Watershed School

5405 Spine Road

Boulder, CO 80301

25 Reviews

School District
Grade

6-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by teacher on October 21, 2024

I had the privilege to end my teaching career at Watershed last May. I carry the best memories from this community where students and staff are and feel connected like a family, sharing the joy of learning and becoming better humans inside our local and global communities. I appreciate the freedom for the staff to teach what we are passionate about and to support students in their own style and pace of learning and level of curiosity. Watershed provides unique experiences of connection and immersion in different cultures around the world, building emotional resilience, relational capacity and critical thinking in a way I have no experience in any other school before. I recommend this school to anyone looking for a place where your students wake up excited to come everyday of the week, or the majority of them! I became a much richer and grateful person during all the years teaching and learning from my students and colleagues at Watershed.
Submitted by parent on September 16, 2024

We're parents of two students at Watershed School and they’re truly thriving. While our kids did fine in traditional schools, the process felt transactional to them. In contrast, our kids say that Watershed’s progressive, project-based teaching approach feels meaningful, challenging, and supportive. The field work and expedition courses provide rich context and help our kids understand interconnections. At Watershed, they’ve become engaged learners who are much more aware of their community and the world around them. They’ve taken ownership of their learning and don’t need to be reminded to do their homework. The teachers are skilled and empathetic educators who seem to understand and appreciate our kids. We are confident that Watershed is preparing our kids for success in future educational endeavors and life. Watershed’s process might not work for everyone, but if your student is ready to lean into what Watershed has to offer, we highly recommend you try it!Wendy and Dan
Submitted by parent on August 31, 2024

Watershed offers the most unique learning experiences I've ever come across. Their immersive work "in the field" allows for students to experience real-world applications to what they learn, while developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The student-teacher relationships are truly a two-way exchange (not just teachers imparting their wisdom on students). Watershed teachers know each student and work to support their individual needs and interests. The trips—whether one-day or 3 weeks—offer once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, and there are several each year! Watershed's method of teaching ignites a love of learning in their students that will likely last a lifetime. They have been so generous over the years to ensure that my daughter can attend, despite financial obstacles. I am so grateful for the opportunities Watershed has given my daughter.
Submitted by parent on January 29, 2024

The experience at Watershed has been of the highest quality for both my children. Middle school is a challenging time and the school has made it as good of an experience as possible. The genuine care from staff and teachers to ensure my children's well-being and academic success has been impressive and is tailored to each child's needs. The out-of-school learning solidifies the students' understanding of the concepts taught and brings them into real-world scenarios that are memorable for a lifetime.
Submitted by parent on January 07, 2024

Watershed is a profound disappointment. There is a LOT of drama among the children (as expected at this age) and these things are handled by administration like police investigations. There is no teaching after a mistake has been made, no conflict resolution or problem-solving. Children are questioned, events are investigated and then punishment is handed down to the child deemed to be the problem. Watershed uses disciplinary techniques that are so harmful to children that they are actually illegal in most public schools. I was so shocked by our experience at Watershed that I am still trying to come to terms with what they did to my child and family. And I am surprised that more of the families that have been similarly hurt by Watershed have not left reviews here.
Submitted by parent on May 17, 2023

My daughter has been attending Watershed for the past three years and will graduate next year. Our younger daughter is eager to join the Watershed community this fall. We couldn’t be happier with our decision for our children to attend Watershed School. Small class sizes and real connections with their teachers were the main reasons we chose Watershed, but the school offers so much more. The expeditionary courses that combine subjects such as writing and science give a real world understanding of complex subjects. Fieldwork is a weekly happening with students connecting to experts in each subject. The best part of a Watershed education are the trips the children go on: these experiences vary from backpacking along the front range studying science, to visiting the Texas/Mexico border to understand immigration, learning about culture and community in Peru, and completing research on nesting patterns of birds in Iceland. My child comes home from these trips excited about her education and better connected to her classmates and teachers. Watershed is a rigorous school that teaches students to love the learning process.
Submitted by parent on May 17, 2023

There are not enough words to express the transformative, character building, mind expanding, soul nourishing and affirming experience our boys have had at Watershed for the past EIGHT years! We are about to celebrate the graduation of our youngest with joy and gratitude and yet SO sad that our time there is coming to an end. We wish we had more kids to send! Watershed picked up the somewhat broken pieces our kids came in with as 7th graders and put them together to form incredible humans! Yes the education and educators are phenomenal and inspire these kids to be authentically interested, involved and motivated. But the emotional intelligence, connections and solid meaningful relationships Watershed fosters among EVERYONE (teachers, staff and students alike) will take them farther in life than any academics possibly could. When relationships and community are at the forefront, one simply cannot fall through the cracks, hide or get lost and that’s exactly where my kids started. They were able to figure out pretty quickly that they could show up as themselves and that they were held, respected and safe (pretty unusual for middle school especially!) Thanks to this type of ‘schooling’ (or rather, ‘human-ing’) and incredible teachers and admin, they have blossomed into their full unique selves and I couldn’t be more impressed with them and grateful to this school! I’ve seen enough Watershed graduates to know this school develops kids who are secure in who they are and what they have to offer. They value themselves and their relationships and are excited to share that knowledge and confidence for the benefit of their community as well as the big wide world they’ve come to experience and know through the school. I can’t think of anything more important no matter what path they choose! Thank you Watershed for helping us shape and develop a couple of well rounded, well balanced, kind and motivated humans to send out into the world!!
Submitted by parent on August 14, 2022

Watershed embodies the best of the progressive tradition of education. I love that Watershed takes my son where he is at emotionally, socially and academically and then pushes him as a learner beyond what he thought was possible. Recently my son did a 24 hours solo in the Indian Peaks Wilderness and he returned home full of confidence, and ready to apply the lessons he learned outdoors to his academics.
Submitted by other on July 31, 2022

Watershed School brilliantly honors its mission, to prepare students to take on the World's Greatest Challenges. From personalized assignments, 9-day backpacking trips, and teachers that foster character growth, I developed leadership, social, and communication skills that are responsible for my successes today. The focus on real-world learning, connections, and life skills, prepared me for an Ivy League education and to solve the Restaurant Industry's greatest challenges.
Submitted by parent on November 02, 2021

My son graduated from the Watershed School in 2016 and from Lewis Clark College in 2020. Having watched the arc of his education I see what an amazing contribution Watershed made to his intellectual education and equally his development as a wonderful human and contributing member of society. I cannot thank the educators enough for their commitment to the students at this school. The educational model commits to the whole child and prepares them as thoughtful, critical thinking adults, prepared for the real world. They also have a lot of fun! Engaged in the classroom and out in the field, I found it to be an extraordinary education.
Submitted by parent on April 22, 2021

This is my second year as a parent of a middle schooler at Watershed. I feel so lucky that my child attends Watershed because his teachers know him and appreciate him for the awesome kid that he is! They have brought out intellectual growth, help him engage with real world issues, and push him to improve in areas that are right for him. This is all done in a loving and warm environment. My opinion is that the mark of a truly great education is not in the “pedigree cultivation,” the test scores of the kids getting in, or the price tag; it is in how the kids grow in their time there. That is the true purpose of education: to ignite interest and passions in our kids, to nurture them and help them grow, to help them learn from challenges, to meet them where they are and guide them on their own paths. We have found all of this at Watershed and are so proud of the work we see our son doing.
Submitted by parent on April 18, 2021

Watershed has been an incredible experience for our two middles school boys! The creative and experiential approach to course curriculum is just incredible, and the teachers and staff are very supportive. My kids have connected well with teachers and peers, and they've had their eyes opened up to topics they didn't previously realize could be a part of education (such as creating a movie in digital animation, visiting a wild horse sanctuary, or zooming with a class in Mexico for Spanish class). Our kids switched there during the pandemic, and they have loved it even during a pandemic-year -- which was a HUGE silver-lining of year for our family. Now, they are really excited to be a part of Watershed's community in a non-pandemic year, realizing if they've enjoyed this much already, they can't wait to see what's to come!
Submitted by parent on April 05, 2020

Watershed has provided our son with an opportunity to thrive in an environment that embraces all versions of learning, socializing and responsibilities. He has gone to great public schools, but they were not able to give him the unique one on one learning that Watershed has been able to do. Not all children learn the same, and we find Watershed navigates the best educational and social platform for their students to succeed.
Submitted by parent on March 30, 2020

We came to Watershed in 8th grade. My daughter had a horrible middle school experience and we needed a change. Watershed saved her. She has blossomed into an independent young woman. She is seen and valued. She has learned to take risks, make friends, and be who is meant to be. We could not be more thankful to Watershed and the educators.
Submitted by parent on December 03, 2018

Honestly, I always knew my child was capable of more than her teachers at other schools ever saw. In the 5 years my child has attended Watershed she has grown into an inspiring force of good in the world and an eloquent & intelligent one at that!
Submitted by parent on November 29, 2018

Both of my children have started at Watershed this year, in 6th and 8th grades. I have been beyond impressed. The staff, teachers and administration are amazing. They are loving, supportive and very attuned to my kids and what is going on with them. My son had some time-management challenges and the school worked with him to develop skills and tools to help with organization and management. Both my kids love school and are really happy we made the change from BVSD (nothing was "wrong") to Watershed where the kids learn by "doing" and experience rather than classroom lectures all the time. If you are thinking about a different type of school for your child, I recommend you schedule a visit!
Submitted by parent on November 27, 2018

This school exceeds my expectations. The teachers are amazing. The curriculum is so rich and experiential. The only downside would be the small campus, but it is still lovely. The world is the classroom for these students, so I think it is ok that the actual building is small. I'm amazed at the students, what they are learning, and how well they can express their thoughts. Students are happy, engaged learners at Watershed. It's really a gem of a school.
Submitted by parent on October 29, 2018

Over the top girl drama! It’s too bad that they haven’t incorporated the practices of Nonviolent Communication in the curriculum as it is so desperately needed to be taught, modeled and practiced. Sadly it seems the heart of the school left when Greg Bamford left as Head of School. If you are seeking a school that values LGBTQ students, I have heard great things about September School and any PUBLIC school in Boulder or Denver school districts (most private schools in the state of Colorado require no due process or transparency and can be completely subjective in their pursuit towards a desired outcome).Unfortunately, the review below dated Nov 13, 2013 still rang true in our experience 5 years later. It's too bad because the philosophy around learning is great. For a similar PUBLIC school, check out New Vista.
Submitted by parent on February 07, 2018

Watershed School has been a lifesaver for my son and our entire family! After years of testing, tutors and cajoling my creative, hands-on kid to engage more in his public school, he's finally excited and thriving as a result of the dynamic, relevant and intriguing curriculum at Watershed. My son has specifically commented that he's learned more at Watershed this school year than he had in all his other years of schooling combined! They encourage critical thinking and don't cop of with multiple choice or rote memorization tests. They challenge students with timely, thought provoking questions and curriculum that puts the onus on the students to reflect and develop their own opinions, and then share their personal experiences/beliefs in a supportive, accepting and FUN environment. It's a super tight community that values its students and parents and goes above and beyond to create an inclusive environment that specifically addresses each student's needs, and YES pushes them to their edges (but not beyond) to help them develop the resilience to persevere. There aren't cliques and students of different ages, gender identities, socioeconomic status', sexual orientations all hang together. I've never seen or heard of a student being excluded or ostracized. I think the week long wilderness trip at the beginning of the school year creates an environment where the kids learn to depend on each other and really creates and opportunity for bonding. We're so impressed and the staff and community at Watershed school have surpassed our expectations! Go on a school tour and see for yourself!
Submitted by parent on November 06, 2017

We love this school! All 3 of our boys attend Watershed & they love going to school everyday! The teachers & staff are incredibly talented. The philosophy of the program and the way they teach keeps the children engaged, motivated & challenged. Our boys feel safe & valued in this forward thinking community. We are so grateful to have found Watershed!