Please anticipate delays in carline as we adjust to COVID-19 check-ins.

When going through carline, please attach your child's name card to the passenger sun visor to help us streamline the check-in process. As the weather changes and we look to limit the amount of time outside, we will need to have full visibility. Placing the name card on the dashboard does not make the name card visible to volunteers.

We would like to inform the community of upcoming shifts in the calendar. All of these events are being assessed for risk and reimagined to align with COVID-19 friendly protocols.

Please continue to consult the All-School Google Calendar for shifts in the calendar. Subscribe to the calendar here (scroll to the bottom of the page).

Wednesday, September 23, 7:30 a.m. - PreACT begins at 7:30 a.m.; Upper School will NOT have a late start due to this testing.

Friday, September 25, 3:15 p.m. dismissal - Unfortunately, the All-School Carnival is canceled this year. We believe hosting this Carnival would unduly risk large groups of parent volunteers, faculty/staff, and students across grade levels and cohorts, thereby jeopardizing our goal of in-person learning. Additionally, there will NOT be a Founders' Day Hall of Fame assembly or Alumni Reunion festivities throughout the weekend. In order to prioritize in-person instructional time, we will NOT have a noon dismissal on this day in favor of a full instructional day with a 3:15 p.m. dismissal. The Parents Association is looking to send a little Carnival flare home in the near future to mark this long-standing tradition.

Saturday, September 26, 7:00 - 10:00 p.m., Quad

Upper School Homecoming Dance with COVID-19 safety guidance.

Wednesday, September 30, 6:30 p.m. - Head of School Tambi Tyler will host the State of the School presentation virtually. Stay tuned for details.

Friday, October 2, 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. (time change to accommodate daylight hours) - The annual Revue will be a COVID-19 friendly outdoor showcase featuring student performances from 4th - 12th grade students. The Trianon Terrace will serve as the stage and seating will be defined as pods on the quad. More details on COVID-19 protocols and procedures to follow. CSS will not host the Bonfire following this event due to burn ban fire restrictions.

Wednesday, October 14, 7:30 a.m. - PreSAT begins at 7:30 a.m.; Upper School will NOT have a late start due to this testing. Daily Health Screenings and temps will still be taken.

The Colorado Springs observed a moment of silence on Friday to mark the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the United States. Nearly 3,000 lives were lost when hijackers used four commercial airplanes and crashed them into the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington DC, and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Thousands more were injured.

At 10:00 a.m. on Sept. 11, students and faculty in the Children's Academic Center, Middle School, and Upper School observed a moment of silence to commemorate this historic event. Below is an excerpt of what Head of School Tambi Tyler shared over the PA system before the moment of silence.

"We come together in respect and honor for each individual who has been affected by the terrorist attacks of 9/11. This tragic event forever changed our country and the lives of men and women and children. Today we stand with them. We cherish them. We give honor and homage to them. As a community, we will show our love and respect with one full minute of silence. This minute is to provide a symbol of solidarity and connection," Ms. Tyler said.

"We as a community of learners must pay attention to our past and hope to shape our future for the better. We don’t want to forget each other and our essentialness. Our significance or our importance. Today is an important day in our country's history and we want to remember it. The smallest act of kindness is a way to honor this day and a way to claim the spirit of unity. Find the space and time today to be nice and kind to someone. Make room in your mind and your heart to help and understand each other. This is what the heroic men and women tried to do on this tragic day in history."

Dr. Melissa Hocate, Health Coordinator for CSS, spoke to Middle School students about health and safety guidelines to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

She demonstrated how to properly put on and remove a mask and showed examples of which masks are best to wear - no masks with vents and no gaitors or bandanas. She also touched on the importance of social distancing, washing hands often, and staying home when feeling sick.

"We're in a battle with a virus that is pretty bad," she said. "We can make rules to help keep you safe, but you're the warriors and you have to fight this battle with us."

Dr. Hocate also spoke with Upper School this week. Her position was created to better prepare us for the health divide after quarantine and to ensure we have someone who can provide the school with an on-going, relevant health curriculum and support.

In partnership with Colorado farmers and continued interest in connecting our kids and families to initiatives "beyond our walls," we are piloting the Kodiak Harvest Bag. For a one-time purchase of $30, you will receive an assortment of Colorado produce on Friday, September 18. Pickup of your Harvest Bag will take place following carline between 3:15 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Drive to the lower level of Louisa Performing Arts Center in between the Middle and Upper School carline.

There are only 30 harvest bags available! Use the purchase link below to secure your harvest bag on a first come, first serve basis or while supplies last.

Your bag may include items such as apples, carrots, corn, eggplant, cucumbers, squash, plums, tomatoes, and potatoes. Produce will vary based on growing conditions, weather patterns, and generally what's ripe and ready for harvest! These items will be sourced by Hunt or Gather, a wholesaler for local farmers. This week showcases produce from Austin Family Farms on the Western slope of Colorado, New Roots Farm in Canon City, and Frost Livestock Co in Fountain.

If the concept catches on with this pilot, we may be able to expand Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) offerings in the future and possibly include produce from our own CSS garden and support further sustainability initiatives on campus.

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

PAYMENT NOTE: The harvest bag purchase is being run-through the auction website. If you have a previous Givesmart profile you don't need to set up a new login. Please make sure you have an active credit card on file.

Retake day for Lifetouch pictures is scheduled for October 21, 2020.

Enter Picture Day ID: EVTJDX2BC

In a time of a global pandemic, not only are we thrilled to welcome students back on campus, but Chef Lori Burgess is enthusiastic about continuing lunch service. We are asking families to pre-order lunch online through Family Portal to help us determine how much food to order and prepare.

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, October 1, the order must be placed by 10 p.m. Wednesday, September 23. Please note that due to supply, there may be times menu items are substituted.

Ordering for the week of September 21 is closed. The menu for the week of September 28 is scheduled to post by Friday afternoon.

Lunch must be ordered through a parent's login to the Family Portal, not a student's account. This limitation is tied to billing.

Your child’s lunch account must have funds in it to buy lunch. Here are several ways to add funds:

Check the balance of your child's lunch account through Family Portal by clicking "Family." Refer to Family Billing, where the lunch balance is listed. A negative balance indicates a credit, while a positive balance indicates amount owed.

The Regional Boys' Tennis tournament is underway! #1 Singles, Mark M. '23 and #2 Singles, Tristan T. '23 will advance to semi-final matches after wins this morning. Stay tuned for updates at csskodiaks.com. Even with a compressed season, these boys showed up ready to put it all out on the court. Go Kodiaks!

The CSS middle school boys and girls cross country runners ran two races this past weekend with a “B” meet on Friday at Monument Valley Park and an “A” meet at Vanguard on Saturday morning. Regardless of results, a common observation was how much joy the team was experiencing. Maybe it’s because of the lack of available sports in today’s Covid-world, or possibly it’s due to the natural hype and invigoration of racing. Whatever the cause, one observation is clear–kids need to move and they love it! Read the full story here.

Tune into csskodiaks.com for the list of upcoming schedules.

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.

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 virtual meetings for the foreseeable future on the first Thursday of each month. Anyone is welcomed to join.

Next Meeting: 11:30 a.m. Thursday, October 1, 2020

Where: Google Hangout, Let's chat during lunch!

Join by phone: +1 540-680-4396 (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.

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.

Stomping in the creek and exploring the banks of the school pond are always on the Fall Adventure bucket list. ✓Rain boots ✓Nets ✓Muddy clothes ✓Nature ✓Science themes ✓Discovery ✓Curiosity

✓Exploration View more photos and a video here.

A special thanks to Catamount Institute for coming to campus to help bolster meaningful connections to the outdoors as our Kindergarten - 3rd Grade students were immersed in on-campus adventures and synthesized themes related to ecosystems, ecology, habitat, birding and geology.

A mix of activity-based experiments, thoughtful inquiry, and problem-based challenges coupled with in-classroom content, inspired literature, math skills, and producing oral and written reflections supports immersive learning and personal growth.

From NHS Historian Owen W. '21: This last Tuesday, NHS was back for their first in-person meeting of the year. Members congregated distantly outside of the field house with discussions about club dues and planning. After eating, members filled out a “Tree of Gratitude” in anticipation of the upcoming holiday season, stating various things which they are grateful for. This tree now hangs outside of Ms. Miller's room in El Pomar. Members also filled out sheets for each other with personalized and positive messages to start out the year. Next meeting, the Junior inductees will join NHS.

Middle School students headed outside to paint en plein air, a French expression meaning "in the open air." The technique dates back to the 1800s and refers to the act of painting outdoors with the artist’s subject in full view. Students are learning about the properties of watercolor painting, and en plein air gives them the opportunity to practice observational painting and drawing techniques. View more photos here.

Senior Sunrise ✅ This is the first time a class has watched the sunrise from the rooftop of the Trianon! Hot chocolate and the sky-what a beautiful and tasty way to start off the year!

#diaryofaCSSsenior View more photos here.

We will continue to capture the essence of our learners throughout the school year. At times students may be masked and at other times with social distancing in place, you may witness their truest smiles without masks. Images from our archives will be supplemented. Please

don’t use photos as a baseline for our safety standards as we will curate the joy of learning and celebrate students.

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.