Happy Halloween!!!

 
 
 
  

Intermediate Dance Party

 
 
 
 
Intermediate students danced away their afternoon recess amid homemade ghostly ceiling decorations and strobe lights and crrraaazyyy music! It was a HOWL!!! 

Colorful Halloween Characters

 
 
  

Halloween!

 
 
 
Pirates held the play area captive today...what letter comes after "Q"??? Early Elementary students were costumed during their dance and movement class today. 

Denver Conference

 
 
 
 
The Colorado League of Charter Schools conference met this weekend and many Crestone Charter represenatives were in attendance. Not only did we get to learn and network in educational sessions, we all came together Friday to honor CCS founder and teacher, Karen Acker, who received the Charter Friends Award. Here's what it said in the program, "The history of the Charter Friends Awards is rich with notable figures. At each conference, a deserving individual is named the Charter Friend of the Year. This coveted award is given to those whose words and actions have been influential in the charter school movement in the state of Colorado." Congratulations Karen! 

Snow Play

Our first snow of the season blended work and play at morning recess for this Primary student!

Hardworking Teachers!

 
McKenzie, Charlie and Lori all plug in to online Math classes with teachers from six other schools as part of their professional development several evenings a week. 

"Never Say Moo in Mesa"

Middle School students rehearse for a melodrama today while elementary students enjoy a touring production from Creede Rep in the shared classroom! I couldn't take pics during the performance because they were under copyright, but it was a terrific bilingual show called "Two Donuts". When Middles School performs "Never Say Moo in Mesa" we'll let everyone know AND we'll take bunches of pics!

SLV ROCK

On the second day of our Intermediate Class trip, we inaugurated the climbing area at SLV ROCK, our outdoor education center NW of Saguache. The rock climbing skills learned yesterday at Penitente Canyon are now applied to new climbs. One student gets to the top of his climb. Students were belaying for each other on both days of this outdoor education experience.















The view from the rock climbing area shows this wonderful boulder-splitting tree.



















A girl shows good form while belaying down after a climb up the steep rocks. Her helmet is mandatory safety equipment for our rock climbing experience. The harness she wears allows her to sit back while belayers below give her line to allow her to walk back down the rock after she has made it up on her own, with toe and hand holds.














Four groups of students were climbing at the same time, because they were able to belay each other. That left adults to oversee the total climbing experience, assist belayers, reassure reluctant climbers and praise the achievements of each child's hard work.












Two boys carry the climbing gear bag up to the rock climbing area(upper right) at our outdoor education center--SLV ROCK.

Ropes 101

Thomas, with teacher assistant Windy Wadsworth, and parent Volunteer Jason Jepson, leads students through the basics of tieing knots for different holds on their ropes.

Thomas Rocks

Thomas Cleary, our Outdoor Ed and School-wide Science teacher, has led many groups of CCS students in a variety of outdoor activities. Here he is in Penetiente setting up ropes for a climb while intermediate students admire his agility on the rock-face.

Intermediate Students at Penetiente Canyon

 
 
 
Intermediate students arrived at Penetiente Canyon yesterday for an overnight hike and rock climbing instructional. The first assignment...become an ameoba monster with only 13 parts touching the ground, stay connected to each other and move from the trail head to the barbeque grill without breaking apart! Great team building ice-breaker! 

Harvest Feast Day

 
 
 
 
Early Elementary students prepared their last vegetable soup of the season last Thursday and invited Primary class (and Amulya and me--lucky!!!) to join them for a FEAST. Parents also joined in. Students also served homemade biscuit crackers and Primary students provided SODA!!! All was delicious and very festive with table clothes and pumpkins and many, many smiles. 

The return of the Crestone Enquirer

 
 
Middle School students published their first copy of the Crestone Enquirer this year, their class newspaper and fundraiser. Last year's paper was a great success and much looked forward to by community each Thursday. First headline this year: "There are 300 Million of us!" Good Work, middle school.