Senior Retreat

curricular areas. I enjoyed meeting more and more of the parents of these wonderful students. Sometimes it is just a “hi” in the traffic line or at a school event, and sometimes it is in a scheduled meeting to share ideas or discuss concerns. Either way, I enjoyed getting to know them as individuals and what they do in their lives and with their children. CSCS has been and will continue to be a great place of community, and I hope to foster that relationship to help our students grow to be who God wants them to be.

– Principal Debbie Baker

Internship Leadership Class

by Senior Annie Smith

The class of 2023, our advisor, Mr. Howard, and other senior class teachers enjoyed a weekend full of memories and traditions at Camp Elim Aug. 20–22. A couple special traditions were sharing testimonies around the campfire and dividing the class into 6 teams using themed bandanas for competitions. “Being on teams was fun because we got to bond with classmates that we don’t always get to see at school,” senior Nate Davies said.

Worship was led by CSCS Middle School teacher Ms. Watties, and the speaker was local youth pastor Josh Galardo, who ironically spoke at our 8th grade retreat in 2019. He talked through the class verse, Isaiah 40:31, by explaining what the Gospel really includes, what is narcissistic Christianity, and anticipating Jesus’ return. These topics created great discussions for the seniors. It was an amazing time to escape the busyness of life, look internally, and spend time with each other before the craziness of senior year began.

Every fall semester for the past seven years, select CSCS upperclassmen who maintain a B average or higher are given the opportunity to enroll in the Internship Leadership Class, a college-style class taught once weekly by Superintendent Dr. DeRenzo and Chief Operations Officer Mrs. Meeter. There were 13 seniors in the class this school year, which is almost double the number of students from last year. Seminar sessions with Dr. DeRenzo cover such topics as self-assessment, characteristics of a leader, the culture of leadership, and include a leadership panel composed of CSCS leadership team members. Supervisory sessions are led by Mrs. Meeter to facilitate readings, online discussions, and project work.

Each student is required to fulfill an internship position in the local community in the field of one of their greatest interests. Mrs. Meeter coordinates this internship experience and evaluates their contribution with their mentor at each location. “Many students have said this helps them solidify their career choices and grows their personal leadership skills,” Mrs. Meeter said. “It gives them confidence as they face entering college or the work force.”

Casey V. interned at the Animal Clinic of Woodland Park, assisting on several operations including ACL, and spaying and neutering cats and dogs. She was offered a job and currently works 3–4 days a week assisting Dr. Volz and Dr. Baier—one of the veterinarians from the Animal Planet show “Rocky Mountain Vet.”

Kristie L. learned how to laminate an above-knee prosthetic leg at her Audubon Orthotic and Prosthetic Services internship. She also observed a total hip and knee replacement at the CS Orthopedic Group Surgery Center. Kristie will pursue a degree in biomedical engineering on a pre-medicine track.