EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION:
Our preschool program emphasizes developing the language skills of deaf and hard of hearing students, while drawing upon the best practices of the child-development tradition in early childhood education for deaf children. We also believe learning should be fun, and incorporate fun activities to meet language and skill building learning goals. Children ages 3 – 5 attend our Rocky Mountain Deaf School preschool program. The younger children attend Monday – Thursday mornings. The older children attend all day Monday – Friday.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:
Our elementary school program is based on maximizing the learning of every student through a rigorous standards-based curriculum. We track learning progress by analyzing data from assessments that are fair for deaf students. Our students are highly successful due to the following:
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students are taught directly in a fully accessible language, not through an interpreter
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students are able to communicate directly with everyone in the school building, giving them a language-rich learning environment
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teachers are both experts in teaching deaf students, and experts in teaching their specific content area to deaf students.
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classrooms are designed to be the best learning environments for deaf children
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small class sizes and a strong focus on the learning needs of every child
MIDDLE SCHOOL:
Each Middle School student receives direct instruction in ASL via small class size. Students begin learning crucial skills such as academic preparation, responsibility, organization, time management, and socio-emotional coping strategies in order to prepare them for high school level work.
The block format allows for more time for important academic courses such as Reading and Writing (double-block), Math, Science and Social Studies. Additionally, students continue to study ASL and take PE/Art courses.
Extracurriculars include Student Council, sports such as flag football, and Battle of the Books. Teachers work closely with students in developing their self confidence, empowering them to make informed choices, and encouraging self-resiliency.
The goal is to create students who are ready to meet the rigors and challenges of high school and beyond.
HIGH SCHOOL:
Our small class size allow for rich interactions among our teachers and students, and our block schedule gives more structured time for classes to occur. All High School students follow a personalized four-year plan consisting of required academic and elective courses in order to meet state and RMDS graduation requirements. In addition, each student is assigned to an Advocate that regularly checks in with them and monitors their progress. The goal of the high school program is empowering today’s students to become tomorrow’s confident, self-sufficient, and independent adults.