I hope everyone had a restful holiday. It has been great to see the kids back at school via Zoom. Teachers report that our students have jumped right back in and are in the learning groove. We started the new year with a brief Town Meeting on Monday. Dr. Davis reminded the students to be optimistic about the future, the vaccine, and having a great 2021 together. It helped students think about the many opportunities—academic and social—that come with a new year. Whether it is a “resolution” to meet new friends, or to put a bit more effort into homework, there is no better time than “right now” to get started.
 
As a community, we want to continue to embrace and support service for others. This is an important value that CA and so many of our families embrace. COVID-19, unfortunately, has made it impossible for the Middle School to run our usual service learning program, so we have created a new version for this year. During the next five months, students as individuals or advisories will be invited to join a variety of service activities. Each will provide a window into the different ways that young people can contribute to their community.
 
Our first effort that the students will learn about next week in advisory is a Middle School SOCK Drive. For many homeless people in Denver and around the country, having socks is both a necessity and something too often missing in their lives. Students will be learning about this need and invited next week to contribute to our greater community by bringing one or more NEW pairs of socks to school for collection. We will work with the Sock it to ‘Em Foundation to distribute what we collect. I will keep you posted on some of the other service opportunities available for our students as the year unfolds.
 
There are so many ways that we can support one another and our community during the pandemic. I know that the kids will feel good about their contribution. If you have any questions, or if I can be of service, please do not hesitate to contact me.
 
Best,
Bill