I am looking forward to continuation and next week’s graduation ceremonies honoring the Class of 2011. These celebratory events are the culmination of "May Madness" including arts shows, music recitals, athletic events, Middle and Upper School Interims, and much more. These closing weeks are a time to celebrate our amazing community and reflect upon all that we have accomplished. It has been a great year. Our faculty once again demonstrated their remarkable professionalism and dedication to the students. The student body rose to the challenges presented to them and achieved excellence in a variety of areas. Parents supported the school through their volunteerism and philanthropy. Alumni reminded us through their participation in the life of the school of our core values.

I hope that you have an amazing summer vacation. Shortly after graduation, I will be on my way to Haiti to explore a partnership with the St. Patrick Nordette School in the mountainous region of Saut-d'eau. St. Patrick is a school of 200 children and 4 teachers led by their rector, Rev. Pere Jean Jeannot Joseph. Joining me in this adventure are Director of Operations Jesse Schumacher and Director of Service Learning David Colodny. The goal of this trip is to make contact with the school and explore a partnership with Colorado Academy. I can envision Upper School service learning trips, as well as various projects our younger students might do to help this school. For example, our students could do clothing drives or make mosquito netting to send, since malaria is major health problem there. It will be an adventure, as the school is several hours’ drive from Port Au Prince followed by a two-hour hike.

That won't be the only international exchange possibility in the future. Faculty members Eric Augustin and Paula Osborne are off to Rwanda to visit the Sonrise School, a K-12 boarding school. Rwanda has stabilized since the genocide in the 1990s. This school, with its mission to promote reconciliation, has played a key role in the re-building of Rwanda. I have had extensive meetings with the Episcopal Bishop of Rwanda, who is extremely interested in collaborating with Colorado Academy. CA alumnus, Gaylord Layton, has been a strong supporter of the Sonrise School and has been instrumental in making this partnership possible. The Sonrise School has invested heavily in technology, so we are hoping that there can be some videoconferencing and other activities that might connect CA students to students in Rwanda. Stay tuned; these are two exciting enrichment and outreach efforts that you will hear more about in the coming months.

I hope that you can take some time with your family to relax and reflect. I know that I am excited to spend some quality time in July in Summit County. There are several books I hope to get to in addition to doing as much mountain biking, climbing, and fly fishing as I possibly can!

I look forward to seeing everyone back in August.

All the Best,

Mike Davis, Ph.D.

Head of School

Colorado Academy