The autumn season of Outdoor Education trips ended last Friday when the Fifth Grade returned from mountain biking in Western Colorado (left). If you have not already looked through the photo albums from the fall trips, click here. 

     You'll see evidence of Country Day's deep commitment to Outdoor Ed, a commitment that truly distinguishes us from other schools, even in the Rockies. Kindergarteners, without parents, sleep outside on their first overnight, no tears. Eighth Graders literally show younger students the ropes while rock climbing. This does not happen many other places. The enthusiasm of our teachers, parents, and students makes this strong program possible. 

     "The future will belong to the nature-smart," writes Richard Louv in his great new book The Nature Principle. "(To) those individuals, families, businesses, and political leaders who develop a deeper understanding of the transformative power of the natural world and who balance the virtual with the real. The more high-tech we become, the more nature we need." 

     New this week, you may notice a change in the "wildlands play area" just downriver from the Lower School building. Green survey tape defines the play area, keeping children away from the river, the road, and the nearby house. Within that generous boundary, however, they are free to play at recess, exploring this area that remains un-landscaped, un-charted except by their imaginations. This is another form of Outdoor Education -- daily Outdoor Ed right here on campus -- as we seek to foster "nature-smart" children.

The Eighth Grade Humanities class is looking for parents who have a background in law to help the students prepare for three mock Supreme Court hearings. The class will be arguing landmark cases involving students' rights.

     One case, Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, investigates the First Amendment in the school setting. The other two cases, New Jersey v. T.L.O. and Board of Education v. Earls, focus on students' Fourth Amendment rights. We would welcome anyone with a law background to help the counsel teams prepare their oral arguments and the justices ready themselves to hear the cases and write their opinions. 

     We will be preparing for the hearings Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday, October 28/29/30, from 10-11 am. The students benefit from real legal advice, so come get your Constitutional law on and join us! If you can help, please contact zeketiernan@aspencountryday.net

Eighth Grade Humanities Teachers 

More data for the number-crunchers among us: ACDS enrollment now stands at 208 students, an all-time high. The school opened on September 1, 1970, with a grand total of 53 students in K-12. Number of students in the first-ever graduating class: three.