We have been celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. all week in our school community. On Monday, January 18, we will observe Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. It is a day to celebrate his life, his legacy, and his struggle. It is essential that we use this time to reflect on his memory and how, through his life, we have all come to know many privileges and advantages. The heart of Dr. King was to serve humankind. Nobel Peace Prize-winning South African theologian Desmond Tutu said, “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was able to provide light at a dark time, and we hope to honor the MLK holiday and celebrate his life with our community through the theme "Service to mankind."

10:30 a.m. - Children’s School Assembly (CSS families may tune in through a Facebook Livestream)

1:50 p.m. - Middle & Upper School Virtual Assembly for students

We will honor the life and service that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. provided this country with a birthday celebration. The birthday party will have candles and showcase a craft created by Children’s School students. We will ask students, “What does service mean to you? How can you be of service to others?” as the primary way to share the theme. The Middle and Upper School assembly will feature student speakers articulating their experiences through service. We will share highlights and photos on social media from these assemblies.

While Monday is observed as a day off of school, we want to model for students ways to give back to the community and use Dr. King’s life as an inspiration to contribute to others. We invite families to commit to completing an act of service on this day or in the near future. Wear a CSS shirt, mask, or other Kodiak gear and take a picture of you actively serving mankind. Please share your photos with us by emailing them to awolfe@css.org. COVID-Friendly Community Service Projects (PDF)

We have a special guest on MLK Day. Please join us as we celebrate Lt. Col. James Harvey III, the last remaining Colorado Tuskegee Airman. He will be a guest speaker for the CSS community on Monday at noon.

Invite your family and friends to hear this 97-year-old leader and pillar of the Colorado community. We will also have a special song shared to commemorate what it means to be a strong community of service.

Lt. Col. Harvey has received numerous decorations and awards, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 10 Oak Leaf Clusters, Distinguished Unit Citation with 10 Oak Leaf Clusters, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, Air Force Reserve Medal, and the "Tuskegee Airmen" received the "Congressional Gold Medal."

First graders discuss kindness and fairness as their teacher Caren Goldberg pauses during reading "Each Kindness," an award-winning book that highlights how each kindness makes the world a little better with a ripple effect.

"If somebody does something kind for you, do you think you'd feel good? Do you think you'd be more likely to do something kind for someone else?" Ms. Goldberg asked students.

"Yes," they said in unison.

"That's what they mean by that ripple," Ms. Goldberg said.

"Each Kindness," written by Jacqueline Woodson, is a winner of the Coretta Scott King Honor and the Jane Addams Peace Award. A new girl comes to school and tries to make friends. When Chloe, the narrator, is unkind, the girl keeps trying. And then the girl is gone, and Chloe is left only with the memory of her unkindness.

In the author's own words, she wrote the book because, "At some point in our lives, we are all unkind. At some point, we are all treated unkindly. I wanted to understand this more. I think too often we believe we’ll have a second chance at kindness – and sometimes we don’t. I do believe, as Chloe’s teacher, Ms. Albert, says, that everything we do goes out, like a ripple into the world. I wrote this because I believe in kindness."

To celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., prekindergarten through 5th grade classrooms received a new collection of library books showcasing the contributions of persons of color around the world who used their life as an example of service or who contributed to minority leadership. A few of the other selected books are shown in photos. Teachers are reading a book to their students each day this week.

In Middle & Upper School, conversations connected to MLK's legacy are being woven into curriculum and advisory periods.

In partnership with the Parents Association, CSS families are invited to donate gently-used shoes. The shoe drive collection bins will be available from January 19 - February 10, 2021, throughout campus. Please tie shoelaces or bundle with a rubber band to help keep shoes paired together.

Ultimately the shoes will be donated to serve the mission of a local charity. First, our community will engage in the simple act of collecting shoes. We will then display the shoes in an art installation to deepen educational conversations about historical boycotts and segregation during Black History Month.

For more information on the shoe drive or to assist, please contact Brooke Rawls P’30, P’32, at bkrawls11@gmail.com or (317) 902-8157.

Our goal is to ensure that the excellent education The Colorado Springs School provides is an affordable option for highly-motivated students and families that want to be at CSS.

Indexed Tuition applications must be submitted yearly and are due no later than February 1, 2021. Applications received after that date will be considered only after on-time applications have been reviewed and decisions will be made based on available funding.

Lunch orders may be placed now for the week of January 25-29.

Orders must be made by 10 p.m. Wednesday, January 20, to allow ingredients to be ordered ahead of time for the week of January 25-29.

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.

Google Meet: Click here to join

Join Gala & Auction Co-Chairs Brooke Rawls P '30, P '32, and Nancy May P'23 as volunteers come together to plan the 2021 Gala & Auction, which will be held April 17. It will be a swingin' good time whether it's a 1940's victory party with song and dance in the historic Knights of Columbus Hall or a virtual event. Time will tell, but the planning starts now!

Find a place to put your talents on the Gala & Auction Committee, whether as an auction solicitor, class creation coordinator, sponsorship guru, decor and design leader, or in other areas. The committee welcomes anyone who would like to help with soliciting auction items or individuals who would like to donate their own baskets for auction.Connect with parents and grandparents across grade levels to plan our largest fundraising event of the year. Committee meetings are planned for 11:00 a.m. on the second Tuesday of each month.

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.

For more information on how you can help 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.

Receive a gift this holiday that just isn't for you? Consider regifting for the Gala & Auction as a way to benefit CSS. All donations are eligible for an in-kind tax receipt based on the value of the item. We welcome new toys, housewares, sporting goods, games, gift cards, and more.

Items may be delivered to the Advancement Office or left at the front office of the Trianon. Be sure to include your name and phone number.

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, February 4, 2021, 11:30 a.m.

Where: Google Meet.

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.

Senior Alair F. '21, first student shown on the left, was recently featured in Phosphore, a French magazine for youth. The article highlights Model United Nations and Alair in her council last year when members of the CSS Model UN attended the 2020 FerMUN Conference in Geneva, Switzerland. Click here to view the article, which is written in French.

Students formed working relationships during FerMUN with students from Turkey, Italy, New Zealand, Rwanda, Morocco, Emirates, El Salvador, the U.K. and Pakistan, among others. Unique from other high school conferences, FerMUN is a multilingual conference, encouraging students to exchange ideas in English, French, and Spanish with the assistance of real-time interpreters and translators. Congratulations, Alair!

From prekindergarten today: In the book, Mouse Paint, the mice step in primary colors and discover new colors. We had to try it too! There was a lot of predicting and describing the “cold, squishy, gooey, yucky” paint. But most importantly, we tried something new and loved it!

Members of the CSS Model United Nations team participated virtually in FerMUN, the Geneva Model United Nations Conference, last week. Many of them received special recognition for their hard work and willingness to deliver some of their speeches in French.

Kodiaks were divided into different councils: the World Health Organization (WHO), International Labor Organization (ILO), and the Security Council (SC). In each council, Kodiaks are with approximately 16-24 students from more than 44 countries around the world. They are debating and practicing diplomacy as they attempt to build consensus and propose plans to solve real-world problems. Each council will tackle two different topics; the WHO, for example, will look at how to prepare for and manage future pandemics and how to combat misinformation in times of health crisis. Some of the councils are English only, but most of our students are participating in the English/French bilingual councils, where students can choose to use either language.

Kudos to Aadi N. '21, Dane C. '21, Chloe L. '22, Alair F. '21, Asher D. '21, Aiden D. '21, Orlando M. '21, Owen W. '21, and Owen G. '21. Aadi N. received significant recognition for his incredible skills in diplomacy, and the fact that he gave the majority of his speeches in French.

"I've rarely heard a group of French and Francophone teachers rave so strongly about the French language skills of Americans as I did today during our closing leadership meeting," CSS Model UN Sponsor David Benson said. "My understanding is that there were no formal awards given this year, but instead there were special commendations and recognitions. Congratulations to our students and to our amazing CSS French program -- merci, Madame Amanda Krone!"

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.