Until 2025, Jihi & Andy Bustamante homeschooled their children. It was a path that worked well for them, but as the kids grew, the family began to think about what more they might offer. They wanted to broaden their children's educational and social experiences, yet they weren't convinced a traditional school would be the right place for them to thrive. Finding the balance between something new and something that still felt personal was the challenge.

Then they found The Colorado Springs School. "The experiential education, small campus, and tight-knit community were exactly what we felt our family needed," Jihi says. For a family accustomed to learning that was individual and hands-on, CSS offered a way to widen their world without losing what mattered most. The small campus meant their children would be seen and known, and the experiential approach meant learning would still reach beyond desks and textbooks. Just as important, it offered the social experience the family had hoped their children would gain: a community of peers and adults to learn alongside.

The moment that confirmed their decision wasn't a single event but something Jihi sees again and again. "I am constantly blown away by how the staff and faculty interact with the children," she says. Teachers and staff know each child by name, and they treat students with the same regard they would an adult: with respect and care. For a parent who spent years guiding her children's education herself, that kind of attention means a great deal. Handing over part of that responsibility to others is not a small thing, and seeing her children treated with such regard is a daily reminder of why the family made the move.

That same intentionality, Jihi says, is what makes CSS feel like a community. "The parents, faculty and staff at CSS all intentionally choose to be there and it shows." In her experience, everyone is focused on the growth and health of the children, and people come together to do whatever is needed to give students the best learning experience possible. It's a shared purpose that makes the school feel less like an institution and more like a group of people working toward the same goal. Parents, teachers, and staff are not simply present; they have chosen to be, and that choice is felt.

As her children continue their time at CSS, Jihi's hopes for them are simple and lasting. She hopes they will take away a love of learning and an understanding of the importance of community. Those are lessons that, for the Bustamantes, go hand in hand: curiosity grows best when people feel they belong, and belonging is strengthened when people learn and grow together. For a family that began this journey at home, it is fitting that what they hope their children carry forward is both a passion for discovery and a sense of connection to others.

Asked if there was anything else she would add, Jihi spoke with the confidence of a family that did its homework. "We have looked worldwide and have yet to find a school like CSS," she says. "It really is a very special place." It is high praise from a parent who approached the decision carefully and with high standards for what her children needed.

For a family that spent years educating their children at home, choosing a school was never a small decision. In The Colorado Springs School, the Bustamantes found a community that met them where they were and gave them room to grow. Though they are still early in their CSS journey, they have already found what they were looking for: a place where their children are known, respected, and encouraged to love learning.

For Buddy and Jana Cheek, The Colorado Springs School began with a first day of Pre-K. Their granddaughter started in 2022, and soon after, their daughter joined the school community herself, taking a job as an administrative assistant to the Head of School, and continues to work at CSS today. In the years since, CSS has become a part of the whole family's life, and the Cheeks have had a front-row seat to what makes the school special.

One moment stands out as especially meaningful. When their granddaughter was in Pre-K, she was allowed to step away from instruction when she felt overwhelmed or overstimulated. She wasn't punished, and she wasn't made to feel that her need wasn't real. "This proved to be an extremely valuable skill for her to learn and she has continued to use it," they share. For a child so young, learning to recognize what she needs and to act on it is no small lesson, and it is one that has stayed with her.

What impressed the Cheeks most was the freedom she was given. Most children feel overwhelmed at some point during the school day, they note, but few are allowed to express that need. "CSS always puts the child first," they say. "That is huge."

The sense of community came into focus for them at the school carnival, which they attended with their granddaughters. They loved the atmosphere of the day, with so many parents enjoying the afternoon alongside their children. "Everyone was happy and helpful," they say, "and I loved being able to experience it." For grandparents, an event like the carnival is a chance to see school life up close, and the Cheeks left with a clear picture of a place where families feel welcome.

Looking ahead, the Cheeks hope CSS will continue to offer the experiential education opportunities they have read and heard so much about. They look forward to watching their granddaughters tackle new challenges, knowing they are surrounded by teachers who believe in them and who are always encouraging them to do their best. It is a hope shared by many grandparents: that the children they love will be challenged, and that they will never face those challenges alone.

Asked if there was anything else they would like to add, the Cheeks had a message for the school. "This school has been very good to both my granddaughters and my daughter. The support offered to my family has been nothing short of inspirational. This is the way all schools should operate." And then, simply: "You're doing everything right, CSS. Well done!"

When the Alvarado-Kelly family joined The Colorado Springs School in 2022, they were looking for a fresh start. Their son had a difficult year in Kindergarten, and the family was disappointed in what their local school had been able to offer him. They needed a place that would see their son for who he was and help him find his footing. What they found at CSS has become something much bigger than a school change.

It didn't take long for them to know they had made the right choice. "There have been many" moments that reminded them why they chose CSS, Bob says, and one of the first came just three days into the school year. Their son, then in 1st grade, asked if he could go to CSS for "all of the grades." For a child who had struggled the year before, and for parents who had worried about him, it was a remarkable thing to hear so soon.

Another moment came when he returned from COEX in 1st grade, full of pride. He had woken up early and helped all of his classmates pack their bags. After working hard all year to catch up academically, he finally had the chance to show off a strength that, as Bob puts it, would never have been seen in a traditional classroom setting. For his parents, it was a powerful reminder that a child's abilities reach far beyond what shows up on a worksheet, and that CSS is a place where those strengths get noticed and valued.

For Bob, what makes CSS feel like a community comes down to how well people know one another. "The teachers know every child's name and those of their parents," he says. That familiarity became something much deeper when Bob deployed. During that time, teachers checked in on the Kelly children and gave them the emotional support they needed on tough days. For a parent serving away from home, knowing his kids had trusted adults looking out for them meant a great deal. "It means a lot to know the teachers and staff know and care about each student so much," Bob shares. School has become a "safe place" for his kids emotionally, and the CSS community is a source of strength for them when they face adversity.

As the Alvarado-Kelly family looks ahead, Bob's hopes for his children are rooted in what they have already experienced here. He hopes they will remember the love and support they received, the friends they made along the way, and the lesson that there is so much more to life than what you learn in a classroom. It is a hope that reflects the journey of a family that arrived looking for something better for their son and found it in a place that values the whole child.

Asked if there was anything else he would add, Bob didn't hesitate. "CSS isn't just a school, but it is truly a community that cares for and supports its members," he says. "We couldn't imagine sending our kids anywhere else." He adds that the family jokes all the time about tuition being the easiest financial decision they've ever made. "You can't put a price on the value of our family's experience here."

From a rocky Kindergarten year to a son who wanted to stay at CSS for every grade, the Kelly family's story is a testament to what happens when a school takes the time to truly know its students. For the Kellys, CSS is not just where their children go to school. It is where their family belongs.

When Lina & Karey Klaus and their family joined The Colorado Springs School in 2012, it was the school's unique educational opportunities that drew them in. In the years since, those opportunities have shaped her sons in ways the family has been able to see for themselves, trip after trip, year after year.

The moments that remind Lina why they chose CSS have come again and again, each time her sons returned from Colorado Expeditions, then Middle School Seminars, and finally ECSs. "When they come home from their trips, they often need a few days to simply process and digest everything they've experienced," she explains. At first, they don't have much to say, and the family can almost see them quietly sorting through the depth of it all. Then, little by little, the floodgates open. Out comes incredible growth, mature conversation, and profound ideas and concepts that seem far beyond their years. "It's amazing to watch them process what they've experienced," Lina says, "and see how deeply those moments are shaping who they are becoming."

It is a pattern that has repeated across the stages of her sons' time at CSS. Each trip, from the first Colorado Expeditions to the later Middle School Seminars and beyond, has given them something new to wrestle with and grow from, and each homecoming has offered their parents another glimpse of who they are becoming.

For Lina, the genuine sense of community among students, families, teachers, and parents is what makes CSS feel so special. It starts with the teachers, who she says don't simply teach in the classroom but invest in students as people. They often give their own time and make personal sacrifices to accompany students on Experiential Learning trips and to support their growth outside of school. The parent leaders who volunteer for Colorado Expeditions do the same, giving their time and energy to create meaningful opportunities for students. In Lina's view, that generosity from both teachers and parents is a big part of what makes these experiences possible.

That spirit carries over to the sidelines. At sporting events, Lina says, families show up to cheer on the school and support the athletes, whether their own children are playing or not. "We bring snacks, share food, sit together, celebrate the wins, encourage the athletes through the tough moments, and simply enjoy being together." There is a feeling, she says, that everyone is invested in something bigger than themselves. "We're not simply families whose children happen to attend the same school, but a community where our kids are known, valued, and surrounded by people who care about who they are becoming."

Whether on a mountain trail, in a classroom, or in the bleachers, the thread running through Lina's experience is the same: people at CSS show up for one another, and for the students, in ways that go well beyond what is required.

As her sons look back on their time at CSS, Lina hopes they will remember how it felt to be challenged, supported, known, and surrounded by people who believed in them. It is a simple wish, and one that captures what the Klaus family has found at CSS over more than a decade: a place where their sons were pushed to grow, and where they were never alone while doing it.

When the Mackey family relocated to Colorado Springs from out of state, they didn't simply pick a school and hope for the best. They researched the entire city, weighing neighborhoods and options with the same care they would give any major family decision. Then they toured The Colorado Springs School, and everything changed. The Mackeys made a choice that says it all: they selected their house based on its proximity to CSS. "We loved it so much and felt it would be the best place for our children," shares Kimberly Mackey.

For the Mackeys, the moment that reminds them why they chose CSS happens again and again whenever they watch their children perform in the theatre. Seeing their kids on stage, confident, expressive, and creative, is a reminder that they made the right decision. It is in those moments, with the lights down and their children in the spotlight, that the whole picture of a CSS education comes into focus.

Though they are still new to the CSS family, the Mackeys have already felt the pull of the community. School-wide traditions like the Carnival, the Dessert Theater, and Friendsgiving in PreK bring families together and make CSS feel like a place where everyone belongs. These events go beyond the classroom, creating shared memories and connections that stretch across grades and families. For the Mackeys, they are a big part of what makes CSS feel less like a school and more like a community.

Above all, Kimberly hopes her children will remember the individual attention and investment each of them received during their time at CSS. In a world where it's easy to feel like just another face in the crowd, she wants them to carry with them the knowledge that they were never a number. They were seen, known, and supported as the unique people they are.

Kimberly is quick to credit the teachers behind that experience. "The quality of the teaching staff, and how much effort and dedication they put forth for their students," she says, is something the family appreciates every day. It is the commitment of CSS educators, she notes, that turns a good school into the right place for her children to learn and grow.

For Kaylin, CSS was about more than academics. It was where she learned how to tackle problems head on and collaborate in a team environment, skills she has carried with her ever since.

She remembers Spanish teacher Marta Kunze as the educator who made a lasting impression. Kaylin especially appreciated the way Ms. Kunze brought real-world applications of the language into the classroom, including leading Kaylin’s ECS trip to Granada, Spain with unmistakable passion for her work.

Mountain Caravan, the tradition that kicks off each school year, has stayed with her, too. But it was her 2019 ECS trip to Madagascar that changed her trajectory. Traveling across the world to learn about rainforest conservation was, she says, life-changing and sparked her interest in working abroad in the future.

Kaylin has since graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration. She credits CSS’s hands-on education with preparing students to become involved, passionate adults, ready for college and beyond.

Thank you for your continued support of CSS, Kaylin! — "Once a Kodiak, Always a Kodiak"

For Coltin, 13 years at CSS was where he learned to dive into community and never turn down a “rad” opportunity, a philosophy that has carried him from Colorado Springs classrooms to the open water and beyond.

Coltin points to Mr. Takacs as the teacher who made the biggest impact on him. Mr. Takacs was there through the struggles of freshman year, every injury, and the moment Coltin committed to college.

One tradition he has held onto is simply showing up. Whether at CSS or now in college, Coltin and his friends still put on eye black and bring their full school spirit to every home game they can attend.

The opportunity that changed the course of his life was sailing in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The experience led him back to the same boat as a teacher during the summer after he graduated. After graduating and working aboard the Denis Sullivan, Coltin headed to Wofford College, where he studies Astrophysics and plays lacrosse for the Wofford Terriers.

He says the CSS community still matters because the same supportive staff who helped him get where he is today are still there, guiding other students through similar journeys.

Thank you for your continued support of CSS, Coltin! — "Once a Kodiak, Always a Kodiak"

More than four decades after walking the halls of CSS, Sarah still carries the lessons she learned there. Chief among them are the ability to understand the many sides of an ideology and the confidence to focus on her strengths and enjoy them. It is a perspective that has served her well throughout a career spanning continents and industries.

Two teachers left a lasting mark. John Pitman, she recalls with gratitude, provided the kind of intervention that can quietly redirect a young life. Ava Heinrichsdorff taught with a joy that stayed with Sarah long after graduation, reminding her that education is as much about spirit as it is about substance.

Some memories are as sensory as they are academic. Sarah still thinks of Anglican hymns and knee socks as traditions that have stayed with her, small but vivid details of a CSS childhood that have endured for decades.

Theater and the study of African history changed the trajectory of her life. Those early explorations of performance and a world beyond her own opened doors and broadened her sense of what was possible, setting her on a path that would eventually take her across the Atlantic.

Today, Sarah is a board professional in Sweden and has lent her expertise to organizations including Thule, Klarna, the Karolinska Institute, and Government Pension Funds. Her career reflects the same curiosity and rigor that CSS first cultivated in her.

For Sarah, the CSS community still matters for a simple but powerful reason: it can help make a constructive, curious adult out of each child. It is a mission she has seen play out in her own life and one she believes continues to shape generations of Kodiaks.

Thank you for your continued support of CSS, Sarah! — "Once a Kodiak, Always a Kodiak"

For Meia, CSS offered a powerful understanding of how people are shaped by the environments and communities around them. Learning to be intentional about where she invested her time and energy, she says, helped her better understand who she wanted to become.

Dr. Wells was especially influential in that process. Meia remembers him as a teacher who encouraged and supported her, always meeting students with empathy. “More than a mentor,” Meia says, Dr. Wells is someone she feels deeply grateful to have had as a teacher.

Theater was the opportunity that most changed her trajectory. Auditioning and joining the theater community encouraged Meia to put herself “out there,” build confidence, and embrace a growing love for musicals. She also came to appreciate the energy of creating something together as part of a cast and crew.

Meia is now attending Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York.

For Meia, the CSS community remains meaningful because it is important to remember the place that helped educate and shape you, as well as the friendships and experiences built there over the years. She believes continuing to support CSS matters because there will always be students coming after us. Having already walked part of the path, alumni can help make the way a little clearer for those who follow.

Thank you for your continued support of CSS, Meia! — "Once a Kodiak, Always a Kodiak"

Autumn has spent the last two years working on tall ships, sailing and educating young people aboard them. It's a career she says she never would have known existed without CSS.

Autumn's junior year ECS, Tall Ships, set the course for her life. The trip introduced her to the tall ship industry, and she now works in it on both the east and west coasts, including for the same company she sailed with as a student. "Without CSS, I wouldn't have known this industry even exists," she says.

Her most recent role with World Ocean School brought the experience full circle. In 2025, she had the chance to sail with the Tall Ships ECS group. "The passion and drive that group showed really showed me how special and important the CSS community is," she says.

"CSS taught me how to take adventures and be brave," Autumn says. Between clubs, sports, and ECS experiences, she grew into an independent person. After graduating, she attended Knox College, where she studied Biology and Secondary Education while playing soccer and running track and cross country.

Autumn remembers all of her teachers, but one stands out: Ms. Miller (then Ms. JS). She recalls her as an educator who wore many hats, with an approachable, funny attitude. In her English classes, Autumn took on eccentric and exciting projects, including immersive poem assignments.

For Autumn, the whole graduation experience is something special. Having graduated in 2020, she found the August ceremony extra meaningful, with traditions like the roses and a beautiful venue.

"My best friends are all the friends I made at CSS," Autumn says. She knows that CSS students today are getting the same great education and forming the same bonds she did, which keeps her feeling connected even from far away.

Thank you for your continued support of CSS, Autumn! — "Once a Kodiak, Always a Kodiak"

Gina Thompson's connection to The Colorado Springs School dates back to 1997, when her family moved to Colorado Springs and she enrolled her two children at CSS. With a bachelor's degree in early childhood education, a master's degree from Trinity, and a decade of experience in public and private schools, she was immediately drawn to CSS's mission, engaging curriculum, and commitment to experiential education. She hoped to work here one day, but the timing wasn't right because there were no openings. Twenty years and a variety of experiences in teaching and sales later, Gina found her way back to CSS. She applied in August 2022, was hired the very next day, and began her journey as a PreK teacher. What keeps her here now is the freedom to follow children's natural curiosity, create meaningful learning experiences, and make full use of the school's exceptional campus. Her curriculum is always evolving, and no two days are ever the same.

As a preschool teacher, Gina experiences countless moments that remind her why this work matters. She believes her gift is helping young children feel safe, loved, capable, and confident, and she works to recognize and amplify each child's unique strengths so they can grow into the best version of themselves. One recent example occurred when mysterious holes appeared on the playground. The children's curiosity sparked a full scientific investigation, weaving together literacy, math, art, outdoor exploration, and the scientific method. The project will culminate in the children writing their own nonfiction and fictional books about their discoveries. For Gina, watching one spark of curiosity grow into such a rich learning experience is incredibly rewarding and confirms that this is exactly the work she was meant to do.

For Gina, community is felt everywhere at CSS. Faculty and staff work as a team, and families are deeply dedicated to the school's mission, generously contributing in countless ways. She also values how CSS celebrates cultural differences and honors the uniqueness of every individual, helping children develop confidence, compassion, curiosity, and hope as they grow into thoughtful citizens who contribute positively to the world. Being part of a community that cares so deeply about children, one another, and the future, she says, is what makes CSS so special.

Alfonso Jimenez joined CSS on August 11, 2021, drawn by the school's commitment to experiential education. The opportunity to bring the world into the classroom, helping students learn meaningfully through doing and applying their knowledge to real world situations, aligned perfectly with his teaching philosophy. Since arriving, he has found CSS to be a wonderful and caring teaching and learning community, one that has encouraged him to step outside his comfort zone, embrace new opportunities, and continue growing as an educator. The support, enthusiasm, and openness with which parents and students embrace learning opportunities have made his experience at CSS especially meaningful, and it is exactly what has inspired him to stay and keep growing within the community.

For Alfonso, what continually reminds him why this work matters is CSS's commitment to more than just academics. The school takes a holistic approach to education, helping students develop a strong sense of self while strengthening their social emotional learning, interpersonal relationships, outdoor skills, and other essential life skills. Watching students grow not only as learners, but as confident, capable, and well rounded individuals, is what he finds most meaningful about the work.

CSS feels like a true community to Alfonso because it offers him meaningful opportunities to innovate, take risks, and continually grow in his teaching practice. He feels supported and valued as an educator, confident that the ideas, experiences, and perspectives he brings are genuinely appreciated by his colleagues and administrators. That strong sense of trust and encouragement allows him to keep finding creative ways to support students in their learning journeys, particularly through experiential education. What makes CSS especially special to him is that professional growth does not feel like something he has to pursue alone. He is surrounded by colleagues willing to collaborate, share ideas, and support one another. That sense of belonging and shared purpose is a constant reminder that everyone at CSS is working toward the same goal: creating meaningful experiences that help students grow. For Alfonso, being part of the CSS community means knowing his contributions matter, while having the support, collaboration, and inspiration to keep becoming a better educator.

Kaja Reynolds joined CSS in 2015, drawn by a combination of personal and professional experience with the school. Her daughter attended 7th and 8th grade at CSS, and Kaja was deeply impressed by everything the school had to offer, from its robust Arts programs to its commitment to experiential education to its exceptional teachers and advisors. At the same time, she was teaching elsewhere and not entirely happy in her role, having spent years searching for the right Visual Arts teaching position. When the opportunity at CSS arose, she applied, was hired, and was thrilled to join the school's faculty. What has kept her at CSS ever since is the very thing that drew her here: committed and creative teachers, engaged students, a deep and thriving Arts program available to all students, and a strong sense of community.

For Kaja, reminders of why this work matters come every day, but one experience stands out above the rest: teaching the Iron Pour ECS alongside Hans Wolfe. Over the course of three intensive weeks, she watches students transform, moving from knowing little about the lost wax casting technique, or how iron is heated to its 2,800 degree melting point, to fully understanding the process and actively participating in pouring molten iron into molds. Because students do not just observe the Iron Pour, they help make it happen, and that hands on involvement changes them. Kaja says the experience has changed her too, as an artist, a teacher, and a person, and she is looking forward to leading her third Iron Pour in March 2027.

What makes CSS feel like a community to Kaja is its Pre K through 12th grade structure, which creates a unique, tightly connected school culture. Everyone, she says, is looking out for one another, and that mutual care creates a genuine and lasting sense of belonging.

Brent Moorhead joined CSS during the 2005 to 2006 school year, in a story that began with a family visit rather than a job search. While visiting his sister over spring break, he happened to meet one of her friends, the music teacher at the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind, who knew that the Band Director position at CSS was open. She arranged for Brent to meet with the Middle School Division Lead, and it did not take long for him to know CSS was somewhere special. That chance connection turned into a career: Brent is now in his 22nd year at CSS and his 30th overall as an educator. He still finds the school's close knit community and creative, experience based approach to teaching a refreshing way to work, even after three decades in the classroom.

For Brent, few things capture why this work matters quite like a Band performance. He likes to remind his students that what they do together is a kind of quiet magic, manipulating sound and blending individual parts into something far bigger and more powerful than any one musician could create alone. Watching that collective effort come together, and then sharing it with a live audience, is a moment he finds special every time, no matter how many performances he has been part of over the years.

What makes CSS feel like a community to Brent is something that is built slowly, over time: the relationships between faculty, staff, administration, parents, and students that deepen the longer people are part of the school. At CSS, he says, people do not get lost in the shuffle. Students are not just names on a roster, and colleagues are not just coworkers passing in the hallway. Everyone knows each other, often across many years and even generations of families, and that familiarity is what gives the school its genuine, lasting sense of community.

Renee Lane joined CSS in 2025, and it was clear from her very first interview that this was the right fit. She was immediately struck by The Colorado Springs School's commitment to helping students “learn beyond the classroom,” a philosophy that resonated with her own approach to teaching. Being able to design engaging, hands on lessons while being part of an incredible community of teachers and families is, she says, why she chooses CSS every single day.

For Renee, one moment stands out as a powerful reminder of why this work matters. During a fourth grade sheep brain dissection last year, one of her students looked up in the middle of the lesson and said, “I'm going to tell my future kids about this.” It was a small comment, but it captured something big: the kind of unforgettable, hands on learning experience that sticks with students long after the lesson ends, and exactly the kind of moment Renee strives to create in her classroom.

What makes CSS feel like a community to Renee is the genuine enthusiasm students and families bring to supporting learning, both in and out of the classroom. Families do not just show up. They engage, ask questions, and get involved in ways that make learning feel like a shared effort rather than something that happens in isolation. She also loves that the many beloved traditions woven throughout the CSS calendar are not just events to check off, but real opportunities for authentic conversation and connection between students, families, and faculty alike.