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MEET THE CLASS OF 2016 by Natalie Forman and Joy Wineman
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ou may be wondering about the 424 new faces wandering the halls, clogging the stairways and getting lost. They have traveled from far and wide to get here, from strange lands such as Westminster, Thornton and Erie. They are 424 new potential friends, dates, or teammates, so it might serve you well to get to know them. Here are the stories of three standout freshmen. Haley Bellon is an up and coming tumbler who is a member of the Mile High Tumblers. This tumbling group was founded by Ozell Williams, who Monarch students may know from the CU cheer team. Tumbling is a combination of gymnastics and parkour. “I’ve been doing gymnastics since I was four,” said Bellon, who now performs with the Mile High Tumblers all over the country. “People on our team perform at halftime at Broncos games, and [in] parades throughout Colorado and the United States,” said
Bellon. The team is sponsored by CU and GoPro, and they are currently trying to gain sponsorship from Nike and Oakley. Zach Langer is one of the new members of the Monarch Coyotes boys’ soccer team. He is a defender on the varsity team coached by soccer star Marcelo Balboa. In his decision to come to Monarch, “Balboa was a factor,” said Langer. As one of only a few freshmen on the team, Langer gets stuck with doing many undesired tasks. “Seniors always like to mess around; we always have to pick up stuff,” said Langer. However, the extra work didn’t seem to be affecting him negatively as he sported a smile whenever he talked about the sport. As an avid soccer player, Langer also stays involved with the sport during the off season. When not playing for the school, Langer can be found playing for Real (pronounced Ree-al) in Littleton, an hour and forty five minutes away. The U-14 Real team was number one in the state last year. There were rumors surrounding Sam
Krason that he could fit his entire fist in his mouth, but unfortunately they proved untrue. He has, however, played basketball for over nine years, and is looking to join the Monarch boys’ basketball team for the 20122012 season. Sam Krason is a Monarch K-8 alum and the younger brother of senior Alex Krason. When discussing the benefits of having an older sibling at the same school, Krason said, “I know a lot more people because of it.” Even though Krason’s older brother was able to pave some of the way, it isn’t all a smooth ride. “He’s not giving me rides because he has first off,” said Krason. While it is tempting to “boo” the freshmen at pep assemblies or other school events, it may be worthwhile to get to know them first. You never know what story lies behind each of these fresh faces.
NOBLES BRINGS WINNING WAYS, EXPERIENCE TO MONARCH by Charlie Light
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Freshman Zach Langer makes a move during the Monarch Varsity soccer game against Cherokee Trail on September 6th. Langer plays right fullback for the Coyotes. (Photo credit: Dominic Yang)
WORLD LANGUAGE TEACHERS (Photo credit: Rebecca Allison)
by Mia Mulvahill
Ms. Allison
(Photo credit: Steven Dicesare)
Mr. DiCesare
(Photo credit: Connor Lund)
(Photo credit: Abbey Rosenwinkel)
Mrs. Farrell
Ms. Rosenwinkel
What language do you teach and at what levels?
“I teach German, levels 1, 2, 3, 4 and AP.”
“Sign language. Right now it’s levels 1 and 3.”
“I’m teaching Spanish, levels 3 and 4.”
“I teach Spanish, levels 2 and 3.”
What made you want to teach at Monarch?
“The reputation that Monarch has is incredible and to be part of something that great is definitely exciting.”
“I came here after teaching at New Vista, and I’m doing really well here.”
“Well, I’ve been at LMS and so I know a lot of students that go here now, but also I live in Louisville and so my kids will be coming here someday. I have a strong connection to Monarch.”
“I did my student teaching here last year, so I had a really good experience with the staff, and the student body had so much school spirit and it is such a fun school.”
How many years have you been speaking the language that you’re teaching?
“I started in high school, so I can empathize with all my students, but I’ve been speaking German since about 2000.”
“I started losing my hearing at age 10 and I started learning Sign Language in high school.”
“I have been speaking Spanish for 21 years.”
“Nine years.”
Where did you go to college?
“I received my Bachelor’s degree at Rider University with a double major in Elementary Education and German and a minor in Psychology, and received my Master’s degree at the University of Colorado at Boulder with a major in German Studies.
“In Albany, New York and in Greeley at UNC [University of Northern Colorado].”
“I went to CU and I started Spanish as a freshman. It’s funny, I was accidentally put into a Spanish class, I never actually signed up for Spanish.”
“I went to the university of Colorado in Boulder.”
What are you looking forward to/ hoping to accomplish this year?
“I am hoping to give levels 3,4, and 5 the individualized instruction that they need, and I’m excited to have two native speakers in my AP level class.”
“I’m looking forward to my students shutting their mouths (laughing) and starting to use the language.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing how much the kids learn and progress.”
“I’m hoping to show the students ways to apply the Spanish they already know and they’re going to learn, and show them practical ways that those [opportunities] will exist, because that’s when Spanish will really come handy.”
What do you like to do outside of school?
“I’m a big climber. [I like to climb] Boulder Canyon mostly.”
“Rock climb and snowboard. And playing Legos.”
“I’m obsessed with knitting and I do all sorts of crafts. I also like to mountain bike a lot.”
“Outside of school I like to be active. I enjoy biking, climbing, & playing frisbee golf. I also love to cook and bake.”
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
“I’m very OCD so when things aren’t organized it’s very frustrating.”
“I have to sleep with the windows open in the winter.”
“My biggest pet peeve is trash left on my classroom floor.”
“I don’t really have one. Maybe people that are passive aggressive.”
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ports have always been a big part of Lani Nobles’ life. Winning in sports, in particular, has been a big part of her life. At Thomas Jefferson High School, she had basketball, baseball, and football teams that went deep into the state playoffs multiple times. “I have that competitiveness and that desire to win to be successful, to have our teams really be successful,” Nobles said. Behind her desire to win is an even stronger will to teach. “I like seeing the results of showing someone how to do something, and then them doing it and being successful.” In high school, Nobles played basketball, softball and volleyball. The University of Southern Mississippi offered Nobles a scholarship to play softball and volleyball while she participated in their national athletic training program. After her freshman year, Nobles transferred to the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. She stopped playing sports in college once UNC couldn’t offer her a scholarship, and she found her true calling after that. “I actually got into the teaching program [at UNC] and then decided that I liked being a teacher,” said Nobles. “I wanted to be a teacher and a coach so that was kind of my destiny at that point.” In her subsequent 14 years of coaching, Nobles experienced varied levels of success in many sports. In 1986, she was an assistant coach for Gail Hook for the Centaurus girls’ basketball team that won just one game. She then coached volleyball at Brighton High School, her alma mater, and didn’t lose a regular season game in three years. “That was the kind of winning I was used to,” Nobles said. In the early part of Nobles’ career, she taught middle school science but coached at high schools, including Brighton and Centaurus. “I decided it was more important to teach and coach in the same building,” she said about her decision to take a job at Denver South, teaching and also coaching
volleyball, basketball, and golf (for which her team won a state title). “Maturation kicks in and I decided to help these kids in Denver grow.” After 11 years at Denver South, Nobles said, “somebody tapped me on the shoulder and said ‘hey you’d be a really good athletic director or assistant principal.’ I really didn’t want to do it, I wanted to stay teaching and coaching, but I went ahead.” Her first athletic director job was as the assistant athletic director for Denver Public Schools. “I thought I’d just try it for a year or two, and if I didn’t like it I would go back to teaching and coaching. That was about 14 years ago, so obviously I liked it.” When asked why she stuck with it, Nobles replied, “You end up seeing that you have a lot of impact on the coaches who have more impact on the kids, and I was able to win those elusive state titles [later in her career at Thomas Jefferson].” When the district athletic director was looking to retire, Nobles felt she wasn’t ready to take over the head job that she was in line for. “I really didn’t feel like I could do that because I hadn’t been the athletic director for a school and I thought ‘are the policies we make really making sense to kids?’” Nobles declined the district job and instead took a position at Thomas Jefferson High School as the athletic director so she could “see what really works.” After 11 years at Thomas Jefferson, Nobles decided to continue Monarch’s new athletic director Lani Nobles (left) talks to Dean of Students her career at a high school by taking Linda Hubbard and her son Noah during Monarch’s home football game against the Monarch athletic director job this Kennedy High School on Friday September 21st. (Photo credit: Charlie Light) summer. She said that she may return to the district level someday, but “right initially.” now I am very happy to be at Monarch, I feel However, she still misses “that direct contact very blessed, I feel very fortunate.” with kids all the time because that’s really what got Nobles said she enjoys being an athletime into this business.” But her desire to make a director because “it allows me to have that difference in the lives of students is why she enjoys impact to help inspire coaches and inspire being an athletic director. “You’ll have that one reteachers that in turn can have hundreds and ally good principal or that one really good athletic hundreds of times more impact than I could director that really inspires you. I want to be that for our students and teachers.” Nobles was offered the job at Monarch this summer, but only two days before she started, Monarch athletic secretary Elizabeth Stocksdale underwent emergency back surgery. “This is probably the biggest challenge I’ve ever had in my career,” Nobles said of trying to keep track of administrative details, such as scheduling referees and fields for every game. Nobles does not have any major changes in mind for the school’s athletics. “Mr. Sibley has done an outstanding job as an athletic director. I don’t want to come in and fix something that’s not broken,” she said. “I want to come in and be thoughtful and really talk to people…see what we could make better and then provide the leadership in that area.” Nobles does have one ambitious goal for the school’s teams. “I’m hoping to see state playoffs for 50% of our teams or more. I’m going to be figuring out how to pay for hardware, but it’s a good problem to have.”
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