Animas Valley Elementary Home

Our goal
at AVE is
every student,
every day.
Principal & assistant principal welcome a student

About Us

Animas Valley Elementary is a PreK-5 school located in a beautiful valley just north of Durango, Colorado. Our school is grounded in a School Family model. Through building relationships, we support one another's academic and social emotional growth. Mistakes are an opportunity to learn, and we take pride in our ability to persevere. We utilize structures for coaching self-regulation, class meetings as a venue for democratic problem solving, and we tackle challenges as well as celebrate our success together. Our family culture can be felt throughout our school.
student and teacher "high-five"
Where we’re located
Durango School District map
school building

Mission

Our vision is to guide learners as we develop  the tools and mindsets to continually seek and understand the world and ourselves. Learners will demonstrate confidence, compassion and value diversity. Everyone will leave our school with the ability to apply, transfer and reflect on concepts because we are motivated to ask questions and discover solutions.

School & District News

Fall Break is Oct. 9-12, 2026

Fall Break is here: Classes resume Oct. 13

It's Fall Break, and Durango School District (DSD) schools will be closed through Monday, Oct. 12. We look forward to welcoming our students back when classes resume on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
Bravo Award winner Caitlin Gavrielides

Bravo Award Winner: Caitlin Gavrielides

Throughout each school year, DSD employees nominate their colleagues for Bravo Awards, an honor that recognizes faculty and staff who demonstrate Portrait of a Graduate attributes as they go above and beyond for students and the district.
Durango School District's SOIL Outdoor Learning Lab

SOIL's Summer 2026 Lab Report now available

DSD's SOIL Outdoor Learning Lab just published its Summer 2026 Lab Report. Take a look to learn about the expanded SOIL Shares program, read an important funding update, view details on upcoming community workshops, and more.
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Michol Brammer, Principal of Animas Valley Elementary School

Principal's Message

Welcome Husky students and families! We have a School Family Culture created through the implementation of social/emotional learning structures that promote increased emotional intelligence. Our school has other distinguishing characteristics, including: Thinking Strategies Institute-trained teachers; Workshop model classrooms;  Orton-Gillingham-trained teachers; and flexible grouping.   – Michol Brammer, Principal

Events

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Engineer Mountain

Quality of Life

Durango is a beautiful place to live and work. It is located at 6,512 feet elevation in Southwest Colorado near the Four Corners region. Families who live here enjoy a historic steam train, ski resort, rivers, vibrant downtown, bike trails, sky-high “fourteener” mountains, and four distinct seasons with an average of 266 sunny days per year. We welcome new families and new staff members, and we offer excellent benefits and competitive salaries. 
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Accessibility Statement

Durango School District is committed to ensuring our digital platforms are accessible to everyone, aligning with WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards and Colorado accessibility laws. If you encounter a barrier or need an alternative format, please contact us at [email protected] or (970) 247-5411.