What are the opening hours?

Monday 7:30am - 4pm Tuesday 7:30am - 4:30pm Wednesday 7:30am - 4pm Thursday 7:30am - 4pm Friday 7:30am - 4pm

Polaris Expeditionary Learning School

Home
United States
Fort Collins, CO
Polaris Expeditionary Learning School

Expeditionary learning
Polaris is the only school within PSD contracted to work the national education reform model of Expeditionary Learning.

Polaris utilizes the 10 design principles of Expeditionary Learning to achieve our mission to develop 21st century learners through rigorous academic course work, high quality adventure experiences, character development, and leadership opportunities. Together—as parents, students, faculty, and staff—we strive to create the ideal learning environment for adolescents. Our environment supports adole

scent development, experiential curriculum, critical life skills, and connections between kids and their community. Learning culture
The fundamental idea behind Expeditionary Learning is that students learn more by experiencing the world around them. Expeditionary Learning harnesses the students’ natural passion to learn and helps children develop the curiosity, knowledge, skills, and personal qualities they need for successful adulthood. Academic environment
Colorado standards are utilized to design Expeditionary Learning curriculum, along with student-teacher-parent developed expectations emphasizing personal responsibility for learning. In addition, Polaris employs assessment tools such as student portfolios, Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) testing, self-assessments and presentations of learning to provide a complete picture of student development. Students are required to take state assessments and meet district goals for achievement. Instructional & enrichment programs
Learning is a journey, not a destination. At Polaris, we emphasize personal accountability and pro-active learning while honoring the natural process of developing young adolescents of any background. At Polaris, our goals are to:
■Achieve high academic standards;
■Enhance students’ character development and social responsibility;
■Engage families in the educational process;
■Connect schools and communities; and
■Challenge and support students’ inherent inquisitiveness.

09/10/2026

🍎 Make a Difference This School Year!

Poudre School District is hiring for a variety of long-term substitute and temporary opportunities for the 2026-27 school year. These positions offer the chance to become part of a school community, build meaningful relationships with students and staff, and gain experience in a supportive educational environment.

Licensed Long-Term Substitute Opportunities
• Elementary Science Teacher | Bamford Elementary School
• Secondary Math & Science Teacher | Polaris Expeditionary Learning School
• Secondary Counselor | Blevins Middle School

Classified Long-Term Substitute Opportunities
• Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant
• Special Education Paraprofessional II | Fossil Ridge High School

Temporary Teacher Opportunity
• Elementary 2nd Grade Teacher | Laurel Elementary School

🔗 Explore these opportunities and apply online: https://ow.ly/vWfM50ZL64j

09/09/2026

Welcoming Kindergarten With Laura! 🎨🌱

We are thrilled to celebrate our wonderful Kindergarten teacher, Laura!

Laura’s educational journey comes full circle back home to Poudre School District, where she grew up as a student. She brings a wealth of experience, passion, and deep Expeditionary Learning expertise to our youngest crew members:

11 Years of Teaching Experience: Classroom expertise spanning Pre-K through 3rd grade, as well as 6th grade!

CU Boulder Degrees: A dual background in Psychology and Elementary Education—the ultimate combination for understanding childhood development, social-emotional growth, and early literacy. 🦬

Multi-State EL Specialist: Laura has brought Expeditionary Learning to life in EL schools across three states: Utah, Idaho, and Colorado!

In our Kindergarten classroom—where class sizes are kept small at just 20 students—Laura creates a space where students learn to navigate success and failure as growth opportunities. Right from day one in Kindergarten, our students begin building public speaking skills and participating in community service, embarking on a lifelong learning expedition.

We are so lucky to have Laura's talent, heart, and EL leadership guiding our Kindergarten crew!

👇 Leave a comment below to welcome Laura to the Polaris family! 👇

09/04/2026

🏔️ HUGE UPDATE! A Major Milestone Achieved on Our Polaris Expedition! 🎉🧗‍♀️

Check out our newly updated fundraising map! Thanks to your incredible generosity, especially the amazing boost we received at registration, our Polaris Intensive & Field Work Contribution Fund has crossed a critical threshold!

We have officially raised $20,375—which is a solid 51% of our total mountain goal of $40,000! Take a look at the path: the solid gold trail is more than halfway to the summit!

This progress is not just a number on a page. It means we have some incredible news to share about this year’s experiential learning programs. Because of you, we can now fully afford TWO OUT OF THREE of this year’s core adventures and intensives! This is a massive step towards ensuring all of our 6th-12th graders can explore, grow, and define their learning journey through these essential programs.

We are almost halfway, but there is still one more peak to climb! We need your continued support to fund that final adventure for our students.

Let’s keep the momentum going! Every amount, big or small, gets us closer to the top.

Rethink your contribution or start a new one using our FEE-FREE online giving option.

🔗 Visit the Parent Portal to donate fee-free: https://psdschools.schoolpay.com/

A heartfelt THANK YOU to every Polaris family who has already contributed. You are making this expedition possible!

09/03/2026

4th Grade Teacher Spotlight: Megan 🌲⚖️

Court is in Session in 4th Grade! 🏛️✨

We are thrilled to give a big Polaris welcome to our new 4th-grade teacher, Megan!

Megan earned her degree from Penn State University with a dual major in Elementary Education and Trauma-Informed Practices. She joins our crew with an extensive wilderness education background, as well as recent experience teaching 4th grade right here in Poudre School District.

Megan magically blends her outdoor education roots and trauma-informed training with traditional classroom learning to build a safe, vibrant, and fun space where every student feels supported to take risks and grow.

Experiential Learning in Action:
To bring their social studies unit on the judicial branch to life, Megan’s 4th graders held a Mock Trial today! Students stepped into real-world roles to explore how laws and justice work—embodying true Expeditionary Learning by learning through active doing.

We are so lucky to have Megan’s energy, expertise, and passion on our team this year!

👇 Drop a comment below to welcome Megan to the Polaris family! 👇

Hashtags:

09/01/2026

🍕 Dinner is officially taken care of this Wednesday, Polaris families! 🍕

Take a night off from cooking and help support our school community at the same time! We’re hosting a MOD Pizza FUNdraiser, and whether you dine in or order out, every slice helps support Polaris.

📅 Date: Wednesday, September 2nd

⏰ Time: All Day

📍 Location: MOD Pizza Fort Collins

🎟 How to participate: Use code MODGIVES25 when ordering online, or simply show the flyer at the register when ordering in the restaurant.

🍩 CREW CONTEST ALERT! 🍩
Which Crew has the ultimate school spirit (and pizza appetite)? The Crew with the biggest turnout will win DONUTS! 🏆

📸 How to count your vote for your Crew:

Grab your pizza on Wednesday.

Snap a photo of yourself at MOD Pizza or with your takeout order.

Email your photo to [email protected].

Let’s come together, enjoy some delicious food, and bring home those donuts for your Crew! 🍕✨

08/28/2026

WHAT A CLIMB! 🏔️ Our Polaris Intensive & Field Work Contribution Fund has taken another MASSIVE LEAP forward, thanks to our incredible community!

We are thrilled to announce that our new fundraising total has soared to $18,775 or 47% of our $40,000 goal! This funding helps create the exceptional experiences that make Polaris unique.

This recent surge was made possible by the collective effort of everyone who has given, including a very special and timely $1,000 gift from a generous benefactor. We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to this supporter for believing in our program and for helping our 6th-12th graders explore and grow.

A huge thank you to everyone who has contributed to date. We are almost halfway there!

Let's keep moving up the trail! Please consider contributing here: https://psdschools.schoolpay.com/

08/27/2026

Our office managers husband redid our sign, and we couldn't agree more.

08/25/2026

Spotlight: Celebrating Katie Augustine! As one of our new Crew members.🍎✨

Talk about full circle! Born and raised in Fort Collins, Katie attended our very own Poudre School District as a student. Today, she brings that incredible local pride and over a decade of dedication right back into our 2/3 classroom at Polaris.

This year marks a major milestone: 13 amazing years of teaching! 🎉

Katie’s passion for early childhood learning is backed by serious expertise:

Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Northern Colorado 🐻

Master’s Degree in Child Development from Southern New Hampshire University 🎓

13 Years of guiding, encouraging, and empowering young learners!

With our small K–5 class sizes of just 20 students per grade, Katie creates a tight-knit classroom crew where every 2nd and 3rd grader feels supported to take risks, learn from challenges, and discover their strengths. Her deep root in PSD and passion for child development make her an invaluable guide on our students' educational expeditions.

Please welcome Katie into our Crew!

Hashtags:

08/23/2026

Due to another round of forecasted high temperatures, Polaris will have another heat-related early dismissal on Monday, August 24th.

Schedule & Details for Monday, August 24th:

Normal Start & Meals: We will start the school day at our usual time. Breakfast and lunch will be served as scheduled.

Early Release Time: All students will be dismissed two hours early at 1:25 PM.

Important Kindergarten Update: Unlike our last early release, kindergarteners will stay with us for the full modified day and dismiss at 1:25 PM alongside 1st–5th grade students.

Looking Ahead:
The rest of the week looks cooler and perfect for learning, we can't wait to have all of our penguins in the building for a full day.

Thank you for your flexibility and partnership as we keep our students safe and cool through this heat wave!

Yours in Crew

08/22/2026

What a week filled with pure joy at Polaris Expeditionary Learning School! 🌟🎒

There was so much joy in seeing all the bright, smiling faces of our elementary students and teachers back in the building, filling our classrooms with energy and excitement.

We want to send a huge thank you to our CTC (parent-teacher organization) for bringing extra joy to our teachers' week with delicious snacks! 🍎🍪 We also celebrate our drivers who navigated safely to and from school each day, making sure every student arrived and returned home safe and sound. Thanks for everyone who watched the pick up/drop off video🚌✨

Thank you to our entire school community for making our first week of school such a joyous success! Here’s hoping for an amazing second week ahead—and maybe some slightly cooler weather! ☀️🍂

How did your student experience the joy of the first week? Share your favorite moment in the comments below! 👇

Address

1905 Orchard Place
Fort Collins, CO
80521

Opening Hours

Monday	7:30am - 4pm
Tuesday	7:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	7:30am - 4pm
Thursday	7:30am - 4pm
Friday	7:30am - 4pm

Telephone

+19704888260

Website

https://pol.psdschools.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Polaris Expeditionary Learning School posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The School

Send a message to Polaris Expeditionary Learning School:

Want your school to be the top-listed School/college in Fort Collins?