Thornton Elementary School

We moved to Colorado in 2015 and for a few different reasons our son attended a Denver Public Schools elementary school for the beginning of his 4th grade year. It was God-awful. We switched him to Thornton Elementary, which is our boundary school, and we couldn't be happier. He finished 4th grade at Thornton Elementary and is currently in 5th grade. The staff is amazing. The counselors are amazing. The BASE program in the morning is amazing. Homework is reading every night for 35 minutes, which is important and also do-able for our family. I could go on and on but I won't. I'm a public school teacher and I'm absolutely delighted with my son's experience at Thornton Elementary. I wish we could have spared my son the experience of attending a horrible school but it made us appreciate Thornton so much more than we would have otherwise. The majority of students are bilingual, so that impacts tests scores. It doesn't impact the quality of instruction and I'm glad my kid gets to experience cultural diversity. The turnout at parent conferences seems very high and the vibe overall is positive and inclusive. We highly suggest Thornton Elementary to anyone who asks about it!

We arrived new to Colorado in 2014. Our first grader attended a new charter school which turned out to be awful...we had to move him to a new school. Thornton was our boundary school and I am VERY glad it was (I would not have enrolled him there based on the low rating if the choice open enrollment time had not passed). We have been more than pleased with the teachers, administrators, PTO, and overall staff.The first day my son attended Thornton, a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders because I already saw the bright contrast the school was compared to where my son first attended.This year they have been on an extended day schedule. I have loved the bit of extra time in the mornings for the kids and helping them with reading each night. I also like that Thornton Elementary is strict on their "No Bullying" policy and helps students and families identity and talk about it. Students are not allowed to share lunches which I love since I know that my kids as well as other kids are eating good food and not a bunch of junk food they traded other children for .Principal Miller and Vice Principal Stauffer know almost every child by name and seem to know families too. I love that! Each teacher we have had now (5 grade level teachers now between my 1st and 3rd grader), as well as the specialty teachers have had great interest in helping our children succeed and have a good experience while doing so.We recently moved out of state and we long for OUR Thornton Elementary!

This is a great school. The reason we chose this school was because it was a candidate school for the Primary Years Program through the International Baccalaureate accreditation. My daughter is in the 2nd grade and has tested above grade level in some of the major subjects and both her teachers (1st and 2nd) have done what they could to promote a positive learning environment for her. They have even used some of their own resources to help meet her needs. The administration staff is exceptional and goes above and beyond to enhance the learning environment for the student population. They also strongly encourage and promote parent involvement through the school. This is important since research has shown that children learn more from home through parent involvement and positive time spent with their children than through the education system. The staff is very friendly and makes an effort to know each and every student and their learning styles. I have worked within the educational system for four years and can safely say this school has a very strong base. They do their best in spite of state and federal dictates that don't take specific student populations into consideration.

I have been very happy with this school for my granddaughter, as I now have custody of her.. The staff I have encountered are courteous and are kind to the students. The teachers I have encountered are helpful and working to the best of their ability to make the students excel to the best of their individual capabilities also. My granddaughter has been in this school since Kindergarten and she is well above average in her scholastic learning curve.. This year she will be in the 3rd grade. She has liked all her teachers she has had and they have been nothing but exemplary in my opinion. The only thing I have a problem with is that this school is implementing common core and I am so against that program. I have noticed and have to admit is that some excellent teachers are quitting the field due to Common Core and will impact our children's ability to excel.