Sunday, Nov 13, 2016 5:01 PMUpdated Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016 11:51 AM
Students will be accepted on ‘first come, first served’ basis
Woytek
Animas High School students search for clues to complete puzzles to find a key to unlock the door from the Escape Room at Animas High School on Thursday. From the left are Lyric Hildner, Elena Rivera, Skylar Smith and Mateo Ybarra Dempsey. The clock is ticking down from 60 minutes as they work. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald.
Looking for an escape, from left, Animas High School student teacher from Fort Lewis College, Colin Hughes, and Animas High School students Reed Frey, Skylar Smith, kneeling, Kaitlyn Dunn, Elena Rivera and Mateo Ybarra Dempsey search for clues to complete a puzzle to find the key to unlock the door of the Geometry of Anatomy Escape Room at Animas High School on Thursday. An escape room is a relatively new entertainment concept in the United States that is a live-action, interactive puzzle hunt in which participants need to find clues and solve puzzles with the end goal of finding the key to escape the room. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald.
Looking for an escape, from the left, Animas High School students Mateo Ybarra Dempsey, Lyric Hildner, Elena Rivera, Kaitlyn Dunn, Skylar Smith and student teacher from Fort Lewis College, Colin Hughes, search for clues to complete a puzzle to unlock the door from the Escape Room at Animas High School on Thursday. An escape room is a relatively new entertainment concept in the United States that is a live-action, interactive puzzle hunt in which participants need to find clues and solve puzzles with the end goal of finding the key to escape the room. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald.
In the control room, 10th-grade Animas High School students observe fellow students search for clues to complete a puzzle in search of the key to get out of the Escape Room at Animas High School Thursday. The project was led by math teacher Aliza Cruz, standing center left, and biology teacher Tina Hott. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald.
Looking for an escape, from left, Animas High School student teacher Colin Hughes, and Animas High School students Lyric Hildner, Elena Rivera, Kaitlyn Dunn, and Skylar Smith, search for clues to complete a puzzle in search of the key to exit the Escape Room at Animas High School on Thursday. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald.
Clues, shapes, locks and puzzles surround Animas High School students attempting to complete a puzzle in search of the key to the Escape Room at Animas High School on Thursday. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald.
Looking for an escape, Animas High School student teacher from Fort Lewis College, Colin Hughes, right, and Animas High School student Skylar Smith, find clues written in a book using a black light while searching for clues to complete a series of puzzles in search of a key to unlock the door of the Geometry of Anatomy Escape Room at Animas High School. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald.
Animas High School ninth-grade students practice before climbing the rope course at On The Edge Productions in eastern La Plata County on Wednesday. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
Animas High School ninth-grade student Annabelle Mick peers upward at a classmate high in a tree as she belays them at the rope course on Wednesday. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
Animas High School ninth-grade student Calvin Chase checks ropes from high in a tree as classmates belay him at the rope course on Wednesday. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
Animas High School ninth-grade students belay a classmate on the rope course at On The Edge Productions in eastern La Plata County on Wednesday. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
In an exercise to build bonds of trust, Animas High School ninth-grade students negotiate a rope course on Wednesday. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
Phil Bryson of On The Edge Productions checks climbing ropes and equipment for Animas High School ninth-grade student Greta Cahill before climbing the rope course Wednesday. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
An Animas High School ninth-grade student stands on a trimmed tree before jumping off while negotiating the rope course at On The Edge Productions’ course on Wednesday. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
Phil Bryson with On The Edge Productions checks climbing ropes and equipment for Animas High School ninth-grade student Annabelle Mick before climbing in the firm’s rope course Wednesday. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
Animas High School ninth-grade students belay a classmate on the rope course at On The Edge Productions course in eastern La Plata County on Wednesday. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
Animas High School ninth-grade student Annabelle Mick climbs the rope course at On The Edge Productions rope course Wednesday. “This will help me in High School to learn to take a leap of faith and to trust my surroundings and peers,” said Mick after completing the course. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
Animas High School ninth-grade students negotiate a rope course at On The Edge Productions’ rope course on Wednesday. The exercise is designed to build trust and collaboration among the participants. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
Starting in January,
The change was approved by the school’s board of directors at its meeting Monday.
“As we’ve been working with (Durango School District) 9-R, we’ve seen every school in the district has to take any student whenever they come in,” said Sean Woytek, Animas head of school. “The perception in the community is that we pick and choose, but in fact, we close enrollment right at the October count.”
The public charter school admitted its first students in 2009. Until this year, if a student wasn’t enrolled by the beginning of October, they would have to wait until the next school year.
Because AHS offers project-based learning, students entering mid-semester would find it difficult to integrate into project, the school’s faculty felt, and by admitting students at a semester break, not only will they be able to start projects at the beginning, they school will be able to orient them as a group, which is much more efficient for a small school of about 300 students.
Second semester enrollment is open only to students in grades nine to 12. Seniors spend much of their senior year on senior projects.
Enrollment will be capped at 6 percent of Per Pupil Count Day or board-set capacity, whichever is less. Admission will be on a “first come, first served basis” based on the submission of the registration packet, which includes a registration form, immunization and medical forms, any individualized education program paperwork, official transcript and birth certificate. If all the paperwork and attendance at a school orientation meeting or school tour or phone orientation are not complete by the last day of the first semester, the student will have to wait until the following school year. The deadline date for this year is Dec. 16.
“It seems more equitable if families come to town during the school year or if students are attending a school that doesn’t work for them to have an opportunity during the school year,” Assistant Head of School Libby Cowles said. “Having them come in together is a more intentional welcome into the community, because while we don’t have cliques here, Animas itself is one big clique.”
