Our School

We are committed to authentic and healthy relationships and a positive school experience for all children and adults. Our approach to teaching and learning is relational, restorative and reciprocal- meaning we take the time to get to know one another, to affirm individual needs and perspectives, and to apply restorative practices. We take individual and collective responsibility for creating a caring school environment where relationships can evolve and endure.
 

Instruction at CCS is inclusive, culturally-relevant, connected, and responsive to individual needs. Teachers leverage student interests and strengths to ensure that teaching and learning is impactful and meaningful. The curriculum blends essential academic knowledge and skills with integrated, hands-on, and appropriately- challenging learning experiences that incorporate student voice, choice, and public displays of student work. Assessment practices are designed to enhance teacher impact, student growth, reflection, and responsibility.
 

We offer our students multiple opportunities to experiment, embrace new challenges, and to collaborate. These innovative and multi-age learning opportunities foster the unique identities and potential of each child and promote curiosity and belongingness. Experiential learning is a philosophy and methodology in which educators purposefully engage with learners in direct experience and focused reflection.
 

At CCS, arts are integrated into the curriculum and taught as specific disciplines using student-directed approaches. Along with regular classes in the arts, every year our community comes together for the annual The Big Event, an all school performance that integrates future-forward skills, the four points of the CCS compass, and the arts.

Our holistic approach to wellness is supported by research-based approaches to social-emotional learning, physical education, outdoor education, and health education. Unstructured time spent outside in our learning garden and in nature is of equal importance to structured time spent inside. Physical and emotional safety is paramount.

We strive to take responsibility for ourselves, our learning and our community. With this responsibility comes a focus on social justice, open communication,  and community engagement.  Students, parents/guardians, school staff, and community partners embrace lifelong learning and collaborative decision-making, and are essential to our learning community.

We aim for our school community to represent the larger community of Carbondale.  We continue to learn and improve in creating learning environments that are welcoming to all students and families.

We partner with the Aspen Hope Center to provide a full-time, in-school clinician to our students and families, bringing additional support to our learning centers, small groups, and individual students.

Our school is small by design. Combining small groups of students with highly trained, passionate teachers, we strive to make a difference academically and socially in the lives of every CCS student.