Students enjoy the back to school barbeque

LINK students returned from their 6 day back country journey in time for the back to school barbeque. Primary students made good use of the play yard during the cookout!

Back to School Barbeque

Multi-talented CCS parent Dennis Neuhaus and CCS teacher, Charlie Warren, set up and tested our new school sound system. Governing Council treasure, Steve Winn, also serves as the grill meister for our community cook outs. CCS parent and bass guitar mentor, Dee Rudoff, shines alongside LINK student Tori Sterling. Abba Jepsen is the chair of the CCS governing council and here she sets the spread for the evening.

Back to School Barbeque Potluck '07

Friends, family, staff and students of the Charter School community gather each year for a back to school barbeque and potluck on the West Campus. This year we were treated to beautiful acoustic music by Steve Storm and his son, Trevor. New parent Judy Rose and Governing Council member, Gayatri, lent a hand and smiles. CCS graduate Kailee Potter with her grandmother and CCS volunteer, Joan Stevens enjoyed time under the canopy tent. Parent Noona O'Reilly and council member, Bill Roberts relaxed into the spread, too.

The name of the game is SPUD

I've been intrigued by a game middle schoolers have been playing on the yard the past week. They gather, there is a ball toss, then a kind of freeze tag that takes place--very focused and inventive. I asked today what the name of the game was--they said it didn't have a name yet as they had made it up. I told them I'd post these pics and they could add messages explaining how it all works. Later, students came to consensus that game is called "Spud". Anyway, hope you middle schoolers post more about this! Looks like fun.

Group Dinner-time at the Dunes

CCS Sand Dunes Camp out

LINK tent projects

CCS LINK high school students tested their homemade tents for the first time at the GREAT SAND DUNES on Thursday night. The group left Friday morning for a six-day back country hike. They left the Dunes heading north through the Sangres. They plan to summit Cleveland peak, then re-enter the Baca Grande subdivision via the Liberty Road trail, returning Wednesday the 26th. Along the way they will combine their Biology studies with outdoor skills, leave-no-trace camping principles, and team building activities. Their teachers, Karen and Thomas, undertake a demanding group camping experience at the start of each new school year. The group always returns as a stronger team and each individual with an expanded sense of confidence.

CCS Great Sand Dunes Camping

The whole school met at the Great Sand Dunes on Thursday for community building and camping activities. Parent volunteers prepared dinner for the group Thursday night. LINK students set up their tents--which they had constructed themselves with canvas, dowels, and tie-offs, and the younger children got to explore the tent creations.

Middle School heads to Orient Mine and Land Trust

Middle School students begin the school-wide camping trip today with a seperate leg at Orient Mine and Land Trust. They will get to see the bat migration this evening before camping out. On Thursday they will join the rest of the school at the Great Sand Dunes for a school-wide camping trip.

LINK tent-builders

Following the academic portion of the day, LINK students begin design and construction of their own personal one-person sleeping structures which they will pack and use on a 6-day back country hiking trip next week. The group will join the school wide camping trip at the Great Sand Dunes, then take off from there into the Sangres, returning through the Baca on a team-building adventure that also incorporates Language Arts, Math, and Biology into the field experience! If they hold up, Patagonia might want to check out these tents for prototypes!

Early Elementary students are busy week one!

In addition to getting to know one another, new faces, arrangements, and a swim lesson at Hooper Pool, EE students also worked on reading, writing, math and science skills during their academic day. Here is head teacher, Susan Fey, working with elder students on language arts while Kelly Hosner, Assistant Teacher, conducts reading circle with younger students---PEACE to you, too, early elementary students!