Turning Our Attention to Summer

6/3/2017

by Mike Davis, Ph.D.
Head of School

We just had an amazing end to the 2016-2017 school year. Over the past several days, we have celebrated continuation ceremonies for our Fifth and Eighth Grade classes. This past week, we celebrated our seniors with commencement. (view select photos here). Whether at continuations or graduation, there is a CA tradition of saying a few words about each student that describe each child’s passions, talents, achievements, and contributions to the community. These ceremonies also affirm the value of Colorado Academy and the difference this institution makes in the lives of the young people. For students who want to take advantage of the outstanding programs in academics, arts, and athletics that exist at CA, these descriptors of student achievement exemplify how CA is true to its mission.

And now our attention turns to summer, and I have a few pieces of advice for our students:

If you are old enough, got out and get a job. Work is a good thing and summer jobs provide such great learning about the "real world."
If you aren't old enough to get a job, see how you can volunteer in your community. Reach out and do your part to make a difference.
Read, read read. Put down your technology and pick up a book. The evidence of the positive impact of reading for pleasure is abundant, plus it can be fun.
On the family road trip, listen to audio books. We live in world saturated by visual images. Brain research shows there is a value for young people listening to stories.
On a super hot summer day, go to a museum instead of the pool. Denver has some of the best museums in the country and they all have air conditioning! Learn while you cool off.
Get bored. Yes, get bored. Boredom can be a key to creativity. (For parents, don't feel like you have to schedule every minute of your child's summer. Allow for them to figure out how they can spend their time.)
Set up a schedule for summer reading and math work. Many grades at CA have some expectations for summer work. Don't wait until mid-August to check on your requirements (everything you need to know is on the CA website). After having some post-school down time, tackle this work. It will be less stressful and more stimulating for your brain to do this work in small chunks throughout the summer.
Finally, have some fun. I love summer as a time to relax, hang out with my friends and family, and to experience some adventures.

Next year will be the start of my tenth year at Colorado Academy. Every year, I feel immense gratitude for the people of this community. We have teachers who are among the best in the nation. They care deeply about our students and their learning. We have a parent community that is supportive and invested in the school's mission. We have an alumni community that values their experience at CA and the difference the school made in their lives. And, we have an incredible student body of motivated, kind, and courageous students. I hope we can all reflect a bit on what this school provides for each of us and what we can do, through our actions and engagement, to make our community even better in the coming year.

Have a great summer!

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