From the beginning, the school has been anchored in its founding belief that exceptional education requires partnership. This is not a slogan at Cherry Creek Academy; it is the operational backbone of the school and the lens through which every decision is made.
As Annemarie Mahan, Elementary Principal, explains, “Our students are incredible, staff is dedicated, and parents are involved and that partnership is what makes our community so special.”
The school’s Core Knowledge approach offers families a transparent, coherent curriculum that outlines exactly what students learn at each stage. This clarity allows parents to actively support learning at home while also reinforcing the school’s expectation that academic growth is a shared endeavor. Motivated students, responsible parents, and exemplary teachers form what the team often refers to as its educational “triangle,” a dynamic structure that guides instruction, culture, and long-term planning.
Families often choose Cherry Creek Academy for its academic rigor, but they stay because they see their children growing as whole people. Many members of the school community began as parents and later became employees or board members, a reflection of how deeply people connect with the school’s mission.
“The character traits such as leadership, responsibility, respect, loyalty, integrity, humility, diligence, and compassion define us and are not abstract ideals,” says Courtney Brown, Board President. “They are taught, modeled, and expected daily, shaping young people who feel both challenged and known.”
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Our students are incredible, staff is dedicated, and parents are involved and that partnership is what makes our community so special.
The strength of this culture is evident in the stories that return to the school long after students graduate. Alumni frequently come back to visit teachers, volunteer at events, or reconnect with the community that helped shape them. Some graduates now send their own children to the school. Two former students serve on staff. Others pursue advanced fields of study, including one alum who is working toward a PhD in nuclear physics at Purdue University. These connections endure because students leave the school not as strangers stepping into the world, but as young people who understand the value of gratitude, curiosity, and perseverance.
Much of this continuity stems from a faculty that approaches teaching as both craft and calling. The school’s in-house Professional Learning Institute, accredited by the Colorado Department of Education, supports teachers in continual growth. Weekly team meetings focus not on logistics but on student needs, celebrating progress, identifying challenges, and collaborating on solutions.
Beyond the curriculum, the staff’s commitment to the whole child is truly incredible. They actively foster each student’s personal development, ensuring every young person feels seen, known, and supported in their journey toward becoming a compassionate leader.
“Our teachers share strategies across grade levels, building coherence from kindergarten through eighth grade and ensuring that students are supported by a faculty that learns as actively as it teaches,” says Shoshana Howley, Director of Community Engagement.
Parents often remark that the school feels smaller, more intimate, and more personal than their neighborhood options. That is by design. Cherry Creek Academy’s structure allows students to spend nearly a decade within the same community, forming long-lasting relationships with peers, teachers, and staff. Whether through volunteering, serving on the PTO or Board of Directors, or simply being present in the day-to-day life of the school, families play an essential role in cultivating the environment their children experience.
This year, as Cherry Creek Academy celebrates its thirtieth anniversary, the school stands firmly on the legacy it has built and the partnerships that continue to shape it. What endures is not only a proven academic foundation but a community that believes its greatest strength lies in doing the hard work of education together.
