Swallows Charter Academy History and General Information

Swallows Charter Academy was established in 1997. It is part of Pueblo School District No. 70, Pueblo's county/rural school district; however, the school is governed by its own independent Board of Directors. The school's mission is clearly defined in its charter. That mission "is to help guide students in development of their character and academic potential through academically rigorous, content-rich educational programs built around a spirit of community.' In order to help students meet their academic requirements, tutoring is offered for 40 minutes at the end of each school day. During tutoring students are afforded individual attention from teachers in every content area. Parents and students are required to sign a contract promising to adhere to the rules and code of the school. Parental commitment is key at Swallows Academy. The school is not part of or near any public transportation, and students are not bussed by Pueblo School District No. 70. Parents must provide transportation.

Demographics

Swallows Academy is a public school designed for grades K-12. At present it has students in grades K-8 housed in a single structure. Each teacher has his or her own classroom, and students share a common area for lunch and activities. The school has its own library and a computer lab. Classes are capped at 22 students.

Daily Schedule

Classes begin at 7:30 daily. Each period is 50 minutes in length. Students are allowed five minutes in between classes, and they are given a one hour break for lunch which includes a 25 minute recess. This provides students an opportunity for physical activity as Swallows does not have a structured physical education program. The daily tutoring schedule runs from 2:50 to 3:30pm.

Curriculum

The Swallows Academy curriculum strictly follows the Core Knowledge Sequence which is an outline of specific content taught in language arts, history, geography, mathematics, science, and fine arts. Content in each subject builds year by year. Middle school students also take elective courses such as technology, economics, music, discovery science, drama, and journalism. The curriculum is aligned with state content standards as established by the Colorado Department of Education.