Belonging Through Shared Commitment

by Jeff Leahy, Head of School

The term “belonging” is being used more frequently in educational circles, although it has been at the core of the Holdens’ vision for Colorado Rocky Mountain School from the beginning. At CRMS, we lead with the belief that all the members of the community are vital to its success.

The sense of belonging and feeling connected is based on the relationship between the individual and the programming at the school, and at CRMS this includes everyone. All community members, faculty, staff, and students, are expected to embrace the full program and not selectively engage in areas they choose. Only through a full immersion does the student experience the influential power of a program that requires their enthusiasm and commitment.

The assertion that CRMS serves best those members of the school community who immerse themselves in the full program is as true today as it was in the 1950s. Those students and adults who pick and choose when and where they engage only blunt and restrict the impact that the experience will have on them and, in consequence, on others. While the modern version of the school continues to evolve and adapt to address the needs of our students, the Holdens’ commitment to instill in our community members those “inner resources” that have been left unfostered by society essentially remains the same.

A good school gives students opportunities to explore their values under the mentorship of caring adults; a great school provides a wide range of learning environments that authentically allow students to lead and support others. While all boarding schools expect their students to engage in a full week of programming for all of its community members, CRMS finds an assortment of ways to engage its students beyond our classrooms that are unique to both our educational philosophy and location.

Over the course of an academic year, CRMS students will navigate important experiences that have been a part of CRMS throughout the decades: household jobs, work crews, and our hallmark outdoor sports and trip programming. These have proven over the decades to provide students with opportunities to be stretched and challenged in new ways, hone lifelong skills and attitudes towards rigor and discomfort, and develop a sense of responsibility to others. Adventure takes on a wide variety of forms at CRMS, and how we engage in the classroom, around our campus, and while out in nature has as many different versions as the programs we run. The purpose of the extended classroom is not a test of external strength and power but a test of reflection, commitment, and understanding.