2026 Fifth Grade Continuation

The walk-up music for the start of Colorado Academy’s Fifth Grade Continuation on June 1, 2026, was the Overture from Rossini’s Barber of Seville—one of the most famous pieces in all of classical music, and, with its familiar melodies alternating between dramatic and playful, the perfect score to pump up the Class of 2033 as they headed toward Middle School.

Welcoming students and families to the Leach Center for the Performing Arts, Head of School Dr. Mike Davis said, “Colorado Academy is a better place because you are part of it, and we are deeply grateful to the Lower School faculty and staff—the teachers, the Advisors, the people who have shown up every single day for these children.”

 

He went on, “What you do is not glamorous in the way the world usually defines the word. You don’t get headlines; what you get is something better: You get to watch a child discover that they can do something that they didn’t think they could do. You get to be the person who was there when it happened.”

 

Amazement at what these 57 Fifth Graders had dared to accomplish at CA in just one school year—and what they are sure to go on to keep accomplishing next year in Sixth Grade—was the theme of the day.

 

In his remarks, Dr. Davis shared a song by the late American singer-songwriter Guy Clark, whose “The Cape” tells the story of a boy who believed he could fly using only a flour sack tied around his neck. “One of the most important things a human can hold on to in life is the willingness to believe in something you can’t yet see, and to act on it,” he noted.

Eight years old with a floursack cape
Tied all around his neck
He climbed up on the garage
Figurin’ what the heck
He screwed his courage up so tight
The whole thing came unwound
He got a runnin’ start and bless his heart
He headed for the ground

He’s one of those who knows that life
Is just a leap of faith
Spread your arms and hold your breath
Always trust your cape

The song, Dr. Davis continued, isn’t about a boy jumping off a roof—“It’s about the courage to dream past what might seem possible. It’s about choosing to believe in yourself, even when the world hasn’t caught up quite yet. This is the idea I want you to carry with you as you walk out of the Lower School today and into Middle School and beyond: Your cape is already there.”

“You have spent years learning how to think, how to ask questions, how to struggle with something hard, and come out the other side; years of learning who you are, what you care about, and what you’re capable of; years of teachers who believed in you and friends and family who showed up for you in a community that held you.”

“That is your cape,” said Dr. Davis. “You can’t see it, but it’s there—woven from every book you read, every problem you wrestled with, every moment you chose to try again. It’s made of curiosity, grit, and kindness, and the very particular courage it takes to be 11 years old and still show up every day to learn.”

 

But, he went on, a cape doesn’t do anything if one doesn’t make a leap. “Middle School is going to ask things of you that will feel unfamiliar—new teachers, new challenges, moments when you’re not sure you belong, or you’re not sure you can. And in those moments, I want you to remember what you built here. I want you to take a breath and meaningfully and passionately jump into all that life offers you.”

Lower School Principal Angie Crabtree next came to the podium to congratulate the Fifth Graders. “We are thrilled to honor and celebrate the Class of 2033 today.”

 

She paused first to recognize her colleagues—fellow faculty and staff members—in the Lower School. “As I work alongside these incredible individuals every day, I see their loyalty and honor in the way they show up for one another. I see their passion, a deep, genuine love for the craft of teaching. They are charitable with their time and boundless with their kindness, planting seeds of hope in every classroom, even on the hardest days. They lead with humor, spreading a sense of joy that is contagious. It takes immense courage to give your heart to a school everyday.”

“But what makes them truly remarkable is their unity,” Crabtree went on. “They are more than colleagues. They are a family that laughs, learns, and loves together.”

The Lower School Principal then turned her attention to the Fifth Graders sitting nervously beside her on the stage. At the beginning of the school year, she recounted, the students were encouraged to explore the ideas of curiosity and leadership. “Throughout this year, you have beautifully woven these together, proving that one cannot truly exist without the other. As a curious leader, you have developed an openness to new people, fresh approaches, and big ideas. These are not just concepts you’ve studied in a classroom. They have become defining characteristics of who you are as individuals and a part of your class story.”

“Curious leaders do not carry all the answers,” she continued. “However, they do show up with the courage to ask the wild and crazy questions, the types of questions that make you pause, challenge old patterns, and stretch your thinking beyond the expected possibilities.”

 

In honor of the Class of 2033’s leadership and curiosity, noted Crabtree, every Fifth Grader will receive a copy of What the Road Said, by Cleo Wade. This book about being bold in the face of uncertainty, she said, reminds us, “You are about to begin a new adventure and step into a place with so many new things, a new building, a new environment, a new schedule, new classrooms, new activities, new lockers, new teachers, and new classmates. You will not have all the answers right away. There might be times when you ask yourself, what if I get lost? What if I need help? What if I fail?”

Yet, she observed, “Even with all of these questions swirling around for you, you have the opportunity to choose how you show up as a learner, a friend, and a leader. As you begin each new day in Sixth Grade, please remember that you truly have a superpower. Your superpower is endless curiosity, and it will impact how you show up. Your curiosity conquers fear. Instead of thinking, I cannot do this, you as a curious leader think, let’s see how this works.”

 

The Fifth Graders then stood to share the song, “May a Rainbow Run Beside You,” based on the words of traditional Irish blessings:

May love and laughter light your days
And warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours
Wherever you may roam.

 

It was then time for perhaps the most anticipated moment of the Continuation ceremony: The members of the Fifth Grade teaching team—Matt Lauer, Jessica Ohly, and Sara Wachtel—came to the podium to read individual tributes to each of their students. Alone at center stage, the Fifth Graders smiled with joy, surprise, and pride as they listened to all the little and big things their teachers had noticed about them this year: a series of special drawings, a love for books, a positive spirit, a willingness to speak up for others, athletic prowess, unique dance moves, creativity, generous support for others, and so much more.

 

The Class of 2033 stood again as the ceremony neared its conclusion, presenting the song “Have It All,” by Jason Mraz.

May you have auspiciousness and causes of success
May you have the confidence to always do your best
May you take no effort in your being generous
Sharing what you can, nothing more nothing less
May you know the meaning of the word happiness
May you always lead from the beating in your chest
May you be treated like an esteemed guest
May you get to rest, may you catch your breath

And may the best of your todays be the worst of your tomorrows
And may the road less paved be the road that you follow

Crabtree brought the ceremony to a close then, recounting the Fifth Graders’ growth as Mustang Mentors to Pre-K students. “Mentoring younger children requires patience and a generous heart because it involves guiding, supporting, and nurturing them as they grow and learn. ... The impact of such mentorship can last a lifetime, shaping not only the child’s future, but also enriching the mentor’s own life through meaningful connection and shared growth.”

What did some of the CA Pre-K students say about their Fifth Grade Mustang Mentors?

“I know all about CA because of my Mentors.” “I love my Mentor more than recess.” “Being at CA is better with Mentors. They love us so much.”

“The Pre-K students have grown in amazing ways due to your commitment and connection with them,” noted Crabtree. “You lifted them up and made our Lower School community stronger.”

Students looked toward their proud families in the audience as she told them, “Thank you for your gift of kindness and being Mentors and leaders and showing our youngest students how to be kind to everyone they meet. You are an amazing group of students who filled our days with smiles, laughter, learning, and connection. The Lower School faculty, staff, and I are extremely proud of you and your wonderful impact and influence in our community.”

Grade 5 Continuation Stage Photos

Continuation Candids