Family and Student Handbook

Portrait of a smiling Luke Jones in a navy suit, white shirt, and dark tie standing in front of a stone wall.

Principal's Note

Welcome to Coyote Ridge Elementary, an IB World School – also affectionately known as CRES. While there is some debate among staff over the pronunciation (cress or crez), there is no doubt that by joining us, your family is now part of a pretty special place!

I am confident that your student will have an excellent experience here. I endeavor to provide collaborative and transparent leadership, working with our parent community through official organizations such as the School Accountability Club (SAC) and the PTO, as well as by being available, approachable, and open-minded. Questions, concerns, compliments? Please see me in the kiss-and-go line before and after school, call my direct office line 970-679-9403, or email me at luke.jones@tsd.org. We are all here for you.

This handbook serves as a means of communication between home and school and addresses policies and procedures specific to Coyote Ridge Elementary. We hope that we have anticipated many questions that may arise and have already addressed them for you. However, if you need clarification or have any additional questions, please call the school office at 970-679-9400.

Office Hours: 7:30 am–3:30 pm

K-5 School Hours

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday	8:00 am – 3:10 pm Warning bell at 7:57 am
Wednesday	9:00 am – 3:10 pm Warning bell at 8:57 am

Early Childhood School Hours

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday

Morning	7:50 am – 10:50 am
Afternoon	11:25 am – 3:00 pm

Who We Are

Coyote Ridge is a public elementary school and is part of the International Baccalaureate – Primary Years Programme (IB-PYP). This means that students receive instruction in the same Colorado Standards as all public schools in Colorado, but with instructional strategies and techniques which help students see the connections between the subjects, allowing them to construct their own understanding and make meaning of their world. Combining high expectations with high levels of support, we focus on all areas of a child’s development in a whole-child centered approach.

Instruction is facilitated through Units of Inquiry which have been aligned and build upon each other in relevance and rigor from pre-kindergarten through 5th grade to ensure that state standards are learned and overlaps in curriculum are avoided. We provide a global perspective and aspire for students to appreciate their place in the world, and to take action to help shape it. Our school climate: Cohesive, collaborative, and interconnected staff; a spirit of doing "whatever it takes" for every student to succeed.