Specials

Education in the arts awakens the senses, fuels creative energy, inspires us to think differently, and to see the world in a new way. Through our Music, Performance, and Visual Arts programs students explore, invent, improvise, and reflect as they grow confident in their individual path to creativity.  

Our goal is to graduate technologically literate 21st century leaders who capably balance their human creativity with the efficiency and precision of current technologies. 

Our students continually need more opportunities for hands-on and innovative activities, along with support and guidance to become our next generation of innovators, collaborators, critical thinkers and communicators, and empowered learners. Future jobs require new skills found in STEAM that we teach in the BCD classrooms.

Middle School

Our middle grades technology program is comprised of experiences within all core classes, dedicated activities in Design class, as well as through unique offerings in our Exploratory program.  In core classes, our 1:1 environment allows students to use their own Chromebook to authentically engage in full-powered learning every day. Teachers invite students to examine their views on technology's place in the classroom and the modern world, think about the advantages and limitations of computers, and organize their own thinking when making choices about which tools to use or not use for various academic endeavors. 

The aims of the Design Core class are to encourage and enable students to enjoy the design process and develop an appreciation of its elegance and power. As students design and create solutions to problems using the design cycle, they develop knowledge, understanding, and skills from different disciplines. They use and apply technology effectively as a means to access, process and communicate information, model and create solutions, and solve problems. Skills taught in Design include but are not limited to: testing and evaluation of models; making sense of data; additive manufacturing through 3D printing; laser printing and design; exploring die cutting machines like Cricut through sticker design and creation; video design; green screen technology; stop motion video production; text and graphic integration through desktop publishing; and digital Photography.
 

Lastly, our Exploratory program provides opportunities for students to “explore” the possibilities of today’s 21^st century tools through a wide variety of elective offerings in the fields of graphic design, computer science and programming, and digital filmmaking. Recent offerings have included courses in video game programming, robotics, green screen, Claymation, graphic design concepts, digital textile design, and typography. In addition to Exploratory electives, all middle school students also participate in a trimester-long code class.

Cognitive development is enhanced when balanced with a healthy lifestyle. BCD’s Physical Education program focuses on the whole child and developing an interest in their health and physical fitness.

Consistent with the Colorado Model Content Standards for Physical Education and Health as well as the SHAPE America’s National Standards, students engage in several different types of activities that teach motor skills and movement patterns, knowledge and understanding, social-emotional learning, and health related fitness. In Middle School, students also complete a full trimester of Health each year.

Physical Education also serves to develop in students the aptitude for success as student athletes teaching sportsmanship, teamwork, attitude, and effort. Physical Education encourages students to ask questions, take risks, and meet the challenge.

BCD's Library is a magical space that seeks to inspire a love of reading and support literacy skills.

It serves as a resource for all members of the BCD community. Materials are available for use in the classroom or at home by students, faculty, and parents. Our library collection contains over 11,000 titles (and expanding) through e-sources (accessible 24/7) and maintains an open-door policy for individuals, small groups of students, and faculty to visit any time during the school day.

Our Librarian ensures that our collection is diverse, inclusive, and seeks to support and empower students in discovering their individual interests. Every grade has a fully developed curriculum for library skills and Library usage and research skills (both printed and electronic) are incorporated into each library visit.

Preschool

Preschool students visit the library with their class on a weekly basis. Young students become acquainted with the library through stories, songs, and book browsing. Four- and five-year-old preschool students check out books each week to share at home.

Elementary

Elementary students also visit the library weekly. In addition to the library curriculum, the librarian works closely with students to meet diverse interests, skills, and literacies and works with homeroom teachers to integrate content and support research and literacy skills. Reader’s advisory is provided daily, matching students with books they love. The librarian fosters safe and responsible online use. Students learn to use inquiry as a tool for lifelong learning. 

Middle School

The library makes every effort to provide current, appropriate materials to directly support classroom curriculum and the Middle School IB curriculum. Middle school students also receive instruction in the discipline of Library Sciences to build a strong foundation in information literacy. They learn search strategies and inquiry skills for navigating the information world as well as learn how to apply critical-thinking and evaluation techniques in their information-seeking process to ensure accuracy. Students continue to make and share connections to literature that will foster a love of reading for pleasure and life-long learning. 

BCD hosts an annual book fair which is a highlight of the year. Students and guardians have to opportunity to shop for new books and sales support the school. Library funding continues to be a priority at BCD, allowing for growth and development of the collection and enrichment programs such as author visits. BCD is proud to be staffed by a degreed Librarian. Looking to the future, further collaboration into all curriculum areas to promote innovative learning opportunities are ranked high on our list of goals.

BCD's Digital Library

Science is a field of study that ignites wonder, supports natural risk-taking, and provides students with hands-on learning.

BCD is fortunate to have two incredible science labs which support exploration and discovery for students Transitional Kindergarten through 8th grade. BCD follows the Colorado and Next Generation Science Standards as the foundations for our curriculum and teachers integrate their work with elementary project-based learning units as well as the Middle School International Baccalaureate objectives. These curricula provide our students an in-depth understanding of content and develop key skills—communication, collaboration, inquiry, problem solving, and flexibility—that will serve them throughout their educational and professional lives.

Preschool

Beginning in Transitional Kindergarten, students have twice weekly visits to the Science lab. Each class includes hands-on work, often outside on our beautiful grounds. Each grade covers three areas of science during the year: life, Earth and space, and physical science and may also collaborate with the Innovation Lab for unique STEM and STEAM projects.

Examples of units of study include the creation of an invention inspired by some special part of a plant or animal we’ve learned about (1st); design and testing of Rube Goldberg machines (4th); and learning about chemical reactions (5th).

Labs are often connected to project-based learning units being offered in home room such as the study of the human body in 4th grade. Students choose a medical specialty and become experts on a human body system (digestive, nervous, skeletal, muscular, circulatory, respiratory).  They explore hands-on experiments and models in science lab and research the function and parts of the system. They also learn about common disorders that affect the system, how foods and exercise can keep the body healthy, and medical devices that are used to diagnose or treat illness.  Students use this information to create fictional patient summaries and create presentations for their classmates.

Middle School

Beginning in 6th grade, Science becomes a core subject. The four objectives for middle school science include: knowledge and understanding of the concepts in each unit; inquiring and designing skills by asking testable questions and designing controlled experiments; processing and evaluating data with an evidence-based approach; and reflecting on the impacts of science in each unit - how the science is needed and used to improve our world. Middle school science concentrates on physical science and chemistry in 6th grade, life sciences in 7th, and Earth and space sciences in 8th.

All middle school students participate in the BCD science fair, and winners advance to regionals and possibly states. 

In 6th grade, students focus on the theme of Energy though units such matter and energy cycles in ecosystems, forms of energy, forces & motion, sound & light waves, and atomic structure & chemical reactions. An introduction to dissection begins in 6th along with interdisciplinary work with the Metric Olympics.

In 7th, the theme is Change Over Time, through units on studying structures and functions of cells, genetics and heredity, structure and functions of human body systems, evolution of life on earth, and natural selection and adaptations.

In 8th, students wrestle with Human Impacts on the Environment through units such as: weather & climate, the Earth’s history, plate tectonics, natural resources, and astronomy. They often collaborate with the art department creating climate change posters and with Individual and Society (IB social studies) for climate resolutions during the annual Model United Nations.