Summit to Success: Elevating Student Wellness at CSS

At The Colorado Springs School, student wellness is embarking on a new, innovative journey. We are excited to launch the Kodiak Compass, a holistic student support framework with a common language and clear pathways to help students flourish across academics, relationships, equity, and wellbeing.

“I genuinely believe this is going to be a game-changer for how we support our students,” said Dr. Teneshia Taylor, who joined CSS this year as Dean of Student Life.

The Four Compass Points

At the heart of this framework are four compass points – the essential areas of student life that shape growth and success:

• North: Academic Excellence – How we grow together through learning

• South: Community & Belonging – How we connect and build relationships

• East: Equity & Environment – How we share resources and spaces

• West: Wellness & Balance – How we thrive and sustain wellbeing

“All of our students are connected to these four compass points, and their needs often overlap,” Dr. Taylor said. “By looking at each child holistically, we can quickly identify where support is needed and respond with the right approach so they feel at peace and know they belong here.”

Moving Beyond Punishment

The Kodiak Compass – currently piloted in Middle School and gradually expanding across all divisions – moves beyond isolated responses toward a connected care system.

“Before, our approach to behavioral challenges was more punitive,” said CSS School Counselor Emily Warren. “With the Kodiak Compass, we now have a student-centered, holistic framework that considers every aspect of a student’s life."

For example, if a student repeatedly does not turn in their homework, the Kodiak Care Team – including division directors and learning support coaches – works to understand the root of the challenge. They might ask such questions as:

• What does the student’s after-school routine look like?

• Is the student new to CSS and still adjusting to the homework expectations?

• Does the student have the necessary resources or support at home to complete assignments?

• Are there underlying academic or organizational challenges?

• Is there a social or emotional factor impacting motivation or focus?

Together, team members and the student explore answers and solutions during a ThinkTank session, brainstorming strategies for success. Parents and guardians are invited to share input, ensuring a well-rounded approach to support.

A Three-Tier Behavior System

The Kodiak Compass three-tier behavior system emphasizes restoration, accountability, and growth, with interventions tailored to the specific compass point/s affected.

• Tier 1: Community Building – Small disruptions (like tardiness or minor conflicts) addressed through immediate, restorative conversations.

• Tier 2: Community Harm – More serious issues (like plagiarism or bullying) supported with structured interventions that hold students accountable and guide repair.

• Tier 3: Community Safety – Serious violations (like violence or repeated harm) addressed through comprehensive, coordinated support across all compass points.

“Traditional detention doesn’t change behavior,” Dr. Taylor said. “We’re replacing it with ThinkTank, where students learn the essential life skill of rupture and repair. Our core teaching is based on, ‘Rupture is inevitable, repair is possible.’”

Instead of sitting in silence in detention, students actively engage in: naming what happened without falling into cycles of blame; owning their role with honest accountability; understanding impact through perspective-taking; and planning repair with concrete next steps and programming.

“We want this to be thoughtful – not just an apology letter or something without substance,” Dr. Taylor said. “The goal is for students to truly learn and grow. It’s hands-on work, but also deeply internal, where they reflect: ‘I had this behavior, this incident, this relationship that didn’t go well – so how do I repair it? How do I grow? How do I get better?’ That’s the whole point of the Kodiak Compass.”

Family and Student Engagement

Families are encouraged to share concerns at any time, even if the school has not reached out first, and students are invited to speak up if they are worried about themselves or a classmate.

Ms. Warren believes the new Kodiak Compass approach will strengthen relationships with students and better guide them through challenges.

“I hope students will feel safer knowing it's not punitive,” she said. “They're not meeting with us because they're in trouble – they're meeting with us because we're here to support them and work with them.”


CSS also offers a Parent Speaking Series throughout the year—in-person and online—to further support families, featuring professionals who share insights on child development and wellness strategies for families.

Lifelong Skills and Long-Term Growth

The Kodiak Compass equips students with lifelong skills and significantly shifts our approach. Although results may not be immediate, it lays the foundation for lasting growth.

“Real change will take time, commitment, and engagement in the process. We’re focused on the long-term picture: that by the time a student graduates, they leave with skills that will serve them for a lifetime," said Dr. Taylor, who aims to guide students as a life coach.

"When they face conflict with a friend, a classmate, or even a professor, they’ll know how to repair the relationship and seek solutions. That’s our goal. It’s also about self-awareness, helping students recognize, ‘When I feel this way, I know why, and I know what I can do about it.’ Those are skills most of us are still learning, and we want our students to have them as a foundation.”

Learn more about Dean of Student Life Dr. Teneshia Taylor at bit.ly/CSS-Taylor and School Counselor Emily Warren at bit.ly/CSS-Warren.

Explore the Kodiak Compass and meet Dr. Taylor and Ms. Warren at Summit to Success: Elevating Student Wellness on October 8, 2025, at 8 a.m. in the Trianon.