A special thank you to Dr. Leon Kelly P'30, P'27, a pathologist and the Deputy Medical Director of El Paso County, for an insightful presentation Wednesday on COVID-19, including the rising case numbers.

If you weren't able to join us for this virtual event, you may view the recorded meeting through the link below.

During the weeks that we are in e-Learning and during the holiday breaks, Dr. Melissa Hocate, CSS Health Coordinator, will continue to serve as the contact tracer for the CSS community (students, parents, and family members) due to the overwhelm from local contact tracers.

Please don't hesitate to reach out to Dr. Hocate about symptoms or concerns. She may be reached at melissahocate@css.org or (719) 434-3530. We encourage you to make a daily health assessment and keep track of your interactions with others.

If your family ordered Fun Run shirts, they may be picked up in front of the Trianon from 11:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Friday, November 20.

Family run hike, or bike: Anytime Monday, November 23, or Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Get in the spirit! Families are encouraged to wear their shirts on a designated day during the Thanksgiving week and engage in a fitness activity together. Go on a run, a hike, or a bike and celebrate a "Fun Run" as a family at home.

Tuesday, November 24, 2020, 2:00 p.m.

For those in which family yoga might be your chosen activity, tune into an online yoga class hosted by the Parents Association President, Lynn Shepherd P'33, P'30, P'26.

Meeting ID: 819 5707 7267

Passcode: 125847

There will be prizes so be sure to share your family's fun photos with us on social media by using the hashtag #CSSvirtualFunRun and tagging the school in your pictures. In order to positively track class participation add your student's graduation year (ie. #cssclassof2032). In your post, be sure to boast details of your experience --- funniest picture, longest run, etc. Rally your classmates to win a class pizza or popsicle party for the class with the most participation.

Also, feel free to email these photos to Jessica L. James, Director of Communications and Advancement for posting and sharing.

Upper School students are learning new ways to stretch their voices for their upcoming production, Trap, a mystery-thriller radio play that focuses on sound.

“It’s different from anything I’ve ever done,” senior Whitney R. ‘21 said. “It’s different because so much of what I’ve learned is how we can use our body to fill up space. I like being able to learn how to change every single word to make it sound how I want it to sound. Is it supposed to be funny or serious or sad? You really have to focus. I’ve never worked this much with my voice.”

Jonathan Andujar, theatre teacher and play director, chose the radio play format as a way to adapt to COVID-19, allowing students to explore a creative outlet that they haven’t experienced before.

Click here to read the full feature story. The radio play will be released digitally in the coming weeks.

As stated recently in Tambi Tyler's Head of School letter, "Heading into the holiday season with a school is typically a time of anticipation and celebration. Again, typically...carols would fill the hallways as students rush to class after choir practice, trays of baked goods and warm drinks would be shared in the teacher lounges, and a leveling up type of confidence would emerge as students drew closer to final project deadlines and exams. Instead, we are missing these traditions -- much more than we would like to admit. COVID-19 has interrupted more than our song, in many cases, it has challenged our spirit and overwhelmed our physical, mental, financial, and spiritual resources."

With this sentiment in mind, we have set out to create a few socially-distanced events to connect with students and families and rekindle a glimmer of winter magic and spark some holiday cheer. An email went out this afternoon highlighting several Winter Magic Events:

Winter Magic at CSS

Friday, December 4, 2020

6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Campus Carline Parade Route

Winter Arts Celebration Rev Up

Saturday, December 12, 2020

10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Campus Carline Parade Route

{Virtual} Winter Arts Celebration

Saturday, December 12, 2020

6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Safely at Home in Your Living Room

Get your favorite Kodiak gear! Adidas sweatshirts, jackets, pants, hats, backpacks, and more. These items make perfect holiday gifts for moms, dads, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, teachers, and coaches!

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.

In celebration of Thanksgiving, we have curated an extra special edition Kodiak Harvest Bag to highlight the beautiful bounty our Colorado Farms have lovingly worked hard to produce. This bag exemplifies the true simplicity of what many of us appreciate as people. The connection to land, food, family and friends. We hope that you enjoy this harvest bag and reflect upon all the beauty nature brings us, and how it continues to keep things steady despite the bigger changes around us. We wish you and your families a happy, healthy Thanksgiving and thank you for being a wonderful part of our community!

Pre-order your bag today for $40. Harvest Bags will be available for pick-up in front of the Trianon at CSS between the hours of 11:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. on Friday, November 20. A pick-up reminder will be emailed Friday morning with a number you can text when you arrive in front of the Trianon. Your Special Edition Kodiak Harvest Bag will be hand-delivered to your car.

Thank you for supporting Colorado Farms and family-run businesses.

The Parents Association Board will hold virtual meetings for the foreseeable future on the first Thursday of each month. Anyone is welcomed to join.

Next Meeting: Thursday, December 3, 2020, 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Where: Google Meet. Let's get together for a holiday happy hour!

Join by phone: 540-680-4396 (PIN: 349712789)

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.

Animal testing, GMOs in food, police brutality, fracking, weight loss in connection with mental health, late-term abortions, aggressive dogs, and vaccines. These are some of the controversial topics 8th grade students recently chose to research in Mrs. Anne Hatch's English class. Students then wrote letters to people in our community or world who can make a change.

"Teaching research can be a hard sell, especially in Middle School, but when you can connect the skills to a topic of personal interest and provide students with a venue to feel heard and valued, it substantially increases the buy-in and interest level of students," Mrs. Hatch said.

Emily S. '25 researched plastic in the oceans. "I think people need to be aware of how much plastic actually goes into the ocean, killing so much sea life, and what they can do to prevent it," she said. "I'm writing to the CEO of Coca-Cola because they produce 6 million metric tons of plastic every year just making their soda." View more photos here.

Dr. Mark Finchum, a retired social studies teacher and leading Native American educator, recently joined Upper School AP History with an incredible presentation about the history of the Cherokee people, with a focus on the tragic "Trail of Tears." Students were highly engaged and asked many thoughtful questions.

"I really loved the talk," Chloe L. '22 said. "I think it's amazing to get the Cherokee side of things and how it changed their lives. He was extremely helpful and answered all of our questions."

"Dr. Finchum provided a perspective from the culture of the Cherokee that we don't normally get to see," Finnegan T. '22 said. "He provided a truly in-depth look at how Cherokee society functioned, and showed many parts of it that I did not know existed, like the structured government."

Dr. Finchum is a retired social studies teacher in East Tennessee, having taught US History, Tennessee History, World History, and AP Human Geography. He currently serves as the Executive Director of the Tennessee Council for Social Studies and as Chair of the Indigenous Education Community for the National Council for Social Studies. #inspiredlearning #masterfulteaching #aphistory

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 Major Dates calendar. We will continue to update 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.

As a result of COVID-19, CSS applied for and was subsequently funded with a Payroll Protection Plan (PPP) loan through the CARES Act. We're proud to put these dollars to work for our school. As a result of this loan/grant, CSS is a Federal Funds Recipient for the next several weeks. Members of the CSS administration have participated in several training sessions on Title IX (and Section 504, Title VI, and the Age Discrimination Act among other pieces of relevant Federal legislation), which apply to us as temporary federal funds recipients. Read the full notice here.