To Our CA Community

Each year, a respected online source about words and their meanings releases its findings about the “Word of the Year.” Merriam-Webster’s accolade is based on the number of times a word has been looked up online disproportionately more than in previous years. The awardwinning word in 2014 was “culture,” and it is no surprise. In the last five years, it’s not just the word that has received increasing regard. The online dictionary says talking about culture “conveys a kind of academic attention to systematic behavior…and that using the word culture to define ideas in this way has moved from the classroom syllabus to the conversation at large, appearing in headlines and analyses across a wide swath of topics.” At schools, we talk about culture to define everything from the pace of our school year to our expectations about treating one another with respect. Harvard Ed School researcher Ebony Bridwell-Mitchell, an expert in education leadership and management, says researchers can track “a strong and significant correlation between organizational culture and an organization’s performance. *“ Here at Colorado Academy, we know that great culture and high achievement do not happen by accident. It takes ongoing and intentional efforts by committed leaders, parents, teachers, staff, trustees, alumni, and students to make CA a special place. Whether it is someone emailing me about how well our students represent CA out in the community, to our tradition of starting our school year with an allschool assembly, to the way we welcome new families to our community, our positive school culture is always on display. In this issue of the CA Journal, you’ll find more of that–from alumni and faculty profiles to how our teaching of computer science, engineering, and design has grown over time to provide the most relevant and transformational educational experience. We are a school that has always been progressive in its focus and has always put students first. Each and every day, I feel lucky to be here. I am proud that our school culture creates a mindset to support our diverse body of students with a shared set of attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterize who we are as a community and who we want our children to become. Sincerely,

Mike Davis, PhD

Head of School Colorado Academy

*Harvard Graduate School of Education, “Useable Knowledge Research Stories: What Makes a Good School Culture,” by Leah Shafer, July 2018. https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/18/07/what-makes-good-school-culture