It is Commencement Day, and the weather has cleared. I’m up early to rehearse my graduation address. As I walk to my office just after sunrise, I am once again awed by the beauty of our Colorado Academy campus. Invigorated by the significant amount of rain we have received this spring, the trees and grass are a vibrant green.

Our Operations crew has been working on the graduation set-up for a couple of days; already chairs are set in neat rows on the Welborn lawn, and up on the stage, as well, for our graduates. The campus is peaceful and serene.

In these moments of tranquility at CA, when quiet replaces the laughter, voices, energy, and interaction of daily school life, I find the time to contemplate all that CA is.

I am exceedingly grateful for the tremendous sense of community that envelops the school. The faculty are exceptional educators who care deeply about their work with kids. Our staff members are also teachers, and they do so much to create the support system necessary for our work to thrive in the classroom. Our Board of Trustees holds the mission of the school in trust with the highest of ethical standards. My administrative team is one of visionary professionals who work to ensure that CA is one of the best schools in the nation. We have families who believe in the school, trust our faculty and staff, and whose engagement lifts the school up. We have dedicated alumni who remind us of the transformative power of a CA education. And, finally, we have students who inspire us, challenge us, make us grateful for the gift of life, and make us optimistic about what the future holds. I am so appreciative to have the honor of serving this community.

I hope that you all have a wonderful summer. I hope our students and families can get a much-needed break, and our faculty and staff can recharge and be inspired for the coming year. I encourage everyone to take some extra time away from screens and phones and connect with each other in authentic ways. We will be in touch over the summer about about the upcoming year, and best wishes and congratulations again to the Class of 2019.