Colvin Elementary School

“The Reading Place” is the Colvin theme that inspires students to excel. Ensuring all students read on or above grade level is a major emphasis at Colvin. Every student spends three hours each day studying language arts.

Students receive intense instruction and frequent assessment on their reading progress. Students in grades K through 5 participate in the Read and Respond Incentive Program. Additional programs that contribute to Colvin’s success include technology, art, music, physical education, science, pre-kindergarten, Speakers of Other Languages, and 90 minutes of math per day using Math Investigations. Colvin parents and teachers communicate regularly through conferences, home visits, school activities and frequent phone calls. Parents are important partners in their children’s education.

Colvin also houses a Community Center to provide Senior Lunches, Health Services, WIC, Planeview Community Library, Park and Recreation services, and a Mini City Hall.

• Standard of Excellence in Reading – May 2005
• 55 Students on the Million Word Reader Wall
• Quarterly Celebrations for achievement in Reading
• Quarterly student recognitions in All-Stars for reading, math and superior behavior
• Teachers Christie Brown, Maribel Benedict and Karla McGinnis nominated for Teacher of the Year Award
• Maribel Benedict, Kindergarten teacher, selected as a finalist for Teacher of the Year
• New Multipurpose Room and 10 new classrooms
• New parking lot and expanded playground
• Community school partnership with the City of Wichita (Planeveiw Community Library, WIC Services, Senior Services, Mini City Hall and Parks and Recreation, ESOL classes for Adults, GED Adult Classes)
• Strong Parent Involvement with a focus on attendance and the academics

Exit I-135 at Pawnee. Go east on Pawnee to Hillside. Go south on Hillside to Ross Parkway. Go east on Ross Parkway to Roosevelt. Go south ¹/₂ block to Colvin. See Maps for all USD 259 locations.

The mission of Colvin Elementary is to ensure academic excellence in a way that:

• Provides a safe, caring environment
• Supports students, staff, home and community involvement
• Shows respect for diversity
• Enriches learning through technology
• Emphasizes reading, writing and math skills

So that all students are responsible citizens with a foundation to be life-long learners.

1. All Colvin students will apply math skills and demonstrate problem solving competency.
2. All Colvin students will demonstrate effective written communication skills.
3. All Colvin students will be independent strategic readers at or above grade level. 

Each school has a site council, which is a group of parents, community members, business representatives, teachers and other school staff. Site councils identify, consider and discuss educational problems and issues at the school. Councils provide advice and counsel for evaluating state, school district and school site performance goals and objectives. Councils may also recommend methods that may be employed at the school site to meet these goals and objectives. Colvin’s Site Council is a 15-20 member team focused on Campus Improvement Goals.

Meeting Day:  First Thursday of the month
Time:  4:30 - 5:30 p.m.
Location:  Colvin Elementary Library
Chairperson:  Wendy Ratliff, 973-7600

• Family Learning with classes for adults and children (English and GED classes) at the Mini City Hall
• Parent Involvement Activities
• Three hours of Language Arts per day, including Treasures Reading and Reading Counts
• Communities in Schools
• Art, Music, Physical Education, Science Labs
• Musical Groups
• English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
• After School Program by Wichita Parks and Recreation
• After school tutoring
• Instrumental music

Kindergarten

Pre-Kindergarten Program: 8 - 10:50 a.m., 12:20 - 3:10 p.m.
Half-Day Kindergarten: None
All-Day Kindergarten: 8 a.m. - 3:10 p.m.

• Student Council
• Reading strengthening activities: Camp Read A Lot, Read A Thon, visiting authors and book writing
• Technology integration with computers
• Smart Boards available for student and classroom use
• Hands-on science learning
• Musical groups such as Jubilee Singers, Bucket Drummers and Folk Dancers
• May Festival
• Association with Arts Partners to enrich students in the arts
• Planeview Community Library, open year round
• Parks and Recreation after school and in the summer
• ESOL classes for ELL students
• After-school tutoring for select students
• Lunch Homework Club

Promotion of a new school building to replace the former Planeview schools seriously began during the Bond Campaign of 1966 with a "building needs" study. Built in 1943, Rogers, MacArthur, and Brookside elementary schools were wartime, temporary structures which became part of the Wichita Public Schools in 1955. Lack of funding delayed replacement of these buildings many years prior to 1966; and when the bond campaign of 1966 was declared invalid, a new structure was not assured until the 1974 successful bond election. (Due to the condition of the building and declining enrollments, Brookside School was closed in 1971 and pupils were transferred to Rogers and MacArthur for the 1971-72 school year.)

During the planning for the new facility, area residents expressed interest in a City community center-elementary school complex. Cooperation between the Wichita Board of Park Commissioners and the Board of Education resulted in the current site selection and a total cost savings through the shared financing of construction and use of facilities. This also expanded the scope of services available to the community.

The school building contains 78,917 square feet, the community center approximately 10,225; and the total complex is located on a site of 18 acres. Cost of the 89,142 square feet space was about $2,500,000. The school is designed to house 800 children. The enclosed courtyard contains a school garden which separates the school from the community center; however, the public library which is shared by the pupils and public is in the center of the school wing. Featured in the special education suite are a home-living area and media center including a special reading room and a circular mathematics laboratory. Moveable storage units allow for flexible room arrangement and the building is equipped with an intercom communications system and outlets for future television systems in every classroom.

The principal and contractor had thought moving the MacArthur and Rogers pupils to the new Colvin School would be completed in the fall of 1977; however, unanticipated delays changed the moving date to January 1978 for MacArthur pupils and February for Rogers students.

The Colvin Elementary School was named for the late C. Fred Colvin who was employed as high school principal of Planeview in 1943 and later became assistant superintendent of Planeview schools. In 1953 before the Planeview school district was annexed to the Wichita School System. Four years later he was named Assistant Superintendent in charge of the Personnel Services Division, the position he maintained until his death in 1966.

At the beginning of the 1988-89 year, sixth grade students were incorporated into the middle school program, leaving a PK-5 enrollment of approximately 775 students.

In April 2000, the voters of the Wichita School District approved a $284.5 million bond issue. The projects began in the fall of 2000 and were completed over the next five years. The plan built 19 multipurpose rooms, upgraded science labs, replaced portable classrooms with permanent construction, improved handicap accessibility to all buildings, rebuilt five existing elementary schools, added a new elementary and middle school, expanded seven other elementary schools and provided nine new libraries as well as the expansion of nine others. Building infrastructure in 82 buildings was also upgraded, including the replacement of antiquated plumbing, updates and expansion of electrical systems, replacement of inefficient or broken windows and doors, upgrades of heating and cooling systems, and asbestos abatement when required.

Upgrades to Colvin include a new addition with 14 classrooms and support areas. The plans were prepared by the architectural firm of Gossen Livingston Associates. Caro Construction Co., Inc. completed the Anderson and Colvin remodels and additions for a total of $3,165,050.

Colvin held its Bond project dedication ceremony on March 14, 2006.