Welcome Letter from the Principal
Welcome and thank you for visiting the website of one of the top rated public K-8 schools in Colorado! Aurora Quest K-8 is the gifted and talented magnet school program for Aurora Public Schools, located in Aurora, Colorado. We primarily service students that have been identified as Gifted and Talented or High Potential within Aurora Public Schools, but we also accept out-of-district students as well.
From kindergarten through eighth grade, our mission is to inspire and empower our unique students to develop and apply their high potential within a rigorous and supportive community. We are dedicated to providing strong and accelerated educational programming that supports the education of the whole child, provides a safe environment and prepares students for a life of continuous learning.
At Aurora Quest K-8 we focus on our guiding principles, which are taught, modeled, learned and lived by all members of the community. These values begin with a talented, caring and welcoming staff that shares their expertise with our students and, in turn, encourages students to share their time, abilities and leadership with one another and the community.
It is our goal to offer rigorous and accelerated educational programming for all students, where diversity of learning styles is honored and individual differences are respected. Our focus of teaching children to Engage, Grapple and Persist in the face of academic and affective challenges supports students in taking risks in a safe and nurturing environment, while promoting a positive growth mindset. We believe that educating the whole child is foundational to every students’ success.
Our students are taught the skills of critical thinking, collaboration, teamwork and self-discipline as they take ownership of their learning. Because learning also takes place beyond the classroom, we offer a number of clubs and athletic activities to help students grow and explore their interests and talents.
Thank you for your interest in Aurora Quest K-8. We hope that what you see here will encourage you to consider the excellent educational programs we offer and submit an application.
Please feel free to email or call our main office with any questions you might have. We would love to share this special place with you.
With warm regards,
Kelsey M. Haddock, Ed.D.
Principal Aurora Quest K-8
Mission and Vision
Quest Mission Statement:
To inspire and empower our unique students to develop and apply their high potential within a rigorous and supportive community.
Quest Vision Statement:
To be an exemplary school that develops creative and innovative thinkers and leaders who are driven by our guiding principles, and seek opportunities to extend and apply their learning beyond the walls of our school.
Guiding Principles
Our Guiding Principles:
Guiding principles will support the formation of specific rules or codes of conduct. The Guiding principles are:
Gifted and Talented Student Philosophy:
Aurora Public Schools is dedicated to meeting the needs of every student by offering educational opportunities appropriate to each child’s ability. Accordingly, it is committed to providing for the unique learning needs of the gifted and talented. Gifted and talented children and youth exist within all ethnic, geographic, and socioeconomic groups. Providing an array of service options which recognizes individual strengths, interests, and challenges best maximizes gifted student potential. The District believes said services should be a part of the overall educational programming which supports growth and excellence for all students. Successful attainment of this objective necessitates collaboration and communication among students, parents, schools, and communities.
Gifted and Talented Student Definition
Gifted and talented students are those students between the ages of five (5) and twenty-one (21) whose learning capacity and potential for accomplishment are so exceptional or developmentally advanced that they require special provisions to meet their educational affective needs. Gifted and talented students are capable of advanced learning and performance in any combination of the following:
- Intellectual ability
- Specific academic aptitude
- Creative or productive thinking
- Leadership and human relations skills