Timber Trail Elementary School

690 WEST CASTLE PINES PARKWAY

School District

Douglas County Re 1
Grade

PK, K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:16
Type

public

School Map for Douglas County Re 1 School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on July 14, 2022

If I could give this school a zero I would with exception one second grade teacher, Mrs. Wilson. She was awesome. However, my children hated this school and were constantly bullied! The school and especially the principle, Mrs. Radke, did nothing to address the issues. Not only were our kids being emotionally bullied but physically as well. Mrs. Radke doesn’t inform the parents when an incident happens and I kids who are bullied are singled out. Our kids grades actually went down at this school and parents are shamed for it. We personally know of 6 families that pulled out of this school in 21-22 due to these types of issues. Not to mention, there is no security!! One of the people on our “do not pick up list” walked right in and picked up our kids. He didn’t have to show an ID or anything. We were so scared and furious. No apology was ever made and they brushed it off like it was no big deal. If you want to keep your kids safe and have a good academic background, do not send them to TYE!
Submitted by parent on January 29, 2020

This is a great school that is actively pursuing the best for my kids and the kids at the school. Opportunity is given across the school for unique experiences.
Submitted by parent on January 04, 2020

Excellent experience here. Great teachers, administrators, curriculum, culture, and students!
Submitted by parent on May 21, 2019

5 -Disappointing. My children have had some great teachers and bad teAchers over the years. That’s expected . The maker space is not being used which could enhance learning. Parent volunteers are not used in 2nd-5th grade. Most teachers do not give any homework. Some parents love this and some parents would like a little each day to teach responsibility and show parents what is being taught in the classroom, it should be used as a review of what was taught previously.
Submitted by parent on October 17, 2017

An amazing experience coming from Marin, CA. We have had nothing but the most positive experience in a well-oraganized, stimulating school!So happy that my kids had their educational foundation at Timber Trail!!
Submitted by parent on September 06, 2017

Readers need to take these reviews with a grain of salt. This is a wonderful school in a high performing district with skilled and dedicated teachers and staff. We are very pleased with our experience at the school. Timber Trail has GREAT teachers. They reach out to all students from gifted to special needs. One of their teachers just received the coveted Teacher of the Year award for last year. They offer enrichment opportunities for students showing command of the material such as in math and reading. It has been my experience that they actively seek to find the appropriate level for students so they can learn best. I find Michele Radke very personable and treats the kids with great respect. She is very involved and I think she handles her job very well, with a high teacher retention. The communication by the teachers was good before and has become even better, meaning greater transparency, including the weekly class emails. From what I see this year, they explain what is coming- for example, as in writing assignments and what has transpired and give you something to chat with your child about should you choose to do so. I have seen repeated encouragement to engage your child in conversation about school topics by the teachers. I like that and appreciate knowing what is going on. This is an improvement, to something that was fine before. My experience is that the vast majority of parents are extremely happy with the climate at TTE.
Submitted by parent on June 06, 2017

A zero. A letter grade of F. When trust in the administration, leadership and educators is gone, there is simply nothing left.
Submitted by parent on May 08, 2017

I am not sure what a previous reviewer is talking about with programs for gifted children. I have not heard anything about experts from outside universities coming in to build this program and we have been at this school for 5 years. My oldest scored very high on the Cogat test last year and no one said a word to us. I have asked for enrichment for both of my sons multiple times because they are bored at school and need challenged. No one seems to know what to do in this situation and my requests have not been addressed. So we will continue to work with our kids at home to fill in the gaps that are missing. We are actively looking for other options for next year.
Submitted by parent on March 17, 2017

Pay attention... Look at the dates of the reviews, there must have been a meeting the beginning of October 2016, to push positive rating and comments. Then look again at the entrees for 2015, again a large group of positive comments on October 26th. This is the start of open enrollment.11 positive reviews on February 24, 2017. Wow, that is more than any other year has for a total. Let's make real honest reviews here! Read TTEA meeting minutes from 2-13-17, Pricipal Report. Radke specifically stated to put good reviews on this site along with another website. This school should be rated a zero, due to the principal and the building resource teacher. Their communication skills are horrible to say the least. Good luck here if your kid is anything but run of the mill. Average kids get by, just doing the daily grind. Have an advance kid and there is no plan to keep them challenged. Especially since the students are only taught to state testing levels. Have a below average kid and they stay stuck there by being grouped in a lower level learning program. I have a kid in each situation, so I am commenting on first hand experiences. I also volunteer in the classroom, I see what is happening or should I say lack of what is being taught. I want out, but the wait list for others schools is over 100 for the grades my kids are in. The student count is currently very low, so they will take all and any open enrollments. That explains the lower number of students in the classroom. Beware, this is not a place you want your kids to be a part of.
Submitted by parent on February 24, 2017

Before considering a charter school, tour and come see learning in action at TTE. The marriage of collaboration and creativity with project based learning is beyond what any other school in the area offers. These kids are truly being prepared for life, not a state mandated test. I appreciate that the leadership at the school is willing to give our kids a true education, not a lesson plan catered to tests. We pulled our kids from charter schools and it was the best decision we've made. Our daughter has 18 students in her class and loves going to school everyday. Our son is now in middle school and thriving thanks to the foundation from TTE. Could not praise the staff of TTE more.
Submitted by other on February 24, 2017

I am astonished by the reviewer below who commented that her above average student is not being challenged. My child is grouped with other children who work to the same ability and is rarely working on the same reading or math as the rest of the class. He gets enrichment homework weekly. I volunteer in the classroom and see that accommodations are made for both high-end learners and those who are struggling. We turned down our spot at a coveted charter school and could not be happier with our decision. We love TTE and so does our child.
Submitted by parent on February 13, 2017

We are a new family to Timber Trail and we have been very impressed by the community, teachers and staff at Timber Trail! We came from another Douglas County Elementary school and just after the first week of my kids being at Timber Trail, they came home raving about how nice the kids are and how much they love going to school. Timber Trail incorporates Project Based Learning which is amazing and really ties learning elementary school grade level skills with the real world. For example, our third grade daughter learned about money by adopting a family over the holiday's with her class. The class made a goal of how much money they were going to raise after receiving the families wish list. After a month of working and saving money, the class budgeted and researched where to buy the items for the family and went to the store and purchased the items. It was an incredible learning experience for the 3rd grade! They do at least 4-5 different projects throughout the year incorporating real life learning with their curriculum.I highly recommend Timber Trail as it has been a great school to be a part of!
Submitted by parent on January 22, 2017

We absolutely love this school and the principal. She does an incredible job. Our kids have thrived under her leadership and the amazing teachers. Small class sizes; fantastic, open communication and the technology and fostered creativity make this school above all others. There is no place else we would ever consider sending our children. Beyond lucky to have this as our neighborhood school!
Submitted by parent on October 06, 2016

Our children have been a part of Timber Trail Elementary for 8 years (2 have moved on to middle school) and it just keeps getting better. The administration is supportive, encouraging, and genuinely cares about the entire school. Our kids are learning 21st century skills and how to apply critical thinking to real world situations. Learning is beyond memorizing facts…we need thinkers, creators, doers, problem solvers, collaborators and Timber Trail is heading in the right direction for the future of our children. Our kids are using what they have learned and adapting it to be successful in their new experiences both in school and at home. Coming from a family of educators…we feel fortunate to be a part of the Timber Trail community.
Submitted by parent on October 04, 2016

Now in our 6th year at Timber Trail with many more to go, we have had nothing but high praise for the Principal and staff here. They all go above and beyond. It is clear they are truly interested and invested in teaching our children - I am already amazed at how far along my kindergartner has come - way more than at the expensive preschool we were at. Everyone is open and honest, and willing to communicate with parents at all times. Class sizes are below average - I just heard 1 charter school kindie class has 32 kids...we have 17. And parent involvement is amazing. Even the Dads are in the mix - everyone has the students best interests at heart. Could not have asked for a better start to their education.
Submitted by parent on October 04, 2016

I have 1 student that moved on from Timber trail to the middle school this year and 3 that are still currently attending. Timber Trail is well run and has some of the best, if not THE BEST, teachers in the district. The staff turn over is incredibly low. Parents are open enrolling their kiddos here and staying because of the amazing job they do with their kiddos. When moving several years ago, we made sure to stay within Timber Trail's boundaries as we were so pleased with the well rounded and complete education our students are receiving. I am a former elementary school teacher and can easily say that the standards this school holds and the real world learning these kiddos are being taught is bar none!
Submitted by parent on October 03, 2016

1 review5.0 star rating 10/3/2016Timber Trail is one of a kind Elementary School. Our 2 oldest kids went to TTE, both with hearing loss. With the help of the teachers, staff and outside help from Douglas County specialists both of them thrived and are honor roll students at RHMS.We now have a 1st grader at TTE and our youngest will start Kindergarten in 2017. I can honestly say it's a great school with smart, caring & ambitious teachers that are supported by a very professional staff. Proud TTE Parent!!!
Submitted by parent on October 03, 2016

This is literally a five star school. We have had two children already attend from K-5 (who are absolutely thriving in middle school) and another currently in 1st grade and our youngest who couldn't be more excited to start his journey there next year. We choose to open enroll our children at Timber Trail because it truly is a world class education. The staff is among the best you can find in the state. They are eager, compassionate, dedicated, smart and have innovative and exciting ways to teach our kiddos. The attention they give to not only their students, but also the parents is second to none. I feel like I know everything that is happening in not only the classroom, but also the school as a whole because of the amazing staff and principal communication. I also have to sing my praises for the amount of parent involvement in the school. There are countless parents in the school everyday, helping the teachers and students achieve their very best. They say it takes a village and if you want the best village there is to start your kids educational career, Timber Trail is the place.
Submitted by parent on October 02, 2016

We love this school - the teachers and principal truly care and are enthusiastic about teaching our kids. They have sheltered them from all the childish drama at the District level, and have a great teacher retention record. My kids LOVE going to school and really enjoy the PBL approach to learning. Not all kids learn by just sitting at a desk. And that there's only one fundraiser a year.
Submitted by parent on October 26, 2015

Great staff! Great music and art programs. My older children went to Timber Trail when it first opened in 2004 and many of those original teachers are still there. My little one loves going to school and she is learning! My only complaint about this school is the TTEA harrassment for fund raisers and pushing election agendas.