Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself.

- John Dewey

 

I like to play indoors better ‘cause that’s where all the electrical outlets are.

- A Fourth-Grader in San Diego

 

October 29, 2009

 

Dear All,

 

I hope this letter finds you and your family staying healthy! In this time of the H1N1 virus, we continue to be vigilant about monitoring your children’s health and wellness. Although over the past few days it has felt more like January than October, life continues to be busy at CCS. The students are immersed in learning. I encourage you to ask your child on a daily basis what he/she is learning and then follow up with how he/she is learning the material in class. I also welcome you to walk through the school on any given day to see what they are learning in the learning centers and in their core academic subject areas.

 

Our school wide theme this year is What is Community? Each learning center addresses the theme throughout the year. We want to expand the concept of community beyond our school, so we are also looking at ways to address service and service learning. The African Allies group that initiated the pennies war to help support a Kenyan girl’s education in our country was a huge success! Some learning centers will develop their own service projects. With the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan and Pakistan, we plan on initiating another school-wide project that involves Greg Mortenson’s organization, Central Asia Institute (www.ikat.org) and Pennies for Peace (www.penniesforpeace.org). Since he visited CCS a few years ago and with its emphasis on affecting change through education, we feel it is a good fit for our school.

 

Last night, I went before the RE-1 school district board of education to present the Carbondale Community School Annual Report. We are required each year to submit an annual report to the school board as part of our public school charter agreement. The board members were very laudatory and appreciative of the work we have achieved at CCS. If you would like to see a copy of the annual report, please let me know.

 

The Fall Conferences are just around the corner - November 6 and November 9. If you have not already done so, please sign up for a 30 minute time slot at the front desk. The purpose of the fall conference is to review your child’s progress in light of his or her goals and recent achievements as well as set the stage for the remainder of the year. It is part of our ongoing school philosophy that the student takes responsibility for his/her learning. Your child is a vital part of the conference and is asked to articulate his or her goals for the year! The teachers will have reviewed the process with the students beforehand. Each teacher encourages his/her students to approach the conference with a sense of exploration and commitment: How can I be a more effective learner, and how can I take more responsibility for my learning?

 

The Book Fair begins on Monday and runs until November 9. It is a wonderful chance to look at a wide selection of books with your child, review the teacher wish lists for the learning centers, and to continue to stress the importance of reading!

 

Since September, Corey Simpson has been teaching music and theater at CCS. He has been a wonderful addition to our school. Wednesday, October 28 was his last day teaching at CCS, because he is back to his full time job as the musical director for Jayne Gottlieb Productions. On Monday, November 2, Carol Rothrock returns as the art teacher, teaching art twice a week. Two thousand pounds of clay was recently delivered to our school, which will be utilized throughout the year in art. We are excited to have Carol back, and between her and Kristen’s expertise, it makes for a dynamic and vibrant art program.

 

As the new PE teacher and outdoor education coordinator this year, Robin has changed a few things in the PE program, most noticeably implementing the Thursday afternoon swim program. As articulated by the Colorado state standards, the purpose of the physical education program at the Carbondale Community School is “to provide students of all abilities and interests with a foundation of movement experiences that will eventually lead to active and healthy lifestyles.” Students at CCS work toward these standards through age-appropriate activities, including, but not limited to stretching, strength and conditioning, activities to increase overall fitness, and yearlong swimming. There is also a continued focus on social emotional needs through team building activities and games. It provides an excellent setting to practice working together cooperatively and to learn respect for others.

 

I welcome your feedback and your suggestions. As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.

 

All the best, Tom