We are thrilled to share that our very own Leah Wachowski has been nominated for Teacher of the Week on Krystal 93! Leah’s unwavering commitment to experiential learning shines through in everything she does, inspiring students every day in the classroom. We couldn’t be prouder to have her as part of The Peak School family!

Hear part of her Krystal 93 interview here! Coverage begins at 2:36 min. Read a segment of the interview here!

Leah interviewing with Krystal 93’s Phil Lindeman on Tuesday, December 10, 2024.

November 15, 2024 – The Peak School is proud to announce it has been nationally recognized as one of the Best Schools in America by Niche, the country’s leading college and school search platform. Niche has ranked The Peak School in the top 20% of all ranked schools in the country.

This prestigious ranking reflects The Peak School’s exceptional performance across numerous factors analyzed by Niche including academic performance, extracurricular activity opportunities, data from sources like the U.S. Department of Education, and user input from current students, alumni, and parents. 

This recognition highlights our commitment to academic excellence, experiential learning, student support, and unique programs. We’re incredibly proud of our students, teachers, and staff who make this possible. Thank you to our amazing community for your continued support and dedication. Together, we make The Peak School a place where excellence thrives!

Opportunities to learn more about The Peak School:

• Schedule a private tour or Shadow Day for your child.

• Peak Perks: Coffee with Peak Admissions, Cool River Coffee, Breckenridge, Tuesday, December 3, 9-11 am

• Visit thepeakschool.education

See article in The Summit Daily News here.

Did you know? Peak School students are able to participate in any Summit High School sport. Peak students (Nico, Fiona, and Trent) are off to a great season with the Summit Tigers!

For the full story in The Summit Daily, please click here or on the picture below.

The Peak School Named 2024 Cognia School of Distinction

September 18, 2024— Cognia® names The Peak School a 2024 Cognia® School of Distinction for excellence in education. This year Cognia, the global nonprofit school improvement organization, recognized 60 schools and school systems in the United States and Puerto Rico, and five other countries across the globe as 2024 Cognia Schools or Systems of Distinction.

“I am pleased to congratulate The Peak School for their designation as a 2024 Cognia School of Distinction, a program which recognizes public and non-public institutions that exemplify excellence in education and service to learners,” said Dr. Mark A. Elgart, president and CEO of Cognia. Cognia selected The Peak School as one of the 49 schools and 11 systems out of more than 1,952 eligible institutions that hosted a Cognia Accreditation Engagement Review during the 2023-2024 school year.

“On behalf of our entire school community, I am honored to accept this accreditation with distinction. This recognition affirms our commitment to academic excellence, character development, and a nurturing environment where every student can thrive. We are proud of the collective efforts of our dedicated faculty, staff, students, and families." – Travis Aldrich, Head of School, The Peak School, Frisco, Colorado.

During the 2023-2024 school year, The Peak School participated in Cognia’s rigorous Accreditation Engagement Review process, which is grounded in research-based performance standards. The process includes a third-party review of evidence by education experts, interviews, and classroom observations. The review evaluates institutions and seeks evidence of growth in learning, a healthy culture for learning, engaging and high-quality instructional environments, and effective leadership for learning—all characteristics Cognia expects to see in quality schools that also demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement.

“The Peak School is to be commended for earning the designation as a School of Distinction,” said Dr. Mark A. Elgart, president and CEO of Cognia. “Cognia Accreditation is already a mark of school quality recognized around the world. Being named a School or System of Distinction further acknowledges the demonstrated commitment to education quality and a mindset of continuous improvement The Peak School has for its learners,” Elgart added.

About The Peak School

The Peak School is more than a private school in Colorado; it is a community of families, educators, and residents of Summit County and neighboring communities all working toward the same goal—to ignite a passion for learning in our students and to develop their individual identities in order to become informed and engaged citizens. As a progressive independent school, our focus is on personalized experiential education delivered through challenging curriculum and taught by talented, experienced teachers. Located in Frisco, Colorado, The Peak School serves middle school and high school students in grades 6 – 12.

Want to Learn More About The Peak School?

Join us for a FREE Community Cookout on Sunday, October 13th to experience everything The Peak School has to offer! Learn about our personalized academics, experiential learning, unique electives, and outdoor education! Please RSVP and we hope to see you there! https://thepeakschool.education/community-cookout

 Link to Summit Daily Article: https://www.summitdaily.com/news/the-peak-school-receives-recognition-from-a-global-education-nonprofit/

Listen to Edward’s approach to teaching physics to our students. Discussion begins at 2:36 min.

Click on the image to listen. Discussion begins at 2:36 min.

Silverthorne Storm gymnasts Eloise Hood, right, and Mia Norden, center, pose for a photo after placing third and first, respectively in the compulsory 4 older division floor competition at the Foothills Flairs gymnastic meet on Saturday, May 20.
Claudine Norden/Courtesy photo

The Silverthorne Storm gymnastics team has reached its 2023 competition season, and local gymnasts have been working hard to qualify to state as things get underway.

For those who may not be familiar, the Silverthorne Storm is a youth gymnastics team that is hosted out of the Silverthorne Recreation Center. Without a middle school or high school gymnastics program in the county, Silverthorne Storm allows student athletes to explore the sport while competing at a high level.

The Silverthorne Storm is made up of local Summit County middle school and elementary school students, and the team competes in the Colorado Association of Recreation Athletics gymnastics meets from May through July. 

“The mission of the Storm is to provide children with the ability to participate in gymnastics at a higher level than classes,” head coach Ben Way said. “Participation in gymnastics helps with so many things — from body awareness, strength, focus, flexibility, self-confidence and more. These are all things that will help them throughout their lives. We want to provide the space for those who want to be more involved with the sport and take it to another level by competing at a recreational level.”

During the competition season, Way — who has coached at the Silverthorne Recreation Center for 25 years — works with the team to perfect its members’ skills they have already learned. But during the fall and winter, the team focuses on learning new skills to foster progression.

Beyond the team placing highly at its first meet of the season, the Storm was able to qualify the majority of the team to the state gymnastics meet, which will take place in July.

“I would say it was a successful first meet,” Way said. “We qualified 22 out of 26 girls for the state meet  with eight of them in all around.” 

The Silverthorne Storm will now prepare to travel to the Broomfield Flyers gymnastics competition, which will take place on Saturday, June 3, at the Paul Derda Recreation Center in Broomfield.

Following the Broomfield competition, the Storm will then host a home meet at the Silverthorne Recreation Center on June 24 and will then close out the season with a meet on July 8 and the state meet from July 22-23. 

I expect more polished routines, more state qualifiers and plenty of trips to the podium,” Way said of the coming weeks.

Members of the Silverthorne Storm gymnastics team pose for a photo before competing in the Compulsory 4 competition. Eloise Hood of The Peak School first from the back for The Silverthorne Storm.
Claudine Norden/Courtesy photo.

Story originally submitted on June 2, 2023 in The Summit Daily. Written by Cody Jones. For the full story click here.

Cain Steinweg and Nina Schamberger, left, begin the second Summit Trail Running Series race on Wednesday, May 31. Schamberger was the first female athlete to cross the finish line in the short course race.
Cody Jones/Summit Daily News

As cars started to stream into the B&B trailhead parking lot off French Gulch Road in Breckenridge, thunder started to boom and rain started to steadily pour down from the sky.

While many people peeled out of the parking lot after a jaunt on their bike, others exited the warmth of the interior of their cars in order to compete in the second of six scheduled Summit Trail Running Series races on Wednesday, May 31.

Part of the town of Breckenridge Recreation Department, the Summit Trail Running Series and the Summit Mountain Challenge strives to get people together in the community to challenge their fitness on local trails via trail running or mountain biking.

After hosting the first race in the series in Dillon on May 17, the French Gulch race consisted of both a short course and a long course on the trail system surrounding the B&B trailhead.

The French Gulch short course race was advertised as a 3.43-mile race with over 459 feet of elevation gain, while the long course race was marked for 5.34 miles with 652 feet of total elevation gain.

The short course race ended up being marked short of the prescribed mileage with the race being closer to 2.5 miles with 350 feet of elevation gain.

At the front of the short course race field were several standout Summit High School and Summit Middle School distance runners who were willing to brave the cold rain and slippery course.

Leading the pack was incoming sophomore Cain Steinweg, who completed the course in 18 minutes, 17 seconds in order to win his second 2023 Summit Trail Running Series race.

Steinweg was followed by his new Summit High School cross-country teammates Jay McDonald and Lukas Remeikis, who tied for second place with a time of 18:40.

The Peak School graduate and University of Utah commit Nina Schamberger was the next athlete to cross the finish line. Schamberger showed off her aerobic engine from Nordic skiing by completing the short course in 19:17, earning fourth place.

Originally featured in The Summit Daily on June 3, 2023. Photo courtesy of Curtis Devore/Copper Mountain Ski Resort.

Graduates of The Peak School throw their caps into the air during the commencement ceremony at Copper Mountain Resort on Friday.

Originally written by Cody Jones in the Summit Daily on February 22, 2023

From Tuesday, Feb. 7, to Saturday, Feb. 11, Team Summit and Team Breckenridge Sports Club athletes flocked to Copper Mountain Resort in hopes of claiming a top-10 finish in the International Freeskiers Association’s (IFSA) big mountain freeride national and regional competitions. 

Making up a large portion of the field, Team Summit and Team Breckenridge athletes competed at Copper from Feb. 7-10.

In the freeride snowboard competition, Team Summit’s Emma Hyon took first place in the 15- to 18-year-old girls division while Dalilah Caldwell placed third.

Team Summit’s Lucas Lemire rode his way to a second-place finish in the 15- to 18-year-old boys snowboard division and Bode Kler placed third.

In the national freeride skiing competition, both Team Summit and Team Breckenridge put three athletes each into the top 10.

Team Summit’s Maddie Haser and Hannah Webb led the way in the 12- to 14-year-old girls ski division. Haser held onto her first-place finish in qualifiers to place first overall in finals, and Webb placed in a nearby second. 

Team Breckenridge’s Siri Krum placed seventh in the 12- to 14-year-old girls ski division and Baylie Bosson rounded out the top 10 for Team Breckenridge in 10th place.

Team Breckenridge’s Gavin Benedict placed 10th in the 12- to 14-year-old boys ski division, and Team Summit’s Morgan Fields placed fourth overall in the 15- to 18-year-old girls ski division. 

On Saturday, Feb. 11, athletes returned to Copper to compete in the International Freeskiers Association regional.

Hyon got her second first-place finish of the week in the 15- to 18-year-old girls snowboard division while Clara D’augustine placed second in the 11- to 14-year-old girls snowboard division.

Between Team Summit and Team Breckenridge, five athletes made up the top-10 in the 12-14-year-old girls ski division. Webb and Holly Ryan placed first and third, respectively, for Team Summit while Bosson notched the highest finish for Team Breckenridge in fourth place.

Team Breckenridge’s Anna Stafford placed fifth overall and Sloane Staayer finished in sixth. 

Justin Meaney placed first in the 12- to 14-year-old boys ski division for Team Breck while Tyrn Lifgren followed in third place. 

In the 15- to 18-year-old boys ski division, Team Summit’s Rudy Comai placed second overall while Team Breck’s Jack Stafford took eighth. 

Team Summit also competed in the  Rocky Mountain Freestyle (RMF) and Rocky Qualifier Series (RQS) mogul competitions at Copper and Winter Park.

Matthew Grattan and Annika Broecker recorded the highest finishes for Team Summit on the second day of the competition at Copper on Sunday, Feb. 12. Grattan placed second in the boys competition,  and Broecker placed fourth overall in the girls competition.

On the first day of the competition on Saturday, Feb. 11, Arabella Agee finished in eighth place overall for Team Summit.

In Winter Park on Saturday, Feb. 11, Kayla Broecker took home gold in the girls competition while teammate Georgia Kirschner placed a spot behind Broecker in second. 

Team Summit’s Alpine skiers rounded out the recent results from the club. In the Rocky Champions Qualifier super-G competition at Breckenridge Ski Resort on Saturday, Feb. 11, Eden Demino placed fifth in the women’s competition, Trevor Palmquist placed second in the men’s competition and Aaron Green followed in third.

All three competitors doubled back on Sunday, Feb. 12, to compete in the super-G again. 

Demino placed ninth overall and was preceded in the women’s competition by Team Summit teammates Anya Leunig and Natalie Strom. Leunig placed seventh overall, and Strom finished in eighth place.

Team Summit’s Blaise Turnbull led the competition on Day 2 of Breckenridge’s super-G competition. Turnbull placed third overall and was followed by Green in fourth and Palmquist in fifth. 

Team Summit’s Sebastian Bennett rounded out the results in the men’s super-G with a seventh-place finish. 

Originally posted in the Summit Daily on January 5th, 2023. Written by Cody Jones. Read the full article here.

Team Summit's Nina Schamberger, center, celebrates her ninth place overall finish at the 2023 U.S. Cross Country Ski Championships in Michigan on Monday, Jan. 2 Schamberger's finish currently ranks her as the top ranked junior level skier in the country.
Team Summit/Courtesy photo

Team Summit athletes were busy competing at Copper Mountain Resort’s New Year’s Eve Rail Jam on Saturday, Dec. 31, while Nina Schamberger competed in Michigan on Monday, Jan. 2. 

At Copper Mountain Resort, Team Summit earned 12 podium finishes. 

In the freeski competition, Lainey Steen, Andrew Thisted, David Asher Cockrell and Evan Wischmeyer all placed first overall in their age divisions. 

Naomi Lyman, Avery Thisted and Alex Swedenborg placed second while Forrest Woodard placed third. 

In the snowboard rail jam competition, Madeline Morton, Elijah Stroker and Caleb Dhawornvej placed first overall in their divisions. Lily Dhawornvej placed second behind Morton in the girls 11- to 14-year-old division.

Meanwhile, Schamberger — a recent University of Utah commit — traveled to Houghton, Michigan, to compete at the 2023 U.S. Cross Country Ski Championships. Schamberger competed in the 10-kilometer, freestyle-interval-start women’s race among collegiate level competition.

Schamberger hung tough to place ninth overall in a time of 29 minutes, 17.3 seconds. The race was won by 2022 Olympian Hailey Swirbul in 27:32.5. 

The finish from Schamberger currently ranks her No. 1 in the country among junior-level skiers. The accomplishment marks the first time a Summit Nordic skier has ever ranked so high. 

At the Holiday Classic giant slalom in Steamboat Springs on Dec. 20, Stella Buchheister placed first overall in the U18 women’s giant slalom while Ella Snyder placed second.

Snyder doubled up her winnings by placing second in the U18 women’s slalom competition. Snyder finished behind teammate Skylar Sheppard, who placed first in the event. Stanley Buzek took home gold in the U18 men’s slalom competition.

Rounding out the Alpine skiing results for Team Summit, Jevin Palmquist skied to a first-place finish in the slalom and the giant slalom competition at Loveland Ski Area on Dec. 20.

Originally written by Cody Jones for the Summit Daily on November 11, 2022

Read the full article here.

Nina Schamberger signs a letter of intent to attend the University of Utah on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022, at The Peak School in Frisco.

For the first time in the history of The Peak School, a student athlete has signed a national letter of intent to further pursue their education and athletic career. 

Nina Schamberger signed her letter of intent to attend the University of Utah in Salt Lake City as a member of the university’s nationally acclaimed Nordic skiing team.

Over the last few years, the senior has risen to the top of the national Nordic skiing ranks. 

Schamberger — who has been skiing with Olof Hedberg and the Summit Nordic Ski Club since she was about 8 years old — has progressed from a skier who barely knew anything about the sport to an elite-level high school athlete.

“I actually remember her first race for us,” Hedberg said at Schamberger’s official signing. “She did not win. She was not the best skier in the club, but I remember at that race that this one little girl showed a lot of fierceness, grit and the ability to push herself. I made a little mental note that day and wondered where this was going to lead.”

Schamberger has carved her way to several feats over the years, including several noteworthy finishes during the 2021-22 season. 

In 2022, Schamberger competed at the 2022 FIS Junior World Ski Championships in Lygna, Norway, the  Junior National Cross-Country Ski Championships and a recent competitive rollerski race in Utah. 

At all three competitions, Schamberger elevated herself to the top of the competition. At the Junior World Ski Championships, Schamberger played a huge role in securing a fifth-place finish for the women’s U.S. relay team.

“She was the fastest 16-year-old last year,” Hedberg said. “She beat several people who went to the Olympics for their country, she represented the U.S. at the junior world championships and she is now signing with the most-competitive, highest-level ski program in NCAA history.”

The University of Utah ski program has won the national NCAA ski championship three years in a row. The team consistently produces elite-level athletes who go on to compete for their countries at the international level and in the Olympics. 

Olof Hedberg speaks at Nina Schamberger’s signing day on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022, at The Peak School in Frisco. After being coached by Hedberg at the Summit Nordic Ski Club, Schamberger decided to attend the University of Utah to pursue academics and Nordic skiing at the collegiate level.

Schamberger will look to add to the rich history of success at Utah when she steps foot on campus next fall. 

She said she has been dreaming of signing with a university for the better part of the last six years.

“When I was 11 or 12, I decided I wanted to ski for a college, but I had no clue what college it would be,” Schamberger said. “Starting two or three years ago, I started thinking about Utah being a main option.”

With lots of hard work, dedication and sacrifice, Schamberger made her childhood dream a reality and put pen to paper in front of her classmates, teammates, mentors, coaches and family.

Minutes after signing the letter of intent, the moment still had not fully soaked in for the 17-year-old. 

“I can’t believe it’s happening,” Schamberger said. “It is really exciting. For a long time, it felt like I had so much time before this decision. I am so grateful for everything my coaches and parents have done for me over the years to help me get here.”

With the pressures of finding a school now behind her, Schamberger said she plans on soaking up her final season with the Summit Nordic Ski Club, which will be starting shortly. 

Originally posted in the Utah Utes News on November 9th, 2022

Read the full article here.

SALT LAKE CITY – University of Utah head Nordic skiing coach Miles Havlick announced on Wednesday the signing of Nina Schamberger with the program. One of the top junior Nordic skiers in the United States, Schamberger is a native of Leadville, Colorado, and will join the Utes beginning in the 2024 collegiate season.

"Nina has been tearing up the junior racing scene for many years both domestically and internationally," said Havlick. "She will be an immediate asset on the women's team with her strong work ethic, desire for excellence and contagious energy. On and off the skis, she will be a great ambassador of the sport and the University of Utah. We couldn't be more excited to have her sign on as a Ute!"

Schamberger currently skis with Summit Nordic Ski Club in her home state of Colorado, most recently appearing on the international scene at the 2022 Junior World Championships in Lygna, Norway. She raced in three events during the championships, including as part of a fifth-place United States relay team that also included current Ute Sydney Palmer-Leger.

She qualified for the Junior World Championships during the 2022 U.S. National Championships which were held at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah. Her U.S. Junior Nationals debut came in 2019, when Schamberger raced in Anchorage, Alaska.

"I chose the University of Utah because I have goals to be a professional skier in the future and to me, the U was the best stepping stone to this," Schamberger said. "I think this is a place where I can thrive, surrounded by dedicated, like-minded student-athletes all while enjoying the process. There is so much I can learn from this ski team!"

A rundown of Schamberger's racing history is available on her FIS profile.

Follow the Utes on social media (@utahskiteam).

Originally published on May 28th by the Summit Daily

Originally written by Luke Vidic

Peak School seniors ride on a Copper Mountain Resort ski lift to celebrate their graduation Friday, May 27. The school graduated seven seniors this year.
Tripp Fay/Summit Daily News

Gratitude, reciprocity and community were the tenants of the Peak School’s graduation. The seven seniors graduating Friday at the foot of Copper Mountain Resort heard these words at the end of an unprecedented time to learn.

“During your four years in high school, which were my years in college, we lived through a lot of personal and societal trouble,” keynote speaker and 2017 alumnus Grant Morgan said. “And I see that. Going to high school when you did was not easy.”

Despite the challenges, the students made the most of their high school experience.

“Our seniors really have tried to take advantage of the limited opportunities they have,” head of school Travis Aldrich said.

The seven graduating seniors completed a range of senior projects during the COVID-19 pandemic, from making an animated movie to raising awareness for ​​chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Each one combined a personal interest with an area of study.

“These are kids that are trying to figure out how to operate under these new guidelines and create experiences for themselves that are truly unique,” Aldrich said.

Morgan tied each student’s project to two ideas — gratitude and reciprocity — and the Peak School annual guiding question, “What impacts community?”

“Good communities don’t make themselves … and we all have to do our part to keep it going,” Morgan said.

Graduate Maximillian Duffy raised awareness for traumatic brain injuries, making the world a little bit safer for those around him, Morgan said.

Graduate Jessica Canter made an animated movie and gave it to the world for others to enjoy.

Graduate Lucas Caniglia made a business plan for a guided fly fishing business.

Graduate Kamilla Stone traveled to Costa Rica and connected cultures.

Graduate Jacob Hood learned about the manufacturing of skis and making goods for others.

Graduate Chaney Walker became a certified yoga teacher and helped others feel calm and present in their bodies.

Graduate Alexander Elston learned foreign language, and, as Morgan said, reciting an Arabic proverb, “Learn a language and you avoid a war.”

Each student selected a representative to speak on their behalf. They could choose a friend, teacher, councilor or someone else with a personal connection. Speakers highlighted unique personal traits, hardships and quirks about each student.

Students also received tote bags intended to carry toiletries for the students headed off to college dorms. The students from this class are headed to Colorado State University, Westminster College, Colorado Mountain College, Utah State University and Full Sail University. Some will be taking a gap year.

Families could ride with graduates at the Peak School’s graduation Friday.
Tripp Fay/Summit Daily News

“Peak cultivates a special and unique human, and nothing defines that better than this class,” teacher Steven Craig said.

Following speeches, students and families hopped on Copper’s Super Bee lift to receive their diploma at the top of the mountain. The novel tradition began during the pandemic to keep the event outdoors and socially distanced. The tradition continued this year with the addition of in-person speeches and gatherings.

“One of the nice things about this format is that you graduate, get your diploma and then as you’re coming down everyone’s coming up and they can cheer for you on the way down,” Aldrich said.

Originally published on April 29, 2022 by CBS Denver.

Originally written by Spencer Wilson

FRISCO, Colo. (CBS4) – The community of Frisco is rallying behind a young woman, hoping to help keep her in Colorado and stop her from being sent back to a country under siege. Iryna Petrovitksa came to Colorado from Ukraine in 2021, and since then she’s called the mountains her home.

“I have a lot of friends here and they always support me and teachers too,” the high school sophomore told mountain newsroom reporter Spencer Wilson.

Her family was sending her financial support from Ukraine until Russia invaded earlier this year. Now while her family hides in neighboring Hungary, she continues her school life here but could be forced to return home now that her source of support has been cut off.

Petrovitksa goes to The Peak School and lives with a local host family. One of her teachers started an online fundraising campaign, entitled Help Ukrainian Student. It has raised $5,000 so far, but that’s only an eighth of the way to the goal.

Image taken from CBS Denver’s special news article on April 29th, 2022.

“The thing that keeps us up at night is the notion of what happens if we don’t get enough money to help Iryna to stay here. Her family is safe in Hungary but the financial means are still so limited and the situation is so grievous that we want to do whatever we can. The idea of her having to go back to that situation is just unthinkable, ” teacher Steven Craig said.

While speaking with CBS4, Petrovitksa kept a wide smile on her face and did her best to talk about very difficult topics, like the invasion of her homeland and her family becoming refugees of war thousands of miles away. Still, even with a brave face, tears eventually came.

“I feel a little bit guilty because I am safe because they are trying to escape,” she said of her family.

“Sometimes they send me videos from home and it is all on fire. Stuff like that,” Petrovitksa said.

The brave high school Sophomore said her best way to get through the day was to simply keep busy, and not think too hard about her daily situation.

“(I try) not to think about them and just try to make a lot of work, like school stuff or hobby, new languages or of course something with style,” she added laughing.

Her teacher was quick to add how grateful staff and students are to have Petrovitksa in school and the unshakeable positive attitude that seems to flow out of her.

“When you are talking about a situation that is thousands of miles away it can feel so difficult to help but we know that we have an amazing young person who is so full of life, so full of vitality who is right here and who needs our help right now and it personalizes it for us,” Craig explained.

“The war in Ukraine isn’t thousands of miles away for those of us at The Peak School, it is right here in our building and we know we have a kid, a young person who we all know and love dearly who needs our help.”

If you’re interested in helping this young woman, feel free to search for their online fundraiser titled “Help Ukrainian Student.”

Originally Posted on 9 News.com on April 29, 2022.

Last September, 16-year-old Iryna Petrovitska traveled from her hometown of Kiev, Ukraine to Colorado. She enrolled in The Peak School, a private school in Frisco.

Photo originally from article by 9 News.com

To view the original article with the accompanying video, please click here.

Written by Jefferson Geiger on July 9, 2021 - Originally published in the Summit Daily

Read the full article here: https://www.summitdaily.com/news/relocation-of-the-peak-school-might-go-to-spring-ballot/

The Peak School is hoping to relocate to Frisco’s Peninsula Recreation Area along with expanding education offerings to pre-K-12. However, the move requires a ballot question.
Photo by Hugh Carey / Summit Daily archives

After meeting with Frisco Town Council last year, representatives from The Peak School met with council again during a work session June 22 to discuss the possibility of moving its operations.

The Peak School wishes to leave its old building at 40 W. Main St. and lease land on the Peninsula Recreation Area’s boneyard to relocate and expand its facility and offerings.

There, the school hopes it will transform from a sixth through 12th grade school to a pre-K-12 school. The Peak School also would be able to take advantage of the recreation area and boost its outdoor education. Estimated to be 20,000 square feet, the proposed building would also house community spaces available for the town of Frisco or area nonprofits in addition to public restrooms and lockers.

The Peak School’s Head of School Travis Aldrich stressed that the new school would be built at no cost to residents. The old location would likely be sold, giving businesses the opportunity to use the Main Street space.

“Let’s work with you guys to develop a really awesome community building that The Peak School just happens to occupy during the school year,” said Chris Guarino of design and construction company Artaic Group. “That’s really the approach to how we want to plan this. … We’re just desperate for preschool facilities, and having that independent option here in town frankly could be a real draw for residents.”

However, under the town charter and state statute, park property may not be sold or leased unless first approved by a local election. Town Council believes the timeline to put the question on the November ballot is too tight.

For the fall timeline, the last day to notify the county would be July 23, a secondary reading of the ballot question would happen at the last regular meeting prior to the certification deadline Aug. 24, and the deadline to certify ballot content to the county would be Sept. 3.

“I’m supportive of the ballot initiative as a Step 1, for sure,” council member Andrew Aerenson said. “Do we have the time to work through whatever details are necessary to make us comfortable going forward with that approval of a ballot initiative between now and what effectively would be — let’s just call it Aug. 1?”

Council member Melissa Sherburne said she thought it would take several months to hammer out a deal and recommended bumping it to the spring ballot. She said there would be a greater chance of success when taking the process more slowly.

“A benefit of waiting is that in order to reach the deal, the public needs to be involved,” Sherburne said. “… I think the community really needs to be a part of it. … In a deal like this, there is going to be a lot of people who want to know about it in order to support it. The way they’re really going to know about it is being part of that deal negotiation in public through several meetings over several months. For me, it’s a little bit too fast. I totally support what you guys are doing. But if we’re going to do it, I want it to succeed.”

Town staff will work with the Peak School to better establish a timeline and terms of the arrangement before council will decide to move forward with the spring ballot process. Aldrich said November would be better in a perfect world, but Guarino added that waiting for the spring isn’t a deal breaker.

“I think (April) absolutely still works for us,” Guarino said. “At the end of the day, The Peak School doesn’t want to leave Frisco. That’s the bottom line. … I think we’re willing to do what it takes so that our council, our mayor and our staff are all comfortable with moving forward.”

The Peak School’s proposed facility would be an estimated 20,000 square feet. It would offer outdoor education opportunities for students as well as meeting areas, restrooms and locker rooms for the public.
Image from town of Frisco packet

As published in The Summit Daily on Tuesday, January 11th

Written by Cody Jones

Summit Nordic Ski Club's Nina Schamberger races in March 2021 during the Western United States Regional Junior Nordic Ski Championship at Soldier Hollow in Utah. Earlier this month, she was named to the Junior World Ski Championships team.
Summit Nordic Ski Club/Courtesy photo

From Jan. 2-7, a group of four Summit Nordic Ski Club skiers represented Summit County as they competed at the U.S. National Cross-Country Skiing Championships in Midway, Utah.

The national meet is the highest level of ski racing in the U.S., and this year served as the Olympic trials for the Nordic skiing discipline.

The fields at the meet included 231 men and 171 women. Among them were Summit’s Nina Schamberger, Aubree Confer, Sam Thebeau and Zander Bertonneau.

Day 1 of competition Jan. 2 featured the freestyle sprint races. Schamberger, who is a junior at The Peak School in Frisco, was able to qualify for the quarterfinal sprint heat by finishing in 18th place.

In the quarterfinal later that day, Schamberger was neck and neck with the rest of the field but ended up crossing skis with another competitor and did not advance to the finals, finishing in 3 minutes and 46.68 seconds.

Confer placed 102nd out of 165 skiers, missing out on the junior heats, while Thebeau and Bertonneau placed 187th and 205th, respectively, in the men’s field.

The second day of racing featured the distance freestyle races, in which senior women skiers raced 20 kilometers and men raced 30 kilometers. Skiers younger than 20 raced 7.5 kilometers for the women and 10 kilometers for the men.

In the distance freestyle races, all of the Summit Nordic Ski Club skiers finished above where they were ranked prior to competition.

Thebeau placed 55th while being ranked 71st, and Bertonneau placed 86th after being ranked 102nd.

Confer improved her ranking from 75th to 60th with her distance freestyle race, finishing in 24:00.4.

Schamberger, meanwhile, was at the front of the pack from the start of the women’s 7.5 kilometer race and hung on to finish in 20:18.8, good enough for third place and a spot on the Junior World Ski Championships team that will travel to Norway.

Schamberger will be joined by her coach Olof Hedberg, who is the head coach of the Summit Nordic Ski Club and was named to the Junior World team as a junior team coach.

Day 3 of the U.S. cross-county championships featured the individual start classic race, with skiers taking off by themselves at 30-second intervals.

“With this time-trial format, skiers must go hard without knowing how other skiers are faring out on the course,” Hedberg explained in an email about the race format.

Despite not knowing how their competition fared, the Summit Nordic Ski Club skiers raced well, with Confer placing 110th, Thebeau placing 117th and Bertonneau finishing 168th after having a hard downhill crash.

Schamberger made sure she firmly secured her spot on the Junior World team by working hard on the course to finish 10th overall and second in the junior field.

Schamberger was only 25 seconds behind first-place junior skier Sydney Palmer-Leger, who is a sophomore at the University of Utah and a two-time NCAA National Champion.

“I’m really excited to go,” Schamberger wrote in an email about Junior Worlds. “I feel like all the hard work my coaches, and I have invested is paying off. And I am so glad that my coach, Olof Hedberg, will be there to coach me in these races. It couldn’t be better.”

The Junior World Ski Championships take place from Feb. 22-27 in Lygna, Norway.

Published by Rodeo News on November 11th, 2021

Written by Ruth Nicolaus

Rudy Mendiola - Courtesy of the Family

Rudy Mendiola knows he’s been blessed with good horses, good friends, good family, and rodeo.
The Colorado Junior High School Rodeo Association member, a resident of Silverthorne, Colorado, appreciates what he has.
He appreciates his horses: Revolver and his friend’s horse, Buttermilk, he loves his friends, who he can turn to for help with schoolwork and for fun times, and he loves his mom, dad and little brother.
As a breakaway roper, team roper (heeling for Mason Neese), and a ribbon roper (roping for Myka Grajeda) he has two horses.
He rides Revolver for the team roping and his friend’s horse Buttermilk for the ribbon roping and sometimes the breakaway.
An eighth grade student at The Peak School in Frisco, school is much better this year, compared to last year, because online learning didn’t work well for Rudy. He learns better in person than through a screen. Math was especially a struggle, but this year is an improvement already. “I took my first test,” he said, “and only got two wrong, which impressed me. I’m doing good in school,” he said, “and I hope to keep it going.”
He has three favorite classes: math, humanities, and Chinese. He’s done well learning the language, and can say basic phrases in Chinese, like “how are you,” and “thank you.”
Rudy knows himself well enough to understand why he is doing better at school this year. “I’m paying more attention and studying more, at school and at home.” He’s careful about where and how he studies at home: in a quiet, clear spot. “If it’s a loud place, I don’t concentrate on what I’m doing and I get distracted. And I want the space to be clear, so I don’t feel as stressed.”
Two years ago, he won the Ted Sizer Award, given on the last day of school to the youth who is a good student and exhibits good character. It’s voted on by students and teachers, and Rudy is very proud to have won it. He thinks he won the award, in part, “because I’m a good friend, I’m funny, and I help others.”
He has lots of friends, and says, “thank God I do.” Friends can help him when he’s stuck with homework, and he has fun with them, too.
In his spare time, he likes to play outside, with his brother or the family’s dogs. If friends come over, he’ll hike, fish or ride horses with them.
The family has four dogs. Sasha, the newest, is a black and white border collie who is a few months old. Grulla is one year old and a Belgian Malinois. Joy is a Yorkie who gets jealous when Rudy pets the other dogs, and Canelo, a brown and white male border collie, is the family’s fourth dog. Canelo means cinnamon in Spanish.
The most fun Rudy’s had on a trip was in the summer before his sixth grade year. He went on a three-day camping trip with his classmates and visited Penitente Canyon, near Monte Vista, Colo. They went biking and hiking, and enjoyed a flashlight campfire (they couldn’t have a real fire due to the fire ban), scared people and played games. On that trip, he encountered a rattlesnake but it slithered away.
When he grows up, he’d like to be a veterinarian. When he was little, he used to play with his stuffed animals, pretending to do surgery on them or cure them.
Rudy competed at the National Junior High School Finals Rodeo in Des Moines last summer, where his header caught both steers but he didn’t. “I felt pressure,” he said. “That was my first big rodeo ever. It was a great experience, though.”
His little brother is Emiliano, is 9 years old.
He is the son of Rudy and Ana Mendiola.

Originally posted in the Summit Daily’s 2021 Best of Summit

Written by Lindsey Toomer

Published on October 30th, 2021

Monica Mills never thought she would be a teacher, but she said the universe brought her to where she needed to be. In her eighth year teaching Spanish and history at The Peak School, Mills teaches kids from grades six through 11 as well as advising seniors on their senior projects.

“It’s just so funny how life works out because teaching is such a passion of mine, and it took a little while for me to realize that,” Mills said.

But what exactly makes teaching a passion for mills?

“The kids are the reason why I teach,” Mills said. “They just give you life, especially here at Peak. The kids here are so good. They care about their peers, they care about me as a teacher, they care about their community, and being a part of that is sort of a dream.”

Mills went to graduate school to study linguistics and because fascinated with second language acquisition. After taking a deep dive into linguistics research, MIlls wanted to put her data to the test.

“After doing that for two years, I just thought, ‘Wow I have so much information here. Why would I not want to try this out with students?’” Mills said, “If all the research says this is the best way to teach and to learn, I want to see that in action, and so that sounded much more exciting that collecting lots of data… I think it’s a lot more rewarding to see the data working in your classroom.”

Mills said she loves all aspects of Spanish-speaking culture. She said her favorite part of teaching is when a student learns enough Spanish that they can see how prominent it is in the world around them.

“They they are better community members and, because of our Spanish-speaking community up here, they’re able to engage with members of their community that they wouldn’t have been able to without that language,” Mills said.

To Mills, being a good teacher is about making connections with students and showing them empathy and kindness.

“When you’re able to make a connection with a student, it goes a long way - not just emotionally and socially but academically, as well,” Mills said. “We all feel better when someone understands us, and we’re willing to work harder and willing to push ourselves out of our comfort zone.”

Originally posted on Instagram

It’s We Are Peak Wednesday! Today we are getting to know our Middle School teacher, Jillian! Jillian was born in New Hampshire but grew up in North Carolina. When she is not teaching, she can be found giving history tours of Breckenridge or working as an EMT for special events. In her free time, she enjoys mountain biking, climbing, hiking, skiing; both inbounds and in the backcountry, traveling and trying to tire out her dog, Jack. She is also a beach person at heart and loves the salty water and is scuba certified, too! Jillian originally moved to Summit County for a different teaching job and fell in love with the area. “When it was time for me to move on from my previous job I knew I wanted to stay in the area and keep teaching, but not in a traditional setting. I found Peak and I am so grateful I did!”