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 11:59 p.m. today, May 13:

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!

Colorado Expedition in the Children's School kicked off last week and continues through next week. Third graders left this morning on their adventure and students lined the drive to send them off with excitement. Colorado Expeditions allow students to immerse hands-on into themes from class, learning history, literature, science, and other essentials. Even prekindergarten is joining in this year for the first time!

On Friday, Middle School students begin Seminar III, which offer in-depth study and give students opportunities to practice leadership, self-reflection, critical thinking, research, and other academic skills. These skills are certainly an integral part of the classroom setting; seminars further stretch these abilities. They also challenge students to grow and encourage them to find a passion.

Eighth graders head out for Walkabout on Friday. They go river rafting and explore the Utah Canyonlands as they learn about themselves, others, and important life-long lessons in this coming of age experience named after the Australian aboriginal tradition.

Trianon Terrace/Quad 

6:30 p.m., Senior Tributes and Senior Capstone Shareout for Class of 2021

The yearbook is available for purchase!

Availability is LIMITED and is first-come, first-serve. If orders exceed the initial printing quantity, the yearbook team cannot guarantee that late-placed orders will be satisfied by Thursday, May 27 (Commencement and the last day of the 2020-2021 school year).

The price of a yearbook will increase to $77 if ordered after May 21. Late orders may be charged an additional fee for shipping.

Alumnus Luke Taylor '20 returned to campus today as part of a PBS documentary he will be featured in about children who lost family members in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The 20th anniversary is this year. A two-man film crew accompanied Luke to campus for footage of him reflecting on his time at The Colorado Springs School, which he attended since kindergarten. "I think I spent more time here than any other place," said Luke, who just wrapped up his freshman year at Texas Christian University. The PBS documentary is scheduled to air in August. We will share more details as they become available.

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.

The CSS girls’ tennis team kicked off the brief season at the Mesa Ridge JV Doubles Tournament. Audrey B. ’22 and Ella B. ’22 teamed up for #1 doubles and won the tournament with a 10-2 final pro-set score, mostly dominating the match at the net. Freshmen Jaiden S. '24 and Adhista E. '24 joined forces at the #4 doubles spot and finished third overall winning the semi-final match 10-9.

Lydia M. ’21 and Francesca P. ’23 made it to the finals at the #2 doubles spot but had to forfeit due to a conflict with an AP pretest.

“Overall, this was a great way to start the season with so many inexperienced players, some playing tennis for the first time ever,” Coach Colleen Patton-Campbell said. “Playing offered the girls a chance to practice scoring, self-officiating, and other aspects of tennis etiquette. We are already preparing for next season and having fun in the process.”

View the upcoming athletics schedule at www.csskodiaks.com.

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.

Eighth graders shared their writing during Authors' Afternoon on Wednesday in front of classmates. Students shared fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Titles included "Life Lessons Start Before Dawn" (personal memoir), "The Croaking Crow" (fantasy), "Unfreezing Dreams" (journal), "The Bear's Return" (short story), and "Salt Drenched" (poetry).

English Teacher Anne Hatch said the goal of the project is to give voice and agency to young adults. For efficiency, readings were limited to roughly three minutes, so in some cases, students read only excerpts of their full pieces.

"By encouraging students to write intentionally and revise extensively for a real-world audience — their peers, their faculty, their loved ones, and their community — Authors' Afternoon exemplifies true authentic writing and experiential learning," Mrs. Hatch said. "To reach today's milestone, students reviewed their writing throughout MIddle School. They selected a meaningful piece, wrote numerous drafts, and then received and offered feedback through the revision process."

Video recordings of each student were shared with 8th grade families. Well written, Kodiaks! #write #authorsafternoon #8thgradeenglish

Fifth graders attended a meet-and-greet with Middle School teachers today and toured the Trianon, where many of their classes will be held next year as 6th graders.

"The transition to Middle School is a big deal," said Ron Hamilton, incoming Middle School Director. "You may be nervous or you may not be nervous. It's going to be very exciting for all of us to work with you and to help you. Some days it will be hard, and some days it will be easy. And hopefully, we will have a lot of fun as we learn and as we grow."

Teachers introduced themselves and talked about what students will study. When Math Teacher Thalley Lindeman passed out examples of math journals they will create, 5th graders immediately started thumbing through the pages.

"We learn how to take notes, and how to use your notes for studying," she said. "In the back is an index of all of the things you'll learn all year. It's like you make your own math book."

Students toured all three levels of the Trianon to see their future classrooms, asking questions along the way. A few students sat at the desks.

"Is it OK if we're late to class because we don't know where we're going?" Lexi G. '28 asked.

"Yes, at the beginning of school, we will be in the hallways helping you so you know where to go," History Teacher Amos White said.

Maxwell U. '28 asked if students are able to spearhead an after-school club. Mr. Hamilton said students may draft a written proposal that is reviewed to determine if resources are available. He encouraged students to think beyond their comfort zone.

"Middle School is a time of change. It's a time of transition," Mr. Hamilton said. "You go from being a child to being very close to a young adult, and that's good. That's what is supposed to happen. It's a confusing time. It's an exciting time. We take risks. We discover things. We figure out a little bit about who we are and who we want to be as we grow up."

As their final project, 6th grade French students wrote and illustrated an original children's book. They spent the last few weeks writing, revising, and drawing.

Some themes students wrote about include: c'est important d'être ouvert — it's important to be open (to new things); respecter l'espace des autres — respect the space of others; l'amitié est important — friendship is important; n'ayez pas peur — don't be afraid; l'espoir est important — hope is important; and c'est important de partager — it's important to share.

Students practiced during class and at home to prepare to read their book to their peers. Some of these students participated in this activity as 2nd graders, when they served as audience members!

"I see something! It's a duck!" prekindergarten student Oliver M. '34 yelled with excitement.

Prekindergarten students visited the campus pond for the first time to further explore life at the pond, which they have been learning about in the classroom. They observed animals, then sketched what they saw. "I drew a dandelion," Lauren F. '34 said.

Time at the pond helped prepare students for the first prekindergarten Colorado Expedition, which will take place next week, by getting them familiar with exploring campus. Our youngest Kodiaks will enjoy a treasure hunt on campus and visit different guests such as Fred the bearded dragon. Catamount Institute will also lead them in educational lessons. View more photos here.

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.