Morgridge Academy

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Frequently Asked Questions about Morgridge Academy

Question: Where is Morgridge Academy located?

Answer: We are located in Denver on the main campus of National Jewish Health, which is on the corner of Colfax Ave. and Colorado Blvd. The school's physical address is 1400 Jackson St., Denver, CO 80206.


Question: Who can attend Morgridge Academy?

Answer: Morgridge Academy enrolls students in grades K-8, who have one or more chronic illness. Students applying for kindergarten must turn 5-years-old before Oct. 1. We have or have had students with all of the following medical conditions:


Question: What are the goals of Morgridge Academy?

Answer: The school's goals include to:

  1. Stabilize and improve the health status of the student/patient
  2. Improve the academic status of the student/patient
  3. Return the student/patient back into more traditional medical and school systems.


Question: What programs are offered at Morgridge Academy?

Answer: Programs offered include:

  • Education and disease-specific case management — applies principals of case management to meet individual education and disease management goals
  • Problem Based Learning curriculum based on Curriculum based on Colorado Academic Standards
  • Programs for fine arts, physical education, library classes, literacy block and math block
  • Active volunteer programs — grandparent and reading buddies programs
  • Field trips and special events onsite
  • Free breakfast and lunch every school day


Question: What medical services are provided at Morgridge Academy?

Answer: We have two full-time nurses on staff who oversee individual case plans and disease education. Students are given the opportunity to do breathing treatments, nose washes, wet wraps, nutritional supplements and pre-treatments before PE and recess. We also offer speech, physical and occupational therapy with an individual education program (IEP) as well as behavioral health intervention.


Question: What grades do you offer at Morgridge Academy?

Answer: We currently have students in grades K-8. Students applying for kindergarten must turn 5-years-old before Oct. 1.


Question: My student has severe allergies, so I'm worried about the lunch program. How does your lunch program work?

Answer: All of our school meals are provided through the National Jewish Health cafeteria. We have a set lunch menu that notes what is offered each day. The menu goes home with each student before the beginning of the month. We are VERY careful about what we serve our students, and we are a nut-free school. When you send a lunch to school with your student, the only drinks they should bring should be 100% juice, water or milk. If your student has any other food allergies, we will ask the cafeteria to make an alternative meal for your child.


Question: What does a typical school day include?

Answer: Students can arrive at school any time after 7:45 a.m. to eat a free breakfast. School starts at 8:00 a.m.  Students have 40 minutes of fine arts and 40 minutes of PE daily. They also have a 20-minute recess and a 20-minute lunch. School dismissal is at 3:00 p.m. On Fridays, school is dismissed at 1:15 to allow for teacher in-service.


Question: What is the typical class size?

Answer: Our average class size is 10-15 students.


Question: What is your school calendar?

Answer: We try to follow the Denver Public Schools academic calendar as closely as we can. 


Question: Do you have all-day Kindergarten?

Answer: Yes, we currently have all-day Kindergarten. All kindergartners have nap time each day to adjust to the long schedule. Students applying for kindergarten must turn 5-years-old before Oct. 1.


Question: Do you have special education services?

Answer: We do have special education services available to students with identified educational needs, which can be met by our school staff. The majority of our staff have master's degrees and experience working in special education. We offer a wide variety of therapy (physical, occupational, speech) and have a full-time child advocate and school counselor to work with students on behavioral issues.


Question: What qualifications do school staff members have?

Answer: Morgridge Academy has licensed regular and special education teachers, the majority of who have master's degrees. We also employ a full-time education media specialist, a fine arts teacher and a physical education teacher. Morgridge Academy has a full-time child advocate and counselor available to assist students throughout the day. The school clinic is staffed with at least two registered nurses daily.


Question: Do you provide transportation?

Answer: We have free transportation options for students that include RTD bus passes and transportation through CDE-approved providers.  


Question: Do you provide before/after school care?

Answer: We currently do not have a before/after school program for students. We do have several students who attend local after school programs that pick up students at the end of the day.


Question: Do you have any extracurricular activities?

Answer: We currently do not have any extracurricular activities available for students.   


Question: How much does it cost to send my child to Morgridge Academy?

Answer: Students attend Morgridge Academy for free thanks to our generous donors. We are funded through the Colorado Department of Education as an Approved Facility School. All of our other benefits, such as our interactive white boards, student computers, playground, etc., are funded through friends of Morgridge Academy.


Question: Do you have a dress code?

Answer: Yes, at Morgridge Academy we wear uniforms Monday-Thursday. Students are allowed to wear "street clothes" each Friday. We wear uniforms to help promote school unity. Uniforms help students focus on learning instead of how they look. As visitors come to our school, we show them the pride we have in ourselves by following the uniform code and dressing appropriately.


Question: What is your curriculum?

Answer: We are a Problem Based Learning (PBL) School.  Problem Based Learning is a teaching model where students gain knowledge and skills by working collaboratively to investigate and solve an authentic community-based problem.  Through this model, students create a solution to be put into practice in the community to solve a problem.  Our curriculum is based on Colorado Department of Education State Content Standards. Our K-2 students also engage in a reading curriculum called SuperKids.


Question: Who can I talk with to get more information about admission to Morgridge Academy?

Answer: To begin the application process or to ask for more information, contact Joey Isaac at 303-398-1102 or issacj@njhealth.org.


Question: Who can I talk with about becoming a partner for Problem-Based Learning?

Answer: To become a PBL Partner, please contact Jennifer McCullough at 303.398.1102 or mcculloughj@njhealth.org. 


Question: I would like to help support Morgridge Academy. How can I donate to you?

Answer: To donate to Morgridge Academy, please contact the National Jewish Health Development Office at

303.398.1805 or Development@njhealth.org or make an online donation.

 

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