First CCSD elementary school to open in Inspirada

Summer break is here, but Inspirada, Henderson’s best-selling master-planned community, is already gearing up for August, which will mark the inaugural school year for Robert and Sandy Ellis Elementary, the community’s first Clark County School District school.

Located in the heart of the community at 3200 Artella Ave., the school will welcome nearly 600 students between pre-kindergarten and fifth grade. The school’s motto is “excellence is the norm,” and principal Shaun Cochran-Hall said she is driven to set the standard of success in the first year.

“I hope to create a culture of academic excellence, ensuring that all stakeholders — students, parents, staff and community partners — feel valued and heard. I’m a true believer of what others in the education sector refer to as the ‘whole child concept,’ which means there’s more to each kid than test results,” she said.

“My goal is to get acquainted with every kid and parent to set a positive tone and challenging environment for the first year and the many years to follow.

After all, it’s the Ellis way.”

While the school’s capacity is approximately 850, Hall intends on enrolling fewer students to set the benchmark in how proficient the school will be moving forward. The school campus, which spans more than 12 acres, will feature more than 50 classrooms, technology labs and various after-school programs, such as Spanish, golf, drama, yoga and robotics.

The community also is home to Pinecrest Academy Inspirada, offering grades kindergarten through eighth. The charter school recently received Gov. Brian Sandoval’s Nevada STEM school designation for its exemplary performance in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Pinecrest Academy Inspirada is the first charter school in Nevada to receive this designation.

Inspirada’s middle school-aged students are zoned for Del Webb Middle School, recipient of the Nevada Ready 21 technology grant, providing Chromebooks for all students so they may access online resources to support their learning. In addition, more than half of the student body earned the honor roll status and the school earned five stars from the Nevada Department of Education’s School Performance Framework.

The school’s advanced band, orchestra and choir have earned superior ratings at school district music festivals; boys’ basketball and junior varsity quiz teams won the school district’s 2017 championships in their respected categories; and special education students were mainstreamed in all science, social studies and physical education classes.

Inspirada’s high school students attend Liberty High School, which maintains an 85 percent graduation rate, making it the sixth highest in the district among nonmagnet schools. Liberty also has more students taking Advanced Placement courses and passing the corresponding exams for college credit.

This past school year, the high school’s dual-credit partnership with the College of Southern Nevada enabled students to receive college credits for select classes. In addition, the football team ranked in the top 25 in the country for high schools, while the girls’ basketball, softball and track and field teams ranked among the best teams in Nevada.

Liberty is the only district school to offer both Italian and Mandarin Chinese language classes to its students.

Inspirada is ranked as the best-selling master-planned community in Henderson. With a projected build-out of 8,500 homes within the Inspirada villages by Inspirada Builders, LLC, Inspirada is home to more than 4,000 residents who have access to programs and activities managed by a full-time staff that creates social calendars to bring neighbors together in the parks and the Inspirada Community Center.

It is home to four parks, three with resident-only heated pools, barbecue/picnic areas, basketball, bocce and volleyball courts, soccer fields, splash pad and dog parks. For more information, visit www.inspirada.com or follow the community on Facebook at www.facebook.com/InspiradaNV.