Services at Creekside

At Creekside, we offer a Spartan Splendors Exploratory program after-school. We strive to provide students with opportunities to extend and strengthen their gifts as well as enhance their interests. We use project and problem-based learning as well as unique thematic units to frame these after school sessions. Although we cannot offer the Spartan Splendors program to all of our Creekside learners, throughout the day, teachers work hard to enrich and extend the learning in classroom to engage all learners.

About Spartan Splendors

We are constantly evolving and reflecting on how to best meet the needs of gifted learners in the Spearfish School District. Though our program remains the same, we are rebranding the name to Spartan Splendors. Spartan Splendors consists of about 85 learners who are high-achieving and demonstrating gifted potential. We will offer 3 sessions this year; each lasts about 8 weeks each. Each session meets twice a week during the 8-week session and runs about an hour.  Spartan Splendor Coaches aim to spark and engage learners in using their imagination, creativity, wonder, critical thinking, and problem solving as the content and learning unfolds. Each session ends with a product and showcase night for family and friends to celebrate with the learners.

Referral Process

During the first 6 to 8 weeks of the school year, classroom teachers take time to collect a body of evidence through observations, student artifacts, and assessments. Once teachers have had time to collect data in their classroom, teachers analyze the data looking for students who are high-achieving and demonstrating gifted characteristics. Then, teachers make a referral list. In collaboration with a data team, Katie Garcia, Ashley Anderson, and Principal, Dan Olson, learners are selected for the Spartan Splendors program. Students receive a program overview letter and select their preferred session for the year. 
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QUESTIONS?
Contact the Spartan Splendors Coordinator
Katie Garcia kgarcia@spearfish.k12.sd.us
or Spartan Splendors Director
Ashley Anderson aanderson@spearfish.k12.sd.us

Partnership

The Spartan Splendors program is fully-funded by the Spearfish Foundation for Public Education. Coaches, snacks, and supplies are all purchased through SFPE. Thank you to all who support SPFE to make Spartan Splendors possible at Creekside.

Creekside Spartan Splendors Coaches
Each session is facilitated by Creekside Educators who are interested and motivated to work with our students after-school. However, it should be noted that our students are the primary directors of their learning in each session. Students have the freedom and time to dig into the learning and are guided and supported by the coaches in each session.