Field Studies

Excel Academy believes that field experiences are an integral component of classroom learning and an effective way to enrich students’ academic experiences and apply learning beyond traditional classroom lessons. Most students participate in field studies that tie into units of study several times per year. These experiences range from bringing experts in-house for assemblies, workshops, or labs; walking excursions near the school to Metro-area, off-campus trips that require transportation.

Excel’s field studies policy is that a permission slip is sent home, signed and returned to school. The notification will list the date, day, time, destination, incidental charges and other necessary information. Students must have a signed permission slip on file to attend field studies. If cost is a factor to attend, please reach out to the enrichment coordinator. If a student does not have a permission slip on file, the student may not attend and will remain in another classroom or supervised space for the duration of the field study. Additionally, permission to attend field studies is contingent upon good academic and behavioral standing. All students are expected to observe SOAR, school values, and Jeffco’s Code of Conduct at all times, and failure to do so will result in the loss of field study privileges.

Transportation for field studies is most often by school bus but may sometimes be provided by parents or guardians of Excel students. Volunteer drivers must undergo background checks and be approved by the district. They also must certify their car is safe and in good operating condition, have a valid driver’s license and hold a certificate of appropriate insurance, including the policy expiration date and the company name. These are provided to the business manager prior to the field study trip.

Excel Academy offers extended and enriching opportunities to our students beginning in the fourth and fifth grades. These extended field studies are optional and offered as grade-level appropriate enrichment. We encourage all students to be part of these opportunities. There are costs involved, but we also do not want cost to prohibit participation. Please connect with your child’s teacher and/or the enrichment coordinator to discuss pathways to participation.

All extended field studies require written reflections and other documentation of experiences, which serve as a record of learning and provide a place for recording special memories of the experiences. These educational opportunities are directly related to curriculum and enrich student understanding of material through experiential learning.

Extended field studies also require eligibility determined by academic standing and consistent positive school behaviors. Additional information and requirements are provided to parents at the mandatory parent meetings for those choosing to send their students. In general, students who are on Safety Plans are ineligible to participate in extended field studies. No refunds are granted due to behavior or academic ineligibility.

Beginning in the 2022-2023 school year, Excel Academy grounded itself in the fruits of the mission and vision work of the prior year. Thus, the school harnessed the multi-age grouping experiences that had historically made the school an appealing option to families and combined the concept with Renzulli’s theories of gifted education. Explorations at Excel Academy happen over two nine-week periods when students are grouped in multi-age classrooms throughout the building to research, learn, and explore a topic of interest in each room. These sessions happen for an hour each week on a designated day. The culmination of these exploration time periods is an Exploration Expo which happens twice each year. The Expo is a time when our community is invited into the building to see the products and presentations that students have put together on their topics. Students also get to tour other classrooms to view the work of other students and hear presentations from those students. In the section called Field Studies Beyond School Hours can you put this info in? There are overnight opportunities for students that begin in grade four and continue through grade eight in various content areas to extend learning beyond the books and walls of the classrooms.

Our extended overnight trips planned this year include:

• One-night Colorado History Immersion - 4th grade T
• wo-night Mountain Lab School - 5th grade
• Three-night Mission to Mars, Arizona - 6th grade
• Three-night Keystone Science School, CO - 7th grade
• Four-night Washington, D.C. - 8th grade Middle school students participating in overnight,

Extended field studies are provided opportunities to raise money for their trips. This includes an opportunity to run a booth at our Winter Carnival in December, as well as the opportunity to join the Entrepreneur Club.