Hi! My name is Kristie Servis, and I’m the Principal at the non-traditional schools in the Salida School District - the Crest Academy middle school for 5th-8th grade, and Horizons Exploratory Academy high school. I’ve been the Principal at these 2 schools for 5 years now, and it’s such a privilege to work with these teams, students, and families. In November I shared an annual report for Crest to the School Board, and for those of you not familiar with this program, it is my honor to share a bit of a behind-the-scenes look into The Crest Academy program.
In 2021, The Crest Academy was moved to 627 Oak Street, sharing the building with the Central Administration office, and most recently with HEA as well. Since our move, we have been constantly improving our space - adding a play structure for students, having students create murals with the help of a local artist (Thanks, Ryan O’Brien!), and creating intentional learning spaces that support our program. The program is primarily project and place based, which allows students to experience their learning in real-life scenarios and through hands-on experiences and field trips. Already this year our students have learned about watersheds and ecosystems at the Keystone Science School, challenged their fortitude at the Manitou Incline, and stayed overnight at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Additionally, through 4-6 theme based projects over the course of the school year, students’ inquiry skills are developed. This spring, instead of our annual Market Night event, we are excited to present a Carnival where students will get to design carnival experiences.
Because class size is limited to 15 students per grade level, we are able to really focus on our mission to nurture kind, courageous, unique thinkers through engaging academics and stewardship of the natural world. Having this clear mission has helped us really refine the work we do each day to develop strong relationships with our students and push them to their full potential.
Students at Crest show impressive achievement scores year after year. We have earned the John Irwin Award for multiple years - an award that is presented to schools that demonstrate exceptional student performance over time. While we are high performing, there’s always room for improvement - our growth scores are not what we want them to be, so we are continuing to differentiate and really push our students on individual levels.
We’ve also been working on opportunities to enhance the 8th grade experience so students feel prepared to go into high school with confidence. The 8th grade leadership class has been developed to help students learn durable skills like leading whole school meetings, coaching and supporting other students in Projects, organizing and coordinating the school store, planning their 8th grade trip, and organizing activities for the entire school.
8th graders also get to participate in internship programs in the local community. This gives them a headstart in learning about various job opportunities available here in Salida and connects them to local business leaders and entrepreneurs. We offer a huge thank you to our community for making these internships possible.
In addition to rigorous academic experiences, students are given access to learn components of outdoor education that more traditional school models often cannot offer, such as mountain biking, stand up paddle boarding, fly fishing, skiing, camping, etc. Students challenge themselves to work together as a team to motivate one another to learn and grow while developing their own strength and confidence as individuals.
I continue to be inspired by the small, family feel of the Crest and am so grateful to be part of such a caring, supportive, student-centered community. Deb Bass O’Brien, Samantha Bahn, Courtney Miller, John Callen, Sophie Jensen, Katie Larson. Megan Love, and Amy Courtney are incredibly hard working, dedicated, student-focused educators. They do whatever it takes to ensure that all students are thriving at The Crest Academy - students, families, and myself are so grateful for ALL that they do!