Kinard Middle School is a

middle school Middle school, also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school, is an educational stage between primary school and secondary school. Afghanistan In Afghanistan, middle school includes g ...

in southeast

Fort Collins A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from La ...

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

that is part of the

Poudre School District The Poudre School District (R-1) is a preK–12 public school district in Larimer County in northern Colorado. The district operates and manages the public schools in the city of Fort Collins, as well as in the towns of Wellington, Timnath, p ...

. It is based on the

Core Knowledge Core or cores may refer to: Science and technology * Core (anatomy), everything except the appendages * Core (laboratory), a highly specialized shared research resource * Core (manufacturing), used in casting and molding * Core (optical fiber), t ...

system of education, and is one of the top-performing schools in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, having received the John Irwin School of Excellence Award several times as well as the USDE Blue Ribbon Award in 2015. Its mascot is the "Kinard Mustang". The Kinard Mustang is often represented as "Morty" who is just a child in a costume. The school is named for Hal Kinard, a local educator who served in the military during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

Grading system

Kinard's grading system resembles the GPA system at first glance, but is actually nothing like it in reality. Each assignment is graded on a scale of 1–4, based on the level of proficiency toward a grade level standard the student has achieved. Information regarding Kinard's grading system can be found at this link: https://kin.psdschools.org/academics/assessment.

History

Kinard Middle School started operating out of a wing in the nearby Fossil Ridge High School in the fall of 2004, before getting its own building that opened in 2006. Many current Kinard teachers have been there every year since the school opened in the high school.

References

{{Authority control Fort Collins, Colorado