August 16, 2018
Dear CSS Families,
Welcome to the 2018-2019 school year! We are glad you are here. I have three points of pride I want to share with you to kick off the school year.
Responsible Growth: We’re proud to announce that, following our strategic plan, enrollment has grown by 11% from last year. We’re now serving 330 students (and counting) in 15 grade levels, drawing from more than a 450 square mile area of the Pikes Peak region and 7 countries.
Families choose us initially and choose to return each year because of the inspired learning and masterful teaching that occurs at CSS. Our college-preparatory program includes things you don’t find at other schools. Seminar-based learning, tech education in coding and Virtual Reality, experience in the Fine and Performing Arts, and participation in our distinctive and competitive athletics set us apart from other options in the area. Our current families are our best ambassadors of the school with their neighbors and friends. It’s not too late for you to refer a family for the 2018-2019 school year.
In keeping with our strategic plan, we have maintained our exemplary student-teacher ratios. In many cases, actual student-teacher ratios are lower. Increased numbers of students in each grade level provides a deeper pool of peers for kids to learn alongside and befriend. It also helps the school’s leadership and Board of Trustees steward our best resources – our stellar faculty and staff and our inspirational campus.
Excellence: We’re also proud that Niche, an external school ranking service has continued to rank CSS as the second-ranked college preparatory private high school and the second-ranked private K-12 school, not just locally but in the entire state of Colorado. CSS is second to Kent Denver for private college prep high schools and second to Colorado Academy for private K-12 schools, both of which are Denver schools with national reputations. This is not a marketing gimmick, nor is it a one year blip. This is the fourth year that CSS has been selected as the premier college preparatory private high school in the Pikes Peak region. If you’re interested, click here to learn more about how Niche calculates rankings.
National Recognition: Lastly, we are proud of our re-accreditation by the National Association of Independent Schools and the Association of Colorado Independent Schools. The Colorado Springs School is now accredited through 2028. As part of the rigorous accreditation process, CSS demonstrated compliance with 112 standards and principles of best practice in education, health and safety for students, educational management, and governance, just to name a few. Below is a brief excerpt from their report on significant areas of excellence for CSS.
Experiential Education: For over forty years, The Colorado Springs School has had a profound and abiding commitment to experiential education as a highly effective way to prepare students for meeting the challenges of a dynamic world. Faculty, students, parents, and alumni speak passionately about the impact of these programs as life-altering experiences, transforming their perspectives and helping them find a sense of purpose. These programs are central to the CSS experience and merit high praise for their efficacy and outcomes. Experience-Centered Seminars, Middle School Seminars, 8th Grade Walkabout, and The Children’s School’s Fall Adventure and Colorado Expedition create a high level of engaged learning, serve as focal points for alumni networking, and represent a living testament to the mission of the school.
Resourceful Program Development: For the past several years, the head of school has been working in concert with the faculty and staff to evaluate CSS’s curriculum and program and to tune it with mission and market in mind. The outcome of that work is clearly evident. Faculty and staff have been both strategic and creative in their thinking, building on the strength of existing program, using outcomes to inform decisions, while keeping students top of mind at all times.
Excellence in the Arts: Throughout the course of the campus visit, the evaluation team was both impressed and inspired by the Colorado Springs School’s commitment to the arts. Students, parents, and alumni spoke highly of the school’s creative spirit. Instruction in visual and performing arts permeates every aspect of the PreK - 12 continuum. The outcomes of this program are evident in the classrooms, hallways, and performance spaces throughout campus. Art shows, theater productions, and band concerts are more the norm than the exception. Along with the intrinsic value of the arts and arts education, the school’s arts curriculum and program is a differentiator in the marketplace. Said one member of the visiting team, “even the Athletic Director had art hung in her office!”
Community: Parents, students, faculty and staff, alumni and the board of trustees are actively engaged in The Colorado Springs School and its community. They universally praise the safe and inclusive nature of the school culture and climate, and they cite the active collaboration among various campus constituencies as a signature strength of the school. Intentional community building through programs like book buddies, experiential learning, athletics, band, and theater strengthen community bonds among students and families. Within the teaching faculty, there is a palpable feeling of support and care for colleagues that translates into novel academic programming and an eagerness to engage across divisions. Simply put, community is a hallmark of the school.
We couldn’t have said it any better ourselves. We are proud to have met and exceeded the high standards of local families, Niche and ACIS/NAIS. We look forward to meeting your high standards during the 2018-2019 school year.
All the best,
Aaron Schubach
Head of School
P.S. Campus was impacted by the significant hailstorm on August 6, 2018, but in conjunction with our facilities management group, Advanced Facilities Services, we will stand tall for the opening of the new school new year. We’ve completed an extensive assessment with engineers and our insurance adjusters. In the coming days and months, we will move forward on repairs to campus.
