November 26, 2018
An interview with Head of School, Mr. Aaron Schubach was recently featured in the Broadmoor Friends & Neighbors magazine. For those of you living beyond the magazine’s distribution, we wanted to take the opportunity to share it with you.
Reprinted: Broadmoor Friends & Neighbors, October 2018
Aaron Schubach is the Head of The Colorado Springs School (CSS), a college preparatory, day and international school serving students from preschool through high school. In 2018 The Colorado Springs School is ranked 2nd in the state for Best Private K-12 School and Best College Prep Private High School.
How can you create a successful partnership with your child’s teacher or school?
- Start a conversation with your child’s teacher(s) and keep it going. You know your child best and the information that you share with your child’s teacher helps the teachers support and challenge them. In this conversation, be open to learning new things about your child from a teacher or coach.
- Attend school events when you can. In doing so, you will meet other parents who can give you a deeper perspective into your child and your child’s classmates. It is also likely that you will enhance your professional connections and personal friendships.
- Volunteer for a school activity when you can. You learn more about the school’s people and programs than you ever would at a Back to School Night. There is no better way to show your child that school is important than sharing your time and talent to sponsor a school activity.
What are some proven ways to boost student motivation?
- Without the right mixture of skills, passion, and curiosity, students can sputter. Talk to your kids about the details of what they are learning. An invigorating conversation with a parent can help a student see the point of something that they might have previously dismissed as irrelevant or boring. Share your passions with your child; these conversations can nurture their dreams and boost motivation in the classroom.
What are the best ways to talk to your kid about social dynamics at school?
- One of the best things you can do to support your student’s social development is to help a student see the larger picture when they are in a disagreement with a friend or feeling isolated. That often means reminding them that they are resilient and that it is often best to assume good intentions when interpreting the actions of their peers and teachers. At CSS, we’ve adopted Yale’s RULER program to help kids manage emotions and conflict.
What should you do when your kid has an academic setback or conflict with a peer?
- As uncomfortable as it can be to watch your child struggle, this is where the learning happens and parental responses send powerful (and sometimes unintended) messages. Parents need to remind students that they are capable of advocating for themselves and resolving normal conflict with peers. In fact, developing these skills is crucial for their future success and self-esteem. At CSS, parents and schools leaders are on the same team when it comes to helping young people take their next step as learners and as members of a community.
What are you most excited about this year?
- In partnership with a Google grant and CSS parents in the tech industry, we have a new course in coding and Virtual Reality development.
- Our signature programs connect students with experts around the city, region, country, and world. Some of our students will travel to Madagascar and Iceland this year.
- CSS offers extensive programs in the Fine and Performing Arts and Athletics, and I enjoy seeing our students shine on our stages and courts during our many performances and athletic competitions.
- Our Senior Capstone program connects each member of our senior class with community mentors to complete internships in the real world.
