Meet the Principal
Sometimes, people assume that an “alternative” environment is a negative environment. If this is something that concerns you, I challenge you to take a closer look at Finest. Explore our website, watch a few videos of students, staff and parents, come for a visit. When you do, here is what you will discover:
We are relationship based: Finest is an inclusive high school uniquely designed to provide connection among students and adults. Staffed for just over 300 students, our class sizes are small and our students report that they have multiple trusted adults within our school. As a core value in our community, students are placed in a “Family” at the time of their enrollment. Their Family Teacher is their primary advocate/academic advisor and they meet daily in family to develop their social, emotional, organizational, and interpersonal skills. On the day they graduate, it will be your student’s family teacher who hands them their diploma! Beyond the Family Teacher, our administrators, teachers, and building staff are trained and empowered to make connections with each student.
We are supportive: Finest provides a consistent, healthy, restorative learning environment that is designed to meet the needs of each student. Our clear expectations and restorative supports (such as the card and our appeals process) are designed to empower students as they learn to take responsibility for their actions and make good decisions. At Finest, students have the support of their Family Teacher, their other academic teachers, an interventionist, two counselors, a counseling intern, a social worker, a post high school advisor, and three administrators. Our team partners with students, parents and guardians in order to provide each student with the just right level of support so that they can find academic success and choose their FINEST future.
We offer choice: Some aspects of Finest that students most appreciate include the level of choice that we provide. Examples of choice here include: flexible daily start and end times, new classes every six weeks, CTE opportunities (Digital Music Production, Salon & Spa Academy, Sustainable Agriculture and Green Energy), Concurrent Enrollment opportunities, and electives such as Art, CPR/First Aid and Yearbook. At Finest, there is no homework, but students have the choice to earn the opportunity to work on academics outside of the classroom. Additionally, students have the opportunity to choose a fully online program if this best meets their personal and academic needs.
We are academically engaging: Our skilled teaching staff work diligently to provide Finest students with the most trauma informed, brain-friendly instructional practices in order to create classroom experiences that are rigorous and engaging. Teachers use the Colorado State Academic Standards to design lessons that target the most important skills for students and then use relevant and culturally responsive curriculum and instruction so that students are genuinely interested in what they are learning. A Finest diploma is the culmination of 23 credits plus 8 proficiencies and our academic design allows students to graduate early, on time, or until they are 21.
Finest is one of the most unique public high school opportunities available in the state of Colorado. We are excited to meet you and see if it might be the right fit for you.
Best,
Cindy Chick
Principal, Colorado’s Finest High School of Choice