Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Science received national recognition this week as a 2015 National Blue Ribbon School.
Robin Dahlman has been the principal at Kaleidoscope for the last five years and said it wouldn’t have happened without combined efforts from students, parents, staff, and the entire community.
Dahlman: “I think one of the main differences is that we really strive to make personal connections with students and make sure that we are addressing interests and getting to the heart of learning through meaningful connections with the outside world. And so most of our approach in our teaching practice is hands-on and integrated across disciplines so that everything is connected so that students can transfer that into their real-world experiences as well.”
The recognition was based on overall academic excellence along with their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups for making progress.
Kaleidoscope was one of 15 charter schools recognized nationally and one of three schools in Alaska to receive the award.
A total of 335 schools were given the 2015 National Blue Ribbon School honors.
Nine other schools in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District have previously achieved the National Blue Ribbon excellence designation.
