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A Letter from Head of School, Aaron Schubach
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Dear CSS Community,
I write to tell you that I will end my tenure at CSS in June 2020. I am profoundly grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as the Head of The Colorado Springs School for the last six years - a place that, during my 13 years of total service, has educated me as much or more than it does its graduates.
In the spirit of the deep gratitude I feel, I'd like to note several things that have made my time at CSS special.
First, the warmth and talent of our students and graduates is the core of this unique place. Their brilliant minds and curious souls, mixed with the hilarious foibles of youth (exemplified most recently in Halloween costumes) amaze me. Their academic expertise set record heights for the school, and their talents - showcased in the fine and performing arts and athletic program - impressed me every game, art show, and performance. Interactions with and observations of our CSS students on a daily basis always made me feel joyful and reminded me that, as an educator, you are part of something bigger than yourself.
Second, the talent of the CSS faculty and staff cultivates and curates an environment that encourages the students to thrive. This group of committed, intelligent and idealistic educators work each and every day to do their best for our students, and in doing so, they have inspired me to do my best over the years. And I want them to know that I would not have made it without them. All of them, whether they've been here much longer than I or are the newest hire, have inspired me and made me laugh. We have a stellar team at CSS.
Third, the strength, intelligence, generosity, and patience of The Colorado Springs School's Board of Trustees has anchored my work and the school's direction. The CSS Board has coached and challenged the school and me to do our best and has served as the foundation for the CSS mission. I would especially like to thank Dr. Pio Hocate, our Board President, whose leadership, intelligence, and kindness sets the standard at CSS.
Finally, the commitment and dedication of CSS parents to building a learning community for our students is evident at event after event and in conversation after conversation during these past six years. I thank the CSS parents for choosing this fine school for their children and their families.
For my next chapter, I am proud to join Santa Fe Preparatory School , in Santa Fe, NM, next year. Santa Fe Prep is located near one of my alma maters, St. John's College. In doing so, I am leaving my comfort zone far behind. However, at the same time, I am seeking new challenges and opportunities in education, exploring more of my beloved Rocky Mountains, and joining a school with a strong sense of social justice and pedagogy.
I will finish my work here at CSS with a strong commitment to continuing our collaborative venture of moving the school forward. The faculty, staff, and administrative team are in phenomenal shape, and the school is firing on all cylinders.
I also want to acknowledge and express gratitude for the positive impact CSS has had on my family; Anna and I are so appreciative of Ben's eight years at CSS and the community's love of Henry. We hope to forever be members of this community.
It is my hope to have personal conversations with many of you in these next few months and we can begin by gathering this Saturday, November 9, 2019 at the
All School Showcase and Open House.
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With appreciation,
Aaron Schubach
Head of School
The Colorado Springs School
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A Letter from Board President, Pio Hocate
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Dear CSS Community,
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to share our vision for the next phase of The Colorado Springs School. As you read in Aaron's letter, he will be leaving us at the end of the 2019-2020 school year to continue his career as Head of School at Santa Fe Prep.
Six years ago, when Aaron was hired as a first-time head, CSS was feeling the impacts of the Great Economic Recession. We had just undergone major administrative restructuring, and enrollment was at its lowest in the past decade. With Aaron's innovative thinking and leadership, he navigated CSS from those lows to where we are today. We have a solid strategic plan that has allowed us to increase enrollment while maintaining high admission standards and excel in fundraising pursuits. We've launched innovative programs such as indexed tuition and tuition lock. We've built an engaged community with strong dedicated faculty and staff. Finally, CSS is ranked as one of the top private schools in Colorado, and we foster a strong commitment to our core identity as an experiential-based, college-preparatory school. As Aaron said, CSS is, "firing on all cylinders," and is poised to enter an unprecedented growth phase.
The Board of Trustees is excited about this next phase for CSS and has formed a Search Committee, which I'm honored to co-chair with Heather Kelly P'27, P'30. The Search Committee will be seeking input from the many constituencies of the CSS community and will manage the search process. There will also be an advisory committee formed to provide additional input to the Search Committee. Even more, the CSS Board of Trustees has hired Educational Directions (EduDx), a leading and highly recommended school search firm for independent schools, to help us in this process. We are confident we will attract an exceptional new Head of School to lead us.
Throughout the rest of the year, we will have the opportunity to celebrate Aaron and the wonderful job he has done for us. I, along with the rest of the Board of Trustees, am truly grateful to Aaron and wish him well in his future endeavors - he and his family will be missed. At the same time, we're excited and looking forward to what's ahead for CSS.
EduDx will be hosting two parent forums next week. Please join us on Thursday, November 14, at 6:30 p.m. in the Trianon, or Friday, November 15, at 8:15 a.m. in the Louisa Performing Arts Center
to hear more about the search process and share your thoughts. You can learn more about our Head of School search process on the website
and you can reach the search committee directly at [email protected].
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Sincerely,
Pio Hocate
President,
Board of Trustees
The Colorado Springs School
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More Information: Head of School Search
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Click here for more information on the Head of School Search and for future updates
Head of School Search Committee
Pio Hocate P'16, P'20, P'27 - Board of Trustees President; Advancement Committee; Search Committee Co-Chair; Radiologist, DaVita
Heather Kelly P'27, P'30 - Trustee; Advancement Committee; Search Committee Co-Chair; CEO, SSPR Public Relations Agency
Mike Edmonds - Trustee; Executive Committee; Dean of Students and Vice President for Student Life, Colorado College
Lorie Malone P'19, P'22, P'27 - Trustee; Advancement Committee; Enrollment/Marketing Committee; Civic Leader
Kevin Patterson P'21 - Trustee; Executive Committee; Enrollment/Marketing Committee; President, The Patterson Group
Kevin Penn P'24, P'26 - Trustee; Finance Committee; Chief Business Operations Officer, United States Olympic
& Paralympic Committee
Jill Richardi P'18, P'21 - Trustee; Enrollment/Marketing Committee; Project Leader, Center for Creative Leadership
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