Calling all former students…

Dear ER Community Member,

2018 marks the 25th anniversary of Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center. A major milestone like this offers an opportunity to reflect on our successes as well as provides an opportunity to challenge our perceptions and examine where the school can grow and improve upon its practices. We are inviting all former students to respond to a survey about their life currently as well as their time at Eagle Rock.

We are trying to reach all former students including Eagle Rock graduates and students who left before graduation for any reason. We have reached out to all the former students we know, but we hope to reach every student. If you are in touch with or have contact information for any former Eagle Rock student, please take a minute to forward this link to them.

All former students can take the survey at: https://pennstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_e8ufT0c37P7C8m1

The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Your responses are anonymous. However, if you are interested we are also looking for volunteers to participate in more detailed interviews about their experience at ER. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Dr. Weidler-Lewis at the jrw96@psu.edu, or fill out this form: https://goo.gl/forms/BhXVF6hRMPGIr2qZ2

Sincerely,

Jeff Liddle

Head of School

Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center

jliddle@eaglerockschool.org

 

Jimmy Frickey

Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator

Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center

jfrickey@eaglerockschool.org

 

For questions about the survey and survey design please contact

Joanna Weidler-Lewis, PhD

The Pennsylvania State University

jrw96@psu.edu

Estes Park Trail Gazette – Eagle Rock graduates seven

by Nic Wackerly

With the closing of the 72nd trimester for Eagle Rock High School, seven students earned their high school diplomas. The graduation ceremony on Aug. 11 was a celebration of the students, staff and fellows that contribute to the success of Eagle Rock.

“Looking at these graduates today, and while there still is some room for growth and learning like there is for all of us, I am confident that they have gotten what they came to get out of Eagle Rock and it is time for them to move on,” said Jen Frickey , director of curriculum.

All the graduating students were able to speak to the audience and give thanks to those who have helped them along the way. They also imparted advice to their fellow students about what helped them be successful.

The Eagle Rock graduates: (Back row) Levi Sage, Nigel Taylor, Keny Bernardez and Sam Winskill Dodson, (Front row) Chemi Lewis, Djibril Cayolbah and

The Eagle Rock graduates: (Back row) Levi Sage, Nigel Taylor, Keny Bernardez and Sam Winskill Dodson, (Front row) Chemi Lewis, Djibril Cayolbah and Courtney Coleman. (Nic Wackerly / For the Estes Park Trail-Gazette)

“Something that we all have to realize is that we control our own destiny here at Eagle Rock and you get to make your own choices,” Chemi Lewis said, one of the seven graduating students.

The students of Eagle Rock have been making important choices since the application process. One of the many unique features of Eagle Rock is that students choose to attend the school and must lead the application process themselves.

Another unique feature of the school is the Eagle Rock Professional Development Center. They work with schools across the country to improve high school education.

“Our mission is much broader than just serving our own students,”said Jeff Liddle , the head of the school. “Our vision is that every high school student in the country is meaningfully engaged in their education, we are not going to stop until that happens.”

The school continues to grow through the professional development center, teachers, fellows and students. Part of that process is the unique curriculum that is developed at Eagle Rock. Students learn about topics including the physics of roller coasters and the psychology of rock climbing. They also have the opportunity to provide feedback about the experience.

“This group of [Presentations of Learning] is the best I have seen in my 17 years here,” Liddle said.

The Presentations of Learning, or “POL’s” as they are referred to at Eagle Rock, are presentations that the students make at the end of each trimester about their learning experience and personal growth.

The ceremony was a true celebration. Live music filled the performance center and got everyone in attendance out of their seats to dance or sing along. The speeches made by graduating students drew tears from many in attendance.

Eagle Rock continues to assist their students after they have graduated from the school.

“We are proud that Eagle Rock is one of the small number of high schools around the country that provides financial support for graduates to pursue their higher education,” Liddle said. “Currently every graduate is eligible for 14 thousand dollars towards their higher education.”

Eagle Rock School is an initiative of the American Honda Education Corporation, a nonprofit subsidiary of the American Honda Motor Company. It is a full-scholarship high school for students and a low-cost professional development center for secondary school educators, according to the Eagle Rock School website.

Prescott Daily Courier – Launch Pad founder/director guides students in finding their fire

Courtney Osterfelt’s heart beats for teens.

So much so that the 36-year-old married Prescott College graduate three years ago invested her grandmother’s inheritance — $14,000 — into launching a local teen center she named the Launch Pad.

The gesture was not solely a philanthropic endeavor but a personal form of redemption.

The one-time middle school Student Council president and high school athlete from a good family in Fort Collins, Colorado, said her teen years were a private horror show. Bullied and battered, Osterfelt admits she hid her invisible despair and scars with bad choices and bad influences.

photo

Courtney Osterfelt is executive director of The Launch Pad.

She credits a “last chance” high school, Eagle Rock School in Estes Park, with “saving my life.”

At that school, Osterfelt was able to see herself as a smart, capable young woman who could rise above any obstacle. The seeds of her future were planted. She was propelled to pursue education and opportunities that would enable her to be a force for good.

The Prescott College graduate — she earned her bachelor’s in education and earned a master’s degree in social change and community development — determined to build a career that would “pay it forward.”

“Every kid needs someone to light a fire and let them know that they can change the world if they want to,” Osterfelt said.

Her first foray into empowering teenagers was a college project: she organized a health education retreat for high school-aged girls intended to help thwart the rising rate of teenage pregnancy.

“I thought I would do it just one time,” Osterfelt said.

Instead, the 37 retreat attenders begged her to do it again. It was the birth of a 13-year, all-volunteer run conference called the Women’s Empowerment Breakthrough (WEB). It is now part of the annual Launch Pad programs in April 57 girls between the ages of 12 and 18 attended. The center raised $5,000 to cover the costs of the retreat held at a conference center on Mingus Mountain.

Never one to stay idle, Osterfelt started building a career that included working as a health educator at the county juvenile detention center; working at Prescott College organizing student activities and events where she, too, taught gender studies for five years.

Yet, ideas kept percolating in her mind on how to create a lasting outreach to teens.

The unexpected generosity of her grandmother, Helen “Tutu” Street in Denver, Colorado, enabled her to birth the Launch Pad in a small room of the Granite Peak Unitarian Universalist Congregation in downtown Prescott. Osterfelt committed to lead the venture with no salary for a year; she worked part-time as a waitress to pay her bills.

“There’s no rule book for starting a grass-roots organization,” said Osterfelt, who two years ago married Cooper Carr, a Prescott native, firefighter and youth advocate.

The center started out in a small pace at the Granite Peak church before they then moved into larger space at the Boys & Girls Club. A year ago, the center reopened in still larger quarters on the on the grounds of Prescott College, 302 Grove Ave.

And the center continues to seek ways to expand. Nothing is ever deemed impossible, Osterfelt said.

With an annual budget of $80,000, all now from private donations and fund-raising activities, Osterfelt was able to add two staff members and has numerous volunteers. The center serves some 100 teens each week; four camps this summer served another 100 teens.

In the coming year, Osterfelt hopes to expand again to offer after-school tutors. She even has plans for a blacksmithing class.

Osterfelt’s goal is always a safe haven for all teens, whether they are the most popular students or the wallflowers. She believes in nurturing the unique talents of every teen so they gain the confidence to become tomorrow’s leaders.

Osterfelt does not tolerate teens dismissing their worth. She lets them know obstacles “are not an excuse to quit.”

Even if she must reprimand someone, Osterfelt said she tells them they are “amazing” and she will “love them through” whatever is their storm.

“She’s just like ‘Wonder Woman.’ She’s a super hero,” said Cayden Himes, 19, a teen center member and musical event planner who is now on the center Board of Directors.

“She just has one of those hearts … she’s a server. She serves other people because that’s what does it for her,” said Cody Anne Yarnes, a real estate agency owner who annually donates about $10,000 to the center. Yarnes’ husband, Michael, was tapped as the first board president.

“She’s just an amazing human,” Yarnes concluded.

Estes Park Trail Gazette – Eagle Rock play tackles identity, social constructs and privilege

By Barb Boyer Buck

Meghan Tokunaga-Scanlon, music instructional specialist at Eagle Rock School, chose “Songs For a New World” as the school’s spring play very carefully. As written, the piece is more of a song cycle than a musical; all the music and lyrics were written by Jason Robert Brown. The overreaching theme of the piece is the finality of making a decision. “It’s about one moment,” said Brown about his show, “It’s about hitting the wall and having to make a choice, or take a stand, or turn around and go back.”

“Songs For a New World” opened on Thursday night and runs for just two more performances — tonight and Saturday — beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Ruesch Auditorium at the YMCA of the Rockies. Admission is a donation toward the school’s graduate fund; duck race tickets to benefit the same fund will also be on sale at this venue.

The play is more of a song cycle than a musical and the overreaching theme of the piece is the finality of making a decision.

The play is more of a song cycle than a musical and the overreaching theme of the piece is the finality of making a decision. (Barb Boyer Buck/ For the Trail-Gazette)

“I take the selection of musicals to be a long and intentional process,” Tokunaga-Scanlon explained. “It’s very important to me that my students see all of the roles they could play in theatre and in life, and how those affect one another, thus I often stray away from the traditional musical.”

She disagrees with the notion that all musicals are trivial and formulaic.

“I want my students to see that there are different and more complex roles out there besides ‘getting the guy,’ or ‘falling in love,’ or ‘once I get this makeover, everyone will love me and see me as valuable.’ These narratives are told over and over in the entertainment industry: plays, movies, musicals, TV shows, music…. and we’re conditioned to think that that’s how we need to act to be ‘normal’ or accepted.

Several student performers told the Trail-Gazette that acting has increased their confidence.

Several student performers told the Trail-Gazette that acting has increased their confidence. (Barb Boyer Buck/ For the Trail-Gazette)

“It’s important that students see all the different ways theatre can be; not just one style of narrative over and over,” she said. “I’m not saying love is a nonsense subject, it’s quite complex, but when all my girls want to play the love interest over the funny, loud girl who takes chances, it makes me think twice about the message I’m sending them. It’s showing them that funny isn’t attractive, that saying your truth isn’t desirable, and that relationships and attention are what you should aspire to most.

This year’s play takes on complex issues like identity, social constructs and privilege.

This year’s play takes on complex issues like identity, social constructs and privilege. (Barb Boyer Buck/ For the Trail-Gazette)

“Tokunaga-Scanlon encouraged the students to explore all aspects of their talents and interests. Boys don’t have to sing low “like basses to be considered a man” and students of color shouldn’t feel pigeon-holed into certain roles, she said.

“It’s important to me that my students see themselves in the stories and that they can find something of substance to relate to,” she said.

As with other plays she’s directed at Eagle Rock in the past, this piece tackles complex social issues.

“When we performed Spring Awakening two years ago, we learned about sexual health and relationships. When we performed The Wiz last year, we talked about the historical context and impact of the show. This year, we focused on identity, social constructs and privilege.”

The entire cast of the Eagle Rock School play "Songs For a New World."

The entire cast of the Eagle Rock School play “Songs For a New World.” (Barb Boyer Buck/ For the Trail-Gazette)

The music for “Songs” is powerful, complex and “different,” she said, and the format of the show gives her an opportunity to create several plot lines. “I love the idea of having to create an entire storyline and relationship with the audience in only one song vs. the entire show,” she said.

Tokunaga-Scanlon is the director and did most the choreography; two student stage managers (Marcus Wade-Prince and Mohammad Thabata) blocked and rehearsed a couple of the numbers along with Josue Quintana, her music fellow and assistant director. Local actress and producer Jenn Bass is the acting coach.

As a vehicle for expression and creativity, the participating students are responding positively to this experience.

Jafar Solorio (center) during a rehearsal session.

Jafar Solorio (center) during a rehearsal session. (Barb Boyer Buck/ For the Trail-Gazette)

“This is my first show and I am going in with a bang,” cast member Jafar Solorio said, “The second song really stands out for me because it is showing history, the rough parts of our country’s past. This show expresses a lot of current events with nice-tie ins. This is our way to speak out against Trump, this is our voice.”

Carolina Avalos Diaz never thought she would be in a musical.

“I am a very shy person and it was always hard for me to even ask for my own food at a restaurant,” Diaz said. “Look at me now! I feel so accomplished and I am so thankful for being part of this cast.”

“Before I came to Eagle Rock, being part of a musical was a thought that never crossed my mind,” Evan Slavic said. “After being here for two years of being at this school, my confidence has improved greatly — so i decided to take a chance and join the musical. I discovered I have a passion and talent for singing and performing. I would like to show appreciation to my father for providing me with the love and support.”

Aviv Kirtner said, “this is my second musical at Eagle Rock and my confidence has gotten even stronger. Every day I learn something new about myself. This is such an inspirational musical and I am so happy to be a part of it.”

Tokunaga-Scanlon hopes the entire Estes Park community comes out to enjoy the show and is proud of her role in shaping the students’ development through art. “I hope audience members engage in an intentional performance, see all of the hard work the students have been putting in since December. I hope they’re moved enough to engage in productive dialogue that can spur change in our country. No matter what side people are on, I want this show to challenge ideas and perceptions and for the creators and receivers of art to have a conversation about what strikes them and why.”

Estes Park News – Junior Election Sponsored By The League Of Women Voters

All Estes Valley residents ages 5-17 are eligible to vote in the Junior Election sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Estes Park. I prefer the term “practice” election to “mock” election, since it will be the high school student’s last opportunity to hone their voting skills before the next Presidential election.

The current election will, whatever the outcome, make changes in our lives, young and old. Many adults remember their first real election, discovering the complexity of the legalese wording, the hidden nuances of issues unaddressed, the impossibility of doing complete research in the voting booth. “Practice makes perfect” and the intent of the Junior Election is to prepare our young voters so that the exercise is familiar when they become of age.

Age appropriate races vary from K-2 President only to the 6 candidate races on the high school ballot. Middle school and high school ballots also contain some of the amendments. For those who do not have one, print Colorado “Blue Books” to help your students prepare for the election, and LWV Issue Booklets, in English and Spanish, are available at the Library. Additionally, www.vote411.org can also assist in researching the candidates.

Ballots are now available. Estes Park Middle and High School (full time) students will vote at school, as will students of Eagle Rock and of Voyager Montessori School. EP full time 5th graders will vote with the Middle School. Any other educational organization wishing to participate, please contact us for ballots.

EP Elementary School students, grades K-4, along with Estes residents who use less traditional forms of education (home schooled, on-line schools, school outside of the Estes Valley) – please get your ballots from the Estes Valley Library. Take them home, peruse them, dissect them, discuss them, fill them out, and bring them back to the Library ballot box to vote. The “polls” are open. We are looking forward to your input.

Families, and educational classes: Please discuss why and how we vote, as well as the pros and cons of the races and issues before us. Leadership is not only about completing the job at hand, it is about preparing the next generation to lead.

Students: Your vote is your own. Think before you ink and speak up in discussions. A well-considered opinion can have an effect on those ofus who are voting age. Then — vote your conscience for what you believe is best.

Local newspapers will publish the results, which will also be announced at the EV Library “Election Result Watch” activity and covered by other news outlets.

Questions or comments? Contact Judi Smith. lwv.yea@gmail.com

Estes Park Trail Gazette – Former teacher says great schools benefit everyone

By David Persons
Jason Cushner pictured with his family, from left, son Joseph, wife Sarah Bertucci and daughter Mica.

Jason Cushner pictured with his family, from left, son Joseph, wife Sarah Bertucci and daughter Mica. (Courtesy photo)

Jason Cushner bio

Age: 45

Family: Wife Sarah Bertucci; daughter Mica (7); son Joseph (4).

Education: Master’s degree in applied mathematics from University of California-Irvine; master’s degree in secondary education from Colorado College.

Occupation: Home parent/dorm parent at Eagle Rock School.

Years in Estes: eight total (1997-2003; 2014-present)

Editor’s note: This is the second of three stories about the new members of the Estes Park School District’s Board of Education.

Jason Cushner has spent a great deal of his professional career teaching young people mathematics at various schools across the country.

He has seen up close the impact that a good education can make. That’s why, he says, he chose to run for one of three vacant positions on the Estes Park School District Board of Education.

“I want great schools for my kids, all the kids in Estes Park,and in the area,” Cushner said. “When schools do well, the whole community prospers.”

Cushner, along with Eric Adams and Jonathan Hodde, will be sworn in as new school board members in November.

The 45-year-old Cushner, who currently is a dorm parent at Eagle Rock School, said he loves teaching mathematics. He said it’s an area that can yield big results beyond just be able to crunch numbers.

“I mostly taught math with kids who struggled,” Cushner said. “Many students have trouble with math. But, if they can learn math, it can change the way they view the world and academics. I like to make math exciting and show them that they can do it. Problem solving in math is important to solving problems in life.”

Cushner said he’s been involved with some very unique schools. In Vermont, for instance, he worked as a program coordinator at a high school that allowed students to develop their own curriculum. He said once students began taking the classes they wanted, the school helped place the students in internships.

He said those internships included such areas as engineering, finance, and even graphic design. “It made school a lot more fun,” he said. “And, the kids got some real skills for the real world.”

Cushner said, while he’s seen a lot and has some ideas that might work in the school district, he’s going to be patient and try to learn as much about the school district as possible before suggesting any changes.

“I feel like I’d have to know (the school district) better,” he said.

Based on what his daughter Mica has experienced so far, Cushner has a very good feeling about education in the district.

“My daughter is in the elementary school and she loves it,” he said. “She had a great year and her reading really took off. She had a really incredible experience. I’m excited by that.”

An Amazing responsive and Retina ready theme.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nam sed eleifend risus, sit amet porttitor massa. Ut vulputate felis at mauris ultrices sodales. Phasellus in leo ornare, vulputate purus eget, iaculis tellus. Donec sed laoreet orci. Praesent faucibus feugiat velit a iaculis. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Morbi turpis mauris, consequat laoreet metus non, dictum fringilla sem. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Nulla ornare malesuada ultricies. Nulla luctus velit diam, at lacinia odio aliquam nec. In adipiscing, arcu elementum dictum eleifend, mi velit sodales nisi, a semper tellus magna sed justo. Ut mauris velit, tristique id nulla eget, euismod consequat lacus. Vestibulum varius dapibus lacus et vestibulum.

Ut eu imperdiet arcu. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Cras interdum porttitor quam at tempus. Sed quis rutrum lorem.

Ut eu imperdiet arcu. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Cras interdum porttitor quam at tempus. Sed quis rutrum lorem. Mauris vitae dui ut neque pulvinar mattis. Mauris sed tincidunt nisi. Ut porta quis lorem at consectetur. Mauris elementum vulputate metus, ut cursus felis dictum non. Sed in nulla metus. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Phasellus at nunc eget ligula tristique scelerisque in et urna.

Pellentesque imperdiet, nunc id scelerisque scelerisque, nisi arcu hendrerit leo, vel volutpat arcu mi in risus. Vestibulum iaculis molestie venenatis. Donec faucibus elit quis enim porta, id fringilla lectus feugiat. Sed et diam fermentum, elementum elit et, placerat nisi. Sed vehicula nibh sed tellus elementum condimentum. Fusce laoreet lorem ipsum, vitae aliquam arcu gravida gravida. Nunc eget tristique sem, eu ornare ligula.

Pellentesque facilisis lobortis volutpat. Etiam non suscipit velit, vitae ornare eros. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Phasellus eu auctor metus, et porta justo. Vivamus suscipit fermentum ante, eu dignissim orci. Proin faucibus quis orci a dictum. Nulla ac nibh neque. Curabitur eu justo massa.

An Amazing responsive and Retina ready theme.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nam sed eleifend risus, sit amet porttitor massa. Ut vulputate felis at mauris ultrices sodales. Phasellus in leo ornare, vulputate purus eget, iaculis tellus. Donec sed laoreet orci. Praesent faucibus feugiat velit a iaculis. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Morbi turpis mauris, consequat laoreet metus non, dictum fringilla sem. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Nulla ornare malesuada ultricies. Nulla luctus velit diam, at lacinia odio aliquam nec. In adipiscing, arcu elementum dictum eleifend, mi velit sodales nisi, a semper tellus magna sed justo. Ut mauris velit, tristique id nulla eget, euismod consequat lacus. Vestibulum varius dapibus lacus et vestibulum.

Ut eu imperdiet arcu. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Cras interdum porttitor quam at tempus. Sed quis rutrum lorem.

Ut eu imperdiet arcu. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Cras interdum porttitor quam at tempus. Sed quis rutrum lorem. Mauris vitae dui ut neque pulvinar mattis. Mauris sed tincidunt nisi. Ut porta quis lorem at consectetur. Mauris elementum vulputate metus, ut cursus felis dictum non. Sed in nulla metus. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Phasellus at nunc eget ligula tristique scelerisque in et urna.

Pellentesque imperdiet, nunc id scelerisque scelerisque, nisi arcu hendrerit leo, vel volutpat arcu mi in risus. Vestibulum iaculis molestie venenatis. Donec faucibus elit quis enim porta, id fringilla lectus feugiat. Sed et diam fermentum, elementum elit et, placerat nisi. Sed vehicula nibh sed tellus elementum condimentum. Fusce laoreet lorem ipsum, vitae aliquam arcu gravida gravida. Nunc eget tristique sem, eu ornare ligula.

Pellentesque facilisis lobortis volutpat. Etiam non suscipit velit, vitae ornare eros. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Phasellus eu auctor metus, et porta justo. Vivamus suscipit fermentum ante, eu dignissim orci. Proin faucibus quis orci a dictum. Nulla ac nibh neque. Curabitur eu justo massa.

X