Interim provides opportunities to get out the classroom to learn by doing, through exposure to new ideas, experiences and environments. Interim trips span the gamut from artistic pursuits, community engagement and wilderness expeditions. Immersion in a unifying trip concept broadens student’s 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 13 – Friday, May 17, 2019. 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 login to their MyCA account to complete the ‘Interim Waiver’ by Thursday, January 31, 2019 at 3:30 p.m. Here’s how:
- Click ‘Resources’ at the top of the page
- 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, student are required to provide their own specialized equipment (i.e., 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. To view a list of trips, click on the menu bars in the upper left corner of this page.
Back in Time
Trip Leaders: Sue Counterman, Lisa Dean & Rory Butler
Location: Colorado National Monument, Western Colorado
Level: High 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.
Backcountry Snow Adventures
Trip Leader: Kate MacKenzie
Location: Estes Park, Colorado
Level: High Intensity (active 5+ hours per day, in the outdoors, with periods of intense exertion)
Vendor: Colorado Mountain School
Students will spend four nights, five days in Estes Park just outside of Rocky Mountain National Park. Daily trips into Rocky Mountain National Park will focus on a variety of snow activities from ski touring, snow shoeing, snow science, snow safety and perhaps a snowball fight or two! Students should be comfortable outdoors, in the snow, and carrying a day pack. Students will be responsible for providing their own backcountry skis or snowshoes, which can be rented if needed.
Backroads New Mexico
Trip Leader: Thanh Luong
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 River, 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.
Caught In The Web
Trip Leaders: Steve Scherer and Beth Folsom
Location: Denver, Colorado
Level: Medium intensity (moderate activity up to 3 hours per day)
Vendor: American Eagle Productions
This Interim will introduce students to the wonderful and challenging world of creating theatre. In a mere four days we will produce a 45-60 minute production of the classic children’s book “Charlotte’s Web”. The show will premiere on Friday morning for the CA Lower School and have a final public performance on Friday evening at 5pm in the Froelicher Theatre. During the course of the week, students will be directed by theatre artists from the Chicago-based American Eagle Productions, a professional children’s touring theatre company.
Cedar Mesa Backpacking
Trip Leaders: Jared Katzman and Kathleen Kirkman
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.
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: Sara Monterroso
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 to care for oneself 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 Gates 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 State Park.
Ghost Ranch
Trip Leaders: Dani Goldstein 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, creating nature photography, landscape painting, 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 and Clear Creek Rivers 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 North Table Mountain and Shelf Road
Trip Leaders: Allie Bronston and Stashia Taylor
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 & 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 and hone your climbing skills and sleeping under the stars.
Toy Hacking
Trip Leaders: Jennie Kies and Kathy Zolla
Location: Denver, Colorado
Level: Low intensity (sitting, standing and light walking)
Vendor: N/A
Have you ever wanted to tear something apart to learn how it works? Well, in this Interim, students will have the chance to hack electronic toys to create something new. You will learn how to solder, program using Arduino to control motors, lights and sounds. You will learn electronics and design beyond the average middle school experience. Bring your passion for tinkering, experimentation, and design. At the end of the week, you will showcase the redesigned electronic toy, before taking it home.
Wild Ride in Moab
Trip Leaders: Bill Wolf-Tinsman, Liz Estacio, Rebecca Silva and Karen Chavez
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.