Open Letter to the CSS Class of 2020

You were primed for academic and personal bests, to captain your sports teams, lead clubs, act, dance, and entertain in “Fiddler on the Roof,” and perform in your final band and vocal ensemble concerts. The faculty has referenced your class as “true thespians and musicians” who are “creative and fun” and who “really know how to ROCK the field house.” You have been known to “embrace each other’s unique gifts and strengths” and value “zany humor and synergistic collaboration on a near-infinite range of topics.” This time of year is always so meaningful, not only for you as seniors, but for your parents, teachers, staff, and coaches who are always excited to witness and celebrate your maturation as a CSS graduate.

This year is one like no other — one for the history books. As a senior in the Class of 2020, you are certainly among the most impacted around the globe when it comes to lost opportunities. Senior prom, spring sports, performances, and of course our traditional end-of-year celebrations are only some of the occasions that have been reshaped because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There is absolutely no way to disguise the sense of loss that you and your families must be trying to absorb during this time of uncertainty. It is an unfair situation that requires empathy, adaptability, resilience, patience, and above all an awareness and comprehension that this global crisis is much larger than ourselves. Know that your feelings and sorrows are legit, and we recommend that you lean on and commiserate with one another during this emotional time.

No doubt your class will forever be bonded from this shared experience, from our own campus to other school settings worldwide. You are a part of the largest cohesive graduating class in history by a factor of millions. Every time you meet someone else from the Class of 2020, no matter how distant, you will have an immediate connection because of this shared experience. This kinship is only one enviable silver lining.

Life lessons await to be discovered in the midst of this new landscape, all dependent upon how you choose to navigate and respond. The simplest way to cope with personal loss is to discover ways to assist the greater community, while also remaining aware of your own needs. Approach life with an attitude of gratitude, connect with others, embrace the simplicity of life, nurture your creativity, practice self-care, journal for posterity, engage the mind, and just breathe. When this crisis is over, you want to reflect and know that you became a better, well-rounded person by actively facing the challenge with positivity, grace, unity, and intentionality.

Your global generation is inventive, flexible, diverse, fearless, and resilient — all traits that are needed in today’s uncharted territories. You are collectively living through history, and your bold reaction to this is going to leave its momentous mark. As a CSS graduate who has lived out our mission statement in assorted scopes, you are aptly prepared as a global citizen to contribute your part in the changing world. This recent adversity has already made you more agile and capable to make a difference that will undoubtedly impact all of our futures. Our wish is that the hope glimmering within this pandemic is the birth of the greatest generation, which begins with the Class of 2020.

Your CSS community is certainly empathetic to the challenges that your class is experiencing. Still, we are eager to witness how each of you rebounds from this disappointment, uncovers the silver linings, and contributes to a better world. As we prepare to celebrate your achievements and contributions at CSS in the classrooms, on the athletic fields, on stage, in clubs, and in a vast array of learning environments, know that our pride runs deep. We look forward to marking this time in history with all of you – a time that the world was stopped in its tracks while each of us learned the immense value of connectivity and one another.

Respectfully,

The Colorado Springs School’s Leadership Team

Aaron Schubach, Head of School
Nicole Goyette, Director of Middle and Upper School

Sam Gaudet, Associate Head of School
Joy Maguire-Parsons, Director of Admission
Jessica L. James, Director of Advancement and Communication
Jody Bates Bliss, Director of Children’s School
Vicki Vaughan, Athletic Director
Ron Marko, Chief Financial Officer