Spanning the entire curriculum from Pre-K to Grade 12, the Spanish language program at Colorado Academy embraces bilingualism and celebrates culture, underscoring the school’s commitment to educating truly global citizens.
In November 2022, Collinus Newsome arrived at Colorado Academy to lead the school’s Office of Inclusivity. A nationally known strategist, facilitator, and educator who has served as a co-chair for the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) People of Color Conference and is a longtime co-chair of the NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference, Newsome was a natural pick to step in as Interim Director of Inclusivity.
After classes have ended on a January afternoon at Colorado Academy, 16 Middle Schoolers are tidying up the Raether Innovation Lab, where the students have worked together one or two days a week over the past six months to design and build Caelum, their entry in the global Future City Competition.
The demand for the expertise of the CA Music Department speaks to the scope and popularity of the CA music program, particularly at the Middle and Upper School levels, where students can find a way to pursue seemingly any musical path at CA, from mastering an instrument to exploring music theory.
On Saturday, May 6, 2023, the beloved biennial CA Auction returns—saddle up to celebrate the CA community, as we raise essential funds for financial aid. Individual tickets are now on sale (be sure to take advantage of early-bird pricing), and Patron packages are available for those who want additional benefits.
Colorado Academy’s ongoing sustainability work received a substantial boost during a weeklong Upper School residency with the Foundation for Environmental Stewardship (FES), a youth-led, youth-serving non-partisan sustainable development organization.
For CA Head Climbing Coach Brian List, List, it’s psychological and emotional resilience—the ability to push past frustration and failure—that makes a great climber. And helping students build those inner reserves is what inspires him as he works with Middle and Upper School athletes.
Sometimes getting away from campus to visit with others about topics you are passionate about is all it takes to renew optimism and commit to helping bring about sustained change. Six Colorado Academy Upper School students had the opportunity to do just that when they attended this year’s Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC).
If there is one word that can distill the essence of Colorado Academy’s Lower School Music Program, that word is joy. From Pre-K through Grade Five, CA’s music teachers make it their mission to ensure that every child, in one way or another, has access to the joy that is music.
Interim at Colorado Academy provides opportunities to get out of the classroom to learn by doing, through exposure to new ideas, experiences, and environments. Learn more about the trips CA Middle Schoolers can choose from this year.
Congratulations to CA Mandarin Teacher Ning (Julie) Wei, winner of the Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers (CCFLT) Teacher of the Year! Learn more about how Ms. Wei creates community in her classroom and with students.
CA teachers have the freedom to do what they do best—teach—as they nurture and engage students’ natural enthusiasm and initiative. Small class sizes allow teachers to know each student and tailor instruction to both group and individual needs.
The Neustadt Scholar Program at CA has offered Upper School students the one-of-a-kind opportunity to engage first-hand in the festivities around two of the most prestigious awards in world literature, the Neustadt International Prize for Literature and the NSK Neustadt Prize for Children’s and Young Adult Literature.
Hundreds of Denver-area guests arrived by car and by bus for the 29th annual HOPE event at Colorado Academy. Entirely student-run, HOPE offers free clothing, school supplies, toiletries, baby essentials, toys, food, medical care, fun activities, community services, and much more to families in need.
Colorado Academy Seniors Claire Arney and Arantza Pereira, the co-founders of the Upper School Respectful Discourse club, believe that promoting thoughtful, constructive disagreement is vital for today’s students.
“In a time before Facebook, World of Warcraft, and massively multiplayer online role-playing games, there once existed simply a game—forged by the hands of nerds, crafted in the minds of geeks, and so advanced in its advanced-ness it would take a whole second edition to contain all its mighty geekery.” So begins Qui Nguyen’s She Kills Monsters, Colorado Academy’s 2022 Upper School play.
“At Colorado Academy,” says Director of Visual & Performing Arts Katy Wood Hills, “every student is an artist.” That’s why every CA student loves to see their creative efforts displayed in the gallery spaces of the Ponzio Arts Center.
In their Earth Science class, CA Sixth Graders are looking beneath the surface of one of the most pressing environmental issues facing the American West—the declining water levels in the Colorado River.
There are many reasons CA Middle and Upper School students sign up for the CA NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) club each November. Some do it for the sense of community, some want to improve their writing skills, and some are there for the cookies and hot chocolate.
Throughout their time at CA, students in all three divisions learn that getting help from one of the school’s full-time counselors, a teacher, coach, peer, or other trusted figure is not just encouraged—it can be vital to their success.
In October, CA showcased its new Middle School Speech & Debate program by hosting one of the largest tournaments in the Front Range—bringing in 65 competitors, representing seven schools, across three formats.
In October, Upper School students and faculty attended the Neustadt Literary Festival, and met Neustadt Prize winner Boubacar Boris Diop, Senegalese author of Murambi: The Book of Bones.
For 12 years, The Big Draw has woven together the vast creative energy of CA’s many artists through a globally-inspired annual outdoor celebration held in the fall.
Colorado Academy presents the 2022-2023 Series for Parent Education about Kids, the SPEAK lecture program. We invite the CA community and the general public to join us for these dynamic speakers.