The Kaleidoscope Choice
The Kaleidoscope Choice
Education. Reimagined.
Your child's education is a very individual and personal experience. It is one of your most important decisions as a parent. That is why we invite you to tour our school, sit in on a classroom, ask questions, and meet with our staff. We invite you and your student to experience Education. Reimagined.
“Education. Reimagined.” is the essence of what makes Kaleidoscope a great school – reimagining what education can – and should – be for our students.
It's what makes us special.
How We Are Different
Welcome Learning Environment
We are an intentionally small learning environment where people know one another. Our small class sizes allow for meaningful relationships between students and staff. It is not uncommon to see an elementary teacher talking to a former student, now in our high school, about their plans. We honor traditional holidays such as Veterans Day because these historical celebrations have important connections to the material being taught and allow for opportunities to build community within our schools.
Embracing Parent Involvement
As parents, you are welcome in our school. We value your voice in your student’s education. We ask families to actively participate – an average Kaleidoscope family volunteers more than 20 hours each school year. There are many opportunities to get involved, from team-making decisions about your child’s education to assisting in the classroom, chaperoning field trips, and participating in extracurricular activities. Our award-winning parent-teacher organization (KPTO) provides support for elementary students and staff, and our Comets Booster Club ensures our secondary students and staff have meaningful, positive experiences at KCS!
A K-12 School
Because we are a K-12 school, community is the heart of KCS. Being K-12 allows us to build strong relationships with students and families, develop cohesion in academics and curriculum, and offer opportunities for the older students to mentor and interact with the younger students. At the same time, we have three separate programs (Elementary School, Middle School, and High School) to meet the unique needs of students at various stages.
How We Teach
Our approach differs from what you may find at the typical public school. We take a decidedly more hands-on approach. When we hire our teachers, we look for their approach to going beyond the standards – beyond the textbook – and bringing the material to life for our students.
Tailored Instruction
Because our model is designed for small class sizes, we can focus on each student’s unique talents and needs. Teachers can provide personal attention, immediate feedback, and customized instruction to address how each student learns best. They have the time to get to know and build strong relationships with their students. And small class sizes mean students form strong bonds with each other.
Motivating Each Learner
Our teachers understand that all students learn in different ways. Some students learn best by reading material in a textbook, but this is not the most effective instructional strategy for many of our students. Many students learn best by participating in hands-on activities, some learn best by singing songs about the material they are studying, and still others learn best when they can move around or work with classmates.
Kaleidoscope Charter School is committed to being accountable for the academic growth of our students. We take assessment seriously as a means of determining what our students know and what areas we need to focus on. Sometimes students are assessed using traditional assessments, but more often they "show what they know" through authentic assessments.
We maintain a comprehensive assessment program for all students, utilizing both formative and summative assessments. Read more about our assessment process under the Academics tab.
Inspiring Curiosity
Our talented teaching staff uses their students' knowledge to select the best strategies for each student. When you walk into a classroom at Kaleidoscope, you are more likely to see students learning about the root structure of trees by building a model tree than they are reading about trees in their science books.
What We Teach
We are a public charter school with a curriculum guided by the Minnesota Academic Standards, which lay out expectations for what students should learn and be able to do during each year of their schooling. The Minnesota Department of Education creates the standards. You can see the academic standards that guide our curriculum by clicking on the content areas below:
- Small class sizes for inquiry-based, tailored learning, focusing on each student’s unique abilities.
- Teachers that inspire students to love learning, encourage curiosity, teach creative problem-solving skills, and develop independent thinkers.
- Students that are confident and ready for college and the real-world challenges ahead.
- A welcoming learning environment where we intentionally embrace parent involvement.