This week was National Teacher Appreciation Week. At Colorado Academy, the Parent Association led efforts to thank our teachers and staff with yard signs and daily treats. It was so moving to see nearly 300 hand-drawn signs placed all over campus, capturing all that our teachers and staff mean to our students and families. Our faculty and staff have served heroically this year, and I know it means a lot to have such an outpouring of support. Each day of the week brought an expression of thanks, courtesy of the PA.
The PA also distributed cards that read, “Even in a normal year, we would want to say ‘thank you’ to our great faculty and staff. This was not a normal year. This year, you did the jobs you signed up for; and then you did so much more. This year, you did everything you did before the pandemic; and then you went the extra mile … every day.
“We needed you in a new way this year, and we didn’t even know what to ask for. You were there for our students and our community. You were courageous; you were kind. You lifted our spirits. You made us better students, citizens, parents, friends. And seeing how you kept going helped us to keep going. You inspired and encouraged us through the difficult days, and for that we are deeply grateful.”
I would like to publicly thank the PA executive committee, parent volunteers, and current president Alice Rydberg for their incredibly positive support this year. The PA is an organization committed to building community, and they, too, persevered under difficult circumstances.
As I look back at this year—and at my time in general at CA—I am enormously grateful for the people of our community. I have gotten to know extraordinary students, alumni, colleagues, parents, guest speakers, and public officials who have made me a better person and a stronger leader. It is gratifying, once again, to see the campus come to life with sports and arts events and performances. I have a strong sense that we are coming out of the darkness of the pandemic into a light where we get to enjoy the simple pleasure of just being together in person, at a place where a positive message on a yard sign means more than most can imagine. Thanks to everyone for your support and positive participation in our community.