At CRMS, we understand that the decision to attend a boarding school is not one to be taken lightly. Since the 1950s, families have entrusted the wellbeing of their students into our care at a pivotal time in a teen's development. CRMS takes this responsibility seriously. The boarding component of the school is designed with a carefully thought-out mix of developmentally-appropriate consistency, structure, safety, and relationship-building to ensure that all students are seen, known, and thrive in the CRMS community.
Part of what makes the CRMS boarding experience unique is the purposeful level of contact and attention that students receive from staff mentors throughout their day. CRMS is not a campus where students see their math teacher only in class. Faculty members genuinely enjoy engaging with students and building relationships with them. An English teacher may help run the grilled cheese cook-off in a dorm on a Saturday night. The climbing coach might also be a student's history teacher or run a weekend field trip to a regional youth poetry event. Students are constantly surrounded by caring adult mentors who check in with them beyond the classroom and get to know them as individuals. That sense of connection and adult support is a guarantee at CRMS. In an annual survey, students report that on average, they have closely connected with at least five adults on campus.
Boarding students at CRMS are separated into seven dorms (five of which are newly renovated) by grade and by gender. Each dorm has both a faculty member's housing attached and a common area where students can gather. Most dorms offer limited kitchen facilities. All students have roommates, ensuring exposure to diverse backgrounds, cultures, and nationalities in every dorm. During weekdays, students are in class or active program until 5 p.m. daily. Students eat their meals at the Bar Fork, a rustic lodge-like central campus building that serves delicious, sustainable fare, nearly 40% of which is directly from our garden program. Weekday evenings are taken up with dorm meetings, house chores, and a two-hour supervised study block. In addition to the academic and active programming at the school, students can take advantage of a new fitness facility, indoor climbing wall, and a free campus bike program that gives students access to the town of Carbondale.
On the weekends, students choose from a full roster of activities, many of which take advantage of the school's ideal setting in the heart of the Elk Mountains. From climbing and skiing trips to visits to hot springs or Aspen's museums, CRMS students have plenty to keep them busy. Outdoor pursuits like mountain bike trails head out right from campus, and the region's bus transit system is also a short walk away. Weekend evenings wrap up with optional planned activities in every dorm that range from board games to bake-offs.
Families are welcome to visit campus as well when they're in town. CRMS hosts a parents weekend in the fall, and families may also sign up for the occasional formal dinners that are often paired with evening entertainment such as guest lectures or student music. With a meticulously-designed boarding program and access to countless regional offerings, CRMS boarding students have the ideal mix of structure, adult support, and graduated independence. They leave CRMS with both life-long connections and the independent living skills needed to flourish in the broader world.
The primary goal of the residential life program is to make the dorms feel warm and welcoming so that all CRMS students can call Colorado Rocky Mountain School their “home away from home.” While living on campus means being away from family and what is familiar, it also supplies an excellent opportunity for students to learn and grow in social and living skills.
Whether it be attending classes, participating in the outdoor program, or living on campus, students have opportunities to meet and interact with one another and with the adults in the community on many different levels. The boarding curriculum strives to guide students to live with a roommate and share space, to ask their advisors and teachers for help or support, and to become more independent by learning to be responsible and accountable for their actions.
At CRMS, students build strong relationships with the faculty and staff as well as their peers. Students get to know the adults in the community not only as their teachers but also as their coaches, their trip leaders, their dining mates, and their co-workers. Alumni frequently cite this as one of the best things about their CRMS education. When they graduate, they are comfortable with relating to adults and being able to ask adults for what they need. This is a significant skill both for college and for life.
Each weeknight boarding students check into the dorms at 7:30 pm and begin with dorm jobs, which are typical household chores. Students then clean their rooms and attend a proctored dorm study hall. Study hall is two hours spent working together or individually on homework assignments, followed by the famous “brush and flush” and lights out. Students needing some extra time on their homework may ask for “late lights.”
While many high school students need to call friends on the phone and ask for homework help or wait until the next day in class to ask the teacher, boarders can work together on assignments and ask their classroom teacher to re-demonstrate what was taught in class. Having the teaching faculty as dorm parents is a huge help to students and their academics; it also provides an opportunity to get to know one another on different levels. Living, working, and playing together promotes a family atmosphere for dorm parents and residents.
Dormitories
CRMS is fortunate to have seven beautiful new or recently renovated dormitories, which are divided by gender and grade level. Typically two students share a room, and each hallway has a dedicated modern bathroom and shower facility. Student dorm heads have the opportunity to live in a single room because of their unique leadership role. Given the school’s 300+ acres, the dorms enjoys surrounding open space, river frontage, and spectacular views of Mt. Sopris. In addition, the dorms are designed to be energy efficient and incorporate modern finishes throughout, such as beetle-kill pine paneling, expansive windows allowing abundant natural light, and warm inviting colors. The common areas anchor each dorm with large and well-appointed living and kitchen amenities. Students at CRMS love their living spaces and make these dorms their home.
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