Glacier Ridge Families
Welcome to Glacier Ridge!
As a staff, we take great pride in our work and we share an enthusiasm for fostering student growth. We share a life-long passion for education and our mission is to instill a love of learning in those that we instruct. We enjoy collaborating with parents and the community to create a cohesive team that encourages a well-rounded social and instructional experience for the students. Together, we will continue to uphold the school’s vision:
Glacier Ridge Elementary is a learning community with high expectations dedicated to inspiring children to find a passion for learning in a safe and kind environment that celebrates diversity, promotes leadership, and encourages the unlimited potential of the whole child.
Instruction and academics remain a high priority at Glacier Ridge. We strive to stay innovative and cutting edge with instructional best practices. Through critical thinking and problem solving, each student is encouraged and supported to his/her fullest potential.
Fostering an environment that celebrates differences and promotes leadership is a large component in our belief of providing a ‘whole child’ educational experience. Our Glacier Ridge Motto, ‘Choose Kind,’ is taken from the children’s book, Wonder by RJ Palacio. This motto is woven into our daily instruction and conversation, and promotes a school culture of empathy, leadership, and positive self-concepts. In addition to our school motto, we foster an environment of inclusion and connectedness between students. We do that through our initiative of Start with hello > Find a connection > Create a friendship. We incorporate activities throughout the year to teach kindness, build connections, and establish an inclusive school community.
Glacier Ridge Elementary School holds a special place in the hearts of the staff. Our mission is to make Glacier Ridge have a special place in the hearts of the students and community as well. We believe that Glacier Ridge Elementary is a GREat place to be. We hope that you find that to be true as well.
Sincerely,
Pete Kurty,
Principal, Ed.D
The Story Behind the Name
Original Cost: $11,000,000
Opened: 2006
Glacier Ridge Elementary School shares its name with the metro park just west of the school. The park was named for the end moraines (or glacial debris) that were left behind when the Wisconsin Glacier retreated some 12,000 to 17,000 years ago. Much of the 1,037 acre metro park was once covered with farmland. Visitors can traverse a boardwalk through the Honda Wetlands area or climb a 25-foot observation tower to see waterfowl and other animals. Students who attend Glacier Ridge Elementary regularly visit and observe the natural habitat and everything the metro park has to offer to enhance their learning experiences.
District enrollment when the building opened was 13,261 students.
The building is 70,000 square feet in size.