April 17, 2020
Dear students and parents,
While we would all prefer to return to campus to work in-person until the end of the year, in consultation with the board of trustees, I have decided that we will have to continue in a distance learning format through the remainder of the year.
This decision was made yesterday after monitoring both national and local trends. We have been moving in this direction with the suspension of in-person learning by Colorado Governor Polis and a “stay-at-home” order. Both of these actions by the state’s government replaced earlier restrictions on the number of people who could gather in public. Leading health experts have done extensive modeling which suggests that we may be at or nearing the end of the upward slope, but we have to remember how many weeks it took for us to get to this point. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, at this time, we have received no further guidance by state and national governments or educational associations on how to reopen the school.
I recognize that this decision comes as a profound disappointment for many of us, primarily because it is the daily interactions and relationships that contribute so much to our sense of connection. We are all ready to get back to “normal” life, but at this time, we have to do our part to ensure the greater health and well-being of a larger majority of people.
Despite the challenges that we have faced, it has been a strong start to the fourth quarter, and I am optimistic that we can continue to do it well. So much of this has to do with everyone in the community rising up to the occasion and bringing their best selves to their work.
I know that the path we have chosen to conclude the academic year will now prompt some additional questions. We will be sending out further communications specific to the senior project symposium schedule, exams, graduation, packing dorms and the like. It is important to note that we will not extend the school year beyond our current academic calendar with our studies.
While I wish there were a different path forward, I have complete faith that teachers and students will continue to strive for excellence. We will witness extraordinary achievement, we will learn new lessons about teaching and learning, and that we will exit our current landscape with a renewed appreciation for the in-person interactions and instruction that were present in our daily lives before spring break.
In essence, everyone is a “first-time” learner in this new modality, and I have always believed that CRMS has been the place I would want to be if I was doing something for the “first time.” It is a community that embraces the unknown and supports the inexperienced.
Thank you for all your continued engagement and support during these unusual times.
My best,
