Interim provides opportunities to get out of the classroom to learn by doing, through exposure to new ideas, experiences, and environments. Interim trips span the gamut from artistic pursuits and community engagement to wilderness expeditions. Immersion in a unifying trip concept broadens students’ skills, knowledge, and awareness.
Interim Goals:
- To practice physical and emotional resilience
- To cultivate student agency through trip planning and leadership
- To practice community values and service to others
- To learn via exploration and personal initiative
- To collaborate and problem solve
Here are the practical details parents should know:
All Colorado Academy Middle School Interims will take place Monday, May 11-Friday, May 15, 2020. Once students have reviewed trip descriptions, they should click on the registration link. Each student should put his/her choices in order from 1 to 15, and each parent should sign at the bottom. Parents will need to log in to their MyCA account to complete the ‘Interim Waiver’ by Friday, January 31, 2020 at 3:30 p.m. Here’s how:
- Click ‘Resources’ at the top of the page
- Click on the Magnus Health icon at the top of the Resource page
- Click on ‘Additional Disclosures and Consent: Interim’
At this time, we do not need any of the trip-specific waivers signed. We will collect those after Interim placements have been completed.
Additional Information:
- Attendance on Interim is mandatory. Please do not schedule appointments during Interim.
- Interim registration is final, and changes are made only for medical emergencies.
- Take into account the general health of your child. Some medical conditions or poor fitness should lead you to place certain programs as a low choice. To participate in the canoeing Interim, students must be able to swim.
- Students should not repeat an Interim.
- The cost of Interim is included in tuition. In some cases, students are required to provide their own specialized equipment (e.g., skis)
- Thank you for reviewing all these materials and discussing possible options with your child. If you have any questions that I can be helpful with, please do not hesitate to contact me. (Forbes.Cone@coloradoacademy.
org) - To view trips, simply scroll down.
Registration form: https://bit.ly/2020-MS-Interim
Amazing Race: Denver Edition
Trip Leaders: Liz Estacio, Kathy Zolla, and Kathleen Kirkman
Location: Denver and Georgetown, Colorado
Level: Low Intensity (sitting, standing, and light walking)
Vendor: Various
Are you ready to experience Denver like never before? Participants will be challenged to make their way to specific destinations using a budget, riding light rail, and navigating the city without relying on GPS. Once they have made it to the day’s location, they will be tasked with solving clues and learning about the influence of various cultures on our community today. Through our exploration of cuisine, history, landscape, and more, we will immerse ourselves in Denver’s yesterday, today, and tomorrow!
Back in Time
Trip Leaders: Sue Counterman and Lisa Dean
Location: Colorado National Monument, Western Colorado
Level: Medium Intensity (active 5+ hours per day, in the outdoors, with periods of intense exertion)
Vendor: Keystone Science School
Travel back in time through the history of the Rocky Mountains as you explore hiking trails and geologic formations at Colorado National Monument. Each day will be out hiking and learning about the landscape, flora, and fauna of the area. Students will carry out a service project at Highline Lake State Park, where we will be camping, and complete a challenge hike on the last day.
Backroads New Mexico
Trip Leaders: Rebecca Silva and Beccie Marzonie
Location: Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico
Level: Medium intensity (moderate activity up to 3 hours per day)
Vendor: N/A
If exploring ancient cliff dwellings, “rockhounding” near the Rio Grande, boarding an Earthship and learning about the mysteries of a floating staircase sounds fun, sign up for Backroads New Mexico! On this Interim, you’ll travel off the beaten path, experience life 11,000 years ago, explore Star Wars-like homes made of trash and mud, and experience unique Southwest culture and food. You will be camping in a tent on the ground, your hands will be dirty from digging in the mud, you’ll prepare your own meals over a camp stove, and hike in the great outdoors!
Canoe Labyrinth Canyon
Trip Leaders: Eric Augustin and Jessica Campbell
Location: Green River, Utah
Level: High Intensity (active 5+ hours per day, in the outdoors, with periods of intense exertion) | Must be able to swim
Vendor: Centennial Canoe
Students will canoe themselves down the historic Green River. John Wesley Powell explored the Green River, a main tributary of the Colorado River, in 1869 as the first part of his epic journey down the Colorado. The students will paddle 48 miles over 3 ½ days. We camp along the riverbanks each night under the stars.
Cedar Mesa Backpacking
Trip Leaders: Jared Katzman and Ian Marzonie
Location: Cedar Mesa, Utah
Level: High Intensity (active 5+ hours per day, in the outdoors, with periods of intense exertion)
Vendor: Kent Mountain Adventure Center
Learn how to enjoy nature, work together, solve problems, have fun, and “leave no trace” as we explore beautiful Utah Canyons. Edward Abbey, the famed environmentalist, reminds us that “Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit.” We will backpack each day, camp under the stars and explore well-preserved Native American archaeological sites. Weather permitting, the trip will conclude with a refreshing dip in the Glenwood hot springs.
Colorado Fly Fishing
Trip Leaders: Matt Olmstead and Liston Hills
Location: Denver and Bailey, Colorado
Level: Medium intensity (moderate activity up to 3 hours per day)
Vendor: N/A
On the Fly Fishing Interim, students will learn the art of fly fishing. We will explore Colorado, engaging different river types, habitats, and river ecology, while introducing students to the importance of fisheries and water resources in the West today. Students will learn to evaluate fishing conditions, travel safely in the backcountry, and discover fishing hotspots close to home.
Craftsman and Apprentice
Trip Leader: Jennie Kies & Allie Bronston
Location: Denver, Colorado
Level: Low Intensity (sitting, standing, and light walking)
Vendors: Craftsman & Apprentice; Paper Airplane
In this hands-on design and woodworking Interim, participants will solve a problem on campus by developing empathy for their clients (teachers and students), prototyping possible solutions, and constructing their final design. We will work with the experts of Craftsman & Apprentice to understand how to work safely in the shop and learn foundational woodworking skills. From benches to bookshelves, racks to rockers, students will learn a variety of techniques to make practical and beautiful wood pieces that make a difference in our community.
Creative Crafty Cooking
Trip Leaders: Peggy Butler and Renee Medina
Location: Denver, Colorado
Level: Low intensity (sitting, standing, and light walking)
Vendor: Sticky Fingers and Stir Kitchen
Do you want to razzle and dazzle your friends and family by cooking yummy meals using basic cooking ingredients? Are you tired of heating up tasteless frozen snacks in the microwave? Then this is the Interim for you!
Discover Scuba
Trip Leaders: Kate MacKenzie and Erin Carlson
Location: Denver, Colorado (no overnight)
Level: Medium intensity (moderate activity up to 3 hours per day) | Must be able to swim
Vendor: A1 Scuba
This scuba Interim will provide students with a unique opportunity to learn how to scuba dive in a pool and then culminate their work by diving at the Downtown Aquarium on the final day of Interim! Students will learn how to engage in this sport in a safe way and to care for themselves as they are deep under water, enjoying the coral and wildlife.
Front Range Mountain Explorers
Trip Leaders: Erin Galvin and Donna Farrell
Location: Golden and Golden Gate Canyon State Park, Colorado
Level: Medium intensity (moderate activity up to 3 hours per day)
Vendor: Colorado Mountain Club
Students will explore Front Range open space and the Movement Rock Climbing Gym. Students will learn to climb, belay, and boulder in an indoor and outdoor setting. They will also attend a yoga class at Movement, learn map and compass skills, Leave No Trace ethics, plus local flora and fauna. Interim week will culminate with an overnight in cabins in Golden Gate Canyon State Park.
Ghost Ranch
Trip Leaders: Elisa Waugh and Liz McIlravy
Location: Abiquiu, New Mexico
Level: Medium intensity (moderate activity up to 3 hours per day)
Vendor: N/A
Venture to the stark and overwhelming beauty of Abiquiu, New Mexico to explore the natural surroundings that sparked painter Georgia O’Keeffe’s artistic genius. Take up residence at the historic, peaceful, and welcoming Ghost Ranch in rustic barracks on the mesa overlooking the expansive property. Wake up to clear blue New Mexican skies and meet each day with new adventures: yoga, hiking at the White Place, meditating mountainside, landscape painting, exploring Santa Fe’s best museums, and basking in the warm waters of Ojo Caliente Hot Springs.
Paddlesports on Local Rivers
Trip Leader: Forbes Cone
Location: Denver, Colorado (no overnights)
Level: Medium intensity (moderate activity up to 3 hours per day) | Must be able to swim
Vendor: Renaissance Adventure Guides
This exciting five-day kayaking/paddling Interim will explore both lakes and rivers in the Denver area. The week begins with learning paddle strokes, bracing, self-rescue, T-rescue, and the Eskimo roll at Chatfield Reservoir. During the final three days, the group will move to the Platte River and Clear Creek to navigate moving water and rapids. River safety, scouting, self-rescue and reading whitewater will promote respect for our lakes and rivers, while having a blast!
Rock Climbing at Clear Creek and Shelf Road
Trip Leaders: Elizabeth Drazdowski and Michael Alessi
Location: Denver and Cañon City, Colorado
Level: High Intensity (active 5+ hours per day, in the outdoors, with periods of intense exertion)
Vendor: Kent Mountain Adventure Center
Spend five days rock climbing in Colorado with experienced instructors from Kent Mountain Adventure Center! This local and away Interim will lead you up canyon walls in search of your limits as you immerse yourself in climbing and the outdoors. On your first two days, enjoy a local introduction to climbing at Earth Treks climbing gym and North Table Mountain near Golden, Colorado. The final three days and two nights will take you to Shelf Road near Cañon City, Colorado, where you’ll car camp, hone your climbing skills, and sleep under the stars.
Space Camp: Mission Accomplished
Trip Leaders: Steve Scherer and Beth Folsom
Location: Hutchinson, Kansas
Level: No Experience Necessary/ Low Intensity
Vendor: Cosmosphere
The Future Astronaut Training Program at the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center is an incredible week of hands-on, high-flying activities developed from actual astronaut training. This is an action-packed learning experience which includes spaceflight simulations, shuttle crew exercises, 4-G Centrifuge training, rocket building, IMAX movies, and students will be divided into teams to complete training missions.
Wild Ride in Moab
Trip Leaders: Bill Wolf-Tinsman, Karen Chavez, Hunter Worthley, and Jorge Muñoz
Location: Moab, Utah
Level: High Intensity (active 5+ hours per day, in the outdoors, with periods of intense exertion)
Vendor: Red River Adventures
Come have fun with us in one of America’s best known playgrounds—Moab, Utah. This multi-element trip includes hikes in Arches National Park and technical rock climbing and rafting down the Colorado River. No rafting, hiking, or climbing experience is necessary, but a great attitude and teamwork is essential.