Principal's Note

Welcome and thank you for visiting our school website! We hope you will use this site to find valuable information about our school and district, helpful resources for students and parents, news on upcoming events and programs, and opportunities to communicate with teachers and staff.

My name is Sally Hensley and I am honored to serve as the Elementary Principal here at the Crested Butte Community School.  CBCS is a true community school, providing excellent educational programs and opportunities for students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

As part of the Gunnison Watershed School District, we share the District’s Mission, Vision and Beliefs to ensure all students are successful both in and out of the classroom. Use this link to access this document. We develop and follow our school’s Unified Improvement Plan to implement goals and action steps aimed at achieving educational excellence and continuous improvement. Crested Butte Elementary School operates under the core beliefs established by our team. These core beliefs are listed below.

We believe in the importance of a well-rounded education that meets the needs of the whole child.  Our elementary teachers developed curriculum maps outlining the specific skills and concepts to be taught over the course of the year in alignment with the Colorado Academic Standards.  They collaborate on content and grade level teams to consistently review and discuss their instructional practices in math, reading, writing, science and social studies.  

Elementary students participate in the following specials: Art, Music, Physical Education, Library/Technology, and Guidance.  They also benefit from the many community based groups that collaborate with the school to provide educational experiences for our students:  Mountain Roots Farm to School, Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratories, The CB Mountain Heritage Museum and the CBCS Enrichment Program, to name a few.

An important factor in ensuring a student's successful educational experience is developing a cooperative and productive working relationship among staff, students, and parents/guardians. We are looking forward to establishing and/or continuing our relationship with you and your student.  We invite you to visit the school, get involved and be connected to all the wonderful things that happen here each day.  

Please contact me or anyone at the school with your questions, concerns, and feedback.  My door is always open!

Sally Hensley

Core Beliefs at Crested Butte Elementary School

We believe in shared responsibility for success in which:


  • All individuals are valuable and should be treated with empathy, dignity, and respect.

  • Every individual can learn and should be challenged.

  • Grit, curiosity, perseverance, integrity, and purpose are critical for success.

  • A quality education promotes life-time opportunity.

  • Success looks different for every individual.