Conversations from the Quad |
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Standing by the Colorado Springs Community
We were devastated to hear of the horrific mass shooting at Club Q on November 20, 2022. Thank you to our alumni for reaching out and voicing their concerns for any members of The Colorado Springs School community who may have been impacted by both this shooting and the aftermath of this senseless act. A large part of The Colorado Springs School mission – to prepare students for a dynamic world – includes lessons on accepting everyone for who they are. We stand by the Club Q victims, their friends, and their families during this difficult time, and condemn this heinous act of hate. The actions of the gunman speak to just how important the work we do with children and families around understanding and respecting others can be.
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Register for Our First Virtual Alumni Book Club of the Year on Thursday, January 26, 2023
Past parents, current and former faculty, and alumni from the Classes of 1998 and later have registered thus far for part one of The Colorado Springs School’s 2022-2023 Virtual Alumni Book Club series.
There’s still time to register to attend our January 26th discussion on Ray Bradbury’s internationally acclaimed novel “Fahrenheit 451” beginning at 6:30 p.m. MST. RSVP to receive the virtual link to this book club session led by Upper School English Teacher Amy Miller (Johnson Smith).
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Founders’ Day provides an opportunity to reflect on and connect with individuals who have been shaped by or who have shaped the school's history. At the Founders' Day assembly, the CSS community – ranging from former to current students – gathers to honor faculty and alumni nominees, recognize challenges, pursuits, and struggles, and celebrate friendships, mentors, and colleagues. View the Founders' Day archive here.
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INTRODUCING THE CSS MENTORSHIP PROGRAM |
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Are you interested in learning new things, building your professional network and growing your career? As noted in the embedded article by Indeed, mentorship can provide countless benefits for both the mentor and the mentee. Here at The Colorado Springs School, we believe in the power of community and invite alumni of all age levels to serve as mentors or mentees. If interested in participating, please complete the following survey by no later than February 5, 2023. Mentors and mentees will be paired based on the responses we receive.
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Reading & Writing Come Full Circle for Class of '83 Alumna
In 5th grade, Deborah Yaffe ’83 sat cross-legged on the playground, absorbed in pages while other children played. With her teacher insistently reminding her that recess was meant for physical activity, she resorted to sneaking books outside beneath her coat. Today, Yaffe is an award-winning author and freelance writer living in New Jersey with an extensive journalism background in government, politics, education, and law. She credits the “intensive writing instruction” she received at The Colorado Springs School (CSS) for helping her hone those skills.
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Grit & Perseverance Guide Class of 2015 Alumnus Through Global Pandemic
Carl Churchill ’15 earned a master’s degree just four years after graduating from The Colorado Springs School. This is the story behind his fast track to higher education success and the pandemic that made him question everything. “Life takes unexpected turns, and you have to find meaning internally beyond simply the drive to check items off a list,” he said.
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Ginny (Sunny) Ashton Bostrom '72
Ginny stopped by The Colorado Springs School during a recent road trip to Colorado from Salt Lake City, Utah, with a longtime friend. Ginny, a realtor with The Group Real Estate, LLC, took some time to tour the CSS campus with Director of Strategic Marketing & Communications Megan Winnicker. During the tour, Ginny (pictured below) reminisced about the beauty of the Trianon Library, Glee Club performances in Lewis B. Maytag Dining Hall, and living in Donner House when she attended CSS.
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Carolyn Whyley
Anderson ’07
Following her graduation from Moravian College in 2011, Carolyn (seen below) worked for five years at Custom Ink, where she also met her husband of four years. Today, she provides marketing and graphic design services for a biotechnology firm located outside of Charlottesville, Va. Her everyday responsibilities include creating ads for industry publications and managing the company’s involvement in trade shows as well as national and international events. “Mr. Adam helped me to follow my passions and truly believed in me,” Carolyn told CSS. “I would not be in my career field without the help of Mr. Adam and Mr. Wolfe. They helped bring out my artistic desire and helped me understand the beginnings of what I wanted to pursue – even if I wasn’t nearly as strong in my artistic skill then as I am now.”
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Robert Lococo ’08
Both Robert and former Lower School Art Teacher Diane Farrell returned to the CSS campus this November as part of cross-divisional figure drawing classes held in the Louisa Performing Arts Center (LPAC), which was transformed into an art studio as seen here. Met by models from Ormao Dance Company – an innovative, inclusive, and non-competitive home for dance and the arts downtown – Robert and Ms. Farrell demonstrated approaches to real-life sketching while sharing pointers with students.
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Joseph Lococo ’18
While working on a Service Days project with Middle School students at Garden of the Gods, Ms. Beardsley ran into Joseph, who is currently doing work for the Rocky Mountain Field Institute and hopes to pursue a career in search and rescue.
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Sam Johnson ’20
A CSS Lifer, Sam returned to his favorite place on campus last month – the band room – to assist longstanding Band Teacher Mr. Mo leading up to the winter concert season. Prior to graduating from CSS and attending Lawrence University, Sam told the Office of Communications, “I've always been excited to go to the band room for class, and I will miss it a ton when I leave.”
Sam is majoring in Music Education. When not preparing for his recital and working with various chamber groups, Sam can be found playing trombone for the Lawrence University Wind Ensemble. This school year, he is also serving as assistant conductor of the Lawrence University Symphonic Band. “Basically just doing a whole lot of music all the time,” he says.
Sam plans to become a high school band teacher, but he wouldn't be surprised if he ends up in a position similar to Mr. Mo's, teaching students in elementary, middle, and high school. Ultimately, he hopes to be an orchestra director for a university.
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Paul Young
This fall, we caught up with former CSS math teacher Dr. Young, who commented on life in retirement.
“Retirement is still a bit strange even after a couple of years, but I have found some really enjoyable things that help keep my brain and body busy. I’m part of a book group with two other ex-CSS faculty — Craig Heitman and Sam Johnson. A few of our favorite/memorable books have been Undaunted Courage (Ambrose), The Code Breaker (Isaacson), Benjamin Franklin (Isaacson), Caste (Wilkerson), and The Invention of Nature (Wulf).
I’ve also managed to photograph three moths in northern Wisconsin that Mr. Johnson has never seen — the Silver-spotted Ghost Moth, Canadian Sphinx and Black-tailed Diver. He has proven to be very difficult to stump, but it has become one of my missions to find that rare moth that causes him pause.
Greg Johnson and I have hit the mountain bike trails a few times this summer — so fun. This past year, I have spent a substantial amount of time on DIY projects (building a shed, garden, and timber steps) and am also working on renovating a house in Madison, Wis. that will be a rental property. I am surprised by how much I enjoy toiling in my shop with some lumber but am even more surprised that I finally learned to cook. We recently returned from Bonaire, where my wife Gail earned her SCUBA diving certification. Hopefully, SCUBA diving will be another fun retirement activity when she joins me in retirement.
Yes, I miss teaching and the great students at CSS. Retirement is enjoyable but different. On another note, for those who know my son Alec ’18, he just took a job in Indianapolis at a financial firm after graduating from Purdue. I think CSS played a large role in preparing him to be successful in both college and life.”
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Something to Share?
We'd love to hear from you! Send your information and photos highlighting alumni accomplishments, professional accolades, life celebrations, and community achievements.
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From the Advancement Office |
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High School Transcript Requests Made Easy Online at CSS.org
Official transcript requests are funneled through the CSS Office of the Registrar and can be submitted online at www.css.org/community/alumni/transcript-request. This link can also be accessed via the QuickLinks dropdown menu located at the top of every webpage. Please allow five business days for processing and contact communications@css.org with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your request. We look forward to assisting you.
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Three Ways to Show Your Philanthropic Support for The Colorado Springs School
Have you made your donation yet to The Colorado Springs School’s 2022-2023 Annual Fund campaign? If not, it’s never too late to show what CSS means to you by donating online at www.css.org/give or texting “CSSAnnualFund23” to 76278.
Did you know there are other ways to give as well that require no effort at all? If you shop online at Amazon or buy your groceries from King Soopers or City Market, both will donate a portion of all your purchases to The Colorado Springs School at no cost to you. Follow the simple steps listed to register for free with AmazonSmile and the King Soopers Community Rewards program today.
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The Colorado Springs School
21 Broadmoor Ave. Colorado Springs, CO 80906
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