08.26.2024

flight simulator

Colorado SKIES Academy Families,

It’s been a great first couple of weeks! We hope that you’ve been hearing about your learner’s first mini-project last week involving the International Space Station! Learners also completed their NWEA MAP testing and were placed in their math and reading ability groups. We appreciate your continued patience as we work through all of the new processes and procedures for the new year.

We ask that you read the Weekly Flight Plan in its entirety for important reminders and updates.

Express Check-In Forms:

  • Thank you to those who have completed the CSA Express Check-In Forms. For those that haven’t, please be sure to complete them as soon as possible as the deadline for completion was Friday, August 16th as communicated in the message sent on Monday, August 12th. If forms are not completed by this Friday, August 30th, your learner will not be able to attend school until the forms are complete. More information can be found here.
  • Please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns. We’re always here to support you and your learner.

Home Language Survey:

  • Please complete the Home Language Survey (English) or Home Language Survey (Spanish) by this Friday, August 30th. It is required by the Colorado Department of Education so your prompt attention is deeply appreciated.

After School Clubs:

  • After school clubs will start this week from 3:00-5:00 pm daily. Attendance is flexible, and punch passes are valid for the entire school year. Please be sure that your learner is picked up by 5:00 pm.
    • Monday: Yoga with Ms. Natalia
    • Tuesday: Youth Empowerment Club with Mr. A
    • Wednesday: Dungeons & Dragons with Mrs. Lucas
      • Join our after-school Dungeons & Dragons club, where adventure knows no bounds—especially not Earth’s! Set on the rugged terrain of Mars, you’ll embark on epic quests in a world where the red sands conceal ancient secrets and mysterious creatures. Whether you’re a seasoned adventurer or new to the game, our club welcomes all to create legendary characters, forge alliances, and explore a world of imagination, strategy, and camaraderie. Every session is a new chapter in our Mars-based campaign, where the fate of a new frontier lies in your hands. Will you rise to the challenge?
    • Thursday: Study Hall followed by Dance Jam with Mr. A
    • Friday: Board Games & Art with Ms. Natalia

Dismissal Procedure:

  • All learners have been assigned a carline number and have been given their placard for parents to hang from their mirror at dismissal. The carline opens at 2:45 pm for both lanes to be occupied. If you enter the parking lot prior to 2:45, please line up on the inside lane closest to the sidewalk. It is imperative that one lane of our parking lot remain open until 2:45 pm in case of an emergency. Please be aware that if there are any cars in the outside lane (farthest away from the sidewalk), you will be asked to move to the end of the line of cars in the inside lane (lane next to the sidewalk).
  • The dismissal bell rings at 3:00 pm, and learners will exit out of the front doors based on their group number. Their group number is determined by their car’s place in the carline. There is an adult at the crosswalk directing learners to walk down the center line between the cars. Another adult is standing at the end of the lane before the curve, and if learners get to that adult without seeing their car, they get on the sidewalk and walk back to the crosswalk.
  • Once the front lanes of the carline look to have their learners, the adults at the crosswalk start releasing cars to exit the parking lot. They will be looking for a thumbs up or thumbs down from the driver in each car. A thumbs up indicates that the driver has their learner and is ready to leave. A thumbs down means that the driver does not have their learner so cannot exit the carline. This continues until the carline is cleared. Please do not call your learner over to your car. This causes confusion and delays in the dismissal process.
  • We are usually through the dismissal process in less than 15 minutes when directions are thoroughly followed. Please be patient as everyone gets used to the process, and please drive the speed limit, 5 mph, in our parking lot at all times.
  • It is also important to enter and exit the CSA parking lot per the Driveline Procedures located on the Back to School Information Hub.
  • If you are interested in carpooling with another CSA family, please visit the Carpool Signup under Resources. Once you complete the form, you will receive a link to the Google carpool map that shows the contact information for other CSA families that are interested in carpooling. Another suggestion is asking caregivers of your learner’s friends as we’ve seen many families carpooling that way also.

Per Colorado statute C.R.S 22-7-1013(7) requirements:

  • Schools are required to provide families with an assessment calendar that: 1) describes state/local assessments to be administered, 2) identifies whether the assessment is required by federal/state law or selected by the school, 3) provides the dates of administration, and 4) explains the purposes of the assessments and how CDE and the school use the results.
  • Please find the plan here and the calendar here.

Community Calendar:

Welcome back, and let’s soar to new heights together!

In partnership, Directors Coryell and Motley

“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.”

Upcoming Events
A playful airplane constructed entirely from canned food
November 
23 
Airplane cockpit with controls
December 
front of CSA building and parking area
December 
Airplane cockpit with controls
December 
Young aviator standing in front of an airplane
December 

Co-Pilot for a Day

We are recruiting our current learners and their friends, neighbors, and relatives to climb...

higher orbit
December 
Presentations of Learning logo image in blue front, CSA
December 
10 
Airplane cockpit with controls
December 
10 

speaker and attention sign

CSA Express Check-In Form

Dear CSA Families, I appreciate all of your patience and understanding with our delay in sending out this information. As we transitioned to Charter School Institute over the summer, we worked diligently to ensure that all of our policies and…

2 CSA Learners playing on a computer in a large classroom

Recap: New Family Orientation

It was such a pleasure to meet our new families and have meaningful conversations about how we do school at CSA. Additional information about the topics that were covered are linked below for anyone who would like to review. Ms….

Back to School text in purple chalkboard written on blackboard

Recap: Back to School Block Party

Flight Crew: Learners met their Squadron Commanders for Flight Crew. Learners who didn’t attend will see their Flight Crew posted on the wall to the right of the entrance doors, outside the Exploratorium. CSA’s Parent Action Committee (similar to PTO):…

Astronaut standing on the moon with an earth-filled thought bubble.

Thought of the Week

“Space is for everybody. It’s not just for a few people in science or math, or for a select group of astronauts. That’s our new frontier out there, and it’s everybody’s business to know about space.” –Christa McAuliffe, Address to…