Because the Park Hill/Stapleton shared-boundary middle-school policy is new for fall 2014, the December Front Porch provided a side-by-side comparison of those schools and a Q&A with their principals.

Now the same comparative information is available on the Front Porch website for Hill Campus of Arts and Sciences (the boundary school for Lowry, East Colfax, Mayfair, Montclair and Hale) and for The Odyssey School, a DPS K-8 charter school in Park Hill.

Hill Middle School Principal Sean Kavanaugh says the 825-student school offers a well-rounded educational experience in both the arts and the sciences. Hill will be adding a STEM program next year, Project Lead the Way, providing an elective option that focuses on the sciences. And they will implement 360° which he calls a compelling alternative to the way math is taught. A Hill parent says, “The vibe at Hill Campus of Arts and Sciences is achievement focused with a thick layer of individuality.”

The Odyssey School, which has 78 middle-schoolers (in a K-8 school with 234 students), offers significant amounts of personalized learning, with occasional whole-class learning opportunities, says Principal Marcia Fulton. The Odyssey School is an expeditionary learning community that fosters each child’s unique potential and spirit of adventure. The curriculum is designed around rigorous, purposeful, project-based learning expeditions tied to Colorado State Standards. The motto of the school is: We are crew not passengers.