Word of the Week: Leisure After recently observing our students engaged in a “paint and play” day, and also looking forward toward a week of Thanksgiving break, I wanted to share some thoughts about leisure. Dictionaries give us two definitions: 1) use of free time for enjoyment, and 2) the...

April is Autism Awareness month! As we prepare to celebrate the 5th anniversary of Temple Grandin School, I’ve been reflecting on how awareness of autism has shaped my life. Prior to receiving a diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome for our son in 1998, the only exposure I’d had to autism was...

At TGS, we work to help students recognize and realize their potential. Recognize and realize – there are two parts (at least) to this task, which is more complicated than it sounds. Schools everywhere are full of classes and programs to help students realize their potential. Much of this is...

Valentine’s Day is here, and I have to confess I’m relieved it didn’t fall on a school day. At TGS, we let it slip quietly by as we busied ourselves with field trips, a parent education night, and the many small daily acts of caring that hold our school community...

Happy 2016, friends and family of TGS! Shortly after I last posted in December, we had an unexpected snow day at TGS. Immediately following, we held our first-ever TGS talent show – a delightful afternoon filled with surprising talent and warm accolades for all participants. Sometimes unexpected events bring us joy. When...

Countdown. This Tuesday, December 8, is Colorado Gives Day. Over the past week or so, I’ve been inundated with emails from nonprofits I’ve supported, reminding me how many days, or even hours remain between now and then. At TGS, we’ve chosen not to “blast” our supporters with multiple emails. We recognize...

School resumes tomorrow, after a snowy Thanksgiving break. As always, the day before school resumes, I find myself taking stock of my time. Have I accomplished everything I’d hoped to during this break? Whether just a weekend or longer, did I use my time wisely? Although I often set aside...

Caring is one of our core values at TGS. We speak often of kindness and politeness, and we see many acts of caring at all levels of our community. Here are just a few of the expressions of caring we see at TGS: Sharing your passion for a special interest…or inhibiting...

As much as we love spending time with our students, we have always recognized that their desired post-high school outcomes are rightfully located outside our walls. We want our students to have rich lives that include physically and intellectually engaging leisure activities, meaningful work, and opportunities to develop fulfilling relationships. So we...

There has been a lot of talk in education circles recently about “grit.” Apparently, the education world has now identified grit is one of a number of “noncognitive factors” that students need to succeed in the classroom. They are catching on to what we at TGS have always known: education...