As many of you are aware, this year the Lake County School District has begun its implementation of the Expeditionary Learning instructional model in grades Kindergarten through sixth. Part of the Expeditionary Learning, or EL, philosophy is the use of in-depth learning “expeditions” to increase student engagement and provide real-world connections to the material being taught. Over the past few months, the third grade at Lake County Intermediate School has been engaged in an expedition focused on the 10th Mountain Division. In this expedition, students have built their background knowledge of World War II and the Tenth’s involvement. As a culminating event to our expedition, some 10th Mountain Division veterans will be traveling to Leadville, and will be recognized for their achievements during an assembly put on by the third graders at LCIS. In addition, on February 20th, students will have the opportunity to take part in the Ski Down Ceremony at Ski Cooper, in which students will have a chance to ski with the 10th Mountain Vets. We would love to offer this unique experience to every third grade student, though we know some will be constrained by the cost of the trip, which is $25. If you are interested in sponsoring a third grader’s trip to Ski Cooper, please contact Kate Bartlett by calling 719-486-6835 or emailing kbartlett@lakecountyschools.net. We look forward to keeping you posted on this exciting work!