Youth

By Dominic Furer Youth Correspondent

Every once in a while, Roaring Fork Valley children wake up to the blissful news of a snow day. School is canceled, they get to sleep in and don’t have to concern themselves with whatever it was they were supposed to do in class that day. All kids adore snow days, and it's fun for students, teachers and parents alike to have a break from daily routines. But, snow days have more to them than people might assume.

On Oct. 26, a Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) bus slipped on the road and drove into a snowbank. Luckily, there were no student passengers on board and no one was harmed. Other students and their families reported experiencing similarly close calls. The question on many peoples’ minds: “Why wasn’t school called off that day?”

The process of scheduling and enacting a snow day is determined by the district’s transportation department. The department relies on weather forecasts to help predict when there may be heavy snowfall. They wake up as early as 2 a.m. to ponder the calculations, and by 5:30 a.m. a decision should be reached. If a snow day is called, the district spreads the word by contacting parents.

“We have to find resources and tools to guide our decision making, and for the most part it has a pretty high success rate,” Jeff Gatlin, RFSD’s chief operating officer, told The Sopris Sun.

Still, despite the efforts of this dutiful department, they may not always get it right. For one, the weather forecast influences the decision — the estimations of which can be mistaken. At times, a snow day will be called only for the snow to dissipate by the early afternoon. Then again, there are others when a storm will slip under the radar and cause slick conditions on the roads — but the transportation department had no prior warning.

Such conditions can be troubling for families. Some parents or guardians have difficulty driving in snow and many don't have the proper vehicles to handle bad weather.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic children and teachers are accustomed to remote learning. Students open their laptops, join the class call and it's “virtually” like they are back in the classroom. Some parents and students have found that they even prefer this method of education. Given as much, it has proven to be possible to proceed with curriculums when

Comic by Dominic Furer students are unable to leave their homes, some might wonder if snow days are a thing of the past.

Despite some hassle that may stem from snow days — not to mention, virtual-learning feasibly making them obsolete — there are some benefits to consider.

First and foremost, snow days allow for extra sleep. According to a 2015 Center for Disease Control study, a staggering 72.7% of the high school students surveyed typically had a shorter sleep duration than is recommended. There are considerable health risks involved in the youth being sleep deprived, such as drowsiness and depression.

Another benefit of snow days is keeping people off of the road. Not only is this safer for everybody, but it reduces the amount of pollution we put into the air. Finally, many children and families alike believe snow days are a tradition of the American public school system.

Regardless of today's political and sociological division, all can agree that the safety of students, parents and teachers is of utmost importance when it comes to public education. And, through whatever obstacles which may have to be navigated in the future, families can count on the staff at RFSD to put forth their best effort in making appropriate decisions.

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Photo by RFHS student Maria Candela By Diana Diaz Youth Correspondent

It’s no secret that Roaring Fork High School’s (RFHS) boys soccer team has been making local fans proud. Last season, the team won the 2021 state championship — a historical moment for this small town and one it’s safe to say will not soon be forgotten.

This year, the boy’s soccer team got to the quarter-finals and played their last game of the postseason against Liberty Common in Fort Collins. Despite the loss to Liberty, the Rams had a great season. They started their season off strong, beating neighboring Carbondale team, Colorado Rocky Mountain School, 10-0. Overall, this year the Rams won 15 games and lost only three.

The first playoff game was against Bayfield, which the Rams won 5-2. Next, another win against James Irwin with a score of 3-0. Needless to say, before the final match against Liberty Common, the Rams were, yet again, on a roll.

Recently, The Sopris Sun asked a few questions of the varsity team’s head coach, Nicholas Forbes.

“I tried to instill a growth mindset in them. I want them to be intrinsically motivated to learn and grow as soccer players and as humans. They are ultimately in charge of how much they can achieve,” Forbes began.

“This team will no longer be a ‘young’ team next season and they have the ability to win a title and make their own mark on the school’s history,” he continued. “It's just down to how much they are willing to work for it, the attitude they have toward each other and the training required.”

Forbes also told The Sopris Sun a little about himself and how he started coaching soccer. “I had just graduated from Willamette University where I had played four years of division three soccer,” he continued, “and was still playing a lot in the local indoor and outdoor leagues around the Valley.”

At the time, Cliff Colia was the Principal of RFHS and asked Forbes if he wanted to interview for the junior varsity coaching position.

“I saw it as an opportunity to be around soccer more and also explore if I liked teaching,” Forbes explained. “I now teach within the Roaring Fork School District and see myself more as a teacher and an educator than a coach when I run the Rams program and attribute the program’s success largely to that attitude.”

Seniors make up a big part of the soccer team. Most of them have been playing soccer for a long time — at least throughout high school — and will be missed when they graduate and move on to whatever comes next.

“I can't thank them enough for all their hard work over the last four years, both the ones who got to shine on the field and the ones who put their heads down and worked hard behind the scenes to make the team better,” said Forbes.

Forbes took the interview opportunity to give some specific shoutouts. “Special recognition ought to go to these seniors though, starting with Emi Magana who had 55 goals — a record for RFHS — and 24 assists, two state final appearances and one championship title in his four years as a varsity starter. Daniel Vega was also an important part of both those final runs and scored the vital go ahead goal in last year's semi-final,” the coach continued. “Max Brooke was a key defender…and showed great leadership and ability…And, last but not least Diego Loya who was a great goalkeeper for us this year.”

Forbes wrapped it up, “Also, a huge thank you to all of the seniors who will be moving on that didn’t get mentioned.”

Over the past four years the community has seen these players grow not just as players, but as people. Parents, mentors and friends of the team are rightfully proud of what they’ve achieved. It’s Thanksgiving weekend. What’s the harm in a little nostalgia? Rev. Norris tries to keep us happy and honest this holiday.

“A Norman Rockwell Family” by Rev. A.G. Norris, Live Music by Jimmy Byrne

Sunday, November 27th, 10am

Two Rivers Unitarian Universalist Community Room/Third St. Center in Carbondale or via Zoom

Join Zoom Meeting - https://zoom.us/j/97893023273 Meeting ID: 978 9302 3273 - Passcode: chalice

truu.org

Scan QR Code to Join via Zoom and enter “chalice”

Have you heard…..

The Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork doesn’t prepare students for the ‘real’ world?

“At the Waldorf School, I spent time seeking new ideas through academic adventure and creativity, instead of absorbing facts that are already known. I learned to love my education. I learned to love not the reward for performance — my grade — but the discovery and learning of new things. I learned how to be a part of the world as a whole instead of succeeding in just one specific niche. I learned not what to think, but how to think. I learned to pursue why something happens instead of being told what happens. ”

~Miles Petterson

WSRF Alumni Eagle Valley High School Alumni Yale University Alumni Wind Tunnel Data Analyst & pursuing a Masters in Computer Science For more alumni perspectives visit waldorfschoolrf.com/alumni