community

One of the signature offerings at CRMS is the Advisor Program. Each student is assigned a faculty advisor for the duration of their CRMS experience. The role of the advisor is twofold: the advisor serves as a liaison between the student’s parents or guardians and the school for all questions, concerns, and guidance; and the advisor serves as an advocate, guide, and supporter to the student through life at CRMS. Over time, the advisor often takes on a mentorship role to students, who form a long-lasting relationship with their advisor.

The purpose of the Advisor Program is to develop the character of each student during their time at CRMS. Each student is part of an Advisory Group that consists of their advisor and a small group of students from their grade. Through meaningful relationships that form between the Advisory Groups and advisors, advisees are routinely challenged to define themselves and seek personal growth through the CRMS recognition system to develop perseverance, curiosity, optimism, social intelligence, and self-regulation.

Advisory Groups meet multiple times, including weekly Advisory Meetings, All-School Meeting, and Formal Dinners. During Advisory Meetings, Advisory Groups focus on agenda items such as academic courses, preparation for student-led conferences, active and outdoor trips, and social and wellness issues. Students informally see their advisors and advisory group members throughout the week, whether in the classroom, dining hall, in the dormitories or after school actives. The Advisory Groups ultimately serve as a support program and “family” away from home for our students.

This crew repairs and tunes bikes for members of the Colorado Rocky Mountain School community in the bike shop on campus. The bike shop service crew teaches students about basic bicycle maintenance and repair. Additionally, the bike shop strives to promote bicycling as an efficient and healthy means of alternate transportation.

community

"One of my favorite parts of CRMS is living in the dorm. I love the close knit community of girls that feels like family. It seems not like we live together, but that we spend time together. For me it is spending 24/7 with my best friends, whether we are throwing impromptu dance parties in the common room, getting ready for Formal Dinners, or talking with each other during dorm check. Everyone is so kind, encouraging, and respectful of each other."

Kai Y. 12th Grade Boarder

Attending a boarding school might just be the most life-changing experience you have ever considered. Sharing a community with like-minded peers and adult mentors is powerful for a young person's growth at this age. It is also a ton of fun!

Boarding students at CRMS enjoy life in one of the most beautiful mountain towns in the western United States and have built-in access to an incredible faculty who all also reside on campus with their families. In the dorms, students will find their "home away from home." While living on campus means being away from family and what is familiar, it also supplies an excellent opportunity for students to learn and grow in social and living skills. At CRMS, they are able to do that with the support and care from on-campus faculty.

Students build strong relationships with the faculty and staff as well as their peers. Students get to know the adults in the community not only as their teachers but also as their coaches, their trip leaders, their dining mates, and their co-workers. Alumni frequently cite the relationships they formed with faculty as one of the best things about their CRMS education. When students graduate, they are comfortable with relating to adults and being able to ask adults for what they need. This is a significant skill both for college and for life.

Each weeknight boarding students check into the dorms at 7:30 pm and begin with dorm jobs, which are typical household chores. Students then clean their rooms and attend a proctored study hall. Study hall is two hours spent working together or individually on homework assignments, followed by the famous "brush and flush" and lights out. Students needing some extra time on their homework may ask for "late lights."

While many high school students need to call friends on the phone and ask for homework help or wait until the next day in class to ask the teacher, boarders can work together on assignments and ask their classroom teacher for additional help on what was taught in class. Having the teaching faculty as dorm parents is a huge help to students and their academics; it also provides an opportunity to get to know one another on different levels. Living, working, and playing together promotes a family atmosphere for dorm parents and residents.

Dormitories

Dorm life at CRMS is a good life.  CRMS is fortunate to have seven recently renovated dormitories, which are divided by gender and grade level. Typically two students share a room, and each hallway has a dedicated modern bathroom and shower facility. Student dorm heads have the opportunity to live in a single room because of their unique leadership role. Given the school's 300+ acres, the dorms enjoy surrounding open space, river frontage, and spectacular views of Mt. Sopris. In addition, the dorms are designed to be energy efficient and incorporate modern finishes throughout, such as beetle-kill pine paneling, expansive windows allowing abundant natural light, and warm inviting colors. The common areas anchor each dorm with large and well-appointed living and kitchen amenities. Students at CRMS love their living spaces and make these dorms become their homes. The friendships built behind these walls last a lifetime.

Weekends

Weekend Rendezvous

Why Boarding?

Dormitories

Weekends

Weekend Rendezvous

Why Boarding?

BEGINNING, INTERMEDIATE, ADVANCED, COMPETITIVE The climbing program teaches students of all abilities to develop and hone their skills, beginning in the school’s extensive indoor climbing facility and moving to the outdoors at world-class bouldering and sport climbing areas within an hour of campus. This program has broad appeal for students new to climbing as well as for those who are interested in competing on the championship Climbing Team.

Beginners learn the basics, intermediates stretch their skills, and advanced climbers push their limits. For those who participate, climbing is more than merely an after-school sport — it is a fabric of their life at school.

Students can participate in the climbing program all four quarters during the school year. Afternoons, weekends, and extended trips are opportunities to teach and challenge climbers of all abilities. In the first and fourth quarters, the focus of the climbing program is instructional. During those quarters, CRMS climbers head to the school’s well-equipped climbing gym or the great outdoors two days a week to learn the intricacies of climbing safety. During the second and third quarters, the climbing program transitions its efforts to the competitive Climbing Team, where training, teamwork, and strength become the focus.

In all levels of the climbing program, students are taught all the necessary safety and rope-handling skills to ensure they are well versed and capable in the climbing arena. Once proficient in safety, student climbers learn all aspects of the sport, from bouldering to sport and crack climbing and can explore many different areas that are within a day's reach of school. Plus, they train regularly on the school’s indoor bouldering wall, and the competitive team travels throughout the state for competitions.

Students enjoy a wide variety of climbing designations that offer the best possible training options available. From desert-crack climbing in Utah to the world-class sport climbing area of Rifle to the massive conglomerate boulders of Redstone, CRMS climbers experience firsthand all the different climbing options.

Plus, when the snow flies, CRMS climbers head inside and train on set routes and problems on the extensive competition indoor climbing wall. The CRMS wall was built by students and faculty with help from outside designers and structural engineers. The gym includes 2200 sq. ft. of a well-designed bouldering wall.

The school Climbing Team competes in the Colorado High School Climbing League. Competitions occur throughout the state and climbers will travel to the Regional and State Championships if they qualify. Every year, the CRMS girls’ and boys’ varsity teams compete for first place in the state of Colorado. CRMS always finishes well in these competitions, but what sets CRMS apart from other schools is that CRMS students fall in love with climbing and find passion within the sport.

Academics

College Counseling

Colorado Rocky Mountain School offers a comprehensive college counseling program to guide students and parents through the complex process of applying for college. The primary goal is to help students identify colleges and universities that are the best match for their unique personalities, strengths, interests, and needs and to aid families with the application process. Through regular meetings with the college counselor and online resources, CRMS prepares its students to identify, apply, and matriculate to selective colleges and universities across the country.

Informally, the process begins when a student enters CRMS. The college counselor meets with all new students to provide a snapshot of the application process. Students are well informed about how to maximize their high school experience to best position themselves for the college application process. The college counselor also works closely with faculty advisors and deans as they help students choose appropriately challenging classes. Students begin working formally with the college counselor weekly during the second semester of their junior year. The college counselor discusses an overview of the college admissions process, criteria for choosing compatible schools, available materials and resources, testing, college visits, interviews, essays, and the application. The college counselor encourages students to reflect on their interests, talents, and goals and then research and explore the colleges that will foster those abilities and aspirations. Advice and guidance are provided during this self-evaluation. At CRMS, students must play the lead role throughout the college application process. It is, however, a collaborative effort among the counselor, advisors, students, and their families and CRMS encourages parents to play an active role. Conversations throughout the junior and senior years allow everyone to work together in the best interests of each student.

The college counselor meets with parents in the fall of the student’s senior year in group and individual informational sessions during Family Weekend and takes part in scheduled conferences throughout the year. Parents are provided with a weekly email update of student activities and are encouraged to communicate often with the college counseling office. Seniors are given a five-day period in October exclusively for college visitation. Parents and students also use a web-based college counseling program, Naviance, to keep abreast of the application process. The college counselor additionally serves as a liaison to college admission offices, promoting an understanding of the CRMS program.

In a progressively tighter college market, the college admission process is more complicated than ever. At CRMS, experience demonstrates that there are indeed programs for everyone, and the goal each year is to find the very best fit for each student academically, socially, athletically, geographically, and financially. Finding this fit is not always an easy process, often entailing hard work and even some rejection. One hundred percent of graduates are accepted to four-year colleges and universities, which explicitly validates the school’s efforts and college placement philosophy.

The purpose of this activity is to serve the school community through the creation of valuable pieces of blown glass. In order to accomplish this, students go through an extensive safety orientation and then spend a good deal of time developing the skills needed to work in this medium. Teamwork is a vital element in the actual making of pieces and in the sharing of knowledge. Students have made drinking glasses for the dining room as well as bowls and other items. Students also have a bit of time to make their own work.

With over 300 pastoral acres that were formerly a working ranch, CRMS has a rich history with horses. The horse program is divided into two sections – a start-up section and an intermediate/experienced section. Both sections follow a “whole horse” curriculum based on the following fundamental values: the horse/human connection; horse care and well-being; groundwork and training principles; fundamental riding skills; and agility series. The overall goal of the CRMS horse program is to develop a rich and rewarding relationship with horses as a way to foster such traits as confidence, connection, and mastery of basic equine skills.

Students work in the school’s organic vegetable garden. They have the opportunity to learn all aspects of horticulture, from soil preparation to harvesting. The student-built geodesic-dome greenhouse, straw-bale building, and hoop greenhouse serve as the hub of the garden, and students maintain those spaces in working order. Food from our garden provides organic vegetables for our dining room.

Programs

Interim is a two-week period in February where students pause their regular coursework and engage in an intensive project or experience. The goal of CRMS Interim is to offer students experiences and pursuits that enable them to learn by doing and expose them to new ideas, experiences, and environments. The opportunity to immerse themselves in this quest for knowledge in a specific discipline beyond a regular academic schedule allows students to broaden their skills, appreciation, and awareness of the world in which we live.

The purpose of Interim is to:

• Challenge students to learn and develop new ideas, awareness, and skills
• Help students better understand the workings of communities and the value of service to others
• Promote active learning and experiential education
• Assist students to develop sustainable life skills that will help them reach their full potential and personal goals

Sample Interim projects include:

• Ancestral Puebloan: At Native American sites in southeastern Utah, students study rock-art panels, ruins, and archaeological sites.
• Avalanche safety and winter skills: At locations near campus and in the high peaks of the San Juan Mountains, participants study avalanche science and avalanche safety.
• Glassblowing: Through demonstrations and hands-on instruction, participants explore different ways of shaping molten glass to create beads, vases, and other objects.
• Ski Building: Students learn the art of building their own pair of skis; from determining the size to the final graphics. 
• Language and cultural trip, Mexico: By taking formal language classes and living with host families, students immerse themselves in another culture and language.
• Tropical Ecology, Costa Rica: In seminars with respected field biologists and individual research projects, participants study flora and fauna of the tropical forest canopy.
• Cooking and Culture in Santa Fe, NM: Students participate in a multi-day cooking school and discover art and food throughout the southwest region.
• Civil Rights History and Refugee Activism: Students travel to the southern United States to learn about the history of the Civil Rights Movement, all while considering issues of social justice and equity.
• Volcanology and Island Chain Succession. Students explore the shield volcanoes of Hawaii and the many terrestrial and marine expressions and the processes that created them.

community

Colorado Rocky Mountain School is a healthy, thriving community, balancing the needs and desires of individuals with what is good for the whole. Community requires presence, commitment, and active participation, and the reward is a sense of meaningful connection to an exceptional place.

CRMS students are encouraged to take on leadership roles in the community to express their growth and maturity. In these positions, students are expected to model the values of the school, encourage positive risk-taking, and uphold all school rules. Opportunities for leadership at CRMS are not limited to upperclassmen, nor is leadership always defined by a specific position. Below are some examples of leadership opportunities for students at CRMS.

Holden Citizens Collapse

Holden Citizenship is the highest level of recognition that a student may have at CRMS and is bestowed on students who have demonstrated the greatest effort academically, athletically, and socially. Holden Citizens are students who have distinguished themselves in the Recognition System, a system that recognizes each student individually for his or her sustained effort, growth, and maturity.

Because of this recognition, Holden Citizens earn privileges that speak to the trust that they have earned, such as permission to study out of the dorm at night and eligibility to lead a Household Job or Service Crew. In short, Holden Citizens model the three values of the CRMS community—respect, responsibility, and excellence—and are examples to all who interact with them.

Agenda Expand Agenda is the name of the elected student government, and its mission is to improve the life of every student on campus. Agenda, run by elected senior leaders, is made up of representatives from every class and meets weekly to discuss student affairs. Agenda welcomes the opinions of all CRMS students and its meetings are open to all who wish to attend.
 
Recently, Agenda has been responsible for erecting the student clubs that are on campus, for working on student leadership opportunities, and for analyzing the data from the quarterly student culture surveys to improve life on campus. Also, Agenda helps coordinate activities which bring the entire school community together (i.e., spirit week and all-school games). Because of the overall small school size and the close working relationship between students and faculty, Agenda is the place to make a difference in the school and to leave behind a legacy for future students. A-Team Expand

Students at each grade level may apply to serve as student tour guides and ambassadors for the Admission Office. After selection, A-Team members receive training to prepare for the important job of touring visiting students and their families.

Discipline Committee Expand

The discipline committee is composed of only students: one junior, one senior, the Agenda Co-Presidents, a wilderness assistant, and a dorm head. This committee meets as needed with students whose behavior has conflicted with the school’s expectations. The student appearing before the committee is accompanied by a faculty advocate, typically the student's advisor. The committee reviews the facts of the case, determines the student’s culpability, and makes a recommendation to the Dean of Students for an appropriate consequence.

Diversity Committee Expand

The Diversity Committee is a group that intentionally addresses issues of diversity—including but not limited to race, ethnicity, religion, physical abilities, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, political views, and learning styles—as they relate to the CRMS community and as the school plans for its future. The committee is made up of interested students, faculty, and staff and is chaired by a faculty member. Students may attend conferences throughout the year and also be charged with further educating the community about honoring, supporting, and embodying diversity.

Dorm Heads and Residential Life Committee Expand

Each year students are selected by residential faculty to act as student leaders in each dormitory. Dorm heads assist the dorm faculty in setting the tone of the dorm and oversee dorm activities and dorm jobs. Dorm heads conduct nightly check-ins during evening study time in their dorm and are responsible for enhancing dormitory life for all boarding students. The Residential Life Committee is composed of the faculty dorm team leaders in each dorm and is chaired by the Director of Residential Life. The committee meets weekly to discuss issues related to aspects of dorm life at CRMS and is responsible for selecting student dorm heads. The Residential Life Committee is also an active forum in which topics specific to individual dorms can be reviewed, with suggestions offered by the full group.

Policy Panel Expand

The Policy Panel is a small group of students and faculty who review the policies and expectations in the CRMS Family Handbook and make recommendations to the Dean of Students. The Policy Panel changes each year and is comprised of three elected faculty members, three student-elected juniors, and the Dean of Students. The students must be Holden Citizens for two quarters of that school year to be eligible for the panel.

Wilderness Assistant Volunteer (WAV)/ Outdoor Trip Assistants Expand

Students interested in helping lead Wilderness Orientation for new students will apply in the spring and are chosen after Spring Trip for the following year’s Wilderness Orientation. Wilderness Assistant Volunteers (WAV) must demonstrate backcountry and leadership skills, embody the CRMS values and display stellar citizenship, and have the ability to work well with others and a reputation for exercising sound judgment. WAVs work closely with faculty leaders during orientation and other outdoor trips. While they are being mentored in outdoor leadership skills, they serve as role models and student ambassadors to their peers. Outdoor trip assistants play a similar role for Fall and Spring trips.

Programs

Senior Project is an integral part of a student’s final year at CRMS, requiring students to exercise self-reliance and responsibility. This project forms an essential aspect of the transition from the relatively comfortable and familiar school community to the world beyond. Successful completion of the project is a CRMS graduation requirement.

Each senior organizes and carries out an independent, three-week project away from school and home, in which they under a mentor, employer or with an organization. Upon their return to campus, seniors present their real-world learning experiences to peers, family, and a panel made up of students and faculty. Both the quality of the project completed and an oral presentation (a pivotal opportunity to exhibit public-speaking skills) are evaluated, as is a reflective essay designed to help students chronicle their reflections and learning experiences.

Planning the project can be an exciting and thought-provoking process. Students are encouraged to begin exploring project options at the end of their junior year, making the program one of the hallmark experiences of their transition to the new challenges and responsibilities of preparing to graduate. Students often identify unexplored passions or compelling service opportunities, or they may design a program that intensifies current interests.

Sample senior projects include:

• Volunteering in a Balinese orphanage
• Learning organic farming techniques
• Internship at a glassblowing studio
• Working at a dolphin research center
• Internship with Bridging Bionics (exoskeleton development)
• Beekeeping and urban gardening
• Tagging and tracking sea turtles
• Internship with a public radio station
• Teaching English in Spain
• Internship for a senate campaign

CRMS is synonymous with winter activities, being located just 30 miles from the world-renowned Aspen-Snowmass ski areas and only seven miles from the extensive Spring Gulch Nordic trail system. From snowshoeing, alpine, and snowboarding to Nordic and telemarking, there is no better place for the beginner to learn a new snowsport or for the advanced winter athlete to experience such a vast array of terrain. Find out more about our Winter Sports here.