Step up for the Community School

Dear Editor:

As a teacher at the Aspen Community School for the past 10 years and a parent of two young students, I have witnessed the positive influence of the school on kids, families and in its contribution to the broader community.

The outdoor-education programs foster an appreciation of the surrounding natural areas that make our community great; the all-school play, performed for the past 42 years on the Wheeler stage, promotes young people to participate in our community’s appreciation of the arts; dedication to academic excellence contributes 15 productive and enthusiastic young freshman to local high schools each year; and most important, the culture of social responsibility promotes young minds that will be involved in our community’s affairs in the future.

While the idyllic setting of the log cabin on the mesa is quaint, the facilities at Aspen Community School are in desperate need of renovation. To meet these needs, the Aspen Community School will receive a $4.2 million grant from the state if we raise $4.9 million of our own fundraising by May 1. The dedicated families and broader community have raised $3 million so far, and we have only 18 days to meet our match. Please help our little school continue to contribute positively to the greater Aspen community by contributing to ours.

For more information and to contribute in our final fundraising effort, use the

following link: http://www.indiegogo.com/

projects/aspen-community-school-bring-home-the-best

Garry Pfaffmann

Parent and teacher, Aspen Community School