When Head of School Dr. Mike Davis asked the youngest audience members at Colorado Academy’s opening All-School Assembly on August 20, 2024—the first day of school—what they were most looking forward to this year, the responses from Lower Schoolers were nearly unanimous: making new friends and having fun.
There may be other reasons families choose CA—a rigorous and adventurous curriculum stretching from Pre-K to Grade 12, the top-ranked athletics program in the state, endless visual and performing arts opportunities, and a comprehensive system of social and emotional coaching and support, just to name a few—but surely most everyone can agree that friends and fun are right up there at the top of the list.
Dr. Davis underscored that theme in his remarks to the 1,033 students, 200-plus faculty and staff members, and dozens of family members in attendance for the event that marks the official start of every school year.
“What really sets Colorado Academy apart is the way we all look out for one another as a community. It goes beyond respect for your peers; it’s asking ourselves how do we truly show each other grace, compassion, and kindness every day?”
The Head of School referenced the work of author and New York Times columnist David Brooks, who visits CA on September 12 as part of the SPEAK lecture series. Brooks’ best-selling book, How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen, touches on ideas that are central to the CA experience, Davis said. “Brooks points out that there is one skill that lies at the heart of any healthy person, family, school, community organization, or society: the ability to accurately know another person, to let them feel valued, heard, and understood. This year, I hope we all keep this in mind.”
Indeed, recognizing all corners of the CA community is part of the fun of the All-School Assembly. Davis urged attendees to applaud the efforts of faculty and staff members, who worked through the summer to prepare campus and classrooms for the new school year. He introduced new Assistant Head of School Amy Wintermeyer, who as part of her role will pay particular attention to belonging and inclusion at CA. And, per tradition, David called out the names of all 106 members of the Senior Class of 2025, who stood and cheered along with their proud friends, family, teachers, and peers.
“Every school year is a wild ride,” Davis concluded, referencing CA’s mustang mascot, “and you can’t always predict what’s going to happen: There are going to be incredible new opportunities for everyone, and there are also going to be challenges. But as part of the CA community, you know that you can lean in and ask for help and support, and there are so many people here who want to give that to you. We are all here for each other.”
After students and teachers departed the Assembly, it was time for all to dive into what Davis acknowledged as possibly the most important work of the new school year: building the foundation of trust, support, and belonging that makes everything else possible.
In the Lower School, students spent their day learning important rules and making class agreements about everything from sharing the recess field and playground equipment to observing Dining Hall best practices.
They learned how to walk as a group to the Athletic Center, the Ponzio Arts Center, and Schotters Music Center. They heard about the importance CA places on composting with “Guster,” the biodigester, and ensuring only compostable items go in the green bins around campus. They enjoyed reading together and sitting in their inclusive Responsive Classroom circles to share how the first day of school made them feel (happy, nervous, excited, and scared feelings were all noted in equal measure).
And students spent plenty of time getting to know each other and their teachers, setting the stage for a year of learning that would be as much about social emotional growth as about academics, the arts, and physical education.
Of course, no Lower School day is complete without multiple recess breaks, and students made the most of these on the first day of the year to stretch their muscles, try something new, or continue the important work of making friends.
Meanwhile, excitement was palpable as Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Graders enjoyed new freedoms and responsibilities in the halls of Chowdry Middle School. The newest Middle Schoolers, last year’s Fifth Graders, practiced opening combination lockers for the first time, and they nervously met the team of teachers and advisors who would guide them in discovering their new world.
Older and wiser, returning Seventh and Eighth Grade students greeted longtime friends and familiar teachers and staff members, and they made their way from class to class with all the confidence they’d earned in their year or two as Middle Schoolers.
CA’s advisory program begins in Middle School, so students spent much of their first day—and will continue to spend hours each week—with their advisory groups, where they’ll learn about and discuss an enormous range of topics, from digital citizenship to effective time management. Advisory games helped to break the ice and keep the focus on fun and friendship.
Things looked a bit more serious in the Upper School, where most teachers had students dive right into the curriculum—but not before Seniors staged their traditional costumed welcome for new Ninth Graders. This year, the Class of 2025 chose as their theme “Diving Deep,” an apt description of the richness of the CA Upper School experience.
Ninth Graders spent much of their day becoming familiar with all the Upper School entails: discussion-focused classes, Town Hall meetings, a plethora of elective and advanced course offerings, frequent breaks and opportunities to get help or complete work, and assignments built around technology tools such as Google Classroom and Showbie.
More experienced Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Graders looked forward to new electives in engineering and the arts as well as advancing explorations in literature, history, math, science, world languages, and more. Juniors and Seniors hurried to take advantage of the newest addition to Upper School academics, Advanced Studies and Research (ASR) courses, which feature new, teacher-created investigations every year in English, social studies, computer science, world language, and the arts.
At the end of their day, while most Lower and Middle Schoolers rushed to waiting school buses or family vehicles—eager to report on the day’s excitement—Upper Schoolers headed off to sports practices, underway for many since mid-August. It was the perfect opportunity to reconnect with friends and teammates to share updates on classes and schedules and pose the question, “How was your first day of school?”
