Polaris at Ebert Elementary School

410 Park Avenue West

School District

Denver County 1
Grade

1-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:17
Type

public

School Map for Denver County 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 other on July 18, 2024

The community was extremely friendly, and I made lots of friends. The teachers are very kind, and I feel like I learned a lot. They came up with fun, and entertaining ways to teach, and we had exciting projects to work on. I am sad to leave, but I feel future students will enjoy this school too.
Submitted by parent on May 22, 2024

Overall wonderful experience at this school. From academics, to the teachers and staff. My son has really grown over the last year and he enjoys every minute of it. I would definitely recommend this school to anyone!
Submitted by other on November 26, 2023

I graduated from Polaris last year, and while I was only there for 2 years, I loved every minute of it. At my old school I had always been bullied because I was smart and liked to read, but when I came to Polaris everyone understood and appreciated my smarts, and I made long lasting friendships with people I truly connected with. I loved the challenge, and if I needed more of a challenge or some support, the teachers always had something for me to do that would push me along in my academic journey. I became a happier version of myself because of it, and it motivated me to like school again, and for that reason I will be forever thankful.
Submitted by parent on November 17, 2023

My son went to Polaris all four years. It was a little rocky at first, but he thrived as he adjusted to expectations, but he figured it out and thrived. Now he misses the challenge, the art, and the empowerment of having so many bright kids around. Highly recommend Polaris, and frankly, we are lucky to have such an excellent public school. Thank you Polaris!
Submitted by other on November 13, 2023

I moved to this school because the school I was previously at was moving too slowly for me. I attended this school for less than a year. This school was pretty much the same as my other school education-wise, it was more challenging which was nice. The school I previously went to had a minority rate of 92% so as a Hispanic/Latino kid, it was surprising being in a school of mostly white kids. I've seen other people talk about this school's bullying issue and I 100% agree with them. Bullying is a serious problem here. I was here only for 4-5 months and by the second month, I begged and cried for my dad not to take me to school. I was threatened with physical violence and picked on multiple times by the same students. When the teachers were told, they did nothing but tell them to stop. The kids that threatened me said they never said that to me and they continued to pick on me the rest of the time I attended. I feel like because the school is for GT kids, many of the kids feel entitled to put down other kids. It is a nice school, I won't lie, but I don't think I'd ever send my kids to this school if I had them. The luxury is not worth how unsafe I felt.
Submitted by other on June 08, 2021

I was a student here two years ago and i must admit it was incredibly toxic. I got anxiety because of the environment and now see a therapist. I got bullied 3 of the 4 years i was there. I also learned absolutely nothing my 5th grade year in math because my teacher focused on only the entire class and not me at all. He went way too fast and i lost motivation and fundamental learning skills that caused me to struggle in middle school. I do really like the electives thing. While I am smarter than the average kid because of this school I now struggle with everyday tasks and my emotions and anxiety that i never learned to control. This school gave me insecurity’s by measuring me up against other students and anxiety by pushing harsh standers on me. My friend who also went there at the same time as me went through the exact same thing.
Submitted by other on March 03, 2021

I recently gradated this school and I can't say how much I love this. The electives are amazing the classes has multiple levels of challenge. For me personally it was super easy to make friends because everyone thinks in a similar way. Easily the best school in the area
Submitted by parent on January 13, 2021

We have had 3 children go through Polaris (2 starting in Kindergarten, which is no longer available, class now starts at 1st grade). The program is innovative and individualized. Our children are very different, and each year at each grade level, they teachers were able to challenge and support them. The 3rd and 5th grade teams are especially amazing. The specials teachers are also able to differentiate their programs, even during online school.The leadership at Polaris is easily approachable and extremely knowledgeable.If I could give Polaris 6 stars, I would.
Submitted by parent on May 09, 2020

After dealing with serious bullying at this school I'm no longer a fan.
Submitted by parent on February 26, 2020

I think you come here for the community if you're looking for families with smart, sometimes quirky, overall sweet kids. You come here to have your HGT kiddo feel more understood and seen than in the more mainstream neighborhood school. You don't come here for massively innovative educational strategies. Polaris is still a DPS school with mostly inside-the-box thinking, weary, underpaid teachers and staff, and the typical share of worksheets and sitting criss-cross applesauce. But for the $0 price tag, it's an awesome option.
Submitted by parent on January 25, 2020

Our son is in first grade here, so we only have about 6 months to go on. But so far we’ve been greatly impressed with Polaris. He loves going to school, is making great progress, and truly enjoys his teachers and all the extra programs at the school. We feel really lucky to be here. But every grade is different and every teacher has a different style, so we’ll continue to stay engaged and add more ratings in the future.
Submitted by parent on November 06, 2019

Fantastic experience with both my sons. Loved their teachers.
Submitted by parent on February 12, 2019

Amazing! I was so nervous the school was going to be too hard or have ‘weird-smart’ kids in it. It’s been amazing. We are so happy. The teachers are awesome and are passionate. Communication is fantastic. The speed at which they learn is fast so no more bored kids. The kids are for the majority are really great. They challenge kids but not strain them. I’m so delighted. I only wish it went up to 8th grade.
Submitted by parent on January 19, 2018

Our experience with Polaris has been excellent. We are constantly amazed at how the teachers get the student to love to learn. The support from the teachers and staff is outstanding.
Submitted by parent on January 13, 2018

My daughter's experience here has been excellent. She is getting her need for academic rigor met here, and comes home with a positive report about school every day. I feel very lucky to have Polaris as an option within the public school system.
Submitted by other on May 13, 2017

My children have been at this school for 5 years. The first 3 years were amazing, teachers were excited to be here, parental involvement was high, the principal was passionate and had a focused vision, and my kids were excited to go to school. The teachers were compassionate and interested in our children growing to their fullest potential. That was then, and it has all changed in the last 2 years since we have hired a new principal. The current principal seems to lack vision. She talks a good game about caring and compassion and creating a safe and creative environment for our children, but she does NOT walk the talk. There is a big disconnect between what comes out of her mouth and what actually happens in this community. She has made several new teacher hires in the past year that do not fit into the culture of caring, tolerance, and kindness that we have come to expect of Polaris staff. My child does not want to go to school many days because the atmosphere in the classroom has become so unpredictable due to the teacher's moodiness. I have noticed a drop in parental participation and teacher turnover is up, the community now feels unstable and it is getting more and more difficult to support because the principal neither seems to understand nor care about the wonderful community that she has been given the opportunity to lead.
Submitted by parent on February 27, 2017

I've had multiple kids at Polaris since 2008. I've almost pulled my kids out several times but can't bring myself to take my kids away from their friends. Yes, it is a great school for a lot of reasons. However, my experience is that most teachers just want your kid to conform and do it faster. There's rarely any tolerance for those that fall behind or need help. Only o few teachers (one no longer there) were willing to engage my kids and teach them what they need to learn to advance. My kids' ADHD truly baffles most teachers here. They resort to taking away recess or sending the work home when my kids are not engaging or disorganized. The wonderful school psychologist has been the only glue holding us there continuing to help us with the teachers. I've had to be a real advocate for my kids' emotional and social well-being at this school. The school is not proactive in identifying social/emotional needs. My kids have also needed tutors - this is common among families at this school. We lose out on family time trying to keep up with this teaching style that keeps moving even if your kid doesn't get it. This is a huge stress on my kids and me since I feel like I'm homeschooling them sometimes. In general, teacher communication is poor and conferences focus on the negative rather than problem solving. Diversity and inclusion is almost absent in the school population. Some families of color have had negative experiences. On the positive side, this school has a really exceptional music/band teacher and art teacher and has an amazing Friday electives program. I also appreciate the innovation of Singapore math and teachers challenging the kids to think at advanced levels. The parent involvement is truly exceptional.
Submitted by parent on June 28, 2016

My kids attend the school and like many parents I feel very lucky. The school’s curriculum is transparent, fairly rigorous, project/inquiry based, relevant and there is a high expectation from each and every student. The teachers are generally resolute that all students can learn at high levels. The school has adequate resources to help kids be successful- great classrooms! The parent support is very strong; they form a community of their own and spend numerous hours totally engaged with school events. It’s amazing! They commit the extra effort to create a sense of classroom/ school community and cultivate a school spirit.Yes diversity is an important element of any school. While Polaris’s student body is not reflective of the actual neighborhood -- it is a diverse body of students from various cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Teachers structure their teaching to acknowledge different perspectives and diverse views of Americans- to include the sensitive topic of race. The entrance criteria keeps learning at a high level, where America should be and unfortunately, many students from disadvantaged backgrounds (which is the neighborhood)- are less likely to have access to the more rigorous learning opportunities Polaris has to offer.
Submitted by parent on September 17, 2015

Polaris is one of those schools that is so great, you get spoiled and forget how good it really is until you go tour other schools or hear about them from other parents. Class sizes are 25 or 26 kids. Each teacher also get several hours of para support in the classroom. The school has full-time music, gym, art, and librarian teachers thanks to parent fundraising.Parents have to work to get their kids into the school which means all the kids have parents that actually care about their kids' education. The best thing about this school is that all the kids are smart (gifted) so there is no stigma about being the smart kid or a nerd. No one gets teased for being smart. Second, because of this, no one here sweats the testing, which means teachers have time to do more than just get everyone to the base level. They have high test scoring anyway. So, instruction is focused on the kids and learning. Art and creativity are incorporated into lessons. They have electives which are fun, enrichment-type classes on Friday afternoons during the school day. There is no need for uniforms or strict rules. The library is huge and full of current books. It's the way elementary school should be. The only real drawback is no air conditioning in the building.There is a new principal for 2015. She seems engaged and motivated. The previous principal was an administrator to the core, but not bad in anyway. Teacher turnover is maybe 1 per year which is average for any DPS school. (There was no turnover for 2014 to 2015.)Regarding some people who don't understand the school: First, this is a magnet school, not a neighborhood school. Living nearby does not get you in. Your child must take a test and score as HGT, that is HIGHLY gifted and talented. Testing as GT, or being otherwise "identified", doesn't get you in either. Having a sibling gets you in 1st, but ONLY if the incoming student also tests as HGT. Since this is a great school kids stay here from year to year. They don't add kids unless someone leaves except for when there is a new class at Kindergarten, 1st, and 4th Grade, so just 3 or 4 new kids get in a 2nd, 3rd, and 5th. Kindergarten has a huge wait list every year (easier test). So, your best chance to get in is 1st or 4th grade.
Submitted by parent on August 30, 2015

The new Principal has already shown that she is experienced in HGT education and eager to hear from parents about how to best educate Polaris kids. We hope she will restart efforts to bring in more diversity. But the teachers are amazing and the kids are happily and eagerly thriving!