Colorado Academy
Colorado Academy is an independent nonsectarian, co-educational, college preparatory day school for students from Pre-Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade. The school's 94-acre (380,000 m2) campus is located in Lakewood, Colorado, and serves approximately 1000 students. The program is based on academics, arts and athletics. CA follows a trimester calendar, with grades issued at the conclusion of each term. Classes in all divisions follow a six-day rotating schedule.
| Colorado Academy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
| |
3800 South Pierce Street , 80235 | |
| Coordinates | 39°38′52″N 105°4′9″W[1] |
| Information | |
| Type | Private |
| Motto | Spiritus Vitam Vivificat ("Spirit Enlivens Life") |
| Established | 1906 |
| CEEB code | 060393 |
| Head of school | Michael G. Davis, Ph.D. |
| Faculty | 150 |
| Grades | pre-K to 12 |
| Enrollment | 965 (as of 2018) |
| Average class size | 17 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 9:1 |
| Hours in school day | 8:10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. |
| Campus size | 94 acres (380,000 m2) |
| Color(s) | Red/black/white |
| Athletics | CHSAA 3A, 4A, 5A |
| Athletics conference | Metro League, Southern League |
| Mascot | Mustang |
| Nickname | Gus |
| Team name | Mustangs |
| Rival | Kent Denver |
| Publication | Kokopelli Literary Magazine |
| Yearbook | Telesis |
| Website | www |
History
Colorado Academy was established in 1906 as the Hill School for Boys in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in Denver, Colorado, and by 1923 was called the Colorado Military School. Military training was incorporated into the curriculum. The school outgrew its space during World War II and in 1947, moved from its location near the University of Denver to its present location in Lakewood, just outside the Denver city limits. In 1955, the school began shifting its focus away from military training. Under the leadership of F. Charles Froelicher, Colorado Academy emerged as a college preparatory school for boys. The school became coeducational in 1971.
Carl Martin became the chief financial officer, hired by Mr. Froelicher, in December, 1972, and served as CFO until May, 1994, as chief financial officer for financial affairs.
Today, the school has three different divisions: Lower School, Pre-Kindergarten – Grade 5, Middle School, Grades 6–8, and Upper School, Grades 9–12. The curriculum emphasizes group and individual study of the liberal arts and sciences, as well as engagement through experiential and service learning.
Campus
The school's present campus was purchased in 1947. Known as the Kirk estate, it was the country home of Jesse Welborn, president of the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company. The campus has buildings for each division, including a state-of-the-art upper school that opened in January 2013, that features an innovation laboratory, expanded science labs and classrooms. The campus includes two libraries: a lower school library and the Raether Library, the Ponzio Arts Center, the Schotters Music Building, the historic Welborn House, Smith Center, a new field house and athletic center, a campus center and bookstore, and a soon-to-be-renovated performing arts center. The CA campus also has a number of athletic fields, such as Stuie's Courts (8) (Tennis), Wright Field, Simms Field, Firman Field, Slater Field (turf) and a baseball field that was renovated in 2014.
Notable alumni
- Murphy Robinson, deputy mayor of Denver, incumbent
- Mark Hubbard, PGA Golfer
- James Sunderland, member of the music group FRENSHIP
- Luke Slattery, actor
- Teel Bivins, United States Ambassador to Sweden, 2004–06, Tulane University, SMU[2]
- Ashley Shuyler, Humanitarian, Harvard University
- Jasmine McGlade, Hollywood film producer
- Paul Wylie, Olympic figure skater[3]
- Dorothy Hamill, Olympic Champion 1976 figure skater
Former headmasters
- F. Charles Froelicher (1955–1975)
- Sir Frank Wallace (1976–1990)
- Christopher H. Babbs (1991–2008)[4]
- Mike Davis (2009–Present)
Ranking
According to Niche, Colorado Academy ranks as #1 in Best Private K-12 School in Colorado and is among the top 100 of all private schools nationwide.[5]
References
- "Colorado Academy". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2008-10-06.
- Archer, Jeanne; Taras, Stephanie (2009). Touching Lives: The Lasting Legacy of the Bivins Family. Tell Studios Inc. p. 256. ISBN 9780974914862.
- Meyer, Jeremy P. (2008-06-09). "Babbs ends 27 years at prep school". Denver Post.
After 27 years at Colorado Academy, the last 17 years as headmaster, Christopher Babbs is stepping down and moving with his wife to Mancos.
- https://www.niche.com/k12/colorado-academy-denver-co/