![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: Kate Kubina’s Favorite Memories – and Books
This week’s look at English teacher Kate Kubina’s life inside and outside the classroom.
![Kate Kubina grades papers at her desk after school Dec. 9. Kubina's favorite part of teaching is the students. "It's all of these notes and encouragement and having those moments in class where you just like crack up laughing, those amazing conversations that just come out of nowhere, and just getting to know students [keeps me teaching]," Kubina said.](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/IMG_0919-e1670624283696-900x721.jpg)
media by Claire Bauer
Kate Kubina grades papers at her desk after school Dec. 9. Kubina’s favorite part of teaching is the students. “It’s all of these notes and encouragement and having those moments in class where you just like crack up laughing, those amazing conversations that just come out of nowhere, and just getting to know students [keeps me teaching],” Kubina said.
December 9, 2022
To some, she was a freshman English or Honors English 1 teacher. To others, she became their Senior Studies mentor or Sci-Fi Fantasy instructor. Over 13 years, Kate Kubina has taught a variety of classes. Kubina talks about her teaching career and some of her favorite forms of storytelling and literature.
Q: What do you teach at Rock Canyon?
A: I teach freshman English Honors, Sci-Fi Fantasy, and Senior Studies.
Q: How long have you been teaching?
A: This will be year number 13.
Q: What got you into teaching?
A: I feel like high school is a really difficult time. It’s very challenging. And I think you go through a lot of stuff. When I went through high school, it was really challenging. I felt like I didn’t have teachers that I could connect with at all and I felt like teachers were another figure telling me what to do. If I had had a teacher that had really understood me and took the time to help me navigate things, I feel like it would have been a game-changer. So for me, it is 100% about the connection, about being there for students, helping you guys navigate a really difficult time in your lives. I also happen to love what I teach. I love literature. I love diving deep into books, but it’s more of a way to help you use that literature as a way to make sense of the craziness of your lives. So it’s just a way to help you navigate.
Q: What keeps you teaching?
A: It’s you guys. The students. It’s like all of these notes and encouragement and having those moments in class where you just like crack up laughing, those amazing conversations that just come out of nowhere, and just getting to know students.
Q: Is that just teaching at Rock Canyon or have you taught at other places?
A: I think this is my year 11 here.
Q: Where did you go to school?
A: I got my undergrad degree at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, and then my graduate degree, my master’s I got through Regis University.
Q: What is your all-time favorite genre?
A: What is my favorite genre of all time? I mean, I’m into thrillers, fantasy, dystopia, that kind of stuff.
Q: What is your favorite form of media, like a book, movie, or show?
A: I mean, I have to say book because I’m an English teacher. There are great books out there.
Q: Follow-up question, what is your favorite book?
A: I get into different series. I mean, my old stuff. I still love “To Kill a Mockingbird.” I feel like I still get goosebumps when I read that. I love “Into Thin Air.” I love so many books that I teach. I would say those two fundamentally. One of my all-time favorites is Ernest Hemingway, “The Sun Also Rises” is a fantastic book. I could go on and on. But yeah, I love every book.