I slipped on the snow when I got out of my car this morning. You know what that means? That’s right—it is time to start thinking about Summer. In particular, st...
Even as I wrote the title, I felt the irony. There isn’t one aspect of parenting that is difficult, but many. As we all know, it has been described as the most ...
I have caught myself more than once saying to myself as a parent, “My child would never do that.” This is ironic, of course, because as a principal for 25+ ye...
One of the more clever ad campaigns, in my opinion, was, “Got milk?” My variation on this theme is, “Got a good book?” While research on the benefits of homewor...
One of the most exciting aspects of working with Colorado Academy Middle School students is seeing the physical, academic, and social/emotional growth that happ...
Summer is a wonderful thing—a time for reading, family and play; yet, in my opinion, nothing beats the first day of school. The anticipation of a fresh start, t...
I love the cyclical nature of schools. There is an optimistic beginning, lots of hard work, good learning, occasional stumbles, heartfelt laughter in ...
By the time May rolls around, Colorado Academy Middle School students know the routine well. They understand school expectations and are used to being challenge...
Kathleen Kirkman and Thanh Luong
On February 13, Thanh Luong and Kathleen Kirkman, our Eighth Grade STEM dynamic duo, hosted a ThinkingLAB Workshop at Color...
It is intentional that Colorado Academy Middle School students don’t get to decide whether to take an art class or participate in athletics; instead, ...
If you are looking for a good book at Colorado Academy, take a stroll through the Middle School looking next to each teacher’s classroom door. Doing so, you wil...
“I’m so stressed out, I can’t believe how much homework we have,” or “that test was sooo hard” are refrains that we sometimes hear in our hallways. Th...
Each morning as I walk towards the Middle School at Colorado Academy, I pass the new red sculpture in front of the Ponzio Arts Center titled, “Peregrine.” ...
There are many ways to kick off a school year. We do it by first bringing together the 6th through 8th community and then coming together as a whole s...
When you are having fun, one hundred and seventy two days fly by; still, it seems like just yesterday that I was welcoming students back to school. As...
School climate is a delicate thing. You can feel it when it is right and know when something is off, but it is very difficult to put your finger specifically on...
Wednesday, January 24, 2018, marked the midpoint of the school year. I imagine there was not a lot of fanfare at your house, nor was it marked in any significa...
Not to give away the punchline in the first sentence, but I think we all know the answer to this one. Technology is the “frenemy” that we love most of the time,...
Beginnings are important. Setting a tone, creating a thoughtful school culture, helping others get off to a good start; this ALL matters in the early part of a...
