Recent Scores
  • Dec 2 / Varsity Boys BasketballRock Canyon High School - 54, Mountain Vista High School - 49
  • Dec 2 / Varsity Girls Swim and DiveRock Canyon High School - 1st place, Big Cat Brawl Meet -
  • Dec 1 / Varsity Girls BasketballRock Canyon High School - 57, D'Evelyn High School - 41
  • Dec 1 / Varsity Boys BasketballRock Canyon High School - 59, Grandview High School - 54
  • Nov 29 / Varsity Boys BasketballRock Canyon High School - 85, Rampart High School - 54
  • Nov 29 / Varsity WrestlingRock Canyon High School - 11, Valor Christian High School - 57
  • Nov 29 / Varsity Girls BasketballRock Canyon High School - 71, Rampart High School - 30
  • Nov 10 / Varsity Girls VolleyballRock Canyon High School - 3, Cherry Creek High School (State Tournament) - 2
  • Nov 10 / Varsity Girls VolleyballRock Canyon High School - 0, Chaparral High School (State Tournament) - 3
  • Nov 10 / Varsity FootballRock Canyon High School - 14, Ralston Valley High School - 42
Rock Canyon High School's Student Newspaper

the Rock Online
Saanvi Kirdak ‘26, Ihita Kataru ‘26 and Mai Intongkam ‘26 sit side by side under the 8000s pod’s stairway and read “A Raisin in the Sun” during Honors English II Nov. 30. “A Raisin in the Sun,” a play written by American writer and playwright Lorraine Hansberry, depicts the lives of an African American family during the 1950s residing in Chicago. Students grouped up with their tablemates and assigned themselves roles from a list of characters in the play. The class was then divided into two halves, one remaining inside the classroom to read and the other going outside into the halls. Along with participating in reading with their peers, students also analyzed the text and completed annotation assignments. “I like this activity because it allows me to spend time with my friends and I’m learning at the same time,” Kataru said.
The Week in Photos: Nov. 25-Dec. 1
A graphic introduces the election results and article.
UPDATE: Review the Results with Post-Election Day Information
Grabbing onto climbing holds, Kayden Ozdemir ‘24 attempts climb 30 during the first competition of the climbing season, arranged by American Scholastic Climbing League, at Denver Bouldering Club South Nov. 11. Ozdemir’s highest ranked completed climb was number 28. He finished in second place within the individual category. “I feel a little bit gutted not being able to complete [climb 30], but with the progression of the season comes more learning opportunities, not just for myself, but the team, too,” Ozdemir said. “It definitely is one of the best feelings, throwing great attempts down at the hardest problems in the set.”
The Week in Photos: Nov. 11-Nov. 17
Black & Gold Yearbook Photography Editor Hannah Rozen ‘25, The Rock Online Newspaper Editor-in-Chief Claire Bauer ‘24 and Social Media Managers Elly Brooks ‘25 and Sanaa Sow ‘25 celebrate the publications’ national wins with a photo at the National Student Press Association (NSPA) Boston Convention Nov. 4. In total, The Rock Online and Black & Gold won 11 national awards, including two first place national wins from Bauer in Sports Game/Action Photo of the Year and in Photo Slideshow of the Year. “I can’t even begin to describe how I feel about the awards. Not only was I incredibly happy and humbled to receive my six national awards, but I am so, so proud of my fellow staffers who won awards, and honestly proud of the whole staff. They’re all amazing and fully deserve these awards,” Bauer said. “Our trip to Boston was incredible. We all learned so much from the sessions we attended and the people we met, whether that was other students and advisers or reporters and professors from top-notch groups. We were excited to represent Canyon, the district and Colorado as a whole so well.” Read the full story here. Reporting by Sanaa Sow
Achieving Awards
Zoology teacher Nikki Dobos dissects a frog during her second-period Zoology class Nov. 8. Zoology students dissected frogs and found things such as their eggs and past meals inside them. The class had five different dissections throughout the semester to learn about biodiversity and phyla. “I like teaching kids about animals and facts about animals they didn’t know before, but also the importance of biodiversity,” Dobos said. “I think more students should take [Zoology], especially if you love animals and dissections because you can learn more than just general [animal] knowledge.”
The Week in Photos: Nov. 4-Nov. 10
Varsity girls volleyball captain Addie Waller ‘24 hugs her teammates Julia Holmes ‘24, Gannon Figueroa ‘24 and Lindsay Heyliger ‘24 after winning in Regionals on Nov. 3. The team beat Lakewood and Denver South High Schools to qualify for State.
The Final Home Swing
Utah Valley University baseball commit Adam Smith 24, University of California San Diego baseball commit Austin Bowker 24 and St. Mary’s University MN basketball commit Daniel Cabeen 24 and more sign their letters of intent to play collegiate sports during Signing Day Nov. 8. Smith and Bowker were the only two baseball players to commit, and Cabeen was the only basketball player to sign.
Decided, Committed, Signed
Jonathan Gunther ‘25 swings the bat at the Unified wiffle ball game at Chaparral High School Oct. 3. Wiffle ball allowed each athlete to play at a similar level to the others, even though some could hit the ball farther than others.
Wiffle Ball This Fall
Varsity runner Dylan Laity ‘26 and fellow team members warm up with the state-qualifying Jaguar cross-country team before the final race of the 2023 season. The team jogged the race course together before racing.
Eat Our Dust
Varsity softball captain and shortstop Sydney Boulaphinh ‘24 swings to hit the ball during the fifth inning Oct. 3. Boulaphinh committed to play Division 1 collegiate softball for Stanford University during her junior year. This season was one of the worst seasons in Rock Canyon history, Boulaphinh said. I think this team had a lot of expectations and relied on many people to carry, and that never happened. I believe most of the games we lost, we could’ve won. It’s the little things that matter--when it came down to who got to 21 outs first, we weren’t the team.
Day in the Life: Game Day for Varsity Softball
French teacher Dayna Moore helps Sydney Boulaphinh 24 with her indirect objects worksheet during Access Nov. 16. Moore disliked not teaching students face-to-face during the Covid-19 pandemic. I cannot teach online. I like having connections with my students and I like playing games in class, Moore said.
FRIDAY FACULTY FEATURE: Mysteries of Madame Moore
Saanvi Cooduvalli ‘26 studies Honors Chemistry in room 4101 Nov. 9. Many students sat in the high chairs and studied material from their chemistry courses as well as completed homework from other classes. Honors Chemistry teacher Kerry Reilly went around assisting students who had questions about their assignments and quizzes. “The chemistry room is very refreshing,” Cooduvalli said.
Study Spot or Flop?
This graphic depicts the log-in screen of College Boards new digital testing platform Bluebook which is replacing all of College Boards traditional pencil-and-paper exams.
Out With The Old, In With The New: Meet College Board’s “Bluebook”
Brady Kempf ‘24, Dylan Owens ‘24 and Alex Kohl ‘24 work together to complete a study guide for math on Aug. 28. Many students have visited teachers for help during Access like Mrs. Hunt, who teaches algebra. It usually depends on the assignment, but I enjoy working in a group because we can all bounce ideas off each other and help everyone understand the subject,” Kohl said.
Strategy and Sociality
A graphic introduces the next piece in the column Odds and Ends. Contact Ally Kelley!
Odds and Ends: Screaming Sirens or Soft Speech?
Battle of the Bands starts at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 20. The event takes place at the Skylark Lounge and there is a $15 entrance fee. A QR code leads participating bands to a sign-up sheet. Media courtesy of Happy Crew
Battle of the Bands
A photo and title introduce Adis Recipes, starting with Dalgona coffee.
Adi’s Recipes: Fresh Dalgona
A close-up of Ella Heimers 25 sketch, 2-D Gorillaz.
Singer, Sketched
Kyle Walsh’s 25 car sits on the side of the road with dents all over from the storms hail June 22. No windows were cracked or broken. “When we realized we needed to take shelter, every spot was already taken so we had to huddle with a group under the trees,” Walsh said. “All I could hear was the thunder and people screaming. Everyone was getting pelted on their backs from the hail. It left marks.”
Having “Faith in the Future”
Stella Catalano ‘24, playing Irena Synkova, checks for a tattooed number on the wrist of Lily Moon ‘24, playing Raja Englanderova during the final dress rehearsal of the fall play “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” Sept. 26. Opening night took place 7 p.m. Sept. 28, followed by two more nights of the play Sept. 29 and 30. Tickets were $5 for students and $7 for adults. The play followed Jewish children and families in Prague during the Holocaust, and featured real characters, pictures and poems. “Being the lead has been absolutely insane. I want to accurately represent these stories and honor every individual that’s mentioned in the show, and I’m beyond honored that I get to tell these stories,” Moon said. “Take note of the meanings you see in this play. There are so many interpretations, and take yours to heart. This story is one that needs to be heard, and I hope the audience can really learn from our telling and grow from what they see.”
“I Never Saw Another Butterfly” Takes the Stage by Swarm
Zoology teacher Nikki Dobos dissects a frog during her second-period Zoology class Nov. 8. Zoology students dissected frogs and found things such as their eggs and past meals inside them. The class had five different dissections throughout the semester to learn about biodiversity and phyla. “I like teaching kids about animals and facts about animals they didn’t know before, but also the importance of biodiversity,” Dobos said. “I think more students should take [Zoology], especially if you love animals and dissections because you can learn more than just general [animal] knowledge.”
The Week in Photos: Nov. 4-Nov. 10
A graphic introduces the next piece in the column Odds and Ends. Contact Ally Kelley!
Odds and Ends: Screaming Sirens or Soft Speech?
A bright chemical flame bursts from the “Mole Cannon,” fired by Colin Sun ‘26, during Kerry Reilly’s Honors Chemistry class in the 4000s Oct. 24. Chemistry students celebrated Mole Day on Oct. 23 and 24 through a variety of labs and activities including sidewalk chalk, mole making and the firing of the moles from the cannon. “It felt awesome! I felt confident, and I felt powerful,” Sun said.
The Week in Photos: Oct. 21-Oct. 27
A close-up of Ella Heimers 25 sketch, 2-D Gorillaz.
Singer, Sketched
Reva Mehrotra ‘26, Ridhi Bandla ‘26, Puja Kotapati ‘26 and Bianca Saju ‘26 pose with CEO of Lady Trailblazer Inc. and Program Facilitator Carletta Stewart at the Girls’ Persist award ceremony May 16. At the ceremony, members received certificates recognizing their participation and achievements in the club. “Girls’ Persist has helped me gain confidence in my ability to speak to people even if I’m not as prepared as I wish I was,” Kotapati said.
Girls’ Persist: The Rise of Something New
A graphic introduces the second article of the column “Mental Health Mondays.”
Mental Health Mondays: Students and Social Media
Cash Geist ‘27 sketches out an idea for a 3D art piece in his sculpture class during seventh period Sept. 12. Lindsay Hubbard’s class worked on their polymer clay projects, where they were assigned to use a piece of trash or old material to make it seem like it came back to life. “My favorite part has been experimenting with the clay,” fellow classmate Mackenzie Lawson ‘26 said. “I’m still deciding what exactly I’m going to make but I’m really excited to see how my project turns out.”
OPINION: Science vs. the Arts
Assistant Principal Mandi Zimmerman uses car markers to write messages in support of passing 5A and 5B on cars in the upper lot during Parent Teacher Conferences Oct. 12. As Assistant Principals, Zimmerman and Karli Bloom did not need to meet with parents, painting an estimated 40 cars. Teachers and parents marked their cars with sticky notes if they wanted their cars painted. On the evening of conferences, Ms. Bloom and I were not officially working that evening, we had prearranged absences. We were using our personal time to write on the cars with Mr. Abners permission, Zimmerman said.
Editorial: Make or Break Vote Takes Place This Tuesday
Sophia Miller 25 poses for a creative photo. The text and darkness convey the negative emotions and thoughts given to us by others. In a world full of negativity, these ideas ingrain themselves into our lives and contribute to the isolation so prevalent in everyday life.
OPINION: The Worst Mistake Humanity Has Made
The Secret Of Life column logo, created with Canva.
The Secret of Life: Planners, Plans and More Planning
Rock Canyon High School's Student Newspaper

the Rock Online
Rock Canyon High School's Student Newspaper

the Rock Online

Awards and Achievements

2023-2024

Colorado Student Media Association (CSMA)

  • Second Place Best of Show Online News

National Student Press Association (NSPA)

Student News Online (SNO)

2022-2023

Colorado Student Media Association (CSMA)

Continental League Journalism Conference

  • “Tools for Teams” Session Presentational Speakers – Claire Bauer, Grace Uhrain

Journalism Education Association (JEA)

National Student Press Association (NSPA)

Student News Online (SNO)

Youth Journalism International (YJI)

Other

 

2021-2022

Colorado Student Media Association (CSMA)

Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA)

Continental League Journalism Conference

  • First Place Layout: Website Layout – the Rock staff
  • First Place Newspaper Writing: Feature Writing – Matthew Fink
  • First Place Newspaper Writing: Sports Writing – Peter Leensvaart
  • First Place Newspaper Writing: Sports Writing – Ben England

National Student Press Association (NSPA)

  • Second Place 2022 Digital Podcast of the Year – Kira Zizzo
  • Fifth Place 2022 Multimedia News Story of the Year – Grace Uhrain
  • Honorable Mention 2022 Feature Photo of the Year – Claire Bauer
  • Honorable Mention 2022 Best Use of Social Media Promotion – the Rock staff
  • Honor Roll: Claire Bauer, Benjamin England, Matthew Fink, Kendall Foxworth, Jack Gianetto, Madison Loucks, Grace Uhrain, Abigail Wood, Kira Zizzo

Student News Online (SNO)

Other

 

2020-2021

Colorado Student Media Association (CSMA)

National Student Press Association (NSPA)

Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA)

Student News Online (SNO)

 

 

2019-2020

Colorado Student Media Association (CSMA)

  • All-Colorado Award for Hybrid News
  • Second Place Best of Show Award for 5A Print News
  • Reporter of the Year – Kira Zizzo 

Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA)

  • Gold Medalist Certificate 

Student News Online (SNO)

 

 

2018-2019

Colorado Student Media Association (CSMA)

  • First Place 5A Print News
  • Award of Commendation for Hybrid News
  • Photographer of the Year – Maddie Provost
  • First Place Photo Essay – by Amanda Brauchler
  • First Place In-Depth Sports Coverage – by Alec Sutula
  • Second Place Lifestyle Coverage – by Amanda Brauchler, Emily Wilson, Rima Adepu, Julia Blanchette
  • Second Place Environmental Portrait – by Emily Wilson
  • Second Place Personality Profile – by Maddy Merritt, Reagan Davis
  • Honorable Mention Facing Pages Design – by Sam Keer, Alex Shaffer
  • Honorable Mention Commentary – by Amanda Brauchler
  • Honorable Mention Critical Review – by Brooke Andel
  • Honorable Mention Alternative Coverage Treatment – by Amanda Brauchler, Rima Adepu, Emily Wilson, Julia Blanchette
  • Honorable Mention Staff Editorial – the Rock staff
  • Honorable Mention Sports Feature – by Alec Sutula

Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA)

Student News Online (SNO)

 

 

2017-2018

Colorado Student Media Association (CSMA)

  • Award of Commendation for Print News
  • First Place Sports Feature – by Makenna Allen
  • First Place Facing Pages Design – by Emily Humes
  • Second Place Lifestyle News Feature – by Alex Shaffer, Sam Keer
  • Third Place In-Depth Sports Coverage – by Makenna Allen, Alec Sutula
  • Third Place Alternative Coverage Treatment – by Amanda Brauchler
  • Honorable Mention Critical Review – by Alex Shaffer
  • Honorable Mention News Feature – by Makenna Allen, Olivia Allen
  • Honorable Mention Editorial Cartoon – by Ryan Fincher

 

2016-2017

Colorado Student Media Association (CSMA)

  • Award of Commendation for Print News
  • First Place In-Depth Sports Coverage – “Steep Prices for Sports” by Nicholas Purchase, Izzy  Daboub, Jake Adis, Kaiya Espey
  • First Place Lifestyle News Feature – “Newspaper Studying Mental Health” by Haley Lena, Sophie Martinez, Auni Smith
  • Second Place In-Depth News Coverage – “Newspaper Surveying the District” by Nicholas Purchase
  • Second Place Breaking Sports Coverage – “Newspaper Boys Varsity Basketball Advances Through Playoffs” by Lexi Brown, Marco Guillen
  • Second Place Photo Essay – “Newspaper Wishes do Come True” by Makenna Allen, Haley Lena, Christian Liley
  • Third Place Lifestyle Coverage – “The Exchange Experience, Friends From France” by Berit Erickson
  • Honorable Mention News Feature – by Haley Lena

 

2015-2016

Colorado Student Media Association (CSMA)

  • Award of Commendation for Print News
  • First Place Lifestyle News Feature – by the Rock staff
  • First Place Staff Editorial – by Nicholas Purchase
  • First Place Alternative Coverage Treatment – by Emilee Nelson
  • Second Place In-Depth News Coverage – by Emily Klein
  • Third Place Facing Pages Design – by Nicholas Purchase, Rachel Rothman, Sydney Colby

Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA)

 

2014-2015

Colorado Student Media Association (CSMA)

  • All-Colorado Award for Print News
  • First Place Personality Profile – “Leave a Legacy” by Nikki Newman
  • First Place Alternative Coverage Treatment – “Blood Water” by Reese Wilking
  • Second Place Single Page Design – “Blood Water” by Reese Wilking
  • Honorable Mention Commentary – “CMAS? I’ll Pass.” by Sarah Crum

 

2013-2014

Colorado Student Media Association (CSMA)

  • Award of Commendation for Print News
  • First Place News Feature – by Michael Shapiro
  • First Place Personality Profile – by Andrew Bohren
  • Second Place Photo Essay – by Kaitlyn Darbe, Jeremy Purchase
  • Third Place Sports Feature – by Michael Shapiro, Andrew Bohren
  • Third Place In-Depth Sports Coverage – by Michael Shapiro, Andrew Bohren, Bailey McCue, Sriya Sharma

 

2012-2013

Colorado Student Media Association (CSMA)

  • All-Colorado Award for Print News
  • Second Place News Feature – “Working Against the Unknown” by Syd Charvat
  • Second Place In-Depth Sports Coverage – “From London With Love” by Kelcey Beckman, Syd Charvat
  • Third Place Sports Feature – “Unleash the Beast” by Kelcey Beckman
  • Honorable Mention In-Depth News Coverage – “What Chew Gunna Do About It?” by Virginia Vaughn, Tristan Sagar
  • Honorable Mention Breaking News Coverage – “Searching for Answers, and Finding More Questions” by Kayla Neil
  • Honorable Mention Photo Essay – “Back to Black and Gold” by Kayla Neil

 

2011-2012

Colorado Student Media Association (CSMA)

  • All-Colorado Award for Print News
  • First Place Environmental Portrait – by Lauren Scheirman
  • First Place General Column – by Erin Snyder
  • First Place Lifestyle Feature – by Megan Boyles, Danielle Burrage, Maddie Whitten
  • First Place News Feature – by Megan Boyles, Allie Cole, Charlie Melbye, Kayla Neil, Mae Rohrbach, Lauren Scheirman, Maddie Whitten
  • Second Place Breaking News – by Syd Charvat
  • Second Place Editorial Cartoon – by Zach Anderson
  • Second Place In-Depth News – by Karly Hanson, Ashley Park, Lauren Scheirman
  • Honorable Mention Facing Page Design – by Charlie Melbye

 

2010-2011

Colorado Student Media Association (CSMA)

  • Award of Commendation for Print News
  • Second Place Single Page Design – by Emma Kate Fittes, Amanda Becker
  • Third Place Facing Page Design – by Emma Kate Fittes, Taylor Pettaway, Kayla Neil, Amber Cole, Lauren Posey, Lizzie Marthouse, Caley Pavillard
  • Honorable Mention In-Depth Sports – by Zach Tornabene

 

Please note that at this time this list only includes awards dating back to the 2010-2011 school year and may not be fully complete. If you have any questions or would like to know more, please email [email protected].

the Rock Online

Rock Canyon High School's Student Newspaper
Rock Canyon High School's Student Newspaper

the Rock Online
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