kindergarten - eighth grade
Anastasis is a kindergarten through 8th-grade innovative micro-school located in Centennial Colorado. Our Reggio-Emilia, inquiry-based approach challenges students to gain a deep understanding of concepts and skills. Experiential learning allows our students to explore the world through research and play. Students collaborate in small, mixed-age classes with teachers who support learning. It's no wonder that our students love coming to school every day!
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WELCOME TO ANASTASIS, I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE!
Anastasis Academy began in May of 2011 around a kitchen table as a result of a series of blog posts on my blog, Dreams of Education. In writing, I had been dreaming about how education might be more meaningful, more fun, more creative, a place where students could be fully alive. As a result of those blogged dreams, I received a call from a parent of students who I had previously taught. They wanted to learn more. After many plans, prayers, conversations, and hard work around that kitchen table, we opened in August of 2011 with 54 students.
I’m grateful for the people who surrounded and embraced the dream of Anastasis from the beginning. Without Matthew Anderson, Matt and Kim Amen, Brad and Amy Whitehouse, Anastasis would still be a dream, a series of blog posts. With the combined efforts of our original community, made up of nine staff members, 54 students and their parents, and three board members, we’ve been able to fine-tune the dream through a dynamic learning model and a bias toward action.
In the eight years following those initial conversations around the kitchen table, we’ve transformed the lives of children and families with a school that’s identity honoring, powered by inquiry, experiential, community-oriented, faith-in-action, hands-on, creative, innovative, and empowered. We have redefined what it means to be a school.
We are proud of the work we’ve done so far at Anastasis. But our vision is more significant. We believe that we have a moral obligation to make learning meaningfully better for all students, not just those we serve within the walls of Anastasis Academy.
We believe that all children deserve an education that sees them. To that end, we believe in sharing what we’ve discovered at Anastasis Academy about identity and learning. We hope to grow this model and invite others to learn from us and with us.
As we look to the future of Anastasis, we commit to being identity honoring. We commit to evolving and growing as we learn more. We commit to creativity and innovation. We commit to spreading good. To living the Kingdom now.
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Kelly Tenkely
Founder, architect of learning, principal
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AT ANASTASIS ACADEMY, WE ACCEPT THE GREAT RESPONSIBILITY OF RAISING THE WHOLE-CHILD: MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT.
Most schools focus solely on their students' academic development, neglecting the importance of physical, emotional, and social growth. At Anastasis Academy, we believe in shaping the whole child and nurturing their mind, body, and spirit. By providing a holistic education, we aim to prepare our students for success in all aspects of life.
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EXCEPTIONAL TEACHERS ARE THE HEART OF ANASTASIS ACADEMY.
Anastasis teachers are reflective practitioners who help students experience learning at the intersection of multiple disciplines. They are masters of instructional design who weave together social, emotional, and intellectual learning. What makes an Anastasis teacher genuinely exceptional is the mentorship and guidance they provide our students as they build a school-wide culture where kids are empowered and loved.