Progress on the pergolas! Many volunteers helped build pergolas this past weekend. It truly takes a village to reimagine the opening of a school year during a global pandemic. B. Kirkland Trucking and Krueger Brothers Construction (both family-owned businesses) came together with parent and student volunteers to design, source supplies, and construct outdoor classrooms for the coming year. Sail shades will be added to maximize the use of the structures! Volunteers all were encouraged to add their signature to the first post of the project to mark the importance of showing up for your community! View more photos here.

A safe return to campus is a shared goal that will certainly require extra effort on the part of everyone. As we have been readying campus for students, one major recommendation relates to the ingress and egress of students and our new "Carline for Everyone" plan. The beginning and end of our school days are often a highly social time, but this year will need to be much more systematic in order to verify Daily Health Screenings and temperature checks. We also need to thoughtfully avoid groups of non-cohorted students and families from congregating.

This new protocol will inevitably cause some delays in our typical drop-off and pick-up flow but with patience, a conscientious approach, and dedicated parent volunteers, we can achieve our plan. Please consider making the commitment to volunteer for carline.

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.

It's almost picture time! Individual and class pictures will be taken Wednesday, September 9, 2020, by Lifetouch, and these portraits will be used in the yearbook and for student achievements throughout the year.

Class pictures will be taken on the quad, and students will be masked for group photos. While these won't be our typical class photos that will still serve as a memory capturing this historic time and students who navigated this journey together. Individual pictures will be taken in the Claremont Room of the Trianon, and students may remove their masks for these photos.

Families will have the opportunity to customize packages with multiple portrait looks and place orders online. Several picture packages this year include a class picture. You may also purchase a class picture as an a la carte ordering option. Pre-orders may be placed but opportunities to place online orders following picture day also exist.

Online Orders may be placed now at www.mylifetouch.com

Picture Day ID: EVTJDX2BC

What is one thing you've learned from students? I love the honesty, openness, and curiosity of the young learner, and I learn from them every day how to be a better, more empathetic, and authentic human being.

What is one thing you enjoy about CSS? The community! My children have been in all divisions at the school, and I love how the interactions between age groups encourages a strong community. I also appreciate that the size of our school makes it so that every child is known on campus, even by folks who are not their current teachers. It creates a sense of safety as children move through the grades.

Read her full profile and other Faces of CSS here.

CHSAA recently announced an update on the status of athletics with the impact of COVID-19, along with the revised schedule for the upcoming school year. Currently, the schedule consists of 4 seasons, rather than the typical 3, with compressed seasons and new start times for various sports. The immediate impact on Kodiak Athletics this Fall will look as such:

Practice began Monday, August 10, at Memorial Park. If interested in participating, please contact Coach Marc Knutila at Marc@springstennis.com.

Practice began Wednesday, August 12. If interested in participating, please contact Coach Jolly Cunha at jcunha@css.org or Coach David Benson at dbenson@css.org.

Practice begins Monday, August 24, at CSS. If interested in participating, please contact Coach Eric Gaylord at egaylord@css.org.

Practice began Monday, August 24, at CSS. If interested in participating, please contact Coach Kristin Penn at kristinopenn@gmail.com or Coach Eric Gaylord at egaylord@css.org. Transportation to all cross country meets will be provided by the athlete's parents.

Practice began Monday, August 24, at CSS. If interested in participating, please contact Coach Tim Ferguson at tferguson@css.org.

Girls’ volleyball and boys’ soccer has been moved to the Spring with a March 1, 2021, start date. Basketball will be the next sport offered and will begin practicing on January 4, 2021.

Kodiak Athletics plans to accommodate the physical needs of our athletes by providing on-campus sports clubs. The clubs were announced this week for Middle School students, who have already signed up for chess, cross country, frisbee golf, girls' outdoor volleyball, or mountain biking. Stay tuned for details on club information for Upper School students. Questions? Please contact Athletic Director Vicki Vaughan at vvaughan@css.org.

Tune into CSSKodiaks.com, the hub of all things athletics!

The Kodiaks launched the season on Saturday, August 22, 2020, in Elizabeth, CO. Six Kodiaks competed, three of them racing in their first cross country race. The team was lead by senior captains Orlando M. '21 (9th place) and Heather H. '21 (33rd place) in a CHSAA-regulated pack of 50 runners for each race. The race director correctly described this race as “the toughest course your runners have ever run.” The entire team gave solid efforts on sandy and hilly terrain, despite warm and smoky race-day conditions. Veteran head coach Jolly Cunha said, “I’m especially proud of Andrew H. ’23 and Henry G. ’23, along with freshman Lucia S. '24 for their gutsy debut races. Returning senior Aaron Y. '21 also gave a solid effort and provided leadership for the new runners.”

The Kodiaks are glad to have this race under their belt, and they look forward to being fitter and faster when they toe the line September 3, 2020, on familiar territory at Monument Valley Park. Go Kodiaks!

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.

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

When: 8:30 a.m. Thursday, September 3, 2020

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

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.

The Parents Association is excited to launch Parent Mixers, grade-level events that are designed to give new and returning parents an opportunity to socialize at the beginning of the school year.

In previous years, a families have hosted mixers in person. This year, the Parents Association is seeking hosts to plan virtual mixers. Maybe it's a trivia night via Zoom, a scavenger hunt on Google Hangout, or perhaps a virtual mixology class. The host gets to decide!

Questions? Contact Parents Association President Lynn Shepherd at lynn@docshepherd.com or (623) 680-3442.

Kodiaks have been immersing themselves in their summer reading! These required readings reinforce language art skills, among other benefits, during the summer.

Here are a few book covers of what our students are reading, from Children's School to Upper School. Click here to view the full lists.

Do you know honey bees, along with other insects, birds and bats, pollinate an estimated one third of the food we consume each day? Honey bees also play a significant role in the pollination of other important crops such as cotton and flax. And there are also a number of valuable non-food products produced by the honey bee, such as beeswax used in cleaning and beauty products.

It's no wonder 6th grader Garrett H. ’27 is fascinated with these tiny, industrious creatures. This summer, after months of planning, never-ending chores, and countless neighborhood service endeavors, his long-term goal of becoming a backyard beekeeper was realized. A beekeeper is responsible for assessing the health of the hive, checking for mite infestations, monitoring and treating the hive when health problems arise, and maintaining detailed records of health, medication administration, and honey production. With patience and a steady hand, Garrett is committed to helping the bee population and looks forward to enjoying the fruits of his labor with sweet treats from his own backyard. Learn more about honey bees here.

What did you do this summer? Kodiaks may share their interesting activities by emailing awolfe@css.org.

This new heart rock garden on campus features painted rocks from our new families.

Caption this photo with an inspirational quote!

"The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members." – Coretta Scott King

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.