May 2012/Zach Anderson ‘12, performs at graduation, held at Shea Stadium.

February 2013/Principal Andy Abner and science teacher Shawndra Fordham, after Fordham was named DCSD secondary teacher Apple Award winner.

December 2009/Band Director Joel Naegele and the tuba players in “Tuba Christmas,” held in Skyline Park with over 200 tubas and euphoniums participating.

May 2007/The Rock arrived on campus. See page 8 for the whole story!

August 2004/Then athletic trainer/wrestling coach Gregg Sheehan and Adam Bennett ‘07, in the new weight room.

Oct. 2010/Diego Gomes ‘13 concentrates on his art piece in ceramics class.

November 2008/Boys Soccer won the state 4A title. Gustavo Hidalgo ‘10, hugs Nick Phillips

‘09, while Scott Branson ‘09, kisses the trophy.

Coach Sean Henning was named 4A Coach of the Year and AlexTarnoczi

‘09, the 4A Player of the Year.

Photo by Kristen Scheirman ‘09

February 2008/Girls Swimming repeated as the 4A State Runner-up. Londyn Clawson ‘09, Laren Stanely ‘10, Madison Vanderpoel ‘11, and Allie Berger ‘09, cheer on their teammates in a close race. In February, 2009, the girls finally won that state title! Photo by Kristen Scheirman ‘09

May 2005/Robin

Freysinger ‘08

March 2007/Chicks began their annual invasion of the school, part of an AP Bio project. Afterwards they go to good homes.

Rock Canyon High School • The School That Leads

A Douglas County School • Parent Newsletter As we continue to celebrate our TenYears as a school we want to share some past memories as well as update you on current events. Look for the First Ten Years and our special section.

Ca n y o n N e w s

Vol. 10, No. 2

March, 2013

March 2006/Kristina Abernathy ‘07, played Maria in “The Sound of Music,” our first full scale musical. Photo by Chelsea Long ‘08

2Jaguar Need to KNow

The Canyon News is printed 3 to 4 times during the school year. Publisher is Principal Andy Abner. Editor is office manager Kathleen Kennedy. RCHS is located at 5810 McArthur Ranch Road in Highlands Ranch, CO 80124. Mission Statement: To Empower, To Explore, To Encourage and To Excel in Education.

School mascot: Jaguar.

School colors: Black and Vegas gold.

The School That Leads.

Telephone numbers: main office: 303-387-3000, 24 hour attendance line: 303-387-3002, fax: 303-387-3021, counseling: 303-387-3022

CONTACTING US

Office HoursStudent Contact DaysM – Th: 7:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.Friday: 7:00 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. or by appointment

Non Student Contact Days the office may be closed or office hours may be reduced to allow staff to attend staff or department meetings/trainings.

Weather Closure/DelayIf school has a delayed start due to weather, the delayed start this year will 1-1/2 hours.

The District will use the fol-lowing methods to notify parents about weather-related school closures and schedule changes:• Local television and radio broadcasts,• District website,• District Weather Hotline: 303-387-7669.

More detailed information on weather related closures and delays can be found on the district website at:https://www.dcsdk12.org/schoolsafetyandsecurity/weatherclosureinformation/index.htm.

Office Depot gives back to schoolsEvery time parents, students and school supporters give RCHS school’s ID number 70201803 when buying school supplies at Office Depot, RCHS will receive credits equal to 5% of qualifying purchases. Present this number at checkout when shopping at Office Depot.

Target gives back to RCHSEach September Target gives RCHS a Take Charge of Education donation check. Take Charge of Education donations are ac-cumulated when supporters of RC make purchases using their REDcard. Target donates up to 1% of purchases made with RED cards, back to the schools. To sign up for this program see a Target store or go to www.Target.com/tcoe for details.

Thank YouA special thank you to all the contributors who made it possible to produce this ten year special addition. A special thank you to the contributing graduates and to Jack Kennedy.

Important Upcoming Dates*March 21 End of Third QuarterMarch 22 Teacher Work Day, No StudentsMarch 25 - 29 Spring Break, Offices ClosedApril 13 PromApril 23 ACT Testing DayApril 26 Teacher Comp. Day, Offices ClosedApril 30 Underclassmen Awards NightMay 2-4 Spring Play May 6 - 17 AP TestingMay 9 Band ConcertMay 14 Spring Arts Festival ConcertMay 15 - 16 Senior FinalsMay 17 Senior Check Out DayMay 21 Senior ReceptionMay 23 Senior Honors NightMay 22 Second Semester Finals, Period 8 & 7May 23 Second Semester Finals, Period 6 & 5May 24 Graduation, 9:00 a.m. Shea StadiumMay 27 Memorial Day, School ClosedMay 28 Second Semester Finals, Periods 4 & 3May 28 Second Semester Finals, Periods 2 & 1May 30 Teacher Work Day, No Students

* Dates and times are subject to change.

Advanced Placement UpdatesMarch 1: Last day for online payment for AP exams without incur-ring a late penalty. Total for exam by March 1 is $89. RCHS must submit it’s order to the College Board prior to Spring Break.March 4-7: Many AP Classes will be offering practice exams or holding class during the mornings of TCAP testing. Ask your child whether this includes them!April 1: Last day to pay for an exam with the $10 late order fee. Total for each exam is $99 if you pay between March 1 and April 1.April 22-25: Pre-administration/Registration sessions for AP exams. Every student must attend ONE of the six sessions offered over these four days. Failure to register could result in a student

being unable to test in May. Times and location will be given in all AP classes.May 6-17: AP TESTING PERIOD. Seniors sitting for the AP Human Geography exam on May 17 should be aware that this is their last day of school but the exam should be over prior to most of the celebrations.

Any student having a conflict with the schedule below should see Ms. Brown. Examples of exceptions include: A student is sched-uled to take more than one exam on the same date and time; Seri-ous illness as documented by a physician; a Conflict with another nationally-scheduled standardized test; a Conflict with a school-sponsored athletic event (e.g. the state golf meet).

AP Testing Schedule:

For the 2nd Valentine’s Day in a row, Rock Canyon’s French National Honor Society and French 4 classes had a blast celebrating the holiday with 3rd grade students at Charles Hay World School in Engle-wood, Colorado. These French students taught 3rd graders a mini lesson on where French is spoken in the world (using a map), taught them how to say certain words in French, and also taught some Valen-tine’s Day expressions to them. Valentine’s Day à la française concluded with yummy crêpes and toppings for all students! – Erin Carlson, French Teacher

One of the highest points for me in the past 10 years was the week leading up to and including graduation 2008.

Austin Ziel, a RC student who has severe cerebral palsy would need to be pushed across the stage in his wheelchair. As the first education assistant to work with him, I was asked if I would like the honor. Of course, I would, but I thought having another graduate do the honors would be more meaningful to Austin and to his peer assistant. Second semester that year, a very beautiful Jackie Franklin ‘08 took Austin to a music class and sat with him as a peer intern. He beamed with love every minute of those classes with Jackie. So I asked her if she would like to transport Austin across the stage, with the stipulation that the principal’s approval was required. No sooner had I let the question slip from my lips than Jackie replied, “YES! And I’m going to ask Mrs. Rauh right now.”

As soon as Jackie received her own diploma at the ceremony, she took my place seated next to Austin on the football field. He assumed his usual beam, and they soon fell into line with the other graduates whose last names put them at the end of the alphabet and in the last row of the chairs. Austin received his diploma with the broadest smile he could produce, as though he knew exactly what he had just achieved. And he did, I have no doubt. – Kandi Hofmeister, Educational Assistant

I will always be grateful for the mentoring I received and the opportunity to work with some of the most passionate, dedicated and talented educators while at RCHS. It has made me the leader I am today. – Sohne VanSelus, AP 2003-07

First Ten Years2003-2013

Graduation 2008

First Ten Years2003-2013

Spring 2011 A teacher swap day was held. Teachers taught a class in a different subject area. Right, Kristi Rathbun, language arts works with Madelyn Falk ‘12 in Dave Ferguson’s chemistry class. – Sarah Pascoe, BRT

A Personal TreatThe Class of 2009 Teaching them 7th grade French 1A, teaching the same group of kids French 2 in 9th grade and once again teaching them as French 5 seniors. – Dayna Moore, French Teacher

Teacher Swap Day

Photo by Sarah Pascoe

As I sit to write my entry for the Canyon Newsletter I realize that it is the first day for spring sports at Rock Canyon. Where did the fall and winter sea-sons go? Similarly the past ten years have flown by so quickly. This 10 year anniversary edition of Canyon News has been exciting to develop as we seek to share many wonderful memories within the Rock Canyon community. We have been fortunate this year to continue in our rich tradition of excel-lence. We have received recognition this year as a result of the effort our students, parents and staff put into this amazing school community. We have once again received the John Irwin Award for Academic Excellence. This honor places us in the top 8% of all schools in the state of Colorado. More specifically we are one of 17 high schools bestowed this honor. We continue to make the list of top high schools in the state of Colorado and in the United States. A hard working dedicated staff is an integral part of the success Rock Can-yon has experienced. There is nothing I enjoy more than seeing our amazing students and teachers recognized for their hard work and commitment to excellence. Most recently Mrs. Cocetti was honored as a finalist for the Out-standing Support Staff Award in Douglas County School District, Mrs. Zim-merman was honored as a 9 Teacher Who Cares recipient and Mrs. Fordham received the highest honor that Douglas County School District bestows on teachers as the 2012-13 teacher of year. Please take time to read the articles on these staff members as they exemplify the excellence of Rock Canyon. Athletics and activities have been busy as usual racking up victories at many area venues. It is seldom that a week will pass when we are not tweet-ing or posting to Facebook a student or team accomplishment. Please follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook to become part of the amazing things happening in our school community daily. For the first time in school history we cannot accept all of the students who want to attend our school. We have received open enrollment requests from within Douglas County and outside of our county. While we wish we could accept all interested students, we are unable to do so without reaching capacity issues. I am proud that so many families want to attend our school. Students want to attend our school because of the strong reputation we have built and continue to build. This reputation is the result of hard work and a commitment to excellence from our students, parents and staff. I thank you all for your continued commitment and support moving us forward into another decade of excellence.

3Jaguar News

May, 2007, The first graduation

From the Principal,Andy AbnerSpring sports - the prominent indicator is not necessarily my calen-dar, but the foot of snow that is blowing and drifting around on all of our fields of play.

Teachers Are Learning Too! One of our core values at Rock Canyon is that we are ALL lifelong learners. Therefore, we provide a variety of opportunities for staff to continue their professional development every year. This year, we have begun training on our new teacher evaluation tool called CITE. One of the landmarks of CITE is that effective or highly effective teachers use a type of lesson planning called Backward Planning. Teachers already ‘begin with the end in mind’ when planning. Now our district Backward Planning classes, coordinated at each school site, help give teachers a specific framework to be even more aware of their goals with students and how they will reach them. Another ele-ment of the CITE evaluation is Restorative Practices, a way to achieve social discipline through participatory learning and decision-making. Rock Canyon has hosted district trainings of restorative practices, as well. Also, Rock Canyon wants to make sure staff has the training they need to use technology appropriately. Our Computer Resource Teacher, Manuel Gonzales, has led a number of technology trainings teaching staff to use schoology.com which supports our technology goal of anytime, anywhere learning for students. In addition, he has taught a general Tech Tools class and classes using some great iPad apps for instruction. In the future, we plan to train interested teachers in video conferencing. We have had other opportunities for staff. Some staff read Daniel Pink’s Drive or Yong Zhao’s World Class Learners: Educating Creative and Entrepreneurial Students in book studies and members of the leadership team participated in several Franklin Covey Leadership workshops. When staff members find professional development opportunities beyond the district, they may apply for grants to attend the train-ings or conferences connected to their work with students. Then they share their new ideas with colleagues. Teachers find these trainings vital to their professional growth and their expanded knowledge directly benefits students. – Sarah Pascoe, BRT

2/27/20135:23 PM

1 7:40 8:202 8:25 9:05 1 7:40 9:14 2 7:40 9:14 1 7:40 9:14 2 7:40 9:143 9:10 9:50 3 9:19 10:58 RCTV 4 9:19 10:58 RCTV 3 9:19 10:58 RCTV 4 9:19 10:58 RCTV

9:50 10:35 Advise/Access4 10:35 11:15

L 11:15 11:55 5 11:20 12:00 L 10:58 11:37 5 11:03 12:37 L 10:58 11:37 6 11:03 12:37 L 10:58 11:37 5 11:03 12:37 L 10:58 11:37 6 11:03 12:375 11:55 12:35 L 12:00 12:40 5 11:37 1:11 L 12:37 1:16 6 11:37 1:11 L 12:37 1:16 5 11:37 1:11 L 12:37 1:16 6 11:37 1:11 L 12:37 1:16

6 12:40 1:20 7 1:16 2:50 8 1:16 2:50 7 1:16 2:50 8 1:16 2:507 1:25 2:058 2:10 2:50

1st 2nd1st 2nd

94 min periods/ 39 min. lunch

1st 2nd2nd1st 2nd 1st

Thursday (1,3,5,7) "ODD"Tuesday (1,3,5,7) "ODD" Friday (2, 4, 6, 8) "EVEN"Monday Wednesday (2, 4, 6, 8) "EVEN"

Rock Canyon High School 2013-2014

40 min periods/40 min. lunch 94 min periods/ 39 min. lunch 94 min periods/ 39 min. lunch 94 min periods/ 39 min. lunch

Schedule Change for 2013-14Below is a DRAFT of a proposed new bell schedule for the 2013-14 school year. As a staff, we are seeking small adjustments to the cur-rent bell schedule that would do several things: 1. Preserve a schedule in which teachers see each class three times a week during full weeks.

2. Builds back in Advise time for meeting with individual grade levels and building a stronger community.3. Preserves Access time for those days when the Advise classes will not meet.4. Build back in time for RCTV, which we believe is an important and effective means of communication with our community.5. Creates only two different bell schedules, as opposed to three.

Once a bell schedule is finalized it will be avail-able on the Rock Canyon website: http://go.dcsdk12.org/rchs

Volunteer UpdateWhen the story of these times gets written, we want it to say that we did all we could, and it was more than anyone could have imagined. ~Bono

Thank you, thank you Rock Canyon Volunteers! You have all done more then you could have imagined in the 10 years of RCHS being a school. It is because of you and your support that we are the great school that we are. From providing help in the classroom and on field trips from New York to Hawaii and points in between, to serving meals to our wonderful teachers and staff during confer-ences and staff appreciation week, and helping each year with vision and hearing screenings… you the volunteers make it happen! RCHS volunteers ensure our students are safe during prom season by supporting the After Prom Fashion Show fund raiser throughout our history which was evident again this year when the event (Rock the Runway) was held on February 10 at the DTC Marriott. Many thanks this year goes out to Diane Greenlaw and Deb Boyle for directing the show and getting us great fashions from local vendors; Johnna Strimbu and Wendi Phelps for putting on a fabulous silent auction; Tristina Tyson and Dawn Reimer for collecting and making glorious baskets for the raffle; Jan Reagan for her wonderful logo de-sign, programs and tickets; Pat Reinerson for the many, many hours

Graduation ceremonies are usually carefully choreographed events, but the first RCHS com-mencement ceremony featured a few surprises.

I was honored to be selected as the faculty graduation speaker for the Class of 2007, and I probably surprised a few in at-tendance by starting my speech with a bit of a cappella song. I know the sound guy told me afterwards that he would have added some reverb, had he known in advance.

I ended the speech by quoting a passage from Annie Dillard’s “An American Childhood,” which many in the class had read as juniors: “Kerouac’s in a little bar in Mexico. He says that was the only time he ever got to hear the music played loud enough -- in that little bar in Mexico. It was in ‘On the Road.’ The only time he got to hear the music loud enough. I always remember that.”

Dillard was quoting her father, who was always searching for fulfillment and really never found it.

I challenged the class to create lives where THEY would hear the music loud enough.

A movie that many graduates had watched in class was “Dead Poets Society,” which has a scene where the teacher, Mr. Ke-ating, has his students stand on his desk to see the world from a different perspective.

When class president Wes Eggett stepped up to speak soon after I finished, he stood at the microphone for a moment, surveyed the crowd, and invited his classmates to stand on their chairs. He himself stood on a chair on the stage. They were up there for just ten seconds or so, but that was enough.

He had a few words after that, but I honestly don’t remember anything he said. He had already been pretty loud.

I’m sure Wes had quite a differ-ent speech prepared for that im-portant occasion, but between thinking about the music being loud enough and “Dead Poets” and a rush of emotions... he had the first graduating class stand on their chairs. – Jack Kennedy, Language Arts/ Journalism Teacher 2004-10

of coordinating ticket sales and Kyle Exline, Jill Finnely and Tamra Kracke for their beautiful decorations and creative idea of a table raffle. Special thanks goes to Mitch Schellenger and Cort Lawarence both RCHS graduates for their great sound mixing and lighting design and Lisa Schellenger for helping to coordinate with them. We even had help from former students and parents like Denise McNally, Nan Wesselink and Brie Strimbu, who know what an impact RCHS traditions and values had on them and their student. Also, thanks to all the other parents and the students that participated and volun-teered this year A special thanks goes out to Kris Henry who helped coordinate a new tradition this fall with the help of Bio-Tech and Mock Trail clubs with Flocking a Friend ( a flock of Flamingo’s appeared in your friends yard for 24 hours) to help raise funds for After Prom. With class sizes growing we know that we will have to continue to fundraise more to keep our After Prom strong. With that in mind I invite you all to volunteer to help with After Prom this year. This is not just a Junior or Senior parent volunteer event. Come learn the ropes and make new friends and get involved. For more information please contact Tanya Schutte at dtschutte@comcast.net. Again Thank You Rock Canyon Volunteers for 10 years of service. – Karen Brankin, RCHS Volunteer Coordinator (303)387-3008, karen.brankin@dcsdk12.org

First Ten Years2003-2013

First Ten Years2003-2013

May, 2012 Graduation day for the class of 2012. Chris Page addresses the class. Page has spoken at three graduations. Photo Kathleen Kennedy

4Jaguar academics

Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book AwardThe Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award recognizes the most popular books among middle and high school students in the State of Colorado. Teens nominate their favorite titles and select the winner - adults do not vote. The winner of the 2013 Blue Spruce Award is The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan.

The nominees for the 2014 Blue Spruce Book Award are...Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia The Help by Kathryn StockettCity of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare I’ll Be There by Holly SloanCode Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein Lost Stories by John FlanaganComing Back Stronger by Drew Brees The Raven Boys by Maggie StiefvaterDeath Cure by James Dashner Reached by Ally CondieDivergent by Veronica Roth The Red Pyramid by Rick RiordanEveryday by David Levithan Fallout by Ellen HopkinsFault in Our Stars by John Green Strange Angels by Lili CrowHeaven is For Real by Todd Burpo Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi To qualify for the Blue Spruce Award, nominated books: •MustbewrittenbyacontemporaryAuthor • Musthavebeenpublishedwithinthelastfiveyearsunlessthebookhasenjoyedresurgence in popularity, as decided by the committee on a case-by-case basis. • Maybefictionornon-fiction • Neednothavebeenwrittenexclusivelyforayoungadultaudience • Maynotappearonthelistinconsecutiveyears • Mustnothaveappearedfirstasamovieortelevisionprogram • Maynotbewrittenbythepreviousyear'swinningauthor • Mustmeetacceptedstandardsofquality • Onlyonetitlebyanauthorcanappearoneachyear'slist • OnceabookhaswontheBlueSpruceAward,othertitlesinthesameseriesmaynotbe nominated. What RCHS Students Are Reading:According to RCHS library circulation statistics, the following20titleshavecirculatedmostfrequentlyduring the 2012-13 school year.1. Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini2. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho3. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins4. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan5. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton6. Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell7. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan8. GatesofFirebyStevenPressfield9. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins10. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins11. A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah12. The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan13. Atlantis by David J L Gibbins14. Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins15. Fullmetal Alchemist 13 by Jake Forbes16. Fullmetal Alchemist 14 by Jake Forbes17. Fullmetal Alchemist 15 by Jake Forbes18. The Hobbit by J R R Tolkein19. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini20. Born at Midnight by C C Hunter

Library/Media Center

Language ArtsTheLanguageArtsDepartmentcontinuestoenjoyourworkwithstudents on their reading, writing, and speaking skills. Hopefully our hard work will pay off with good results on the TCAP in early March and the ACT in late April. Many of our classes across grade levelsareenjoyingthestudyofShakespeare;severalseniorclassesareexaminingHamlet,andseveralofouryoungerclassesareread-ing MacBeth. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Maurissa Moore for her service at RCHS, and we wish her the best in her new position in the Jefferson County School District. Also, thanks to all of the students in her classes for your patience around that change.

– Jason Dunkle, Department Chair

SPED We continue to work hard to provide for our current students but are thinking ahead and planning for the upcoming 2013-14 school year. We have reviewed our course offerings, have meet-ings planned with incoming 9th grade families, participated in the RCHS open house for prospective students and have begun to look at how we can best support the courses our students have enrolled infornextyear. OurUnifiedBasketballteamisinfullswingandtheyarecur-rently running a dunk contest to raise money for our Wish Week project. The SPED team has worked hard this year to implement the new state IEP program and it is going well. Ourteamcontinuestoserveover100studentswithIEP’s,beactively involved in RCHS’s RtI process and our staff are leaders at the district level as DCSD pilots the new CITE and PFP initiatives, rolls out restorative practices, and Emergenetics trainings.

RCHS Student Assistance TeamsRock Canyon’s goal is to serve all students and to work hard for

theirsuccess.OurfiveStudentAssistanceTeams(SAT’s)aredoingtheir part! SAT teams are lead by our counselors and each team also includes an assistant principal, a learning specialist and either our psychologist or our social worker. SAT teams meet every week to review academic, social-emotional or behavior concerns for stu-dents and to discuss how to help individual students who might be struggling. Concerns are brought to the SAT team by teachers, parents or even by the student him or herself.

Teams work hard to collect data to inform decision making and theygatherinputfromfamilies,teachersandthestudenttofindsolutions that work to reduce barriers to learning. When a student needisidentified,SATteamskickintoactionandworktogethertoplan how best to help. Sometimes that means changes in class-room instruction, parent meetings or conferences with students. Each intervention is tracked to measure effectiveness. SAT teams keep in place what is working and will return to brainstorming and planningtofindnewsolutionsiftheyareneeded.

Thanks SAT members for your amazing, “behind the scenes” support of all RCHS students!

– Nicole Amidon, Department Chair

AP Practice Tests StudentstakingAPteststhisspringhavebeennotifiedbytheirAPteachersoftheavailabilityofonlinepracticetests.DouglasCountyPublicLibrarysubscribestoTESTING&EDUCATIONREFERENCECENTERwhichallowsstudentstocreateanaccountandtakePRACTICEAPTESTSFREE!StudentsneedaDouglasCountyPublicLibraryCardinordertoaccessthisdatabase.(IfastudentdoesnothaveaDouglasCounty Public Library card, go to the public library site from the RCHS library page or http://www.douglascountylibraries.org/andchoosetheGetaLibraryCardlink). The test site is linked from the Douglas County Public Library website - Research - Research Databases – (Scrolldownto)TestingandEducationReferenceCenter-HighSchoolTools-AdvancedPlacementExams.

Librarian Day Conference Kelly Kane, English teacher, and Sharon Stevens, teacher-librarian, attended the Teacher Librarian Day conferenceatMetropolitanStateUniversityofDenverontheAurariaCampusonMarch1.TeacherLibrarianDaycentersaroundasetoftopicsandanintegratedtheme,soeveryyearisdifferentandexciting.TLD2013:Common Ground consisted of a suite of short, carefully prepared talks, demonstrations, and performances onavaryingrangeofsubjectstofosterlearning,inspiration,andwonder-andtoprovokeconversationsthat matter. Focus was also given to demonstrating the seamless integration of the new Common Core State Standards with primary sources and technology.

What Does My Student Do During His/Her Off-Period? If your student says he or she has been in the library studying and doing school work during an off-period, he or she may be one of as many as 600 students per day are in the RCHS Library on a regular basis. Typically on8-periodMondays,thereareaminimumof500studentsinthelibraryduringoff-periods.OnTuesday,Wednesday, Thursday and Friday block days, library usage averages over 330 students. ManystudentsaccessMathXLandConjuguemoswebsitestocompletemathandSpanishassignments.During February, a number of students were reading Catcher in the Rye while others were reading best sellersorcompletingLiteraturelogsforEnglishclass.Schoologyisanotherpopularwebsite;studentscheckcoursewebsitesforpostedassignmentsanddiscussionboards.USHistorystudentshavebeencreating“Wanted Posters” for Civil Rights leaders while physics students were researching “dead physicists.” Earth and EnvironmentalSciencestudentshavebeenstudyingElNiño;AquaticBiologystudentshavebeenresearchingand creating presentations on invertebrates. Many students take advantage of the library printer to print papers completed at home. The RCHS Library has become a Learning Common--an active, comfortable space where students can discover, create, and collaborate with peers, a space that allows them to be productive and successful. Library staff provide research and technology assistance. Tony Koy, math teacher, tutors students during 6thperiod.WendyLerolland,Englishteacher,hasbeenavailabletostudentsforwritingassistance.NationalHonor Society students are in the library after school to provide one-on-one tutoring as well. Students can also take make-up tests in the back room of the library during any off-period. All of these resources and services embody the Rock Canyon’s commitment to enhancing teaching, learning, and research in our library’s environment. – Sharon Stevens, Library Media Teacher

Literacy Test taking tips are always helpful. Parents often ask how they can help their students do well on exams.Herearesomecommontipsyoucanutilizewith your student. When you have a test coming up, break up the material into manageable chunks and start to study asmanydaysaspossiblebeforethetest.Ondayone,studyonechunkofinformation.Thenextday, review the material studied on day one before workingwiththenewchunkofmaterial.Onthethird day, review all previously studied material before adding new material, and so forth. Studying over a longer period of time stores information in yourlongtermmemory.Studying(orcramming)ashort time before a test without multiple, meaning-ful repetition, stores information in your short term memory. You may have gaps in memory if you cram

Sept. 2007 Sharon Stevens, Library Media teacher, and Janet Willams, Library Media Technician, have worked together in the library for 7 years. Photo by Kathleen Kennedy

Jan. 28, 2013 The RC students gave the Unified Basketball Team the game of their lives when they filled the Canyon Crazies stands, cheered them on as though they were the varsity team, had poms perform, made a tunnel that spanned a diagonal across the entire floor after the game for the team to run through, and supported Rachel Greenlaw as she sang the Star Spangled Banner. Three of our team members competed for the Pondo team so that they had enough players. A great night of humanity at its best. – Kandi Hofmeister, Educational Assistant

Biotech Our biotech program is second to none in the state, giving college credit, growing from 30 to now 200 students registered per year. We also added a biotech club, have had a student get one of two student nanotechnology internships in the state, one of two internships at the cancer center, and had four others get summer internships at CU Denver and CSU.

Sarah Khan ‘10 beat out hundreds of Colorado students and was awarded a prestigious internship with a Nanobiotechnology company during the summer of 2010. Orlando Martinez ‘12 got the Summer Fellowship with the Cancer Center for the summer of 2011. – Shawny Fordham, Science Teacher

Fall 2005 I remember the “Alive at 25” assembly put on by Officer Kiesow and Officer Simonich in the fall of ‘04 where they pulled a police car in behind the stage and students entered the darkened auditorium to patrol lights. Every 6th chair had caution tape on it indicating the number of students that die in car accidents each year. That was powerful! – Sohne VanSelus, AP 2003-07

First Ten Years2003-2013

for tests. Ask the instructor ahead of time about the format of the test. Will there be multiple choice, essays, true false or a combination of these structures so that you know how to study for the test. Find someone from your class with whom you candoafinalreview,butonlyafteryouhavecompleted your own review. It helps to work with someone in your class who heard the same informa-tion so that you can compare notes, help each other withafinalreview,andclarifyanymissinginforma-tion. It might sound simplistic, but being well rested is very important. You are likely to remember more of what you studied if you are awake and alert. Puttinginadequate,qualitystudytimewillrelievestressandgiveyouconfidenceasyoutakeyour test. – Carol McFarland, Literacy Specialist

First Ten Years2003-2013

Photo by Leslie Maldonado

5Jaguar academics

The class of 2010 knew what it meant to be a part of a team, and how to lead your team to greatness. During our four years at RCHS, our class won state titles in soccer, cheerleading, poms, newspaper, and yearbook. I’ll always remember when near-ly our entire grade poured out of the stands at the varsity soccer fi-nals the second the time ran out, ending the game and making us State Champs. If there’s anything that can bring a school together, it is the shared feeling of victory and spirit. Being on the newspa-per staff, I was able to be part of each of these individual victories, an experience that defines my time as a classmate and leader at Rock Canyon. As a class that rallied together around school spirit, I think most of us would agree that moment on the soc-cer field gave us a sense of pride in our school and a feeling of togetherness that was never hard to come by at Rock Canyon.

– Paige Newman ‘10

Oct. 9, 2009 French Teacher Dayna Moore at Parent-Teacher Conferences. These conferneces are held two nights first semester and one night second semester.

Parent Teacher Conferences 2004 Moore recalls that hardly anyone showed up to the first parent-teacher conferences as parts of Daniels Gate and Castle Pines were on fire.

Science We have been busy in the Science Department with all of our wonderful classes designed to create real-world science intrigue for the students and lead them to a life-long desire to understand the sci-ence in their world. We hope they all strive to look for the data that supports the conclusions they hear every day in the media. In the process of finding out how to interpret data in their world, they end up better prepared for their big state and national tests. Here are a few of the really cool labs that we have done to prepare them for data analysis and to further their understanding of the con-cepts in their classes: In Forensic Science the students are analyzing blood spatter to help them paint a picture of just how physics plays into the pattern, how they can use chemistry to understand what is in that blood and biology to understand how we find and analyze the DNA. In biotech the students are genetically modifying bacte-ria to make them glow in the dark by inserting a gene from a jelly fish into the bacterial cells. Last week they extracted, purified, and amplified their own mitochondrial DNA and then we sent it off to be sequenced. Next week they will be analyzing the data in a mitochon-drial DNA data base as they compare their DNA sequences to different lineages in the database. Biology students in Mr. Gracey’s class did a personal inquiry to solve some problem or question in their lives. They each designed and conducted their own experiments. They then reported their find-ings and did peer review of each other’s lab reports. They sought to evaluate a diverse variety of research topics such as the effect of caf-feine on reaction time and memory, the effect of different physical activities on flexibly, and the perception of a person’s mood based on the color of the shirt they are wearing. In Ms. Muniz’s Biology students are studying the circulatory and respiratory systems and the students are experiencing the amazing details of the heart through our Heart Observation Lab. Working with Sheep Hearts helps our students to probe through the heart to truly understand it. Many of our classes are in dissection mode: Aquatic Bio with Sharks and Perch, Zoology with Pigeons and Rats, and Biol-ogy with Pig (Anatomy with Cats- first semester). In Chem Comm. we are making acid rain and observing the effect acid rain has on plants, metals and marble (buildings, statues etc.) General Chemistry students used stoichiometry to design an air bag using low cost mate-rials. And in Physics students are learning about how mixing colors of light is different than what you learned in art class.We truly enjoy teaching your students about the wonders of Science! – Kristi Piccone, Department Chair

Business/TechnologyThe Business department has seen considerable growth and change over the last 10 years with the additions of the technology wing, new programs, and strong business organizations. To begin, business courses have expanded, moving from stand alone courses to being the school to offer the High School of Business program. Through the High School of Business program, students are learning about the world of business through project based learning. They are com-pleting environmental scans, researching various types of business, understanding economics plays a role in business, as well as learning about finance, marketing, and management. At the culmination of the program, students will start their own businesses. In addition to the High School of Business program, we have successful and estab-lished FBLA and DECA organizations. Both organizations have grown over the last 10 years and have enhanced students understanding of business and provided an opportunity to apply their knowledge in a competitive environment. We have successfully sent students to compete at a National Level every year. All in all, new programs, student achievement, student organizations, and growth is beneficial and important part of RCHS. – Janna Robinett, Department Chair

Choir Eleven Choir students just fin-ished participating in the Colo-rado All-State Choirs. This was the most students ever accepted at Rock Canyon. See page 11 for the listing of students making honor and state choirs. Our next concert is coming up

on March 12 in the Auditorium at 7 p.m. AND we’ll be traveling to Hawaii with the band and or-chestra over spring break where

we’ll sing at the USS Arizona memorial (and other venues).

– Julia Dale, Director

Band The RC band, choir and orchestra are preparing for their trip to Hawaii over spring break. We will have pictures from our trip in the May newsletter. You can also check out the performing arts web page for details and highlights. The RCHS Marching Band is seeking students to join the color guard. This group rehearses with the marching band and travels to all shows/events in the fall season. No experience is necessary, but being able to dance does help. If interested or if you know of someone who may be interested, please email Mr. Naegele at joel.naegele@dcsdk12.org. The symphonic band performed at the regional concert band festival on March 5 at Grandview high school. The jazz band and symphonic band will do their annual feeder concert on March 18 in the RCHS gym. Dinner order forms and schedules have been sent out. Band director Joel Naegele was recently selected as the Colorado State Chair for the American School Band Directors Association. His term officially starts this summer and will run for one year. – Joel Naegele, Director

OrchestraThe Rock Canyon Orchestras have been busy already this semester. Fifteen Orchestra students participated in the Con-tinental League Honor Orchestra. This is a record high number of participants from Rock Canyon. On February 7, the orchestras held a concert featuring music of great composers like Debussy, Tchaikovsky, and Vivaldi. The Chamber Orchestra accompanied Jo Bloom as she played Vivaldi’s Winter. Dominique Pataroque and Jo Bloom represented Rock Canyon at the 61st Annual Colo-rado All-State Orchestra in Fort Collins. In March, nine orchestra students will be participating in the performing arts trip to Hawaii. We have our Rock Can-yon Orchestra Feeder Festival on April 23 featuring all of the string students in the Rock Canyon Feeder Area. – Alyssa McCollum, Director

Physical EducationWell, its been cold and windy in Douglas county and that pretty much locks the Physical Education classes inside where they par-ticipate in varying activities such as volleyball, basketball, weight training, badmitton, bowling, inita-tives, knot tying, pickleball and an occasional game of kickball or baseball. As Mother Nature lossens her grip and the temperatures rise, classes will start to venture outside and play tennis, mini-golf, softball, soccer, frisbee, football in combi-nation with more fitness oriented activities. As always, students are strongly encouraged to “dress out” (appropriately) and participate to the best of their ability in order to take full advantage of the benefits physical education can provide for them.

– Tom Lynch, Department Chair

World Languages We are celebrating a big anniversary at Rock Canyon High School. The World Language teachers have put together a little information about themselves and where they have been during the past ten years, and longer. It’s hard to imagine that in another ten years most of our students will be finished with their education and living on their own (hopefully).

Dayna Moore has taught French at RCHS for ten years. Ms. Moore majored in French at The University of Arkansas and studied abroad in Cannes, France. She completed her Master’s Degree in Teaching English as a Second Language from Grand Canyon University. Ms. Moore used her language skills working at Walt Disney World after college and at Carlson-Wagonlit as the Group Negotiator for the Cor-porate Incentive Travel Division. Catherine de la Garza has taught Spanish at RCHS for nine years. She majored in Spanish and minored in Ethnic Studies at the Univer-sity of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Ms. de la Garza completed her Master’s of Education in Curriculum & Instruction with an emphasis in Literacy from the University of Texas at Arlington. Ms. de la Garza attended language schools in Playa del Carmen and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Courtney Luedtke-Bacon has taught Spanish at Rock Canyon High School for eight years. Ms. Luedtke-Bacon double majored in Span-ish and Communication Studies at the University of Iowa. While completing her degree, she studied in Santiago, Chile. After graduat-ing, Ms. Luedtke-Bacon moved to Austin, Texas where she taught bilingual 2nd grade for three years and earned her M.Ed from Texas State University. After moving to Colorado, she began teaching high school at RCHS. In 2011 she earned her National Board Certification in World Languages. Chantal Pearson has taught Spanish at RCHS for seven years. She majored in Spanish and Marketing at Colorado State University. Her sophomore year she studied abroad in Spain and then completed her Master’s Degree over three summers in Guanajuato, Mexico through the University of Southern Oregon. She was an assistant manager at Mervyn’s and a loan officer before becoming a teacher. Erin Toews Carlson has taught at Rock Canyon for seven years. She has taught several languages, including: French, Spanish, and Italian. Mrs. Carlson majored in French and minored in Italian at The Colora-do College in Colorado Springs. During this time, she studied abroad in Avignon, France, Senegal, and Italy. Upon graduation, Mrs. Carlson spent a year studying at the Université François Rabelais in Tours, France. While in Tours, Mrs. Carlson helped teach English in a private middle school to French children. In 2007, Mrs. Carlson received her Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from The University of Denver.

Jack Song has taught Chinese in the district for six years, working at different sites including Rocky Heights Middle School, Rock Can-yon High School and ThunderRidge High School. Mr. Song majored in English Education at Suzhou University (Suzhou, China) and taught 10th and 11th grades students the English language in Suzhou No.1 High School for 4 years. After he moved to the United States in 2003, he worked at Chinese Children Adoption International for 3 years to help translate documents. He earned a Master’s Degree in Information and Learning Technology K-12 from CU Denver while working at DCSD. Margaret Motz is a Denver native and a graduate of Denver East High School. Ms. Motz has taught Spanish for 25 years, 22 of those in Douglas County, and six of them at RCHS. Ms. Motz lived in Mexico for several years in Guanajuato and Oaxaca. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from CU Denver, a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish from Metropolitan State College, and a Master’s Degree in Teaching from Grand Canyon University. Ms. Motz uses her Spanish skills daily with friends and family and also does translations for vari-ous non-profit agencies. Lauren Nickell has taught Spanish at Rock Canyon for the last five years. Mrs. Nickell majored in Spanish at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine and studied abroad through Hamilton College in Madrid, Spain. She completed her Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Denver in 2009. Before pursuing a career in education, Mrs. Nickell worked in association management for SmithBucklin in Chicago, IL. Carol McFarland has taught Spanish at RCHS for five years. She has also taught English as a Second Language, Spanish, Spanish for Native Speakers and Reading in California, Florida and Colorado. She has taught 7th grade through community college levels. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish and Bilingual/Cross Cultural teaching credential from California State University Long Beach, as well as her Master’s degree in Education for the Diverse Learner from University of Phoenix. She has lived in Argentina and has traveled extensively throughout Mexico. Her bilingual skills helped her during college when she worked as a teacher’s aide with Spanish speaking children and as she worked in an office setting to help the owner communicate with the Spanish speaking workers. Charlotte Meade has returned to Rock Canyon this year after living out of state for five years. She has a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Denver and has taught Spanish for eight years. Dur-ing college, Ms. Meade studied in Cuernavaca, Mexico and attended Spanish language institutes in Mexico and Costa Rica. While teaching in San Jose, California, Ms. Meade earned an English Language Learn-er teaching certificate from the University of Phoenix. Ms. Meade uses her Spanish skills on a daily basis to communicate with friends in the horse community and she makes it a priority to travel to Mexico at least once each year.

– Dayna Moore, Department Chair

A great academic event is the 10th year of the Ancient Civ Olympic games that Megan Brown and Darren Withey started the first year the school opened, and are still going on.

Spring 2010 Being in the baseball final four and coaching with head coach Tyler Munro, and fellow assistants Brian Givens and Steve Tschetter.

– Darrin Withey, Social Studies Teacher, 2004-11

The Science Olympiad team has grown from 8 members 3 years ago to 36 members this year.

– Matt Gracey, Science Teacher

The completion of the new 4000 wing and addition of classrooms.

Sarah Dennis ‘07 winning the 3A 100m hurdles state championship in 2005 to become our first state title winner. – Greg Doan, Social Studies Teacher/AP 2004-11

Science has grown from 2 teachers and no clubs to 13 teachers and 9 clubs and we have maintained the top CSAP Science scores in the district all nine years we have given the test.

Wes Eggett ‘07 taking the entrance exam to Oxford, Tanille Paniogue ‘07 going to Harvard for Engineering instead of MIT or Cal Poly “because it’s Harvard.” – Kristi Piccone, Science Teacher

Ten SecondsGreat moments in RCHS history

The First Admin Team

Principal Dan McMinimee, AP Sohne VanSelus, AD Bart Stevens

First Ten Years2003-2013

First Ten Years2003-2013

We were a team

6 Jaguar academics

Peer counselors Brooke Stormo ‘14 (second from left) and Lily Duffy ‘13 (fourth from left) work with Aly Mazza’s freshman study skills class three days a week. The peer counselors help with fun warm-up games, bring snacks, and work individually with students and in groups by subject. Photo by Kathleen Kennedy

Counselor CornerSenior Parents Has your senior completed the required 20 community service hours required for graduation? Graduation is a little over two months away! If the hours are done, please make sure your senior turns the hours in to Mrs. Sharp in the Counseling Office.

Resources at the Rock Canyon High School Counseling Webpage We have many resources available at the Counseling webpage for parents and students. Looking for community service opportunities, test taking tips or help with test anxiety? Looking for class presentations or our school course guide? Need to order transcripts? Need a tutor or Peer Counseling help? Want to look at standardized testing prep programs? All of this information and more is available to you at RCHS Counseling webpage.

You Can Now Earn a Letter in Community Service Learning Rock Canyon is now offering a lettering program in community service learning at three different levels beginning with the first level at 100 service hours, second level is 250 service hours, and the third level is 500 service hours. Each level has an application and specific requirements that must be completed with documentation of a variety of service learning, recommendations, and personal reflection. Applications will be reviewed and approved by a committee. Forms and details on community service lettering are available on our website under the Counseling tab.

We are Looking for Students to Apply to be a Peer Counselor for Fall 2013 This is an exciting opportunity for students to gain valuable experience toward a possible career in the field of counseling, psychology, social work, teaching or other helping profession; and/or an opportunity to enrich their high school experience as a leader! This course would be a class in their schedule where they would earn a 0.5 elective credit for each semester taken. 1. Please read the description of the two courses in the RCHS course catalog located at the RCHS counseling web page. Peer Counselor I is first semester and Peer Counselor II is second semester. You may also choose to speak to a Peer Counselor II any period of the day in the counseling office to get more information.

2. Go to the RCHS website, then to the Counseling page. On the right side, click on Peer Counseling. Print out the application and two copies of the recommendation form. Turn the application into the Counseling Office by Monday, March 4, 2013. Give the recommendation form to two teachers/staff members ASAP and the teacher/staff member will turn in the completed form to the Counseling Office.

Peer Counselors Are Here to Help Students Academically and Personally Peer Counselor II students are trained to assist students confidentially with: conflict resolution, academic issues, time management, problem solving, relationship issues, crisis situations, college and career planning. Students may come to the Counseling Office and request to see a Peer Counselor. Peer Counselors are available to assist with peer tutoring during 1st and 2nd lunches and periods 1-8 in the Counseling Office. Peer Counselors also give tours of the school. Please call the Counseling Office if you want to set up an appointment for a tour. 303-387-3022 or 3025.

Naviance News The summer break provides many opportunities for our students to get a jump start on activities that will make their school year go smoothly. As always, we want to encourage you to have your child check their Naviance account weekly for emails from our counseling department. As a parent, we encourage you to set up your account in Naviance, as well, so you can access this phenomenal tool.

Our future seniors should be following the timeline we have posted in Naviance under “Pages.” The timeline breaks down what they should be doing midway through their junior year all the way through graduation. Below is a synopsis of those activities: ~ Save copy of parents’ income tax return to use in applying for financial aid. ~ Consider taking the SAT and SAT subject tests, if required by colleges.

~ Look into pre-college summer programs. See the “Enrichment” section in Naviance under “Colleges.” ~ Consider arranging an internship or job shadow in a career field that interests you. ~ Follow-up with teachers on letters of recommendation. ~ Discuss your college choices with your parents. ~ Visit prospective colleges. Look for “Questions to Ask” under Pages in Naviance. ~ Athletes should register for the NCAA Clearinghouse if they want the opportunity to compete in college sports. ~ Complete your community service hours and turn the paperwork into the Counseling Office. ~ Fill out the “Letter of Recommendation Profile” in Naviance under the “About Me” tab so teachers can write you a great letter of recommendation. ~ Work on required college essays. ~ Conduct scholarship searches from the “Links” section in Naviance.

College Campus Visits Summer is a great chance to take a vacation and tie a college campus visit into the trip. Although the true flavor of the college might not be as evident during the summer months, it still provides a great opportunity. It is recommended that you set up an appointment with the admissions office as opposed to just dropping in. Ask to visit with the financial aide department, take a tour of the dorms, sit in on a class, and possibly talk with a student who in currently enrolled in the same major of interest. We encourage students to ask lots of questions and take excellent notes so they can refer back to them when making their final decision the following spring. Here are some questions we recommend: • Whatdostudentslikemost/leastaboutthisschool? • Whatarethestudentslikehere? • Percentageofclasseswithover50students?Whatisthe average class size for a freshman? • Whoteachesfreshmenclasses? • Howaccessibleareprofessorsoutsideofclass? • Whatpercentageofstudentsgraduateinfouryears? • Whatisthepercentageofreturningsophomores? • Whendostudentshavetodeclareamajor? • Whatkindoffreshmentransitionsupportisthere? • Aresupportservicesavailabletoeveryone?Dotheycost? • Whatpercentageofstudentsliveoncampus? • Howareroommatesselected?Whatisthepolicyforchanging roommates? • IsGreeklifecentraltocampussociallife? • Whatrecreationalfacilitiesandstudentorganizationsarethere for the activities I enjoy? • Whatpercentageofstudentsgohomeontheweekend? • Howarefacultyadvisersassigned,especiallybeforeamajorhas been chosen? • Howsafeisthecampus?Whatison-campussecuritylike? • Isthereasafetyescortorshuttleserviceforstudentsreturning to their dorms at night? • Whatcanyoutellmeaboutinternshipsandstudyabroad programs? • Dostudentsgetemailandaccesstotheinternet? • Howavailable/accessiblearecomputerlabs? • WhatservicesdoestheCareerPlacementCenteroffer? • Howdofirstyearstudentschoosetheirclasses?

*These questions are also located in Naviance at the home page under “Pages”

Does Your Child Still Need Community Service Hours? Summer is a great opportunity to complete the required twenty hours of community service hours needed to graduate from any Douglas County School. Colleges and universities often place high value on community involvement and giving back to the community. It is a great idea to try and pursue a community service project that may provide an opportunity to also explore a career interest. Take a look at the Rock Canyon counseling website under Community Service to find a list of opportunities and the required form. Volunteer work must be for non-profit organizations. Students only need 20 hours to graduate, that’s only 5 hours each school year! We highly recommend they try to attain more than just the minimum as many scholarships place high value on community service.

Enrichment Activities During the summer months, many colleges and universities offer fabulous enrichment programs. It is a great way to check out the campus and get a sense of what attending that college would feel like. You can find these by looking into Naviance under College and “Enrichment.” There is a search bar you can type in specific career opportunities. You can also look at each individual college that you list in “Colleges I’m Interested In” and scroll down to see programs available. **No credit will be given for summer programs without prior approval from the high school principal.

Job Shadows Taking the time to set up a job shadow during the summer months is one of the most valuable experiences your son or daughter could have. Put the word out to your family, neighbors, and friends and help connect your child with someone working in the field your child is interested in. Coordinate transportation so your child can work along side a professional throughout an entire day to get to see what that career is really like. Encourage them to ask questions and send a thank you note to the person with whom they do the job shadow. In Naviance, students can also search careers and career clusters. Students can see what a career entails including a brief overview, knowledge and skills, tasks and activities as well as a wage chart for different states in the United States. CHECK IT OUT!!

Press nights for our student newspaper “The Rock” were always a combination of excite-ment, stress, fun, and a little bit more stress. Any time we didn’t procrastinate and wind up work-ing at the school until 2 a.m. to get everything sent off to the printers, it was nothing short of a miracle. But sometimes in the heat of an overwhelming night of work, it was necessary for us to take a little break. You know, to get the juices flowing.

One night a group of us stood up from our computers (after pressing CTRL-S, of course; one too many server crashes had taught us something,) and went outside. It had been snowing for the past couple hours— we wedged a rock safely in the door, and then we opened fire on each other, letting the snowballs fly relentlessly in every direction. We had no mittens, no beanies or coats, just a lot of pent-up energy that needed releasing. It was one of those moments that landed square in the middle of childhood and adulthood. Five or ten minutes and some frozen fingers later, we bounded back inside, ready to get back to work.

– Kate Jones ‘09

The time before time beganSchool year 2002-2003: The future Rock Canyon High School consisted only of Dan McMinimee and Kathleen Ken-nedy situated in a conference room at Ranch View Middle School with a paper sign taped to the door reading “High School No. 7.”

This stands out to me because Rock Canyon has changed so dramatically! Now it has 1800+ students, a large building (with an new addition) and well over 100 staff members. It is recog-nized as being an outstanding school in many and diverse areas. It has quickly come a very long way from that small begin-ning. – Janet Williams, Library Media Tech

Fond memoriesI have two memories from high school that stand out as my most fond. One was coming in 9th place at the National Cheerlead-ing Competition, and the other was the first year Rock Canyon participated in Wish Week. The importance of this week in my memories did not come from the amount of money we raised; it came from the goose bumps on my arms and tears in my eyes as I watched my school come together emotionally. Before that week I only went to school with a couple hundred other students.

But after that week I had the privilege of coming to school with a unified student body of compassionate people, who made me feel incredibly lucky to call myself a Jaguar. It was one of those moments that I can brag about for the rest of my life - an experience from high school that puts me above everyone I have met in college, because they can’t be as proud of their high schools as I can. – Ashley Poindexter ‘12

First Ten Years2003-2013

We needed a break

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Drama 2003-2013, highlights2003: RCHS first play--”Who Poisoned His Meatball?”

2003-04: Drama Club formed with about 40 members; first One-ActFestival (two plays directed by students). Two mainstage shows peryear.

2005: RCHS Thespian Honor Society Troupe 7206 formed. RobinFreysinger ‘08, Matt Golden ‘08, Alisa Smith ‘08, Aubree Thumann ‘08, Abby Claar ‘08, Kaleigh West ‘08, Mandy Lisano ‘08 were the first Thespians.

2008: First Thespian Honor Cord Wearers at Graduation

2009: First RCHS Drama Perpetual Plaque and Best Thespian Winners: AJ Opp ‘09, Alex Rowe ‘10, Abby Roberts ‘09, Alyssa Montoya ‘09 First mainstage performer/winner at Colorado State ThespianConference: Guillermo Arribas ‘10 First District Improv Festival held here.

2010: Improv Club Formed

2012: First winning team in the Tech Olympics and first Improv Frenzy winning team member at Colorado State Thespian Confer-ence Drama Club grew to 87 members

2013: Members of the International Thespian Society has grown to 36 members. Drama now produces two One Act festivals, one musical, three mainstage non-musical shows, two travelling children’s plays by advanced drama class and one full length play produced by advanced drama per year. (Over 14 student-directed pieces per year) – Cindy Baker, Drama Director

RCTV Now and ThenIn the 2004 our first group of freshman and sophomores entered the new building at McArthur Ranch Road. They voted in all the advise-ments to name their school’s TV show Rock Canyon Television or better known today as RCTV. Nine years ago, the early TV produc-tion pioneers along with instructor Jim McClurg began broadcasting 4 days a week at the start of 2nd period to showcase their short film work as the intro to their broadcast, announcing the news to keep everyone up to date with current school happenings, and public service announcements helping promote school activities. The Lab facilities where all the magic happened from 2004-2010 were located in the 8000 computer lab, 8700 Prop studio, and the 8225 broadcast studio. During this time, the program won numerous awards at the state Denver Academy Film Festival for Youth in Best Comedy, Com-mercial, Documentary, and Music Videos. In 2008, the DCTV class headed by facilitators Mike Hall and Jim McClurg produced a show called “Spotlight” shown on DC8 on Comcast that was nominated for a regional Emmy for Best Non-Profit Show.

In 2010, the 4000 Career and Technical Wing opened and RCTV moved into a state of the art production facility in Studio 4104. Classes offered such as Multimedia I & II, Video Productions 1, RCTV, DCTV, Film Production, and Digital Audio Production are providing students the opportunity to build a TV, Film, and Audio pathway as they venture on to college or a career in the broadcast communication, music, or film industry fields right out of high school. CU Boulder, CSU, Colorado Film School, Arizona State, BYU, University of Missouri, University of New Mexico, Syracuse Uni-versity, Florida State, Loyola Marymount, Chapman, and Biola are some of the top communication and film schools graduates of our program are attending these days.

Some of our distinguished graduates in the industry are John “The J-Man” Fenton ‘07: Producer at CBS-4 in Denver, Taylor Temby ‘07: Reporter/News Anchor NBC-11 in Grand Junction, Mitch Schel-lenger ‘09: Head Lighting Director for Barney & Elf Tours, Lighting Production for the band LMFAO, Joe Kappes ‘09: Current Loyola Marymount student, European Documentary Award Winner, work-ing with Red Bull Media and Evan Schneider ’10: Biola University working for their Lighting Design and Video Production Team, Mu-sic Video Producer, and Documentary Filmmaker. – Jim McClurg, Technology/RCTV Teacher

First Assembly in the ‘Big House’That first year, 2003-04 the 9th grade students were housed in Rocky Heights Middle School. On Feb. 25, 2004 Principal McMinimee took the students and staff to the high school where they had their first assem-bly in the gym. Below is part of McMinimee’s speech to them.

“First of all, look at this place. When you go home tonight, or the next time you see your neighbor, thank them for this building. It was their tax dollars that made this possible…this is a state of the art facility; there is not one physical plant in this District better. Although it is beautiful, it is only a building. Close your eyes, think of all the things that will go on here…games, assemblies, Homecom-ing and Prom royalty corona-tions, senior assembly, gradua-tion preparation, classes, etc. We have an opportunity to make it ours, meaning what it is that we collectively think is setting us apart from the other schools. In your mind, remember the things you saw today…the entrance is different, the colors are differ-ent, the gym is different, the tile at the bottom of the staircase, on and on. But what is most im-portant is you and what you are doing here. What is the mark that you are going to leave here, both individually and as a class? What is the legacy of your class? Yes, you will be first, but do you want to leave a standard that all others will be measured by? This is your home away from home for the next three years. What mark will you leave? Only time will tell.

Secondly, and I will say it again: Forever more whenever you drive by this place, you will be able to say that you were one of the first to be in the building, and that many of the traditions that you started are still a part of the culture of the school. I think we all hope that those traditions will focus around excellence in academics, athletics and activi-ties…”

Ten SecondsGreat moments in RCHS history

Our first assembly at RCHS (even thought we were still at RHMS) to honor our first letter winner, Chelsea Higgins ‘07. The excitement of being in our building and seeing what we would become was inspirational for students and adults. – Kristi Piccone, ScienceTeacher

Greg Doan’s banana suit dance and his assembly fur coat.. – Dayna Moore, French Seeing Greg Doan perform the Michael Jackson classic “Thriller” at a school assembley. – Barb Cocetti, Counseling

Greg Doan’s last dance before ‘retiring’ to Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby.” – Dan Davies, Counselor

atTENsion please!Memories of the first decade

May, 2005 John the “J-Man” Fenton ‘07 and Kevin Allen ‘07 ponder over the year’s evnets on the set of RCTV Channel 5 News.

Dec. 2007 Valery Meusburger ‘08 and Zach Holub ‘09, serve as camera techician and teleprompter in TV production class. The first studio was housed in a small conference room in the 8000 wing.

Dec. 2007 Jim MClurg gives point-ers to camera woman Leann Slavin ‘10.

Feb. 2013 Anchors Vinceozo Sangaline ‘14 and Sean Egan ‘14 at the new broadcast set. Photos by Kathleen Kennedy

Feb. 2013 Nick Adkins ‘14 works the control room.

March, 2006 first musical produced at RC, “The Sound of Music.” This stands out in my mind because Trenton Fordham, who played Captain VonTrapp, got sick for the dress rehearsal. His understudy was Nate King ‘07, who barely knew the lines but faked it most of the way.

Photo by Chelsea Long ‘08 – Cindy Baker, Drama Director

March, 2010 the musical “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” was a huge success. Actor Morgan Hayes ‘12, provided some of the biggest laughs.

Photo by Alex Rowe ‘10

Spring, 2008 the drama production “A Piece of My Heart” shed light on the women who served in Vietanm. Micah McDonald ‘09 played an Army nurse who is trying to comfort a dying soldier.

Photo by Max Rowe ‘08

March, 2006 Drama Director Cindy Baker points out painting that needs to be done to Thomas Baker ‘07, working on the set of “Sound of Music”Photo by Kathleen Kennedy

Oct. 2005 Maegan Hoffman ‘08 played Annie Sullivan and Katherine Sislow ‘09 played Helen Keller in “The Miracle Worker.”

8

Story of the rockLindsey Warner, who was the class president at the time, had asked all of us to try to come up with ideas for the senior gift. Ideas were thrown around including painting the gym, benches, bike racks, etc., however what we really wanted to do was establish a tradition. Being the first graduating class we wanted to leave a mark on the history of the school and also set a bar that all remaining senior classes would have to struggle to beat.

I had just returned from a college visit to Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. Their prized campus tradition was painting a rock in the middle of their campus. Students would camp out for days on end to hold the right of painting the rock next. No, Rock Canyon’s Rock was not a novel idea but I could not think of a better tradition to drop on Rock Canyon High School.

Lindsey agreed to the idea and we got “permission” from the administration. We really only spoke to Mr. McMinimee about the idea. With his blessing we just went for it, not really telling anybody outside of Mr. McMinimee and the senior class.

The Rock came from Pioneer Sand off Sante Fe Drive. It weighed in at just over 2 tons. When it was delivered the tractor trailer operator was concerned that the weight of the machine and Rock together would break the concrete of the sidewalk when they dropped it. We weren’t going to come this far and stop now; I said to go ahead and started preparing my apology. Luckily nothing broke. The rest of the senior class joined us that Saturday and we painted the Rock for the first time, Class of 2007 with the handprints of each of the “founders.”

As I am sure you have seen, students pass through high school so quickly. With so much excitement we quickly move on with our lives. But everything that we did in school, whether it be the “Who Poisoned the Meatball” play or a Friday night basketball game, defines not only the school but the students as well. I am proud the Rock has served its purpose of immortalizing these moments and I hope that it continues to for many more decades. Nate Cook ‘07

The 2004 Girls Cross Country Team qualifying for State in only the 2nd year of the school’s existence.

Sarah Dennis ‘07 becoming the first ever RC state champion in Tack and Field in 2005 by winning the 100 hurdles.

The Girls Cross Country Team being the 2007 4A State Academic champions.

Erik Sutterfield ‘08 winning back-to-back State 4A championships in the pole vault in 2007 and 2008.

Ali Will ‘11 winning the 2009 4A Regional Cross Country Individual championship.

Jake Dysart ‘12 winning the Continental League Track championship 800 meters in 2010. – Dan Davies, Counselor,

Cross Country and Track Coach

My favorite coaching moment in my 18 years of coaching

Feb. 10, 2007 - Rock Canyon vs Chaparral Boys Basketball @ RCHS on Senior Day. With the JAGS trailing by 15 to the 7th-ranked Wolverines at halftime of the last home game for the first class of seniors, Rock Canyon fought back in the second half. With 11 seconds left to play and Chaparral ahead by two points, junior Bryan Dorcheus drove down the lane kicking out to senior Mark Moerschbacher who drained a 3-pointer in the corner to win 62-61 at the buzzer as the crowd stormed the court. Mark was the first player to walk in the gym the summer of 2003 starting the school’s basketball program. A great memory the first class of seniors will always remember.

– Jim McClurg, Boys Basketball Coach 2003-12

TenSecondsGreat moments in RCHS cross country/track history

RCHS Library: Ten Year ReviewComputers in RCHS Library2004 – 39 2008 – 45 2012 – 62

Computers at RCHS2004 – 191 2008 – 450 2012 – 870 (+ 67 Tablet Devices)

Collection Total2004 – 7248 2008 – 10,988 2012 – 12, 177

Fiction Books 2004 – 2724 2008 - 3768 2012 - 4666

Audio/Video Support for Classes2004 – 126 2008 – 868 2012 – 1060

Magazine Subscriptions 2004 – 22 2008 – 13 2012 – 5

February 2007 Mark Moerschbacher ‘07 grabs some water during halftime of the Heritage game. Photo by Max Rowe ‘08

March 2007 Erik Sutterfield ‘08 in the 4x200 relay against Mountain Vista HS. Photo by Jack Kennedy

Sept. 2008 Mackenzie Mitzner ‘10 digs for the ball as Ashley Norton ‘10 backs her up. Photo by Alyssa Montoya ‘09

Hours Per Week2004 – 44 2008 – 36.25 2012 – 35

Weekly Visits (No. of Students)2004 – 360 2008 – 480 2012 – 1670

Classes in the Library (Average / Week)2004 – 14 2008 – 31 2012 - 16

Book Circulation (Average / Week)2004 – 103 2008 – 292 2012 – 310

Library Staff2004 – 1.5 2008 – 2012 - 2

*Sharon Stevens has been the teacher librarian at RCHS since 2004.

Oct. 2009 Outstanding RC pitcher Melanie White ‘11, warms up before a softball game. Photo by Zach Tornabene ‘11.

Students in Courtney Luedtke-Bacons’ Spanish IV class partci-pated in a cross-cultural meeting on April 21, 2010. The students spoke with students in Santiago, Chile via Skype.

Photo by Courtney Luedtke-Bacon

First Ten Years2003-2013

I had many moments to be proud of in high school, but one in particular sticks out vividly in my mind. It was December 2009, my junior year. I was in the choir, and that night was our Masterworks concert.

Everyone was buzzing with excitement; you could feel the energy in the room. We had never performed such an esteemed piece of music before, and we had a professional string orchestra to play with us.

The choirs had been learning Vivaldi’s “Gloria” all semester, and tonight was the eagerly awaited performance. It involved each choir, and there were even a few solos given out to some of the singers. It was an incredible experience, and the music was showcased flawlessly. The synchronization between the singers, players, and conductor was refreshing; it is a rare occasion when a group of people function so seamlessly together, let alone create something so beautiful at the same time.

It was rewarding to see our hard work pay off in such a way; there is something so exhilarating about people coming together to do something bigger than themselves. I am grateful that I can carry this experience with me for the rest of my life.

– Madeline Gardner ‘11

April 29, 2006 Musical Mayhem, sponsored by Stu-dent Council. Vocal groups as well as bands showed off their talents. On guitar is Katie Matsunaka ‘08. “I remember Katie Matsunaka’s performance on the guitar. There truly wasn’t anything she couldn’t do.” – Sohne VanSelus, AP 2003-07

Photo by Blake Smith ‘08

Dec. 2009

9

This graphic design by Mattie Nobles ‘09, from the October, 2008 issue of The Rock, earned a spot as a finalist in the NSPA Designer of the Year contest.

Jaguar PublicationsYearbook2003-2004 The Yaguara, Starting From Scratch, one class, 76 pages, Adviser Dawn Land (was a club)2004-2005 The Yaguara, Blueprints To Pawprints, 2 classes, 103 pages, Adviser Dawn Land2005-2006 The Yaguara, Progress, 3 classes, 170 pages, Editors-in-chief Aimme O’Connor ’07 & Monda Pojhan ’07, Adviser Brooke Woodward2006-2007 The Yaguara, “i”, 4 classes, 254 pages, Editors-in-chief Aimme O’Connor ’07, Adviser Janna Robinett2007-2008 name changes to The Black & Gold, The Dangerous Book for Jags, 260 pages, Executive Editor Max Rowe ’08, Adviser Jack Kennedy2008-2009 The Black & Gold, Connections, 260 pages, Co-Editors Jennifer Mayo ’09 & Alyssa Montoya ‘09, Adviser Jack Kennedy2009-2010 The Black & Gold, One Year, One School, One Book, 272 pages, Editors-in-chief Leah Johnson ‘10, Lauren Packer ‘11 and Brianna Vail ‘11, Adviser Kristi Rathbun2010-2011 The Black & Gold, Rock Refined, 272 pages, Editors-in-chief Jackie Marthouse ‘11, Lauren Packer ‘11 and Brianna Vail ‘11, Adviser Kristi Rathbun2011-2012 The Black & Gold, True, 304 pages, Editors-in-chief Julia Adams ‘12 and Karly Hanson ‘12, Adviser Kristi Rathbun2012-2013 The Black & Gold, Try To Keep Up, 292 pages, Editors-in-chief Lauren Payne ‘13 and Sarah Rosenkrans ‘13, Adviser Kristi Rathbun

HigHligts: Staff members of the yearbook earned 27 first place awards, four All-American ratings from NSPA (’08, ’09, ‘11, 12), 1 gold key and 3 staff earned awards in the JEA National Write-offs.

Newspaper2003-04 As a club, eight students, along with sponsor Cate de la Garza produce the first student newspaper, “RCHS Press” - 6 pages photocopied on 8-1/2 x 11 white bond.2004-05 The Rock, adviser Jack Kennedy – Highlights: Susie Typher ’08, just a freshman, won first place in the nation for column writing in the National Federation of Press Women High School Journalism contest. First George Gallup Award for paper, with only 38 papers honored nationally. “The Rock” won the Gallup each year through 2010. Won the 3A Sweepstakes Award from the Colorado High School Press Association in its first full year.2005-06 The Rock, adviser Jack Kennedy – Highlight: Won the 4A Sweepstakes Award from CHSPA.2006-07 The Rock, adviser Jack Kennedy, Louisa Tur ’07, Executive Editor – Won Best of Show among large papers during the JEA/NSPA National Convention in Denver, April, 2007. Awarded first All-American Award from NSPA.2007-08 The Rock, adviser Jack Kennedy, Susie Typher ‘08, Executive Editor – Highlights: Chelsea Long’s sport story on the lacrosse season was named Story of the Year by the National Scholastic Press Association. Named a NSPA National Pacemaker Award winner (the Pulitzer Prize of scholastic journalism). Max Rowe won first place in the NSPA National Designer of the Year competition. Susie Typher named CHSPA Journalist of the Year.2008-09 The Rock, adviser Jack Kennedy, Kate Jones ‘09 & Kristen Scheirman ‘09, co-editors – Highlights: Kristen Scheirman named CHSPA Journalist of the Year. Kate Jones won the Quill & Scroll Sweepstakes award for best editorial in the nation. Kate also won first in the nation for her columns from the National Federa-tion of Press Women.2009-10 The Rock, adviser Jack Kennedy, Alex Rowe ‘10 Executive Editor – Highlight: 4th consecutive All-American rating from NSPA. 2010-11 The Rock, adviser Elizabeth Harris, Emma Kate Fittes ‘11 Executive Editor2011-12 The Rock, adviser Kristi Rathbun, Lauren Scheirman ‘12, Executive Editor2012-13 The Rock, adviser Kristi Rathbun, Syd Charvat ‘13, Executive Editor

HigHligHts, newspaper students earned 46 in-dividual first place awards from CHSPA contests, 15 Gold Keys from Quill & Scroll’s National Writing and Photography Contests, and 25 awards from JEA Na-tional Write-offs at national conventions. In the NSPA National Writing, Photography and Design contests, students earned 2 first place, 1 second place, 2 third place, and 3 honorable mentions. The Rock earned one National Pacemaker and was also a Finalist one time, along with 2 Silver Crown awards from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, and five All-Ameri-can Awards from NSPA.rock

Student Voice of Rock Canyon High School5810 McArthur Ranch Road • Highlands Ranch, CO 80124 • 303.387.3000

Volume 5, Number 2 • October 8, 2008

the rockrock

Art by Mattie Nobles

Millions will ‘raise their hands’ on

Nov. 4. Check out pages 18-20 to see

how RC does politics

YOUR HAND IN HISTORY

The front cover of the first RC student newspaper.

We called it ‘The Rock’I joined the editorial board of the student newspaper my senior year, after falling deeply in love with the romanticism surrounding journalism. I was one of the last to be enlisted, so the lion’s share of the cool posi-tions had been picked through, so I was left with a new section: Education.

It was too broad and too narrow a topic all at once. Do we talk about new trends in teaching styles abroad? Ask students how their third period was? How do you talk about a universal experience in a new way when you’re still entrenched in the whole thing? I spent many a press night trying to answer these questions (and hash out word counts). Those nights, spent ordering pizza to the press room, distracting ourselves from deadlines with frisbee, and loudly playing the theme song from Mulan, are some of my fonder memories.

Sure, the name of the paper was a play on the name of the school. But it meant something. This was only the third year of the school; there was no bedrock beneath our feet. We became “The Rock” because we didn’t have one to stand on. The pathways of tradition worn down by the feet of former stu-dents present at other schools were absent from ours. We were the ones to lay down the foundation. Instead of youthful apathy, we started a Make-a-Wish fundraiser that’s still going strong. We started as gangly, awkward teen athletes and blos-somed into gangly, awkward cohesive state-winning teams. We’ve made progress.

Time has given me a bit more distance and perspective on the whole thing. I’m a big college man on campus now, but my high school days are not behind me; they’re underneath me. The teachers, the staff, the classes I had at Rock Canyon form the intellectual groundwork I use every day in my path to become a doctor. They are the fuel in my brain-engine, the wind beneath my mind-wings; the booster rocket on my Spaceship of Knowledge. I have metaphors for days, each more ridiculous than the last, thanks to the all-star English department that was there during my residency.

A strong foundation alone is not enough to propel a school forward. The school motto is “to empower, to explore, to encourage, and to excel in education.” How can we excel in a state where ACT scores are below national average? How are we being empowered in a district where the taxpayers demand a first class education, but only want to pay for a coach fare?

There are questions to be an-swered, problems that beg for solutions.

But even with stormy seas in sight, we are not without guid-ance. The last ten years have given us a compass to show where we’re headed, a map to show where we are, and a history to show us where we’ve been.

We have a rock to stand on. – Kyle McDaniel ‘09

Each year, the Journalism Educa-tion Association holds a national convention for high school stu-dents in the fall and in the spring. Thousands of high school students from around the country attend these conventions. As my husband is a former high school journalism teacher and my three children were all in journalism, I have attended several of these conventions, helping to chaperone many high school students. In November, 2006 I was privileged to accompany 16 Rock Canyon High School journalists and their adviser Jack Kennedy, to their first national convention which was held at the Gaylord Hotel in Nashville, TN. Not only were we able to see some Nashville sites such as the Ryman Audi-torium and The Country Music Hall of Fame, the student journalists were able to hear professional journalists speak, attend sessions given by some of the best jour-nalism teachers from around the country and talk to some of the other 5,000 high school journalist in attendance. The RC students represented their school well. All 16 students competed individually in the national write-offs and 7 earned awards competing against nearly 2,000 students (about one third of the students placed). The thing that most stands out in my mind was the award for Best of Show, which is given at the end of the conven-

tion. The students take an issue of their student newspaper and enter it into a contest with other papers. The entries are divided by how many pages are in the paper, not by the size of the school. On their first entry ever at a national con-vention, "The Rock" was entered

into the 17 or more pages group, often considered the "heavy hitter" category, meaning they were competing with nu-merous big time high school newspapers with bigger reputations and much more history. Awards are given to the top ten papers. The announcer starts with num-ber ten and works up to number nine. This is a tense time. They start with number ten, and you really don't want to hear your name. As they work up to num-ber one you have this feeling of not want-ing to hear your name called and yet you start to worry that you won't hear your name at all. In its first attempt at a Best of Show, this school in only its third year of having a journalism program, "The Rock" took fourth in the nation. It was a feeling that really can't be matched. At the spring 2007 convention held in Denver, "The Rock" took first place in Best of Show, and that was amazing, but Nashville is always my best convention memory. ‑ Kathleen Kennedy, Principal’s Assistant

Kristen Scheirman ‘09, Megan McNally ‘08, Paisley Morrison ‘08, Chelsea Long ‘08, Max Rowe ‘08, Louisa Tur ‘07, Angie Baroffio ‘08, Melissa Paris ‘07, Jenna Scheirman ‘08, Nate Cook ‘07, Jennifer Prusse ‘08, Susie Typher ‘08, and Tyler Blair ‘07, tour the Ryman Audi-torium in Nashville. Not pictured: Mike Dydyn ‘08, Taylor Miles ‘07, and Kelsey Tobin ‘07. Photo by Kathleen Kennedy

‘The Rock’ becomes national playerFirst Ten Years2003-2013

Chelsea Long ‘08, and Megan McNally ‘08, are initiated into Quill & Scroll Society, during the school’s first ceremony in May of 2006. The school had been granted a charter just a few months be-fore. The candles were lighted from the “Candle of Truth,” signifying the duty of journalists to always do their best to report the truth. Photo by Kathleen Kennedy

Other Notable Events

2004-05 Quill & Scroll Honor Society Rock Canyon Charter granted April 11, 2005

2005-06 15 student journalists inducted in first Quill & Scroll Initiation Ceremony

2005-12 A total of 112 Rock Canyon student journalists have been initiated into Quill & Scroll Society

Oct. 2008 Jack Kennedy was named the 2008 Colorado High School Press Association Adviser of the Year

Oct. 2012 Kristi Rathbun was named the 2012 Colorado High School Press Association

The Yaguara, 2006 cover

10

Tommy Michael ‘07, was a frequent MC for Ses-sions. Michael also liked to practice his comedy skills.

SessionsYou could smell the coffee in the air, hear beautiful music and see smiles all around. Sessions @ The Rock was a student-led, performance-based opportunity to hang out with friends once a month while enjoying music or poetry or art. The band director at the time, Mr. Rudy Royston had an idea to create a cof-feehouse space at Rock Canyon where students could hang out and enjoy live performances. To-gether with a group of students, that’s exactly what we did. During it’s two year run (2005 - 2007), Sessions was a place where all kinds of students could feel a sense of family together. Perhaps the best part of the whole thing was that anyone from the Rock Canyon com-munity was welcomed to share their talent, whether it be a student, staff, teacher, or even the administration. One of my favorite memories was Mr. Costanzo, career coach, who sang and played the ukelele one month. He was so happy to be on stage and looked so great in his Hawaiian shirt. There was also Emma and Louisa Tur, sisters who sang and played the harp together. I remember it being positively angelic. It truly was a venue for people to be creative and demonstrate talents in ways that might not otherwise be ac-cessible at the school. As the Sessions creative team graduated and the music depart-ment reorganized, the creative space that was Sessions fell away. It was fun. It was a little bit ro-mantic. It was definitely remark-able. It truly was a unique experi-ence, made even more special because a group of students was given the reins in order to make Sessions into a true expression of who we were, without boundar-ies.

– Emily Coppage ‘08

Wes Eggett ‘07 and Lukas Gon-zales ‘07 start off the December 2005 Sessions at the Rock.

The Royston Trio perform jazz numbers at Sessions. Music Director Rudy Royston is on the drums. It was quite the treat.Sessions photos by Jack Kennedy

BANDRCHS band directors: Keith Farmer 2003-2005 Rudy Roysten 2005-2006 Joel Naegele 2006-Present• Marching Band started as a football pep band in 2005 and on its road to a comeptitive marching band in 2006.• 2011 Marching Jags made it to the State for first time in class 3A• 2012 Marching Jags made it to State for the frist time in class 5A• Marching Jags have grown from a 30+ member group to a 50+ member group. From one band director and one percussion/guard intructor to a staff of one band director and four supporting band staff.• Jazz Band went from a group 13 (2004) to the current size of 25 with a full big band instrumenta-tion• Symphonic Band has earned superior ratings at CHSAA events since 2006.• Marching Band has traveled to San Diego, CA as part of the Holiday bowl and to San Antonio, TX as part of the Alamo Bowl.• Performing Arts takes first department trip in 2013 to Hawaii• Continental League Band honors have risen from 6 or 8 students to the current 16 students being selected in 2013.

– Joel Naegele, Band Director

Orchestra• The RCHS Orchestras have grown from taking only 1 student to Continental League to taking a record high of 15 students in 2013.• 4 students have represented Rock Canyon at Colorado All-State Orchestra.• Trips taken include a performance at a clinic at the Colorado Music Educators Association Clinic/Conference (with Andrea Meyers), Winter Park, and Hawaii (Alyssa McCollum). The ensembles have consistently scored I’s (Superior) at the CHSAA Large Group Festival.

– Alyssa McCollum, Orchestra Director

Class projects/days in various classes: Mole day and Tie Dye Day in Science and the Greek City State project in Ancient Civilization (almost all the And Civ teachers have students take on a Greek City State and dress like them and do competitions for a few weeks). – Sarah Pascoe, BRT

Graduation 2007, Jack Kennedy’s awesome speech. Not only was it motivating and humorous, but I was blown away by his singing!

Fall of 2006, our Freshman Career and Speaker Day. One of the rotations had Senior Wes Eggett ‘07 speaking to the freshmen about being successful in high school. The best part was singing the “Sweater Song” by Weezer while playing his guitar.

Aubrey Eggett ‘12 being our first Boettcher Scholarship winner in 2012 – Dan Davies, Counselor

Fall, 2008 The first time for a Shakespeare play at RCHS. Mr. Page played the part of Oberon in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” It was set in modern day Hollywood, and Mr. Page wore the tightest black leather vest and pants you’ve ever seen. – Cindy Baker, Drama Director

I will never forget the beautiful musical productions at Rock Canyon, in particular, “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Aida.” We have had some incredible talent at this school including both singers and musicians. It’s just a pity that not everyone was able to hear first-hand what those students have produced.

Another memorable moment for me, was watching Paul McNally and AJ Cocetti perform for Mr. Jag with their dance number. Paul lifted AJ straight above his head and just stopped him from doing a head-first dive straight over his back. It got a good gasp from the audience, but they pulled it off in their own unique fashion. – Barb Cocetti, Counseling

Dec. 7, 2006 orchestra concert. Orchestra members Talia Pratte ‘10, Nicole Rafferty ‘09, Karrick Crozier ‘07, and Sam Drake ‘08. Photo by Jack Kennedy

Ten SecondsGreat moments in RCHS history

Sixteen RC students traveled to France and Spain during the summer of 2011 with World Language teachers Erin Toews, Courtney Luedtke-Bacon and Cate de la Garza.

July 2011 Outdoor Club poses at the end of their trek up to the summit of Mt. Sneffels.

– Eric J. Schmidt, Outdoor Club Sponsor

Spring, 2010 Science Bowl team / Sam Carrell ‘12, was the only returning member of the team, which competed in a game show atmosphere against schools from across the state.

– Eric Schmidt, Sponsor

March, 2006 Choir Director Annette Marsden pulls the Women’s Chorus in around the piano to work on a number during class. Marsden was the choir director 2003-09, retiring in May of 2009. “The toughest classroom assignment has to be in Music Theory,” Annette said. “Early in the second semester students in Jazz Singers must write a four-measure orgin-al piece. They are not allowed to use the piano to help them with chord progressions. They must rely on their knowledge and be able to apply it to their work.” Julia Dale took over the choir program in fall of 2009. Photo by Kathleen Kennedy

September 2006, International recording artist, Grammy win-ner, founder of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and inventor of the Viper Violin, Mark Wood brought his music education program to a student assembly.

First Ten Years2003-2013

When the first graduating class (2007) were freshmen, the cur-rent freshman class (2016) were in Kindergarten.

When the first graduating class (2007) were seniors, the current senior class (2013) were in 6th grade.

Jaguar activities/Honors11

Jag Students of the MonthStaff members nominate and vote on students who exem-plify the mission of RCHS, “To Empower, To Explore, To Encourage, and To Excel in Education.” Two students from each class are chosen. Mr. Abner honors the students in one of their classes.

Dec. 2012: Seniors Curtis Duncan and Dani Gilbert, ju-niors Logan Schafer and Emily Okonowsky, sophomores Jennifer Heathershaw and Josh Colville, freshmen Nicole Armstrong and Mariam Vail. Jan. 2013: Seniors Rachel An-derson and Johanna Bloom, juniors Brandon Reimers and Alexandra Sundberg, sopho-mores Lukas Larsson and Morgan Stone, freshmen Lily Franks and Joshua Goldin. Feb. 2013: Seniors Deanne Apke and Chris Crum, juniors Evan Hunchar and Nick Seaquist, sophomores Jessica Dobler and Parker Groves, freshmen Will Gibbons and Emily Klein.

Speech and Debate Speech and Debate had their last regular tournament of the year Feb. 16 at Columbine High School. Congratulations go to the follow-ing students. Jon Beirne ‘15 and Ariea Xu ‘14 - finalists and undefeated in Public Forum DebateJon Villaneuva ‘14 - finalist fourth in Dramatic InterpretationEmily Klein ‘16 - finalist and fourth place in Original OratoryParker Groves ‘15 - finalist and fifth place in Original OratoryKevin Criley ‘16 - Excellent ribbon - Extemporaneous SpeechDenny Schaedig ‘15 - Excellent ribbon - Extemporaneous SpeechSuperior Ribbons in Public Forum for the teams of Aimee Schnebeck ‘13/Joey Wainwright ‘14, Sam Molitoriss ‘15/Savannah Koonce ‘15 and Vismaya Bachu ‘15/Maria Milusheva ‘15Excellent Ribbon - in Lincoln Douglas Debate - Daniel Khan ‘14 The Rock Canyon Speech and Debate Team, as well as coaches JoAnn Moran and Wendy Lerolland, would like to thank the families of Ryan Landrum ‘13, Priyanka Philips ‘14, Jon Beirne, and Daniel Khan for their generous donations in support of the RCHS Speech and Debate team. Thank you for helping our students achieve their academic goals and for keeping our team involved in this important endeavor.

Apple Awards The 2013 Apple Awards were held February 23, 2013 at the Shera-ton Denver Downtown.

The Apple Awards were created in 2006 to provide the opportuni-ty to recognize and celebrate the excellent and innovative teachers in Douglas County School District and serve as a fund raiser for district schools, district programs and DCEF’s Fill the Gap grants. Over the years, the event has grown to engage the entire Doug-las County community and its schools and shine a light on the DCEF’s role in the district.

Nominations were taken from students, staff and parents in October for both certified and classified staff. In December the Rock Canyon Staff voted for the staff who where nominated. On Dec. 22 it was announced that Shawndra Fordham, science teacher and Barb Cocetti, counseling secretary were the 2013 RC representatives. Shawndra was named the Douglas County School District secondary teacher Apple Award winner at the Feb. 23 award banquet.

Past RC Apple Award Recipients are Julia Dale, Vocal Music, 2012; Carolina Aquirre, Custodial, 2012; Tony Koy, Mathematics, 2011; Kate Hartline, Social Studies, 2010; Jack Kennedy, Language Arts, 2009; Sarah Pascoe, Building Resource Teacher, 2008; Suzanne

“Barb is one of the most dedicated DCSD employees I have worked with. Always putting students first, she is so intrenched in her work involving students and their future education. Barb follows through for each student, guiding them through Naviance naviga-tion, transcript transmittal, college visits and more. She deals with every student on a personal level, making them feel important and successful and helps relieve them of college planning stress. Always first at her desk, last to turn off the lights, she has developed meaning-ful working relationships with her many coworkers from the counsel-ors, to office workers, administra-tors, and finally teachers. Barb is calm, patient, and respectful to all. I truly believe Barb Cocetti is what an Apple Award winner should be about.“ One of the nominations

“Mrs. Fordham is the best teacher I have ever had. She loves what she does, and she puts much of her personal time into making the class great. She is always push-ing the boundaries on what high school students can, and have done, and always finds new labs to do. Her enthusiasm for the subject transfers directly into her students. She has taught many of her students to love biotech, and has helped many of us find our passion in this subject. She also has actively attained many grants to make this class possible. She is by far the most qualified and most deserving person that I can think of to win this award, and I think that anyone you talk to who knows her would agree.” One of the nominations

Principal Andy Abner and math teacher Tony Koy, celebrate with senior Austin Beane at The 20th Annual National Football Foundation and Col-lege Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete Awards Banquet held Feb. 18 at The Denver West Marriott. Beane was one of 11 high school scholar athletes honored. He will be listed in the College Hall of Fame. In addition to holding the RCHS school record for second longest touchdown reception and for the most interceptions in a single season, Beane has taken eleven AP classes during his high school career and is ranked number two in his class.

Zimmerman 9Teacher Who CaresMathematics teacher MandiZimmerman was been selected by Channel 9 News as a March 9Teachers Who Care honoree. She is being recognized for hercommitment to her students and to her profession. Her tapedstory was featured on KTVD onMarch 8.

Excerpt from her nomination:Mrs. Zimmerman is one of the math teachers who has actually made an impact on my educa-tion. It’s obvious that she really enjoys her work: to her it is not just a job. She is always pulling out new ideas to keep us motivated to finish strong. Mrs. Zimmerman’s positive influence extends beyond class work into helping us prepare for college. Her tips for success in college classes and with professors help us get excited for the next step ahead. Her explanations of why we need math concepts are believable. She makes herself very available to students who need extra help both during and after school. Her highest priority is that we understand the material, holding us to high expectations, she brings out our best.

Drama WinnersAshley Kisner ‘13, was chosen from among 275 competitors in the Solo Musical Theatre category to perform in front of 4000 students at the Bellco (Wells Fargo) Theatre in Denver in December.

Logan Schafer's ‘14 improv team was chosen to perform in front of the same audience--this is a first for RCHS!

Other firsts for RCHS:Sam Molitoriss ‘15 and Kinsey Riley ‘14 received recognition for the fastest time in the light-ing skill in the Tech Olympics.Lauren Wearsch ‘13, Larissa Rosendale ‘14 and Christina Enloe ‘15 were all part of our also receiving recognition for the fastest time in the costume skill in the Tech Olympics. Our whole Tech Olympics team re-ceived first place for completing tasks in props, sound, construc-tion, lighting in costume, at a time of 3 minutes, 27 seconds.

One Act presentation featuring Syd Charvat ‘13 & Nate Nelson ‘14, along with Quinn Ken-nedy ‘13 and Kalle Sorbo ‘15, received straight superiors!

OrchestraCongratulations to the follow-ing students who were select-ed to the Continental League Honor Choir held January 14 at Boettcher Concert Hall: Violin Dominique Pataroque, Danielle Pataroque,Hayden Neff, Deanne Apke, Angela Hinds, Bailey Bremner; Viola Garrett Durie, Donovan Parran; Cello Gabriel Tauber, Lauren Wearsch; Bass Ben Beall, Daniel Irwin, Claire Wang, Stephen Morrison, Ian Kretzmann; Horn Nicholas Nilsson.

Naegele selected for ASBDA Band director Joel Naegele was recently selected as the Colorado State Chair for the American School Band Direc-tors Association (ASBDA). His term officially starts this sum-mer and will run for one year.

Band Congratulations to the following students who were selected to the Continental League Honor Band: Nick Nilsson - Horn (orch.), Tyler Overbaugh - Flute, Allison Miller - Flute, Sage Neese - Flute, Sydney Richardson - Flute, Ester Gilbert - Clarinet, Rachel Rose - Clarinet, Gena Rumsey - Clarinet, Lexi Carley - Clarinet, Andrew MacRossie - Alto Sax, Jared Jordan- Trumpet, Dan Bryant - Trum-pet, Brian Canitz - Trombone, Bryce Wilson - Trombone, Parker Benson - Tuba and Calvin Thelen - Percussion. This is a new record of well-prepared students for the league band audtions. This group of students listed were able to rehearse and perform under the direction of Col. Lowell Graham, Ret. Air Force. They played some very challenging pieces and performed before a large crowd at Boettcher Concert Hall downtown on January 14. Any band student from grade 9-12 can audition for this group. Congratulations to RC All-State band students Sage Neese ‘13, Flute and Tyler Overbaugh ‘14 Flute. Andrew MacRossie ‘13 was selected as an alternate. Their audition music and process is ex-tremely challenging and to be selected is a huge honor! Jazz band earned a superior rating at the Grandview HS jazz festival at the end of November. This groups performed at RHMS on February 20 along with the RHMS jazz group.

The combined Continental League Honor Band, Orchestra and Choir perform Jan. 14 at Boettcher Concert Hall.

Choir Congratulations to the following students who were selected to the Continental League Honor Choir held January 14 at Boettcher Concert Hall: sopranos Jenna Meibos, Jolene Giess, Morgan Colan-der, Logan Schurr, Isabella Huff; altos Erin Snyder, Brooke Celecki, Meredith Ham, Missy Davies; tenors AJ Hilzer, Kalle Sorbo, Sam Hulsizer, Max Orgill, Hogan Petry; basses Kimball Eggett and Kevin Mackey. Emilia Bartelheim, Meredith Kelley, Lauren Veltri, Ashley Kisner, Quinn Kennedy, Maddi Long, Nicole McDaniel, Lily Gardner, Rachel Zetwick, Logan Schafer and Samuel Makikalli were accepted to the 2013 Colorado All-State Choirs. The students prepared for live auditions in October that were extremely difficult. Over 2100 students auditioned for approximately 400 spots and we earned 11 of them! Emilia Bartelheim was also selected as a member of the 2013 Colorado All-State Jazz Choir. Only 32 students from the entire state were selected.

Jaguar activities12

“Beauty and the Beast” involved 97 students on stage, backstage and in the pit, and proved to bethe biggest show Rock Canyon has done!

The stage version featured additional numbers and solos as to what was done in the Disney movie/cartoon score. This show definitely highlighted our All-State musicians. The characters, were colorful and broad and simply wonderful!

– Director Cindy Baker

First Ten Years2003-2013

We wanted to leave something fun and unique, a legacy that would last longer than our in-dividual names and stories. We also wanted to be remembered as a class that contributed to building something great. Rock Canyon has become that great place and we were privileged to have been part of its begin-nings. It’s “first layer of paint”, if you will. The class of 2009 was the first class to have left hand prints on the wall by the caf-eteria. We had planned to put our gold hand prints on a black background. We got yellow - close enough. For a couple of weeks we would walk past the proposed zone, planning where to put our prints and who we would be immortalized next to. On the day of, students were eager to claim their space. The daring among us climbed on ladders to get as high as possible. The creative found clever ways to place their prints. I gathered my friends and we picked an empty zone of four squares. Wiping our hands clean we stood back to admire our prints. Each year students have placed their prints over ours but the flecks of yellow that can be seen still make me smile. – Tanisha Cocetti, ‘09

The first layer of paint

First Ten Years2003-2013

In one word…SPIRIT

Over the course of the 2012-2013 school year, I watched as the graduating class led the way in generating a new level of spirit. We organized and participated in a host of events that elevated school pride and the strong sense of mutual support. Our senior class reflected a positive impact on the school and the community, culminating our high school experience and defining our Senior Year.

While not all of the seniors were athletes, we began the year with great enthusiasm for our super football team. That spirit produced an unrivaled fan section. I will always remember packing the stands and almost selling out Shea Stadium for the Highlands Ranch football game. I watched the RCHS seniors participate in the “Marching” Cheer, the “Do It” Cheer, and the “I Believe” Cheer. However, the spirit did not finish when the game ended.

The seniors channeled the inner Jag Pride during the 2013 “Reality Series” Winter Week. I enjoyed digging through my closet to find everything from camouflage for “Duck Dynasty” Day to mismatched clothes for “What not to Wear” Day. The week ended with one of the best dances yet -- the “Dancing with the Stars” Winter Formal. Immense work was invested; likewise, I know that immense fun resulted. The seniors upheld their tradition of spirit and inspired the lower classes to match our enthusiasm. We learned an important life lesson in the process – leadership by example. The pride the lower classes took in themselves and their school reflected our own. But as seniors, we still had one important task left.

To cap off our senior year, we carried our spirit beyond the school borders to contribute to others. We displayed our spirit one last time for our Wish Week 2013. It was the best year yet of raising funds to support the Make a Wish Foundation. The senior class witnessed Wish Week evolve from a simple new idea to holding the national record over the course of four short years. There are no words to describe the compassion that permeated the week. I watched the seniors set the example for the miracle minute, penny stalls, and shaving heads. Together, we raised over $60,000 for the Colorado Make- A-Wish Foundation in 2013.

I learned one very important lesson at Rock Canyon. The Senior class was and always will be a family. Seniors supported each other as we pushed the boundaries, setting no limits. It was an honor and privilege to wear my “Jag” gear and encourage my classmates during my final days at RCHS. We learned together and had an impact larger than ourselves. We left the lower classes inspired to challenge themselves. We left the community a richer place. Therefore, as I look back on my senior year, I can only be thankful for the memories that I, along with my classmates, will always cherish. – Saylor Gilbert ‘13

Here is a brief list of the leads:Belle- Meredith KellyBeast - Logan SchaferGaston - Austin NelsonMrs. Potts - Quinn KennedyLumiere - AJ HilzerCogsworth - Nathan NelsonWardrobe - Meredith HamChip - Logan SchurrMaurice - Liam KelleyLeFou - Graham AustinMonsieur D’Arque - Luke Hoffman

‘Beauty and the Beast’ enchants sell-out crowds

Winter Week warms Jags for fifth year... leads to formal

Jags sacrifice some hair in St. Baldrick fundraiser

Left: Babette played by Syd Charvat ‘13. Above Nathan Nelson ‘14 as Cogsworth.

Above: Mrs. Potts played by Quinn Kennedy ‘13 and Chip played by Logan Schurr “15.

All photos this page by Kathleen Kennedy

Far Left: Survivor Day Seniors Madison Jackson, Savannah Slifer and Virginia Vaughan, Middle: newly named Mr. Jag Prent Haworth, ‘13, Below: Kyle Riley ‘14 had the look of Duck Dynasty Day.

Above: Jag Day, Freshmen in Mr. Golden’s English I class dress in Jaguar spirit wear. Right: Chris Schneider ‘14 looks like a million dollars on Millionaire Monday.

Above: What Not To Wear Day, the always fashionable French Teacher, Charlotte Meade.

The RC Reality theme week ended with a Feb. 2 “Dancing with the Stars” Formal Dance.

On Feb. 26 and 27, four stylist donated their time to buzz the heads of 175 students and staff who paid $20 each to participate in the Dare to Share Your Hair

event. All money was given to the Make-A-Wish fund.

Chance Champine ‘13 had not had his hair cut since Dec.

2011. A large crowd, including his mother, gathered in the auditorium to watch the curls fall.

Jaguar Wish Week13“This week has been about

making wishes come true. That is what we do.”Student Council Adviser Kate Hartline, at the closing Wish Week Assembly

Student Council would like to thank Rock Canyon for its continued support of this program. Every year, we are totally blown away by the amazing stories of generosity and how so many students and families choose to participate. Wish Week is now part of the culture at Rock Canyon High School. It is something we look forward to every year and it is such a proud moment when the en-tire school stands united in blue around a single cause. Presenting the check to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Colorado is a very proud moment for us all because it represents how everyone can do their part to make a huge impact. And although our totals continually grow, we hope that we never forget that the wish kids are the real reason we do what we do. They are the ones that have faced unbelievable challenges and who deserve a happy ending to their story. Rock Canyon is known for granting wishes but we are dedicated to making sure that our wish kids have a “Happily Ever After” at the end of their story! Thank you for believing in Mara and believing in Wish Week! – Kate Hartline

First Ten Years2003-2013

In the spring semester of my junior year, I went to an event where an organization called, “St. Baldrick’s” was shaving heads to help raise awareness for cancer among children. I decided to get my head shaved along with Mr. Sapienza and Mr. Sassali who were also there. Mr. Sapienza challenged me to bring that event to Rock Canyon to see if we could get other students to participate. So my senior year we did it and I was shocked to see about 45 people join me in this fundraiser. This year I found out there were 175 students and teachers who shaved their heads or donated their hair during Wish Week. I am so touched by the way our students have made this event even more successful by making it a part of Wish Week. Now that I’ve graduated it’s made me realize just how much people at Rock Canyon care and go the extra mile to make a difference. I’m proud to be a part of that legacy. – A.J. Cocetti ‘12

I shaved my head

wIsh week day-by-dayFriday, Feb. 221,700 Mara’s Wish Kits are sold, Wish Kits include a Make-A-Wish T-shirt,Wish Star for the Wish Wall, Make-A-Wish brace-let, Restaurant coupons

Opening assembly, The Miracle Minute, Dish-for-a-Wish at Jersey Mikes, RC Boys Basketball team donated gate money and Brunswick Zone Cosmic Bowling

Saturday, Feb. 23Dish-for-a-Wish at BTO Self Serve Yogurt

Sunday, Feb. 24Dish-for-a-Wish at Buffalo Wild Wings

Monday, Feb. 25Dodge-A-Ball Make-A-Wish, 600 people attended, Dish-for-a-Wish at Smashburger and Dazbog

Tuesday, Feb. 26 Dish-for-a-Wish at Chipotle

Wednesday, Feb. 27Dish-for-a-Wish at California Pizza Kitchen

Thursday, Feb. 28Dish-for-a-Wish at Chick-Fil-A: total, Make-A-Swish Basketball:

The Penny Stall - All week

Check Presented to Make-A-Wish Foundation $60,587.80

In the four years that Rock Canyon has been doing Make-A-Wish, we have raised over $160,000 and granted 18 wishes.

The Wish Week is more than just a week for STUCO... it is months of planning, weeks of working and long hours and preparation to make the week a success. It is the thing we look forward to the most and a time when we live the phrase “Together, Everyone, Achieves More.” Above STUCO and sponsors Kate Hartline and Mandi Zimmerman pose with Mara before the closing assembly.

Eight Wishes Granted!Mara age 10 - Disney Cruise

Rylie age 14 - Disney Cruise

Nathaniel age 6 - Carsland

Ezra age 12 - Disney World

Zachary age 5 - Disney World

Joel age 8 - Disney World

Danielle age 17 - Play Gold with the Players

Jacob age 13 - Learn to surf in Hawaii

wish week - a favorite to many

Above: Our Wish Kid, Mara was quite taken with the high school girls. she is being held by Tori Pavillard ‘15. On Feb. 26 and 27 students paid $20 to have their heads shaved. Tori was just one of two girls to participate. Below Student Council and Mara. Photos by Kathleen Kennedy

Wish Weeks at RCHS contain all the ingredients of the best of humanity, as well. Palpable is the unity of the student body, elevated is the regard of service to others, pervasive is financial and spiritual generosity, all of which restore belief in the goodness of our human race, particularly teens. Holding the national record for giving to Make A Wish Foundation illustrates the sum of the parts, as well as presenting the challenge to other schools and to continue our own legacy. – Kandi Hofmeister, SPED EA

February 25, 2011 The day that RCHS broke the national Kids for Wish Kids fund raising record by raising $40271.15. The gym was full of blue and our school was truly united around Taylor’s Wish to do to the Great Barrier Reef

February 24, 2012 The day that RCHS broke our own record for the Kids for Wish Kids fund raising record by raising $44, 489.00. This confirmed the RCHS dedication to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and further emphasized the magic of Make-A-Wish at Rock Canyon High School – Kate Hartline, Social Studies & STUCO

Favorite memories are the Wish Weeks. It is always amazing to feel the good energy and to see our students doing good just to be doing good. – Joan Cloud, Math

The first year we did Make-a -Wish and the incredible amount of money raised! – Dan Davies, Counselor

Feb. 25, Dodge-A-Ball “Team USA” players Ryan Hommel ‘15 and Josh Peterson ‘13 are intense in the semifinal round against the winning team of baseball players. The tournament ended in a bit of chaos as the “The Above Average Staff,” team, created some new rules for the sport.

Below: The action was fast, furious and heated during the Wish Week Basketball tournament.

Photos by Kathleen Kennedy

Above: Feb. 28, a player tries to anticipate a rebound during the basketball tournament.

Above many other traditions at Rock Canyon, the one that sticks in my mind two years after gradua-tion is the annual Wish Week.

The students at Rock Canyon love getting behind a movement. During this week, all the students come together in an effort to grant one child’s last wish.

My senior year, Rock Canyon not only granted one wish, but seven others as well. Our school smashed the state record for the most amount of money raised during the week by any school.

The weeklong event was filled dodge ball games and other fund-raisers, all of which culminated to an amazing moment.

The assembly held in late February to grant Taylor’s wish was one of the best moments of my high school career. Watching all the kids embrace Taylor was incredible. A boy who had fought all his life to survive lymphoma was finally able to be just a little kid. The smile on his face said it all.

That’s when it hit me that Rock Canyon had so much to offer. The several students that headed the events had dedicated so much of their time to making Taylor’s wish become a reality.

Watching everybody come together to grant a wish was truly inspiring. That is what Rock Can-yon is really all about. – Zachary Tornabene ‘11

First Ten Years2003-2013

wish week Tradition

14

Jaguar Baseball The RCHS baseball program made a choice at the end of the 2011 season to purchase a new scoreboard at a price near $20,000.00. In order to raise the money needed, the baseball program worked extremely hard selling over 2000 Colorado Rockies tickets in the spring of 2012 and to run a golf tournament in the fall of 2012. Between these two fund raisers, the program secured enough money to purchase the board and pay for the construction of putting it up as well as the year to year purchases the program needs each year. A great team effort by a great group of parents and players. – John Cronican, Head Coach

PomsThe Varsity Poms team made RC history by placing 11th at the National Dance Team Championship in Orlando! They competed in the small pom division. In the preliminary round of competition there were 77 teams, which was then reduced to the semi finals with about 40 teams and then again to final round of competition with about 20 remaining teams. They placed 11th overall, and were so honored to be amongst the best teams in the country. They achieved their goal of making the top 12, and had an amazing trip! DCSD was well represented in the small pom division; Mountain Vista and ThunderRidge also earned a spot in the pom finals and placed 14th and 17th respectively. The state of Colorado had more teams compete in the National Dance Team Championship than any other state, with 20 teams representing CO, including seven teams from DCSD! Five of the 20 Colorado teams earned spots in the finals. – Christina Leone, Head Coach

Girls BasketballThe girls basketball team ended the regular season with a record of 17-6 and a 5th place finish in the highly competitive Continental League. The team lost to the 4 teams that finished in front of them by single digits in every game. With such a strong regular season showing the Jaguars received a #4 seed in the state tournament which gave them a first round bye. They beat Grand Junction, March 1 in the second round game. Lexy Thorderson and Kendall Koslosky were awarded 1st Team All League and Erin McClarie was voted to the 2nd Team All League. The Jags have a great opportunity to make some noise in the state playoffs and it should be an exciting next few weeks for the team. – Robbie Ballard, Head Coach

Jaguar athletics

Delaney Sullivan ‘15 with help from Lexy Thorderson ‘14 and Rebecca Pousman ‘15, defend against Chaparral players during the Feb. 5 game. Photo by Jack Kennedy

The following Rock Canyon seniors will continue their athletic careers at the following colleges and universities: Front Row: Erin Webb, Soccer, University of Missouri; David Boldt, Soccer, Oregon State University; John Rehl, Soccer, University of California, Santa Barbara; Alek Peters, Lacrosse, Ithaca College; Justin Galbraith, Lacrosse, Aurora University; Aimanehi Eichie, Volleyball, University of California at Davis; Lucas West, Cross Country, Colorado Christian University; Nicole Cassou, Swimming, The University of Denver; Michael Shepard, Football, North Central College at Naperville Illinois; Eric Williams, Football, Colorado State University. Back Row: Makayla McBride, Soccer, University of Northern Colorado; Morgan Storch, Soccer, Minnesota State, Mankato; Josh Gardella, Golf, Masters College; Serina Owens, Soccer, Missouri Valley College; Cameron Gill, Track, Western State University, Marshall, Missouri; Allison McCloskey, Softball, The University of Northern Colorado; Shannon Lieber, Softball, North Platte Community College; Brooke Wakefield, Softball, North Platte Community College; Ty Wiest, Baseball, Columbia University. Not pictured: Wilkins Dismuke, Lacrosse, Johns Hopkins University. Photo by Kathleen Kennedy

2013 National Signing Day

Cheer The Rock Canyon High School varsity cheerleading squad finished 5th place in the country at the UCA National High School Cheerleading Championships in the Super Varsity, Division 1 category. They qualified for the National Championship back in November, placing second at the regional competition. They then had to compete in the semi-final round on Saturday before moving on to finals. After a shaky semi-final routine, they became determined to prove themselves a top nationals contender at the finals on Sunday. The team hit an amazing routine at finals, leaving no regrets on the mat. Their hard work and perseverance paid off, landing them a 5th place finish, the highest of all Colorado high schools. The team of 25 started their training when their season began back in April. They competed at UCA camp in Austin, TX, where they won camp champions in the varsity division. They competed locally throughout the fall, placing 2nd at leagues and 4th at state. Placing 9th at the National Championships last year, the girls knew they needed to step up and push themselves even harder to meet their goal of top 5 in the country. The girls pushed through injuries and illness and practiced 5 days a week for 2.5 hours a day, along with extra tumbling practices, games and pep assemblies. Many of the cheerleaders are involved in other sports, clubs and community activities. After losing 15 seniors last season, this team is very young, with 19 of the 25 girls underclassmen (6 freshmen and 13 sophomores). This young and extremely talented team looks to bring a bright future for RC Cheerleading in the coming years. Cheerleading is a true team sport, where you must, literally, trust your teammates with your life. This team always keeps the focus on one team and they always break each practice with their team motto “together we are one team as one.” – Amanda Winston, Head Coach

Nicole Cassou, swimming: Megan Cooney, cross country; Aimanehi Eichie, volleyball, Shannon Lieber, softball; and Allison McCloskey, softball.

Girls & Women In Sports The 27th Annual NGWSD was held Jan. 18. Five female student athletes from each of the nine Douglas County High Schools were recoginzed for their sports achievements and the positive influence they have made. The Inaugural NGWSD celebration was held in Washington D.C. in 1987. The NGWSD is now celebrated in all 50 states honoring the achievements of and encouraging equality, access and participation for girls and women in sports. This year Rock Canyon’s own Taylor Temby ‘07, now a reporter and weekend anchor at KKCO 11 News in Grand Junction was Mistress of Ceremonies. Timby was a member of the first class of RCHS senior women to be honored at NGWSD.

Freshman Poms perform at the Feb. 5 girls basketball. Photo by Jack Kennedy

Photo courtesy John Cronican

Jaguar athletics15

Dismuke to Colorado Hall of FameSenior Wilkins Dismuke will be inducted to the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame on April 18. Dismuke was the Colorado Player of the Year in 2012. A prep All-American lacrosse player, he was named to the “Warrior 40 MVP” this past summer. Dismuke is recognized by most major recruiting services as the top lacrosse prospect west of the Mississippi. He has signed to play for John Hopkins University.

Athletic WebsiteIn order to get the sports news out to the fans, Rock Canyon has a new web page for RCHS Athletics. www.rchsjags.com. We con-tinue to strive to make Rock Canyon the very best it can be and this web page will help us communicate better with our com-munity. The main page will display news and upcoming events, along with a calendar. Please take some time to check outWWW.RCHSJAGS.COM

New Registration ProcedureRock Canyon Athletics has a new Athletic registration system for all our sports. This new system will allow your coaches to email and text both the player and parent. It is less paper work for parents to fill out and for us to store. When you sign up for your athlete’s sport, you will be emailed a doctor’s physical form in case your athlete needs a new one and also a medical infor-mation sheet to be filled out by you. Here is how works:

Rchsjags.com (open site)

Click on “Sports” and open your athlete’s sports page click on Register click on 2013 Spring Registration click on step 1 Register Online Check email for a doctors physical form

This will register your athlete and family so the coach can have your email contacts and phone numbers.

***All athletes need to check in at the Athletic Window and bring in the doctor’s physical form.***

Summer Camps: Information comes out April 1

Athletic Physical Day: Aug. 3, 2013, 9:00 a.m. - 1 p.m., RCHS Gym

Tom Brieske, Athletic Director I would like to thank all of our student athletes and coaches for their hard work and dedication during this winter season.

I truly believe that we continue to show improvement in our programs and I can’t wait to see what the future brings. I would also like to thank our student body and parents for coming out to enthusiastically cheer at our games, matches and meets. I know our teams really appreciate it when you are all there. We have now shifted gears into our spring sports season, where it has been a challenging start due to the storm that dropped 10 inches of snow the day before the season officially started. Our coaches have had to be real creative in practice planning and co-operative with the other sports teams, as they have spent a lot of time in the hallways and gyms. We are definitely ready for some sunshine and warm weather! I look forward to a great spring season! I know we will all con-tinue to work hard to represent Rock Canyon High School and our community to the best of our ability.

GO JAGS!

Boys LacrosseThe Rock Canyon Lacrosse Program is excited to officially kick-off the 2013 season. We had our most successful season in 2012 (finishing 7th in the state and making the quarter finals) and plan on building upon that. We revamped our off-season workouts and practices and believe we are much more prepared for this upcoming season. We also added two great coaches to the staff (Coach Winkler for JV and Coach Siegmund for Level III). We have many of the 2012 varsity players returning for the 2013 season. Furthermore, we plan on having the highest turnout of players that we have ever had. At the same time, we continue to focus on the entire individual versus just the lacrosse player, which can be seen in our continued emphasis on sport and performance psychology along with our continued focus to maintain our high standards of grades and community service requirements. It is important to note that we are honored that three of our seniors have signed with colleges and will play at the next level (Wilkins Dismuke, Johns Hopkins University; Alek Peters, Ithaca College; and Justin Galbraith, Aurora University). We hope to see you on the sideline this season supporting these great young men. – Louis Goldin, Head Coach

Boys GolfRock Canyon Boys Golfers: Sign up for CJGA summer tournaments starts March 1. Please keep your competitive edge by competing in several CJGA events over the summer. See Coach Dunkle if you are looking for other opportunities; he has information regarding the FCWT and AJGA tournament circuits as well. Look for information regarding 2013 tryouts on the RCHS boys golf website in June. Go away snow!!! Fairways and Greens! – Jason Dunkle, Head Coach

Girls Golf The Rock Canyon girls golf team will be looking to put a team into the State Finals for a 6th straight season. Led by returning tournament participants Michelle Romano and Savni Kulkarni we should have a very good chance to do so. Players also returning from last year’s team with some varsity experience are Caleigh Newbery, Jenell Murphy, Tori Pavillard who will be counted on for help with the Varsity Team. Haylee Hornick another player with a state tournament participant from New Mexico will be a very strong addition to the varsity squad. Kyla Helmreath and Nicolete Guerin played on a strong JV Program. We have new players joining the team this season where they should add depth to both teams. We have a very full schedule of league and invitational tournaments along with a good JV schedule that should give all players a chance to show off their skills. Lisa Hollerbach, Kristin Gibson, and Ron Saul have been added to the coaching staff to help out with the largest team of golfers Rock Canyon girls golf has had. Our first tournament will be March 16 where we placed2nd last year to a very strong Fairview team. – Dave Vahling, Head Coach

Boys and Girls Participation numbers and State highlights:2004-05, 3A162 boys 175 girls2005-06, 3A240 boys 220 girls2006-07, 4A440 boys, 389 girlsPoms State ChampionsGirls Swim State Runner-up2007-08, 4A 540 boys 525 girlsGirls Swim State Runner-upBoys State Soccer Champions11 Student athletes earned College scholarships2008-09, Football 4A, Rest 5A 635 boys 605 girlsCheer State ChampionsPoms State ChampionsBoys Soccer State ChampionsGirls Swim State ChampionsGirls Golf State ChampionsBoys Golf State Runner-up12 Student athletes earned College scholarships2009-10, Football 4A, Rest 5A 734 boys 701 girlsBoys Swim State ChampionsBoys Baseball State Final FourBoys Soccer State Runner-upBoys Golf State Runner-upGirls Golf State Runner-upGirls Swim State Runner-upPoms State ChampionsGirls Softball State Sweet 16Girls Volleyball State Sweet 16Football State Sweet SixteenBoys Cross Country20 Student athletes earned College scholarships 2010-11, Football 4A, Rest 5A 651 boys 644 girlsGirls Field Hockey State ChampionsBoys Golf State 5thBoys Cross Country State 8thGirls Gymnastics State 16thGirls Gold State 3rdGirls Swim State 3rdGirls Softball State Runner-upGirls Tennis State 2-Double 2nd placeBoys Lacrosse State 16thGirls Soccer State 16th placeTrack State boys shot put 5thTrack State girls 3200 12th, 100 H 12th14 Student athletes earnedCollege scholarships 2011-12, Football 4A, Rest 5A 781 boys 697 girlsBoys Cross Country State 7thGirls Cross Country State 23rdSoftball State Semi FinalistBoys Soccer State Semi FinalistCheeleading State Runner-upGirls Field Hockey State Runner-upBoys Lacrosse State Semi FinalistState Track Boys Triple Jump 2ndGirls Golf Individual 2ndGirls Golf Team 5thBoys Swim Team 5th13 Student athletes earned College scholarships2012-13, 5A, to date725 boys 591 girlsBoys Cross Country State 11thSoftball State Semi FinalistBoys Soccer State Quarter FinalsCheeleading State 4thGirls Swim State 3rd19 Student athletes earned College scholarships

Boys Basketball I would like to take this time to say thank you to everyone whom graciously offered their time and hard work to the Rock Canyon Boys Basketball program this year. It takes many to establish a successful organization and your efforts are not overlooked. Although, we didn’t reach the level of success that we had hoped, we overcame many obstacles and the coaching staff could not be more proud of the effort and resolve the team played with all season. Building a program and changing a culture is a long process and it doesn’t happen over night. This team never quit, fought adversity, and grew together all season. The successes are ahead for the Rock Canyon Boys Basketball program with fall back on the foundation these boys created this year. Taylor White ‘13, Josh Peterson ‘13, Drew Dodd ‘13, Mitch Lombard ‘15, Tyler Garcia ‘15, Bryan Andrews ‘15, Eli Hirsch ‘14, Luke Ewan ‘15, Evan Noyes ‘14, Jack Lamb ‘15, Isaac Hirsch ‘16, Noah Beck ‘16, and Spencer Kozmata ‘15 have done an incredible job laying down the path to success for the RC program. A season is not measured by wins or losses; rather it is measured by the growth we made as a whole and what we have learned. The joy is in the journey, not just the destination. The journey is what it is all about and the coaching staff is proud of the accomplishments and growth each player has made this season. – Kent Grams, Head Coach

WrestlingThe 2012-2013 Jaguar Wrestling team completed a successful season on February 23. The season concluded with the following accomplishments:State Qualifier/Regional Place Winner Brendon Frazier ‘13 - 3rd PlaceWrestlers with 20+ wins Alex D’Agostino ‘13, 24 wins; Richard Davis ‘14, 22 wins; Brendon Frazier, 24 wins; Kyle Love ‘14 26 wins; Alek Peters ‘13, 22 wins

Off season work outs will begin on June 3. Information regarding these work outs will be available at http://wrestling.rchsjags.com. – Martin Castro, Head Coach

Girls SwimmingThe State Team for Girls swim consisted of 8 swimmers: Nicole Cassou ‘13, Kristen Hoskins ‘15, Nicole Jordan ‘15, Abby Kochevar ‘16, Jordan Kramer ‘14, Maddie Lacy ‘16, Erin Riner ‘15, and Vee Vanderpoel ‘14 and 4 divers: Kelsey Lindemann ‘13, Lindi Riley ‘13, Tori Ritter ‘15, and Bailey Ludwig ‘14. The girls worked hard all year with only one dual loss to Regis. The team placed 3rd in the Continental league, and 10th place in State. Our own Nicole Vanderpoel was Swim Coach of the year for the Continental League. – Deb Kortbawi, Dive Coach

Divers Tori Ritter, Bailey Ludwig, Lindi Riley and Kelsey Ludwig were thrilled to meet Olympic gold medalist Missy Franklin (center) at the state swimming meet. Photo by Deb Kortbawi

First Ten Years2003-2013

Numbers and Awards

CanyonNews

Canyon News, Vol. 10.2 is the 38th parent newsletter published since the first newsletter, Vol. 1.1 was published May, 2003. On this page you will find front page copies of the past 37 issues. The number of issues have ranged from 3 to 5 per year. Like other things at RCHS, you can see how the publication has evolved.

First Ten Years2003-2013