![On Oct. 30, 24 Eco Club members took a tour of the school’s solar panels on the roof. They were guided and taught by an employee from E Light Electric, the company that maintains the school’s solar panels, and learned about how the panels are maintained and cared for. “I was definitely very excited about being on the roof in general,” Eco Club member Olivia Fang ‘26 said. “[It was exciting to] learn more about solar panels and how they work and how they supply energy to our school.”](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/RCH_2632-1200x800.jpg)
![Ice and snow make it difficult for drivers on the road. During snowstorms, drivers have poor visibility, and frozen roads make it difficult to stay in control. “Driving home from Denver [on Friday], the neighborhoods weren’t plowed. By the time we got back they were only plowing highways. We spun out, nearly got stuck and fishtailed a few different times,” Connor Pugh ‘26 said.](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Untitled_Artwork-e1732045465987.jpg)
![Varsity girls soccer midfielder Leah Sheahan ‘24 hugs a friend during the Senior Night celebrations before the home game against Mountain Vista High School (MVHS) at Echo Park Stadium April 29. During Senior Night, seniors were given flowers and the opportunity to walk out and take pictures with their family as their future plans and favorite memories were announced over the speakers. The Jags tied 0-0, losing the Continental League Championship. “We were obviously the stronger team but just couldn’t find a way to score, but otherwise our connection and our intensity was really high so I’m proud of that. We just have to find the net,” defense midfielder Clara Geuzaine ‘24 said. “[Losing League] wasn’t the best. It’s better than last year and like, I know our team and we are doing really good. I don’t want to jinx it but like hopefully [we’ll do] good [in playoffs].”](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Copy-of-DSC_4277-1-1200x868.jpg)
![In room 4101, Natalie Patterson ‘26, Ariana Magor ‘25 and Celina Salazar ‘25 create a poster in science teacher Kerry Reilly’s Chemistry Honors April 18. The three completed a worksheet and drawing to explain the implosion of a tank for their unit on gas laws. “At the start of class, we watched a video of the tank imploding,” Patterson said. “I think [making a drawing] is something new. I like more artsy activities.”](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG_5019-1200x900.jpeg)
FRIDAY FACULTY FEATURE: Peter DeFilippo’s Passion for Movies
This week’s glimpse into the life of English teacher Peter DeFilippo.
media by Elly Brooks
English teacher Peter DeFilippo reads a book and works on his computer Aug. 30. DeFilippo prepared a slideshow for his next class, literature of film. “My two favorite movies are ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Speed Racer,'” DeFilippo said.
September 30, 2022
Have you ever heard about someone that got their head stuck in a door and couldn’t get out? Someone that has such an intense love for movies that he has 30 movie posters all over his classroom? A teacher that secretly has a love for video games? Through the embarrassing stories, the inner nerd, and the intense passion for movies is English teacher Peter DeFilippo.
Q: What is your first and last name and how long have you been teaching at Rock Canyon?
A: My name is Peter DeFilippo. This is my fourth year teaching at Rock Canyon and my tenth year teaching in total.
Q: What classes do you teach?
A: So I teach English Honors, English, and Literature in Film.
Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of school and what is your favorite video game?
A: I enjoy going to the movies, I like going on hikes, and I really like playing video games. I like to read “It” and hang out with my friends. My favorite video game right now is “Elden Ring.” “Elden Ring” is a fantasy game that is notoriously difficult, and that’s one of the aspects that I really like about it, it’s really challenging.
Q: What is one of your craziest teaching stories?
A: That one I need to think about. Craziest teacher story that’s appropriate to tell students? One time, I accidentally closed my head in a door because I bent down to pick up the doorstop and I didn’t move my head out of the way. The door slammed shut on my head and I fell on the ground and rolled around screaming out, “my head,” and I was bleeding. And that was really embarrassing. That was at the first high school I taught at.
Q: What is your favorite movie and what different franchise would you rather be in?
A: I have two favorite movies, because I love movies. So it’s hard for me to nail down one. But my two favorite movies are “The Lord of the Rings” and “Speed Racer”.
Q: Okay, would you rather be in a Marvel or DC movie?
A: I’d rather be in a Marvel movie, but I’d rather be in a DC comic.
Q: Would you rather be in Star Wars? Or Harry Potter? Is Star Wars easy?
A: Hands down.
Q: What’s your favorite Star Wars movie?
A: My favorite Star Wars movie is the best Star Wars movie, “The Empire Strikes Back,” but a close second is “Rogue One”.
Q: Do you have any pets and why did you pick those interesting names?
A: I have two cats.
Q: And what are their names?
A: One of the cats’ names is Leonardo, and the other is Dario. My wife actually had him before I met her. He is named after a character from a Shakespeare play, called “Much Ado About Nothing”. We got Dario together and we named him after a character from “Game of Thrones”.