Tambi Tyler's most recent Head of School Letter on Monday evening highlighted hiring updates and end-of-year celebrations and ceremonies. In case you missed it, you may read it here.

Students are bringing the Upper School spring production outdoors this week to Boddington Field with the performance of Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors. Join us in supporting our thespians, including ambitious Middle School cast members!

One of Shakespeare’s earliest and shortest plays, The Comedy of Errors tells the story of Antipholus of Syracuse and his servant Dromio of Syracuse. They enter the town of Ephesus which, unbeknownst to them, houses the friends and families of their twin brothers. Hilarity ensues as mistaken identity overwhelms the plot in a series of mishaps and false accusations.

This small ensemble of actors, musicians, and chorus members will create the entire world of Ephesus using minimal sets, beautiful costumes, and ridiculous props. Think Shakespeare in the Park brought to you by CSS.

Choosing a piece of art for the Permanent Art Collection at CSS has been a longstanding tradition. Each year, a student’s artwork from the Children’s School, Middle School, and Upper School is chosen for the permanent collection. The art is displayed throughout campus to be enjoyed by students, faculty, alumni, parents, and visitors.

During Celebration of the Arts, visual arts teacher Mrs. Kaja Reynolds presented 5th grader Quinn W. '28 with the Permanent Art Collection Award after choosing his self-portrait to represent the Children's School this year. Congratulations, Quinn!

Fifth graders created oil pastel self-portraits based Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani. They learned about Modigliani’s paintings and portraits and added a similar style such as a very long neck when creating their self-portraits. Students focused on the idea of how to add in details that told a story about the individual.

"Quinn added in unique items like his necklace, his glasses, and details on his shirt, and I think he did a pretty amazing job," Mrs. Reynolds said. "While working, Quinn experimented with the use of color, texture, and proportion. He wanted to create a composition that represented his own personality and expression. Quinn titled the piece, 'Me in e-Learning.' I think this will remind us of what a different year it has been!"

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

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 Tuesday, May 11, the order must be placed by 10 p.m. Wednesday, May 5.

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

CSS Love Note: Thank you for choosing CSS. We love our Kodiak Community and can't wait to introduce you to the many new students and families that will be joining us for the 2021-2022 school year.

The school's expenses are fixed well in advance of the school year and therefore, the parents' obligation to pay the tuition and fees for the full academic year is absolute, unconditional, and non-refundable after May 1, 2021. Pre-payments of tuition are 100% refundable, less the non-refundable tuition deposit with a withdrawal in writing submitted to Joy Maguire-Parsons prior to May 1.

The Yummy Incentive: Much like other growth-minded organizations, your positive referrals can help us foster a dynamic learning community right here at CSS. We are piloting the Yummy Incentive to show our appreciation to families who refer families to CSS. When a current family makes a referral that results in a new enrollment for the 2021-2022 school year, the current family is eligible for a $250 Maytag dining credit. We want to nurture your student's mind and body as we build upon a diverse and welcoming community. Please reach out to Joy at joym-p@css.org to refer a prospective family.

Thank you to everyone who tuned in for the e-Gala & Auction on April 17! We celebrated student success and The Colorado Springs School community. If you would like to rewatch the program or share it with family and friends, you may through the link below. The link to the Living Room Dance Party is below as well.

With your help, we raised $105,000 and counting! The silent auction raised $47,000, and Raise Your Paddle donations brought in $58,000. You can still be a part of the success and raise your paddle by making a donation here. Your gifts may be eligible for the 50% Colorado Childcare Tax Credit.

Click here for a scroll of Raise Your Paddle donors who contributed cash donations. A special shout-out as well to this year's sponsors for helping make this event possible.

Watch the e-Gala & Auction virtual program of tetimonials and talents!

The e-Gala & Auction is the school's largest fundraising event. Your gracious contribution positively affects the lives of all of our students, enabling us to support student-centered learning and success such as arts, technology, and project-based learning.

The 5th Annual CSS Biological Research Conference is scheduled for Tuesday, May 11, 2021, from 8:05-10:50 a.m. outdoors on the quad. Upper School freshman biology students are planning and conducting their own biological research experiments. They will present their results during the conference. Please note that only freshmen parents and close family are invited to attend the event.

Several volunteers are needed, including guest scientists who are members of our extended community and have some academic or professional experience in the science world. Knowledge of basic elements of experimental design, biological concepts, and/or organisms such as plants, bacteria, fungi, and bugs makes you well-suited to give feedback to these young scientists. The role of our guest scientists is to encourage students to explain their research, ask them some questions to make them think about their work more critically, and give them praise for what they did well. More detailed guidance will be provided.

If you or someone you know might be a good fit for this role, please email Biology Teacher Natalie Hanson at nhanson@css.org. Volunteers are also needed to help at the welcome table to check in guests.

Student experiment topics include use of essential oils to inhibit mold growth on strawberries, duration of insecticide toxicity in soil, effect of salt and sugar balance on yeast fermentation rates, growth of bacteria in the presence of varying levels of antiseptic agents, and various factors affecting plant growth and germination.

The Parents Association Board will hold its May meeting outdoors. Anyone is welcomed to join.

When: 8:30 a.m. Thursday, May 6, 2021

Where: Bear Creek Regional Park at 21st Street and Argus Boulevard; we will gather at the pavilions near the playground.

On the Agenda: This is the last formal meeting for the 2020-2021 academic year, and we're looking for volunteers and/or ideas for summertime community events such as movie night. We will also be discussing granting money for school programs.

The meeting will also be available online for those unable to attend in person.

Click here to learn more about the role of the Parents Association in building community in our school. Email the Parents Association at parentsassociation@css.org.

Let's earn 1st Place again! Show your school pride and help us retain our ranking as the top Private School in the Pikes Peak Region with the Colorado Springs Business Journal.

Please vote online by May 13, 2021:

1. Click here to vote for The Colorado Springs School.

2. We are in the category of Education & Careers. Click on Private Schools on the left hand side, then scroll down to The Colorado Springs School.

3. You will be prompted to enter your email, name, postal code, and birthdate (you need to be at least 13 to vote).

4. Please vote in at least 19 other categories for your vote to count. Spread some love to your favorite local businesses!

As the Black Forest League Champions, CSS earned an automatic advancement to the Regional Playoffs on Saturday, May 1, 2021. The #3 seed Kodiaks will travel to #1 seed Fowler High School for a 10:00 a.m. matchup, immediately followed by another game against #2 Limon. It will take two wins for any of these teams to advance to the next round of the State Playoffs. Live games will be streamed on the NFHS network with a monthly membership of $11. Good luck, Kodiaks!

Follow the latest on Kodiak athletics at www.csskodiaks.com.

The boys' varsity soccer team finished the season 2-7 and were competitive in every game, giving each opponent a strong effort along with proper respect. It was common for other coaches, officials, parents, and players to commend the Kodiaks after the game for their good sportsmanship and clean play, and as any soccer guru knows, the game of soccer does not always lend itself to a friendly atmosphere. Because the Kodiaks represented CSS in this sportsmanlike manner, the boys were treated to a pizza party to conclude their season.

The CSS Middle School girls’ volleyball team closed out their season Saturday at Calhan for the end-of-season Black Forest League tournament. Against Edison, the team finished 2-0 and then played one of their best matches of the year against the host team Calhan before losing both sets 22-25 to lose 0-2.

“Today’s games, following yesterday’s wins against Ellicott, have boosted our confidence so much,” said head coach Blisse Beardsley. “We definitely played our best volleyball of the season in the past few days, putting it all together for great team volleyball.”

Volleyball Awards

Most Valuable Offensive Player: Phoebe B. '25

Most Valuable Defensive Player: Emily S. '25

Kodiak Coaches' Award: Norah O. '25

Most Improved Player: Kate F. '25

For a one-time purchase of $55, you will receive an assortment of Colorado treats. Order now -- quantities are limited. Show a special person in your life some love this spring with a special edition Kodiak Harvest Bag!

With thoughtful care, we have curated a Mother's Day artisan bag filled with goodies from Colorado and one farm in New York. This bag will bring your mom, aunt, teacher, or any special friend in your life (including yourself) joy all weekend long while supporting local family-owned businesses:

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For more information, please call Director of Admission Joy Maguire Parsons at (719) 434-3520.

Curated by Karin Ellis P'31, P'33.

Experiential trips are BACK, and so are the gear lists. With Colorado Expedition, Middle School Seminars, and Walkabout around the corner, check out this Parents Association community connection. Many times members of our community have gear to loan, sell, or give away. This group is designed to allow members to connect and make it easy for all to have an excellent experience.

The CSS EX ED Gear Swap page has been launched to help families. CSS families are invited to post TRIP GEAR items with pictures for loan, sale, or for free without the hassle of organizing a tag sale. Please keep postings to items that are relevant for The Colorado Springs School's expeditions and outings -- items such as camping gear, outerwear, appropriate shoes and accessories and clothing (including base layers). This is not the time/place to unload your child’s tutus or baseball gear -- remember to save that stuff and donate it to the PAB garage sale next year. The CSS EX ED Gear Swap is currently open to current CSS families.

Volleyball, basketball, soccer, chess, video game creation, and Legos will be offered as summer camps at CSS this year! Learn more and register here.

The Colorado Springs School has been providing summer camp experiences for more than 30 years. All programs are open to the public, and we encourage CSS families to take advantage of these experiential education programs.

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.

The countdown to graduation has begun! In just four weeks, graduates with the Class of 2021 will take their steps out into a dynamic world. During the next month, we will share Senior Spotlights on social media highlighting college matriculation decisions and a series of answers to some reflective questions on their time at CSS. Follow along on Facebook or Instagram.

The Ursa Major chapter of the National Honor Society formally inducted eight new juniors Monday evening on the Quad. Ms. Amy Miller started the night off by introducing the 2020-2021 cabinet: seniors Whitney R. 21, Ty W. '21, Bailey R. '21, Alex S. '21, Owen W. '21, and Ben M. '21. She then passed the mic to Whitney who introduced the 2021-2022 cabinet: juniors Mia C. '22, Chloe L. '22, Sasha M. '22, Finnegan T. '22, Shively K. '22, and Grayson G. '22. The presidents, vice presidents, secretaries, and treasurers spoke about leadership, character, scholarship, and service -- the four tenets of NHS. After these speeches, the senior Executive Council pinned their successors; then the roles switched and the juniors presented the seniors with their graduation cords and NHS pins, making them graduate members. Finally, four traditional awards were given to recognize excellence in the four tenets: Leadership to Whitney R. 21, Character to Orlando M. '21, and Scholarship and Service to Aadi N. '21. Ms. Miller then ended the night with closing remarks, and the 2021-2022 NHS year officially began. -Written by Historian Shively K. '22. View more photos on our Facebook page.

Fifth graders Tyler J. '28 and Maxwell U. '28 represented the Kodiaks in the regional Battle of the Books this past weekend. The team competition was a culmination of a year-long commitment to a reading list of featured books. Weekly, the boys met with Ms. Susan Gaebler, the librarian, to discuss the assigned books and practice quiz questions related to the plot and characters. Congratulations, Tyler and Maxwell!

To explore arctic mammals, 1st grade students researched them, wrote about them, drew them, and even crafted clay sculptures of the animal of their choice.

"Polar bears eat stranded orcas," said Gio S. '32. "Nothing else eats orcas."

One of his favorite parts of the project was painting his clay orca whale. Other animals students chose were polar bears, arctic foxes, seals, caribou, and moose.

First graders presented their animals to classmates during the Arctic Mammal Museum. They took turns reading from their books and showing off their sculptures.

"I learned that the arctic fox eats the arctic hare," said Sophia G. '32. "The polar bear eats the arctic fox. It was fun making my arctic fox with clay."

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.

First Day of School, PreK - 12: August 25, 2021 (some Back-to-School events, First Day of Sports and Orientations to occur the week prior; details to follow)

Thanksgiving Break: November 22 - November 26, 2021; Classes resume on Monday, November 29, 2021

Winter Break: December 20, 2021 - January 3, 2022; Professional Day January 3, 2022, Classes resume for Semester II on Tuesday, January 4, 2022.

Spring Break: March 21 - March 25, 2022; Professional Day on March 28, Classes resume on Tuesday, March 29, 2022.

Graduation: Thursday, May 26, 2022, 8:30 a.m.

Late Start Wednesdays: The school plans to continue the late start Wednesday schedule next school year. This collective planning and collaboration time amongst our entire faculty and staff has proven beneficial to execute the school's signature programs and prioritize academic goals for students' benefit.