09.03.2024

Colorado SKIES Academy Families,

We were so excited to take our CSA learners to Wings Over the Rockies Exploration of Flight (EoF) on Friday afternoon to take part in their History Comes to Life event, where learners experienced an extraordinary odyssey through history, delving into the captivating stories of the C-47 ‘That’s All Brother’ and B-25 ‘Yellow Rose,’ and discovering the profound impact of these iconic aircraft. The C-47 “That’s All, Brother” led the invasion on D-Day in 1944, and the vintage B-25J Mitchell “Yellow Rose” is a WWII bomber. The presence of the Vietnam Helicopter War Museum added even more depth to the experience, highlighting the significant contributions of helicopter pilots during the Vietnam War. CSA was present at EoF throughout the weekend, and we were so happy to see many of our learners there with their families.

It’s hard to believe that the Presentation of Learning (POL) events for our learners’ mini-projects are here! Your grade-level teams included the POL details in the Week At A Glance (WAAG) last week, and they are also listed on our CSA Community Calendar. We look forward to seeing our 7th-grade parents tomorrow and learning how astronauts maintain health and fitness while in microgravity. We will hear from our 8th-grade finalist groups on Thursday, and they will present to a panel of industry experts about continuing or decommissioning the International Space Station (ISS). 6th graders will educate us on Friday about how data from the ISS is used in natural disasters. We ask that you continue to read the Weekly Flight Plan in its entirety for important reminders and updates.

Our website is now updated with the 2024-2025 CSA staff information, which can be found here. You are able to email any staff member by clicking on the Contact link under their name.

Express Check-In Forms 

Thank you to those who have completed the CSA Express Check-In Forms and Home Language Survey (English) and (Spanish). For those that haven’t, please be sure to complete them as soon as possible. These are required forms that must be completed if your child will continue being a learner at CSA this year. We have extended the deadline to this Friday, September 6th, and will be reaching out directly to those families that still need to complete their forms. Any learner who does not have their completed check-in by this Friday, September 6th, will not be able to attend school starting Monday, September 9th, until the forms are complete. More information can be found here. 

After School Clubs

After-school clubs kicked off last week from 3:00-5:00 p.m. 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 p.m.

• Monday: Physical Movement 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 placards for parents to hang from their mirrors 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 they 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. 

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns. We’re always here to support you and your learner. Welcome back, and let’s soar to new heights together!

Please be sure to check out our Community Calendar to see fun weekend activities at Wings Over the Rockies Exploration of Flight, the return of CSA’s Wingman for a Day events where interested middle school students can shadow a current CSA learner for the morning, weekly morning and evening tours and information sessions for interested families, and more!

In partnership, Directors Coryell and Motley

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