at Woodlands Academy will receive a 10% discount for any additional siblings. Financial aid is available through our Referral Program. We provide various options for tuition payments. All students are required to pay a $1000 textbook and supply fee by July 15th or at the time of enrollment. The total for tuition and fees is $8,000. Other private schools in Highlands Ranch and the Denver area charge $10,000 to $14,000+ per year in tuition and fees. A private education with small class sizes, discussion and project-based curriculum and challenging all students to excel has previously been unattainable for many members of our community. It is our desire to take private education out of the elitist position it usually holds and make it available to median income families.
What makes your school unique?
We are the only private, selective, nonsectarian, intermediate school in Castle Rock. Woodlands Academy was founded by experienced educators and parents who wanted to offer an exciting, stimulating educational alternative to our community. Our experiential program includes community outreach and educational field trips to enhance the learning experience. We are committed to small class sizes of 15 students or less. All staff members have teaching experience in public and/or charter schools. Many also have experience in fields other than education. This brings a higher level of expertise in other areas to enrich the learning environment of the students.