Frequently Asked Questions

What is Expeditionary Learning?
Expeditionary Learning (EL) is a comprehensive educational design for elementary, middle and high schools. This approach emphasizes learning by doing, with a particular focus on character growth, teamwork, reflection and literacy. Curriculum and instruction center around learning expeditions, which are long-term investigations of a single theme that engage students in the world through challenging projects, fieldwork, and service. By combining rigorous academic content with learning expeditions, students become active participants in their learning.

Expeditionary Learning is built on the principles of Outward Bound, an adventure and service-based education program founded by educator Kurt Hahn, into public school. Ten design principles and five core practices guide teaching and learning in EL schools. These principles also reflect the design's connection to other related thinking about teaching, learning, and the culture of schools.

Given fundamental levels of health, safety, and love, all people can and want to learn. Expeditionary learning harnesses the natural passion to learn and is a powerful method for developing the curiosity, skills, knowledge, and courage needed to imagine a better world and work toward realizing it.

What is the adventure program?
The adventure program is a program where students from Polaris take long trips to different specified areas. During these trips students learn more about themselves, others and their surroundings. The main focus of adventure is to practice leadership skills and the EL Design Principles. Some of the trips include: camping, rafting, backpacking, or staying in new areas such as Kino Bay.

What does a typical day at school look like?
Typically a normal day at school looks like almost any other schools day. Students move from class to class by their varied schedules. Around noon we have lunch/break hour. Afterwards we have crew class (kind of like homeroom) where we build relationships with other students and our teachers. That’s basically what a typical day at Polaris looks like.

Is there a lunch program?
Yes, we serve lunch like every other school with student id and accounts. Our lunch is 40 minutes long and divided between High School and Middle School. We serve hot lunches usually with a couple different selection options. Click here for menu and prices.

What types of electives are available at Polaris?
Polaris is a school with few electives, but we make up for that. Intensives are one week electives taught by volunteering teachers or professionals on the subject. During intensive weeks we offer many different classes from cooking to music to backpacking in the Grand Canyon. Almost anything you want to do can be done during intensive week. Also, students can help and suggest intensives for the future.

The regular electives available all year include: art, Spanish, health, P.E and senior projects. We always have P.E, art and Spanish, but yearly our electives can change. We are adding French in 2009. We like to give the student responsibility for their own learning and so many options for learning are available and ever changing.

What is fieldwork?
Field work is a classroom beyond school. It provides a living context for shared academic experiences and individual connections to the learning expedition. Field work can involve talking to people about interesting topics or going to a national park to clean it up. Almost always the fieldwork experiences improve students as a person and let them look on the world differently.

How are the Student- Teacher relationships?
The student teacher relationships at our school are very good. Almost all of our students can talk to the teachers they interact with on a daily basis. The EL and Discovery principles give students the tools needed to approach teachers and feel safe when talking to them. Teachers use Discovery skills all the time in order to be nice and understanding of student’s problems/issues.

What is the community like?
Our community is one of the safest communities in the Poudre School District. Our school has very little harassment compared to other schools and people feel very safe here. We are a very open and loving community and there is very little school drama, cliques, and “bullies.” Here at Polaris we have community meetings where announcements and issues can be heard. Both teachers and students are allowed to talk in community meetings. We also have crew where students can learn about each other and build community.

How are families involved within the school?
Family involvement is one of the key foundations of Polaris in two ways. First, families are essential partners in the education and success of their student. Second, families are needed to help Polaris fulfill its mission by supporting the functions and development of the school. This involvement is what makes Polaris a learning community and not just a school. Visit the Parent Action Crew website to learn more about how parents are involved.