Doing Nothing on Thanksgiving is Not an Option at Eagle Rock School

One thing you can’t say about Thanksgiving at Eagle Rock School is that there’s nothing to do. This is one of those times of the year when students, staff and instructors are in accord that this mountainside campus of ours is indeed a great place to spend late-November holidays.

And, much like the name of the holiday, there’s plenty of gratitude to go around as our community prepares for literally dozens of events and activities over a four-day period. It’s a time when we all gather together to celebrate how fortunate we are to live in the Rocky Mountains surrounded by forests that a lot of us like to call home.

Thanksgiving at Eagle Rock is about celebrating the importance of having each other and remembering that we are all here to better ourselves. It’s a time to appreciate what we’ve done to improve ourselves and what we’ve done to help others. It’s a celebration of how we have impacted each other’s lives in a positive way and to celebrate those successes.

Whether we’re indoors creating art or standing outside in the cold playing touch football, the idea is to spend time together.

The highlight of the holiday, of course, is today’s Thanksgiving Day dinner at 3pm, skillfully prepared by our outstanding chefs. Below is a listing of Thanksgiving holiday happenings through Sunday. With so many events from which to pick and choose, it’s nearly impossible for anyone to say they feel bored or left with “nothing to do.”

Thursday, November 24

• 9:30am — Kitchen Patrol (led by the residents of Pinon House)
• 10am – Gathering
• 10:30am – Brunch
• 11am to 2 p.m. – Activities (see below for more details)
• 2:30pm — Kitchen Patrol (led by the residents of Aspen House)
• 3pm – Thanksgiving Dinner
• 6:30pm – Leftovers in the Lodge

Other Thanksgiving Day activities include:

• 7am to 10am – 5K Turkey Trot Race at the YMCA of the Rockies with Anna Magle-Haberek, Human Performance Center Instructional Specialist & Lodgepole House Parent
• 9am to 10am – CrossFit in the Human Performance Center with Jack Hilbrich, Adjunct Outdoor Education Instructional Specialist
• 11:30am to 12:40pm – Pool/B-Ball Shooting Contest in the Human Performance Center with Anna Magle-Haberek
• 11:30am to 12:40pm – Music/Jam session in the Schoolhouse with Josán Perales, World Languages Instructional Specialist
• 11:30am to 12:40pm – Minnesota Vikings versus Detroit Lions football game in the Learning Resource Center with Josue Quintana, Public Allies Teaching Fellow in Music
• 11:30am to 12:40pm – Board games in the Learning Resource Center with Christi Kelston (Director of Public Allies at Eagle Rock) and Micah Saugen (Public Allies Teaching Fellow in Science)
• 11:30am to 1:30pm – Flag Football at the Field of Dreams with Cordell Church (Public Allies Fellow), Jack Hilbrich, and Omar Arteaga (Public Allies Fellow)
• 11:30am to 2pm – Snowshoeing at Rocky Mountain National Park with Eliza Kate Wicks-Arshack, Adjunct Outdoor Education Instructor
• 11:30am to 2pm – Imitation Game Movie in the Learning Resource Center with Becky Poore, Match Instructional Specialist
• 12:50pm to 2pm – Watch Cooking TV Show/Coloring/Dot to Dots in Aspen House with Sara Benge, Science Instructional Specialist & Aspen Houseparent
• 12:50pm to 2pm – Knitting/Crocheting in the Lodge with Bea Salazar, Life After Eagle Rock Instructional Specialist

Friday, November 25

• 9:30am – Kitchen Patrol (led by the residents of Ponderosa House)
• 10:30am – Brunch
• Noon – Gathering at the Lodge, followed by departures for off-campus activities
• 6pm – Dinner
• 7:30pm – Chocolate Fountain & Cookies in the Lodge

Off campus activities include:

• Movies in Longmont. Colo.
• Bowling in Lafayette, Colo.
• Skating in Boulder, Colo.

Another option is for students to wind down and rest up for the busy school week to follow. But at some point during the holiday, we all should take some time to count our blessings and exercise our gratitude for all that we have.