Several weeks ago, I was walking to CSS while it was snowing. It had snowed several inches overnight, and a snow day was called. I had a lot to catch up on, so I decided to go to work anyway. There was not a single person or car on the roads, and I walked in silence except for the sound of the snow crunching under my boots. The beauty of the sunrise over the snow-covered Rocky Mountains took my breath away. My senses were alive, and I felt sheer gratitude for this short one-mile adventure. I thought of the E.E. Cummings poem: “Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit.”

In the quiet, breathing in the freshest air you can imagine, and with a white untouched slate in front of me, I started thinking about our CSS students and how lucky they are to have the opportunities to experience so many similar adventures in their education. Being a part of a school environment that organically stretches comfort zones, allows freedom within structure, naturally builds self-confidence, and encourages self-reflection is really special. The camping trips, nature walks, Fall Adventures, Seminars, and ECSs instill a sense of wonder, adventure, grit, and resilience. In a way, our school community is given space, a blank white snowy landscape, so to speak, to write our own stories mindfully, without fear, and with all the wonder and beauty of embracing all that life has to offer.

I am about to write a new chapter in my life when the 2020-2021 school year wraps up, and I will officially retire from 24 years of pure magic and "joy" being a part of the independent school world. I have the honor of moving in with my parents to care for them full-time in California, and I have no doubt we will have many unexpected and memorable adventures together.

So this is my love letter to my Kodiak Family. Thank you for allowing me the privilege of being a part of this esteemed school community. Every person I have met through CSS has touched my life in small and big ways, and I am forever grateful. I hope you continue to believe in the power of this amazing school community, to take risks, embrace the unknown, grow in numbers, and celebrate the moments - there are so many at CSS - no matter how big, small, or snowy they may be.

Google Meet: Click here to join

The Gala & Auction Committee are well into their work to support and promote the school's largest fundraiser event of the year. From veteran parents to brand-new families we are seeing this committee come together in new and exciting ways. Last year, we hosted one of the region’s first virtual Gala & Auction events, resulting in a budget-busting $147,000 for student-centered learning, as well as pioneering a sense of community togetherness during stay-at-home orders. While we had hoped to be in a place in which our entire community could gather in person, but alas we are prudently making plans for a virtual program, plus new experiences to celebrate student success and elevate community connections.

A primary focus of the volunteers currently is soliciting auction items, generating ideas for auction baskets, experiences, and sociables. Sometimes, the work of gala can be messy and beautiful, as is the case with wonderfully creative projects coming to fruition for each class in PreK - 5th Grade. Class Creations often generate enthusiastic bidding among parents seeking these one-of-a-kind kid art creations.

For more information on how you can connect and make the Gala & Auction a success, contact Brooke Rawls P'30, P'32 at bkrawls11@gmail.com or (317) 902-8157 or Nancy May P'23 at nmay9393@gmail.com or (719) 210-9089. Please direct any sponsorship questions to Jessica L. James, Director of Advancement and Communications at jjames@css.org or (719) 434-3506.

The CSS Scholastic Book Fair will run online from March 8-21, 2021. Selections include books for young children, young adult, and even adults. Support our school while helping your child discover new books, favorite characters, complete series, and more! You'll love the fun new option to shop for Book Fair exclusives directly from the interactive booklist and enjoy free shipping on book-only purchases of more than $25.

Families may order lunch online for the entire month of March.

If you prefer not to order for the month, please note that lunch orders need to be placed by 10 p.m. the Wednesday before the start of the next week. For example, if you want to order lunch for your child for Thursday, March 11, the order must be placed by 10 p.m. Wednesday, March 3.

Please note that due to supply and snow days, there may be times menu items are substituted.

There are known and unknown risks in navigating these uncertain times. But individuality and isolation from one another are not long-term solutions to the adversity presented by our current world. Instead, we aim to build and promote a community that is solution-minded, embraces the mindset and practice of "we before me", and collectively adheres to the guidelines of medical professionals and elected officials. The Community Pledge has been written in the spirit of developing a common language and understanding by which we will all commit for the 2020-2021 school year.

Tune into www.csskodiaks.com to follow the junior varsity and varsity boys' basketball teams this season and stay up on scores and schedule changes.

Seventh grade students learned about the body, cells, and its organ systems in science class this term. To reinforce this material, students dissected frogs and had to identify the different organ systems, what they did, and how they worked. Students were particularly focused on the digestive system, and theorized about how the frog's system differed from our own and why.

CSS students, Hatley F. '29, Emma L. '29, Taryn C. '22, and Sunny S. '27 dance with Synergy Dance Academy. Through hours of dedicated training and rehearsals, these girls performed in a showcase benefitting the nonprofit Angels of America's Fallen. The livestream dance event, ACHIEVE took place this past weekend. Congratulations to these passionate dancers for sharing their incredible talent.

Congratulations to the Middle School Matchwits Team for a strong competition this week!

Scoring 10 or more points in a competition is considered the gold standard in Matchwits. Not only were the Kodiaks one of just two teams to pull this off during Monday's Black Forest League competition, but they broke more than 10 points for every round.

The Green Team dominated the evening, winning all 3 rounds, advancing to a strong lead for first place in the Black Forest League. The team now has 110 points (the 2nd place team has 86). Team members are captain Abraham B. '27, Lawrence G. '27, Graham M. '27, and Malakai W. '25.

The Blue Team also had a fantastic competition, finishing 5th while hanging onto their position in the 2nd highest room. This is amongst the best scores we've ever seen from our Blue Team. Team members are captain Elliot P. '26, Tejin M. '26, and Wyatt N. '26.

No other school has two teams in the top two rooms! The final Matchwits competition is scheduled for Monday. Go, Kodiaks!

Parents, teachers, and students are encouraged to submit nominations and digital photos of student achievements to Anslee Wolfe, Communications and Marketing Manager, at awolfe@css.org. These extracurricular achievements make us a well-rounded school and highlight the many unique talents and passions of our student body. A diverse selection of achievements is highlighted in ROAR and shared on social media. We also welcome alumni achievements!

Due to COVID-19 we will continue to make adjustments to the calendar. We will make changes to the school's google calendar as we progress from week to week. We are adhering to local, state, and federal guidelines regarding on-campus, in-person learning. As a result, planning for the 2020-2021 school year is ongoing and requires the school to respond with agility, grace, and a heavy dose of patience. View the calendar here.