Colorado Springs - For the next three weeks high school students at The Colorado Springs School (CSS) are engaged in learning experiences that go far beyond textbooks and standardized tests. All traditional and Advanced Placement (AP) classes ceases as students take a part in Experience Centered Seminars.

Experience Centered Seminars (ECSs) are an integral part of the Upper School program at CSS and give students the skills necessary to conduct large-scale investigations in college and beyond. Each March, our students participate in a three- to four-week-long study that immerses them in academic subjects through a hands-on, interdisciplinary approach. ECSs approach broad, interdisciplinary questions to optimize the teaching of critical thinking, organized inquiry, in-depth analysis, and synthesis of information. They demand direct active participation and primary research in an environment outside of the classroom. Academic requirements include oral and written presentations, term papers, group work and projects, or final exams. The ECS experience sets students apart as they move into the collegiate world and beyond.

This year student's had the following offerings to choose from:
Sojourn in South East Asia: Past and Present Vietnam and Cambodia
The Lifeblood of America: From Soil to the City
Wall Street to Main Street
Winter Wilderness!
Geology in the West
Habitat

Complete descriptions of each seminar topic can be found at www.css.org/ecsblogs

In only the second day of Experience Centered Seminars, Olivia, a junior in the Class of 2016, composed this blog post to share her reflection of the Habitat ECS. Through the "Urban Experience" arranged by the Pikes Peak Justice and Peace Commission, students walked the path of the homeless in 12 degree weather.

"Experience Centered Seminar Blog
Habitat | Walking a Mile in Their Shoes

To truly empathize with and understand a person, one must "try to climb in someone's skin and walk around in it," as eloquently exhorted by "To Kill A Mockingbird" character, Atticus Finch. Well, this is exactly what the 2015 Habitat ECS attempted to do today. Reaching out to our friends at Pikes Peak Justice and Peace Commission, we had the unique opportunity to quite literally walk in the shoes of the homeless in a tour called "The Urban Experience." This tour was comprised of a day-long walking tour to better gain insight into the adversity many poverty-stricken individuals face on a daily basis. The snowy, windy, twelve-degree weather only helped to authenticate the experience. It's difficult to imagine staying out in frigid weather like this for most of the day, let alone a whole night.

We began the day by meeting our guide, a good natured gentleman named Mr. Steve Saint. He got the ball rolling by talking about what a homeless person does or can do in a typical day. Since many shelters do not allow their patrons to stay during the day, dismissing them each morning promptly at eight, homeless people must find alternatives to either find shelter (especially on a day like today), food, or company; and sometimes all three. We began in a rather low key gray complex that many wouldn't even bat an eye at, known as Urban Peak. I personally have lived in Colorado Springs my entire life, and never once knew about that particular building and its purpose. This is because Urban Peak is shrouded in anonymity, as the majority of its residents are underage. The identities of these urban youth are passionately guarded, as they are entitled to the same privacy non-homeless minors are. To enter the edifice, one must pass through a two dimensional circular cut out in a ten (or so foot) tall gray wall, fondly referred to as the "keyhole." Once one passes through this 'keyhole,' it is as if they are leaving behind their world of uncertainty and instability for a hope filled new future, chock- full of opportunities for success and prosperity. Unfortunately, we were not permitted to enter the facility due to their strict rules of anonymity, but we were greeted by Ms. Andrea, one of the coordinators of Urban Peak, who spoke to us about the role that Urban Peak plays in serving this community's youth. And I found it touching to hear how this establishment really becomes parents to many of the homeless teens out there.

After about a ten-minute trudge through the snow, we crossed through a murky alley way, zig zagged through a series of tight corners, and finally reached a modest cafe, set in the heart of the city. With the sweet smell of coffee permeating the air, and welcome heat filling the room from all sides, the Seeds Community Cafe creates a sense of intimate warmth draped in a cozy, relaxed, and safe environment. What makes this cafe so special is that customers can "order what they want, and pay what they want" (sign in hallway). This innovative idea allows homeless people, who may not have a whole lot of money, to pay what they can for a meal and a hot drink. If they don't have any money, they can trade an hour of hard work in the kitchen for a nice supper. However, if you do have a little extra money, and would like to support a good cause, you can pay a little more for a fare. A business like this may not be as profitable as the Starbucks around the corner, but it surely helps so many more people, from so many different walks of life, allowing them refuge from the cold, and giving them a safe, warm place to socialize.

Once we had learned about Seeds Community Cafe, we went to the Marian House for lunch. This was a highlight for many, myself included. This experience allowed us to integrate, and talk to the very people we are trying to learn about. So far, we had mostly been talking to those who helped the homeless, but not the homeless themselves. It was both humbling fascinating to sit and talk with them one on one. I know that many of my classmates enjoyed this part the most. They said all sorts of things, sharing advice, ("don't get pregnant," being one of my personal favorites), laughing at each other's stories, delighting in one another's triumphs, and sympathizing in their hardships. I sat next to a man from Chicago who 'rode the rails' to get around all over the U.S. He had been all the way up to Anchorage, Alaska, to Phoenix, Arizona, and was still planning on seeing more. I also met a man who wrote and played songs. He was a self-taught bass player who went around looking for gigs to earn a little extra cash. I really enjoyed immersing myself in the universal language of music with him. Music connects us all, and even though we came from very different walks of life, we were able to connect over our love of art.

Finally, we made our way over to Peter's Bike shop. Located on a back road right across from the train tracks behind the Antler's Hilton building, Mr. Peter repairs bikes in a humble workshop supplied to him by a bigger bike company. A short walk down a flight of stairs puts you in his studio, located well below ground level. Inspirational quotes about helping others, making a difference, and being special were scattered around on each wall; in combination with his energetic personality, they filled the room with a positive vibe of love and happiness. Mr. Peter repairs and gives bikes to anyone with the need. In exchange, he asks that they help him in some way, usually playing to their skills. For example, he fixed up a bike for a man who was good at working with computers. Now, if he needs any help with electronics, he knows who to get a hold of. Another man pumped up bike tires, and a third swept up broken glass. He believes that we were put on this planet to help each other, and that through helping each other, we help ourselves. Here is a man who has given his life to serving others. When he woke up today, he didn't know what he was going eat, how he was going to get to work, or who he was going to meet. And he loved every minute of it. Meeting people like him, so unconcerned with material objects and money, is a refreshing thing. While money and material objects are no doubt important, they aren't everything, and they certainly aren't required for happiness. Mr. Peter is living proof of that.

I, like many of my classmates was truly humbled by this experience. It has made me so grateful for the things I have. This experience has really opened my eyes to the struggles of those afflicted individuals, and has given me greater empathy towards a demographic I thought I once knew. I think we can all learn a little something from all the people we've met here today. And I do believe it's incredibly true and relevant that "the measure of a civilization is how it treats its weakest members" (Gandhi).

Written by: Olivia W., Junior, Class of 2016
Thursday, February 26, 2015"

ABOUT THE COLORADO SPRINGS SCHOOL (CSS)
CSS offers an experiential educational curriculum for PreKindergarten - 12th graders. Through superior academics and mentoring, The Colorado Springs School prepares students to think independently and to meet the needs of a dynamic world with leadership, ingenuity, problem-solving skills, and personal integrity. Learn more at www.css.org or visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheColoradoSpringsSchool


Attached Media Files: Urban Peak , Walkign the path of homeless , Peter's Bike Clinic

IntelliTec Medical Institute (IMI) Evening classes canceled, 2/26

IntelliTec Medical Institute (IMI) Evening classes canceled, 2/26

IntelliTec Medical Institute (IMI) 2-Hr Delay Thurs

Kristi Tilghman, a senior at The Colorado Springs School (CSS) will participate in the Sojourn in South East Asia: Past and Present Vietnam and Cambodia as the 2015 recipient of the John-Alex Mason Experience Centered Seminar (ECS) Scholarship. As a CSS alumnus of the Class of 1994, John-Alex Mason had been active in the life of the school and even planned and led a Blues ECS alongside faculty. As a student, John-Alex's passions were explored and nurtured at CSS. His family credits CSS for offering transformative educational experiences such as ECSs that allowed John-Alex to pursue his music career and become a well-known Blues musician. After John-Alex's passing in October of 2011, memorial gifts from family and friends established a scholarship fund to fully fund an ECS experience for a deserving student.

Imaging herself as a modern Indiana Jones, Kristi looks to fully embrace the adventure to Cambodia and Vietnam. But as a more serious scholar, Kristi first became intrigued with this part of the world during her Advanced Placement History Class in which she studied the Vietnam War. She recalls being "absolutely struck" by a series of letters a soldier had written about the horrors of war. Her vivid imagination wants to take those words off the pages and experience the country and culture first hand in the present day.

She has furthered her interest in this subject through her Advanced Placement Comparative Politics course this year. The three-week ECS seminar will now give her the opportunity to delve deeper into the political and economic challenges faced by these countries as well as explore cultural and environmental wonders. An element of service runs deep for Kristi as she serves as a member of the National Honor Society. Her humanity attracts her to the service component of this ECS. Students will help build a shaded outdoor reading space at a local Vietnamese school. The reading shelter will provide a respite from the sun for those students wishing to read while outside.

With an optimistic outlook and a fervor for life, Kristi aspires to study international business in college and is eager to make her college decision. She has already received many college acceptances and Trinity and Lake Forest are two schools among the top of her choices. As a thespian at CSS, Kristi starred as Belle in the school's musical production of Beauty and the Beast last spring and this year she will explore a new stage on Boddington Field as she has decided to play soccer for the first time this spring. Kristi also played volleyball for the Kodiaks and recently earned a Scholastic Art Award for a charcoal figure-drawing. She is an active member of KICS, a philanthropy club at school and Upstagers, the drama club.

Kristi is a veteran student at CSS having embraced a love for experiential learning and seminars since preschool. As a high school student she has previously participated in the Desert Solitaire ECS, The Brain ECS, and the Marine Biology ECS in Bonaire.

Interested in the continued adventures of the Experience Centered Seminar program? Follow the ECS Blogs at www.css.org/ecsblogs

MORE ABOUT THE SOJOURN IN SOUTH EAST ASIA: PAST AND PRESENT VIETNAM AND CAMBODIA
Recently recovering from decades of war and isolation, Vietnam today has become a country renowned for its tremendous economic growth, welcoming people, and rich history. We explore Vietnam's rich and diverse cultures and history from 15th century port villages like Hoi An, to capital city, Hanoi, which recently celebrated it's first millennium in 2010. We delve deeply into the history of the Vietnam war, visiting sites like the Hoa Loa Prison (Hanoi Hilton), the tunnels of Cu Chi, and the War Remnants museum in Saigon. We also learn about Vietnam's rich environmental wonders as we explore the Mekong Delta and paddle in the world class kayak destination of Ha Long Bay. Our group works hands-on with at least one NGO that has worked to combine historic and cultural preservation with the goals of economic development. We wrap up our experience with the powerful comparisons and contrasts of Cambodia, where we spend 5 days immersing ourselves in local culture. From the world famous temple at Angkor Wat to the Killing Fields and Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh, students delve deeply into Cambodia's beautiful and tragic past.

MORE ABOUT EXPERIENCE CENTERED SEMINARS (ECSs)
Experience Centered Seminars (ECS's) are an integral part of the Upper School program and give our students the skills necessary to conduct large-scale investigations in college and beyond. Each March, our students participate in a three- to four-week-long study that immerses them in academic subjects through a hands-on, interdisciplinary approach. ECS's approach broad, interdisciplinary questions to optimize the teaching of critical thinking, organized inquiry, in-depth analysis, and synthesis of information. They demand direct active participation and primary research in an environment outside of the classroom. Academic requirements include oral and written presentations, term papers, group work and projects, or final exams. The ECS experience sets our students apart as they move into the collegiate world and beyond.

MORE ABOUT THE JOHN-ALEX MASON ECS SCHOLARSHIP
Established by friends and family of alumnus, John Alex-Mason '94, the John-Alex Mason ECS Scholarship is a full, merit-based memorial scholarship for a deserving student to explore their passion through an ECS. John-Alex Mason played an active role in the life pf the school and even planned and led a Blues ECS alongside faculty. As a student, John-Alex's passions were explored and nurtured at CSS. His family credits CSS for offering transformative educational experiences such as ECSs that allowed John-Alex to pursue his music career and become a well-known Blues musician. An application and essay are submitted by students and reviewed by a scholarship committee.

Past Recipients:
2013: Travis McDowell - The Blues
2014: Carl Churchill - Peru
2015: Kristi Tilghman - Sojourn in South East Asia

ABOUT THE COLORADO SPRINGS SCHOOL (CSS)
CSS offers an experiential educational curriculum for PreKindergarten - 12th graders. Through superior academics and mentoring, The Colorado Springs School prepares students to think independently and to meet the needs of a dynamic world with leadership, ingenuity, problem-solving skills, and personal integrity. Learn more at www.css.org or visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheColoradoSpringsSchool


Attached Media Files: John-Alex Mason, CSS Alumnus Class of 1994 , Kristi Tilghman, 2015 Recipient of the John-Alex Mason ECS Scholarship

On Wednesday, February 25, 9 a.m., Mayor Steve Bach will present Palmer High School's Digital Media Studies Team with the Spirit of the Springs Award for being named Colorado Best in State for the app they created in the 2014-15 Verizon Innovation App Challenge. More than 1,000 app concept submissions were received for this challenge. Palmer's team will be listed as a Best in State winner on the Verizon Innovative App Challenge website.

The Colorado Springs School District 11 Board of Education will have a board meeting on Wednesday, February 25, 2015, 6:30 p.m. The consent/action items on this agenda include:
* Policy INJA: Teacher Aides
* Policy IC/ICA: School Year/School Calendar
* Policy ID: School Day
* Real Estate Contract - Katherine Lee Bates Elementary School
* Real Estate Contract - Abraham Lincoln Elementary School
* Resolution 2015-25: Career Technical Education Month
* Resolution 2015-26: Restoring the Negative Factor Before Providing TABOR Refunds
* Resolution 2015-27: Read Across America
* Resolution 2015-28: Women's History Month
* Resolution 2015-29: FY14/15 Interfund Borrowing
* Resolution 2015-30: Opposing SB15-077 Parents Bill of Rights

To view the agenda, go to the Board of Education webpage, hover over meetings, and select BoardDocs Public Site. The February 25 agenda is featured.

Colorado Springs, Colorado - At The Colorado Springs School (CSS) seminars are at the heart of experiential education and hands-on learning. In the Middle School, sixth - eighth grade students have the opportunity to experience and study a particular topic authentically, using primary research, all in an effort to enhance "enduring understanding." Middle School seminars are underway from February 17 - February 20, 2015.

During the "Feeling the World in Different Ways" seminar (picture and course description below),students explored a variety of paralympic sports, including wheelchair basketball, at The United States Olympic Training Center.

All seminar courses have been placed in five different categories: Outdoor Education, Arts, STEM, Life Skills, and Social/Current Issues. These categories help guide a student to step outside of their comfort zones and discover new passions.

2015 CSS Seminar II Course Offerings
Feeling the World in Different Ways
In Harper Lee's classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus tells his daughter, Scout, that "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." We will attempt to do just that in this seminar designed to help foster empathy within each of us. During our time together, we will explore the cultures of those who are deaf, blind or paralyzed and meet people who not only live with these disabilities but also thrive with them every day. We will meet a guide dog team and learn about raising a puppy for companion work. We will spend a morning at the Olympic Training Center playing several different Paralympic sports (sitting volleyball, goalball and wheelchair basketball), and we may have the privilege of speaking with a Paralympic athlete. We also hope to spend time at Colorado College meeting an inspirational soccer player who only has a left leg and recently competed in Mexico at the 2014 Amputee World Cup. Using only parts of our bodies, we will try to create art with Mr. Wolfe and ride adaptive bicycles at Angle Tech. We will also visit the Alpine Autism Center to observe and learn about children with autism. After experiencing some of the challenges associated with different handicaps, we will examine ways to make a positive difference in the world. We will speak with the woman who helped design a wheelchair-accessible playground in town and meet her high-school daughter who uses a wheelchair. If possible, we will get the opportunity to interact and play with children who use wheelchairs every day. Ultimately, we will learn that the only disability in life is a bad attitude. Join us for a truly memorable seminar that will challenge, teach and inspire.
Instructors: Mrs. Hatch and Ms. Beardsley
Course Category: Social/Current Issues

Calling All Bakers: JUST DESSERTS!
What is your favorite dessert? Do you like desserts made out of fruit, ice cream, cake or chocolate? If so, this seminar is going to be one, sweet experience for you! On this culinary adventure, we will be exploring the delectable world of desserts. You will learn the basics of baking, some decorating techniques, and how to make various dietary substitutions. For example, you will be making crepes, gourmet cupcakes, fondue, candy molds, homemade ice cream, cookies, and edible fruit arrangements. You will then use frosting, glaze, and fondant to put the finishing touches on your delectable treats. While you create these desserts, we will discuss and test healthy substitutions. By the end of the week, you will be well prepared to design the perfect dessert for a client who will commission your sweet services. Your team will need to interview the client, come up with the perfect dessert, find a recipe, shop within your budget for ingredients and decorations, and then prepare the dessert. Once the desserts are all completed, a panel of judges will award prizes in various categories for the winning creations.
Instructors: Mrs. Johnston and Ms. Wills
Course Category: Life Skills

Build it Yourself: Construction Skills
The purpose of this course will be to develop an idea and make it into a reality. We will attempt to create three-dimensional learning by rebuilding and creating structures. This starts with understanding the process of construction. We will participate in many roles and responsibilities of people, tools, and materials involved in the art of construction. Students will use hand and power tools. They will need to utilize their problem-solving skills and work collaboratively with others. Students will work in teams that have specific responsibilities each day. The culmination of the week will be to fulfill "contracts" by producing quality structures/objects that provide for an intended use. This seminar will happen primarily on campus.
Instructor: Mr. Biedermann
Course Category: Life Skills

Wax on Fire
Melting, pouring, freezing, dipping, and burning. These are some of the things we will do in this fire and candle-making seminar. Students will learn chemistry related to making candles and burning them. This will be done within a student-driven engineering and design process. Individual students will identify candle-making challenges they want to solve, and they will form groups based on which challenge they want to take on. It will then be time for prototyping and the testing-redesigning-modifying-retesting process. By the end of the course, students who successfully navigate their challenge will likely come home with interesting and innovative candle designs in addition to their own candle mold. All engaged students will complete the course with an understanding of candle-making and burning processes, knowledge of how to safely handle fire and molten liquids, and direct experience in the engineering and design process. This seminar does not include any overnights; most of our time will be spent doing hands-on activities on campus. The course is intended for students who like to explore, experiment, and create. Students should have the maturity to safely handle fire, high temperature liquids, and cutting utensils.
Instructor: Mr. Gaylord and Dr. Cummings
Course Category: Arts

Colorado Wildlife
Students will learn about the wild animals of Colorado, which range from reptiles, to fish, to mammals and birds. During these four days we will talk to a variety of wildlife
professionals and spend lots of time outdoors viewing wildlife on our own. We will research different wildlife issues and discuss possible solutions. We will trap and band
raptors, track deer, fox, and elk, and observe bighorn sheep and pronghorn antelope. We will visit a wolf sanctuary, and we will identify many songbirds that are common to our
backyards. Students will get a chance to handle live animals. They will also learn about endangered species and develop skills for finding, approaching and photographing or
drawing wild animals.
Course Category: STEM

Wild Winter on the White River Plateau
Students will have the opportunity to use and develop interpersonal, leadership, and outdoor skills in winter survival field sessions and on an expedition to Fulford Cave in the White River National Forest of Colorado. This expedition will involve snowshoeing to the cave at just under 10,000 feet, gearing up, and then entering the 8th largest cave system in Colorado, complete with an underground river, waterfall, and spectacular ice formations. Students will learn important winter body management concepts, how to organize an expedition, a variety of wilderness skills, and cave conservation issues and techniques. We will stay for three nights (February 17-19, 2014) in cabins at Sylvan Lake State Park and use them as the base for our expedition and field sessions. After our successful and rewarding trip into Fulford Cave, we will be rejuvenated by a soak in the Glenwood Hot Springs. If students are interested in expanding their outdoor skills repertoire and are prepared for a rigorous, yet exciting, expedition into the underground world, then this is the seminar for them.
Instructors: Mr. White and Mrs. Pereda
Category: Outdoor Education

ABOUT THE COLORADO SPRINGS SCHOOL (CSS)
CSS offers an experiential educational curriculum for PreKindergarten - 12th graders. Through superior academics and mentoring, The Colorado Springs School prepares students to think independently and to meet the needs of a dynamic world with leadership, ingenuity, problem-solving skills, and personal integrity. Learn more at www.css.org or visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheColoradoSpringsSchool


Attached Media Files: CSS students participate in wheelchair basketball at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - Geo-spatial and emergency operations professionals from areas surrounding here will be gaining skills to better prepare emergency responders and the general public in a potential crisis Friday, February 20th at 12:45 p.m.

Peterson AFB is the only Air Force installation in the U.S. to own a 3D laser used to create maps for crisis response. The team here along with representatives from Federal Emergency Response Agency (FEMA), emergency operations personnel from the City of Colorado Springs and other participants will train together on GIS mapping software. The team will start by discussing the 2014 Oso, Washington landslide as a case study and then move into imagery analysis for the local area. Good maps combined with proper training can mean evacuations move more smoothly and predictions are more accurate during crisis planning.

The 3D laser was used to create maps of Williams Canyon prior to the 2013 flooding and the subsequent maps were deployed to smooth evacuations in the area. Maps can also be overlaid with city data, platting information, ZIP codes or other criteria.

The team will also host students from STARBASE Academy who are learning how mapping is critical to emergency operations teams.

WHO: Students and teachers of Panorama Middle School
WHAT: Program to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
WHEN: Thursday, February 19, 2015, at 6:00 p.m.
WHERE: Panorama Middle School

Please see attached for more information.


Attached Media Files: 2015-02/1351/81967/2015_Panorama_Martin_Luther_King_Event.pdf

Harrison School District Two's Board of Education will now meet at 5:30 p.m. for a pre-Board meeting with the regular meeting starting at 6:00 p.m.. Please note this change will begin with our upcoming Board of Education meeting scheduled for Thursday, February 19th.

The Colorado Springs School District 11 Board of Education will have a board meeting on Wednesday, February 11, 2015, 6:30 p.m. The consent/action items on this agenda include:
* Policy EBCE: District/School Closings, Activity-Related Cancellations, Late Starts, and Early Releases
* Policy IE: Organization of Instruction
* Policy IMB: Teaching About Controversial/Sensitive Issues
* Policy IMBB: Exemptions from Required Instruction
* Policy KEC: Public Concerns/Complaints About Instructional and Library Resources
* Policy IGA: Curriculum Development
* Policy IGD: Curriculum Adoption
* Policy IGF: Curriculum Review
* Policy IGE: Curriculum Guides and Course Outlines
* Proposed School Year Calendar 2015-2016

To view the agenda, go to the Board of Education webpage, hover over meetings, and select BoardDocs Public Site. The February 11 agenda is featured.