Newsletter – Winter 2020
Dear Link family,
We are happy to report that The Link School has worked very hard to remain open to in-person learning this year and our students are thriving. As a community, we made the decision to keep students on campus over the Christmas break so that we would have the best chance of keeping our doors open for the spring semester. This is the first group of students to have ever stayed at Link for the holidays and while it was a sacrifice to be away from their families, they have focused on the positive and embraced this unique opportunity. Below you will find the Executive Director’s Note, highlights from the students’ “Dear Sponsor” letters, information about enrollment for 2021, fun photos from this year so far, and a link to visit our new website.
Best wishes for a Happy New Year,
The Link School
Director’s Note
“In everything give thanks”. This line from I Thessalonians has been such a strong and uplifting directive for me this year. What a brave and clear statement. In the past, I read this as asking us to give thanks at all times, but recently, I realized that it is telling us to give thanks in all things. Give thanks for everything no matter the human picture. This statement has lifted me continuously and I am so grateful for its clarity, and for the power behind this bold truth.
The students here at The Link School are learning that they have a limitless capacity and are so much stronger than they thought. They are learning that they are resilient. I love this. This year has been challenging in many ways but the beauty of watching a student see past the immediate grip of fear, past the suggestion of fragility, to their God-given strength, is world changing. It impacts them certainly, but it lifts us all. It is a refutation of error and a direct refutation of the belief that what is going on today with the pandemic must leave a mark and it must leave a void that cannot be filled. We are so grateful to have The Bible that annihilates this suggestion, “ … I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”(Romans 8:38 I am, 39).
It is evident that the students are learning to feel their God-supplied strength and their Spiritual courage. This year has given them the opportunity to reach beyond human understanding and material means of safety, peace, health, and even joy. It has been truly inspiring to watch them face the uncertainties this year has presented and turn these challenges into blessings.
It is with your generous assistance that we are able to help meet the needs of Christian Science youth. We are so very grateful for your continued support.
Warmest regards,
James Orlet
Executive Director
Fruitage From Our Year 13 Students
“With everything going on in the world, it’s sometimes hard to believe that we are even here and continuing to grow together as a community in this amazing place. With so many things unknown during these unprecedented times, one thing that is for sure, is that I am not wasting a second of my time here at Link.”
“To me, The Link School is an anomaly because it changes everyone who comes here in drastic and beautiful ways. Link has taught me the value of working together, and the importance of focus, caring for others, patience and many other things. In a world that is so often divided, Link makes me hopeful. Everyone is unified in their differences. We rely on each other. That is the most meaningful thing to me – the connections we have made. Connections with new people, nature, and myself. I am allowed to be honest with myself here and to be authentic in my expression of myself. With that honesty, I am slowly starting to trust myself more and express myself in a more natural way.”
“Spiritually, I have felt my connection to God and Divine Love deepen. Being outdoors, in such a vast place like the Colorado mountains or the Utah deserts, has led me to find more beauty and spiritual connections with everything. Also, thinking about gratitude more often, as we do during our Wednesday night gratitude meeting, has led me to be much happier and grateful about my life.”
“The way we learn here, and the trips we go on – to places I have only seen in pictures before – is amazing. It really motivates me to study for school because of the balance between classroom time and field time. We often have an hour of class each day on trips, but it is more like an individual thinking about something and really focusing on something with some deeper thoughts. The program is very well organized. Even if it is complicated sometimes because of CoVid 19, the staff and James always think about something meaningful we can do despite the restrictions we are experiencing. That is very unique and I respect all the effort they put into their work. They enable us to have a good time and let us experience a number of things we have never experienced before.”
“All the activities at Link allow me to work on my persistence and having the drive and knowledge that I am capable of anything I put my mind to.”
“I love how uplifting the Link community is. Everyone at Link is always supporting one another, which makes us feel like a close family. I believe that I have made long lasting friendships that will last after high school. I love that we go on trips because our bond gets so much closer with every trip.”
“Being here is a blessing. I am so happy and I am spiritually growing constantly. I am a lot more self-confident. I think at Link I am getting well prepared for life. This school helps me to be independent and to see a little of what it will be like to live on my own one day.”
“The calmness that Link gives while also really challenging me to overcome my fear, is amazing. The staff have acted with grace and patience as they support us through every step of the process. I will never understand how I am able to grow so much each year and still grow so much the next.”
“I wanted to tell y’all what this experience has meant to me. Being in this place and being surrounded by all of these people has helped me see that people can change, and it has given me the chance to change. I have been the best version of me I have been in awhile and I credit The Link School entirely.”
“Since being here at Link, we have worked on biking, climbing and boating. Initially, I felt pretty hesitant to engage in a lot of these activities but after dedicating myself to the process and trusting the staff to be clear and patient teachers, I began to love each of them for what they taught me as a person and how they enabled me to grow. I am not excited every time we go out on trips because I get to focus on learning new skills.”
“This school means a lot to me, and I don’t know how to put it into words. I can’t stop thinking of all the times when this school has helped me with different scenarios whether it was the students or the teachers. I know that I would not be able to try to achieve the things I want to do without Link and I can’t see myself in any other place.”
2021 Enrollment
During the upcoming spring semester, we will be conducting enrollment for the fall of 2021. If you would like to be given first consideration for the upcoming school year please have a completed application and references to us by March 31st. After that, applications will be considered on a rolling basis. Applications and reference forms can be found on the admissions page on our website.