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 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.
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.
From the Summit Daily
Written by Lindsay Toomer
Published on August 18, 2021
Ambur Vincze poses with her mustang, Odin, and the ribbons they won at the 2021 Oklahoma Youth Extreme Mustang Makeover competition.
Photo from Ambur Vincze
Breckenridge resident and Peak School student Ambur Vincze, 15, placed 10th overall in the 2021 Oklahoma Youth Extreme Mustang Makeover competition out of 34 competitors.
The competition — which is run by the Mustang Heritage Foundation — allows horse trainers to show off their skills by working with an untouched, wild mustang for 100 days.
Vincze drove 14 hours to Oklahoma City for the competition with her mustang, Odin, a 2-year-old bay gelding from the Swasey Mountains in Utah.
“I really loved the training aspect, but going to the competition was such a unique environment,” Vincze said. “There were so many kind people there, and it just really made the whole entire experience really rewarding being able to show what I have accomplished with him and worked toward these past 100 days.”
In order to get into the competition, Vincze said a trainer must go through a lengthy application process and be approved by the Mustang Heritage Foundation and the Bureau of Land Management, which keeps wild horses in corrals across the country with its Wild Horse and Burro Program. Once a trainer finds out they’re accepted, they go and get a wild horse from one of the bureau’s corrals.
Vincze said wild mustang populations are high and that the lands they live on can’t sustain them all. She said this competition is one way to train horses before finding them permanent homes.
“These competitions just help place mustangs into their forever homes because there are a lot of them, and we want to keep America’s living legends alive,” Vincze said.
The competition includes three categories: Vincze and Odin came in eighth in handling and conditioning, which demonstrates basic skills; 15th in trail, which demonstrates riding skills; and 10th in the freestyle category, which gives a trainer the opportunity to show off their horse.
Vincze said the most challenging part of the competition was teaching Odin to be less aggressive. She said mustangs have natural tendencies and that Odin was dominant, making him even more difficult. While she has worked with wild horses before, Odin is the first one she personally trained from “wild to mild.”
“He had a couple of aggressive tendencies that I had to work through, but after awhile, he got used to me and learned to be kinder to people,” Vincze said. “And now he’s like an absolute cuddle bear; he’ll just always come up to you.”
Vincze joked that usually when getting a wild horse, it’s best to avoid the ones picking fights, but she liked Odin the most.
“I liked the way he was built and the way he looked, so I picked him as my mustang, and he has turned out to be such a kind-hearted horse,” Vincze said.
Vincze has worked with horses at the Far View Horse Rescue in Fairplay since 2016. She is still working with Odin as she prepares him for his first ride and looks for his next home.
“I love mustangs. They’re so unique,” Vincze said. “They always have the best personalities and turn out to be amazing horses. I wanted to make sure that I could be a part of keeping them populated in America and that they could continue to be a part of other people’s lives just like how they’ve impacted mine.”
Read the full article here: https://www.summitdaily.com/sports/breckenridge-resident-competes-in-national-mustang-makeover-competition/
From the Summit Daily
Published on July 9, 2021
Written by Jefferson Geiger
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
From the Summit Daily
Written by Antonio Olivero
Published May 29, 2021
With his little cousin beside him, Al Espinosa receives his diploma, via an old racing ski with a basket attached to the end, from The Peak School's Head of School Travis Aldrich at the top of Copper Mountain Resort's Super Bee chairlift Friday, May 29. Fourteen seniors graduated as the class of 2020 from The Peak School in Frisco.
Liz Copan / ecopan@summitdaily.com
COPPER MOUNTAIN — An old SL Dynastar racing ski long relegated to a backyard fence was the secret ingredient to giving The Peak School graduates what some said was the best graduation in America.
“How skinny the ski is gives you an idea how old it is,” The Peak School Head of School Travis Aldrich said.
A couple of weeks ago, Aldrich reached out to the Summit County Public Health Department and Copper Mountain Resort General Manager Dustin Lyman with an idea for a chairlift graduation ceremony for his students amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
He’d take that old Dynastar ski and adhere a woven picnic basket to the end of it. In the basket, he’d place each of the 14 Peak School graduates’ diplomas. From there, the students, riding on chairs along with members of their households, would grab their diplomas as their chairs crested the top terminal of Copper Mountain Resort’s Super Bee lift.
Lyman loved the idea, especially on the Super Bee. Super Bee’s base area behind Copper Station in the resort’s East Village would be spacious enough to space out the 80 people — students, families, relatives and teachers — who came out Friday morning. And the top of the Super Bee, at tree line on Copper’s eastern-most terrain, would be a glorious view for graduates and those there supporting them with the iconic Tenmile Range in the background.
“Whether or not we could pull it off was a whole ‘nother question,” Lyman said. “So we worked with Summit County Public Health to establish the protocols for the ceremony with loading and unloading. Our operations team did a great job of just figuring out the logistics, and we got lucky with the weather (Friday), and it was great for the community.”
As the 14 graduates and their family photo-takers dispersed from a final round of pictures on a patch of Copper Creek Golf Course grass after the ceremony, smiling Peak School teachers belted out how this was “the best grad ceremony in America” and how they’d “like to do this every year.”
Whether the tradition sticks, Aldrich said it was the small student body, along with creative thinking, that facilitated Friday’s festivities.
After the directive from health officials that household groups must stay 6 feet apart from one another, organizers planned to give masked students, sitting beside parents and siblings, the chance to have their pictures taken while grabbing their diplomas from the basket as the chairlift stopped one by one at the top before turning around for the ride downhill.
Smiling from ear to ear beneath their special Peak School face masks — which were sewn by 2020 graduate Cameron Bryant’s grandmother — the grads slowly descended 2,293 vertical feet, staring out at one of the most breathtaking views of Summit County. One grad even had the fickle Tenmile Canyon wind steal his cap on the ride down.
For Bryant and his mother, Marilyn, the effort and creativity on the part of the resort and school administration meant the world and crystallized for them why they moved from Leadville to Silverthorne for Cameron to go to The Peak School. Along with his grandmother and mother, Cameron had a tribe of family members with him Friday riding the lift in separate groups. They held up homemade signs of Cameron holding beakers and dressed in a chemistry gown to celebrate his next step: studying pharmaceutical engineering at Regis University in the fall.
It meant that much more to the Bryants that their grandparents could be there. Until this week, they hadn’t seen them for almost three months through the pandemic.
For another graduate, Summit Tigers football star Al Espinosa, Friday was the exclamation point on the reason why he chose The Peak School two years ago as an international student from Mexico City. When he looked into living with his uncle Luis in Breckenridge, The Peak School rose to the top of the list because it was one of the few schools that sponsored student visas. Ever since, The Peak School has provided him with a community, he said.
“It’s family,” Espinosa said, “just a family.”
As for what’s next for that community, Aldrich is hopeful The Peak School will be able to resume classes at its Frisco campus this fall. That’s thanks to the numbers game: The Peak School already has a 1-6 student-teacher ratio.
Time will tell if, even in a post-COVID-19 world, this Peak School tradition sticks. For now, Aldrich and the school community are just grateful — thanks to that old, skinny racing ski — they threw a creative graduation party at Copper.
You can read the full article here: https://www.summitdaily.com/news/the-peak-school-hosts-chairlift-graduation-ceremony-at-copper-mountain-resort/
Originally published in the Summit Daily on May 22, 2019. You can read the original article here.
The old and young have a lot to learn from each other. But in a society that is increasingly being driven by technology and away from real, personal human connections, it has become harder to find opportunities for generations to sit down and talk to each other as peers — fellow human beings with unique experiences and perspectives worth knowing about and learning from.
Timberline Adult Day participant Keith Walker, left, speaks to Peak student Katie Suarez, right, for the Intergenerational Story Telling Project at Timberline Adult Day Services in Frisco.
Courtesy of Timberline Adult Day Services
In an effort to bridge the generation gap while helping both the old and young enrich themselves with the experiences of others, a local adult day center for people with dementia and disabilities has teamed up with a private school to recruit young people to interact with their clients and engage in intergenerational storytelling — a universal, timeless human custom.
Timberline Adult Day Services is Summit County’s only adult day respite service that provides activity programming and support for persons with dementia or disabilities, as well as their caregivers. Timberline’s clients are people who need a little help to live full lives, but all have stories worth telling and are themselves worth knowing.
Timberline’s executive director Gini Patterson came up with the idea of working with a local school to bring in students to engage in conversation, activities and wisdom-sharing with her clients.
“Summit County doesn’t have any facilities like a nursing home or assisted living facility where young people can have the opportunity to interact in that way,” Patterson said. “The benefits are multifaceted, where teenagers are socializing and interacting with adults, and they gain a greater understanding and respect for each other. It’s a win-win where the older adults also have the ability to interact with young people in their everyday lives.”
Timberline’s clients include people with intellectual and physical disabilities, and Patterson believed it was also important for the students and community to realize their dignity and worth as people with unique experiences worth sharing.
“It is a reminder to all of us that no matter our age, that we do not judge someone by their cover,” Patterson said. “All of us have stories to share, including those who have intellectual or physical disabilities as many do have at Timberline.”
The Rotary Club of Summit County, of which Patterson is a member, and Peak School both became interested in the project, known as the Intergenerational Storytelling Project. Patterson met Peak teacher Karen Mitchell, who designed an extracurricular elective and chose six students to pair with six participants at Timberline.
The students went to Timberline twice a week this semester. The students first got to know the participants, who are between the ages of 24 and 96. They also took part in activities, like playing croquet, doing crafts and a mini field trip to the animal shelter.
During these sessions, the students and participants shared stories with each other, talking about their lives, significant experiences and interests. An article in Psychology Today, titled “Storytelling Is a Conduit for Intergenerational Learning” by Dr. Marilyn Price-Mitchell, outlined the medical benefits of this kind of interaction between generations.
“Stories touch us because they allow us to connect to other people’s joy, pain and varied life experiences,” Mitchell wrote. “Neuroscience helps explain why storytelling stimulates rich inner learning and what we might learn from stories of people, young and old. Although stories are unscientific, often imprecise narratives of human thought, they help organize and integrate the neural networks of the brain. A well-told story contains emotions, thoughts, conflicts and resolutions.”
Timberline participant Kelly Faber, 27, is one of the younger participants. She said she enjoyed the experience hanging out with the school kids, especially going to the shelter with them to visit the animals there.
“It was fun reading to the kids and getting to know them,” Faber said.
Keith Walker, 64, also enjoyed the experience. Among the stories highlighted by the students during a presentation for the Rotary Club was a story he shared about getting into an accident on his grandfather’s farm when he was 12. It was an experience that impacted him and the rest of his life.
“I liked going to different places, walking down to the bike trail, and playing croquet,” Walker said.
Cheryllyn Goldsberry, 73, said she thought the kids were “cute” and that they asked her questions like what her favorite activity was (going to church) or her favorite color (pink) and how she likes to volunteer at the fire department.
“I’d like to do it again next year,” Goldsberry said. “I liked the sharing part, we were focused and interested in each other.”
As for the students, the experience was just as, if not more, fulfilling. Nascha Martinez, an 11-year-old in the sixth grade at the Peak School, was the youngest student to participate. She said she got a lot out of the elective. Martinez got to interview famous local Frank Walters, a 96-year-old who fought in World War II and still skis as of this season.
“The biggest part of it was having such a cool experience to get to know these people with different lives and different stories,” Martinez said. “Frank served in WWII, and I don’t think I’ve never known anyone who served in WWII. It was just like talking to another person, and it was a very special opportunity.”
Kamilla Stone, in the ninth grade, learned how to improve her interviewing skills with the visits. But working with the Timberline participants, Stone also learned more about patience and a key part of the human experience — empathy.
“I realized the participants sometimes had difficulty giving answers,” Stone said. “If we waited they would give answer. Although we’re stressed at everything in school, where everything had to be on schedule, here we had time to just sit back and listen and take in all the little details. It was a very truly impactful experience to me.”
Alberto Espinoza, an international student from Mexico in the 11th grade, said the experience talking to the Timberline participants and learning about their individual challenges gave him a better appreciation of what life gives us, good or bad.
“It doesn’t matter how much or little that life gives you, it’s about how you use that to your advantage,” Espinoza said. “It doesn’t matter if you start on the first or 50th floor. It’s a matter of going up the stairs. That’s what I got from it. I am truly grateful they let me be part of this experience.”
Elli VanDeYacht
Courtesy of Elli VanDeYacht / Special to the Daily
Originally published in the Summit Daily on May 30, 2019. Read the original article here.
The Peak School in Frisco, Summit’s only private secondary school, will be seeing off the eight members of its 2019 graduating class Friday. The small class size is a hallmark of the prep school in the mountains, where curriculums are built around students who are given freedom to be themselves and pursue their dreams.
Students at Peak School come from a variety of backgrounds and tend to have unique circumstances requiring a different kind of education. Two of Peak’s graduates, Elli VanDeYacht and Cassidy Citron, benefited from Peak’s flexible approach to secondary education.
VanDeYacht has been figure skating for more than 14 years. The demands of her training schedule meant she had to find a school that could work around it while giving her a full education.
“I transitioned to a different coach in Vail, which meant I was driving over there five times a week in the mornings and afternoons,” VanDeYacht said. “School had to be flexible, both for me and Peak.”
While the flexible scheduling helped, VanDeYacht was responsible for being on top of the academic routine, which instilled a clockwork mentality and put her in more control of the direction of her education.
“Because of how demanding my schedule is, it meant I had to be thoroughly on top of my academics,” VanDeYacht said. “Peak allowed me to have more control over my schedule, but I was also talking to teachers and making sure I was getting my assignments and not missing important information. It made me a more proactive with academics.”
VanDeYacht is now a single U.S. Figure Skating gold medalist, which requires a grueling series of trials before passing the senior, or “gold” test, in one of several skating disciplines. She is one test away from becoming a double gold medalist, with an ambition to become a triple or quadruple gold medalist later on.
VanDeYacht also has played hockey with Summit Hockey as part of its under 19 women’s squad, although a history of concussions is making her reconsider whether it’s something she’d want to do competitively again.
Cassidy Citron
Courtesy of Cassidy Citron / Special to the Daily
As for her future, VanDeYacht will be attending and skating at the University of Denver, where she’s on the fence between pursuing psychology or business and accounting.
As for Citron, dancing has been her passion for 14 years. But for her, it wasn’t just Peak’s willingness to accommodate her dancing that made it the right fit.
“When I was in grade school, I was a little accelerated,” Citron said. “My parents decided to move me to Peak School in the sixth grade since it’s a school for people who were a little different, and I’ve been there ever since.”
After graduation, Citron will take a gap year before attending the University of Puget Sound in Washington state. She will spend the first half of the year working in Summit and the second half in a program doing service work and homestays in the Pacific Islands with Adventures Cross Country.
Citron is excited about the next chapter of her life and believes that Peak’s environment helped her get where she wants to go. She believes Peak is an ideal place for Summit kids like her, who have unique needs and need more room to thrive.
“Summit County has a lot of people who are just a little bit different; it’s the reason why they came up here,” Citron said. “Peak has a really nurturing environment that allows them to grow in any way they can.”
Jonas, Maxem and Eleeana at their hot cocoa stand in front of the Belle V Bistro in Breckenridge. The three raised $315 dollars for the International Rescue Committee over two days to help feed starving children in Yemen.
Originally published in the Summit Daily. You can read the original article here.
"The scene was chaotic inside the Belle V Bistro in Breckenridge on Monday as Jaci and Stephan Ohayon, along with their staff, braced for the New Year's Eve crowd on one of their busiest nights of the year.
Outside the restaurant, centered among the hustle and bustle of passersby strolling along South Main Street, a small hot cocoa stand was erected. The Ohayons' kids, Maxem and Eleeana, along with Jonas Julian, the Oyahons' unofficial third child who recently migrated to the United States from Haiti, flagged down the people walking by, hoping to raise a few dollars to help feed children in Yemen, where a civil war has unraveled into one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
The children would point to a globe to show people where Yemen is located, give a brief explanation of the conflict and the present famine, provide some background on their charity and ask for small donations. In all, the kids raised $315 for the International Rescue Committee in just five hours of standing in the cold. For Jonas, perhaps it was a chance to give back to others in need in some small way after seeing first hand the generosity from the Summit County community during the fight for his student visa and his subsequent arrival in Colorado.
Since Jonas' arrival in the United States on Nov. 15 — following a long and arduous effort to secure his student visa — the Ohayons have been overwhelmed with support from the community, with friends and strangers alike helping them financially and offering to purchase Jonas new clothes and school supplies. Jaci says that their kindness has not been lost on Jonas or the family.
"It's really humbling," said Jaci. "When something like this happens, for people to read about it and decide to come together and help in whatever way they can is really special. It's been really cool to share that with Jonas, and for him to see that generosity. And then to put on something like this, where he's out there talking to people in his broken English trying to explain what's going on in Yemen, and why they're raising money … it's such a cool thing to watch him blossom."
Despite a difficult upbringing, by almost any standard, you'd almost never know that Jonas had faced trouble in his life. He'll meet you with a bright, wide smile, and is quick to reach out his hand for a greeting. Braving the elements in a Russell sweatshirt and a bright red beanie, he almost passes for a Coloradan instead of an island native. And while there will always be growing pains for a young man trying to learn a new language and assimilate to an entirely new culture, Jonas says he's enjoying his time in Colorado.
"He says it's very different here because kids live with their moms and their dads in their houses, and everybody has a lot to eat," said Jaci, helping to translate Jonas' French in an interview with the Summit Daily. "In the Dominican Republic and Haiti it's not the same because other kids are eating out on the streets, and don't often get to live with their mom and their dad. He said he prefers it here, and he loves it here very much."
Jonas recounted his struggle to obtain a passport and visa in Haiti. He said that he was often scared during the process, because he knew how few people in Haiti are able to secure passports or visas to the United States. After his first attempt at a visa was denied by the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, he said that he was sad, but not "super sad," because he had been praying for his visa and had faith that it would eventually come through.
On his second try, Jonas said that officials at the embassy asked him only two questions: Why do you want to go to the United States, and what are you going to do when you get there?
Jonas told them, "I want to come to the United States so I can study, so that I can have more choices, and so that when I'm big I can be educated." He continued to tell them he wanted to be an engineer when he grows up, and that he wants to return to Haiti to help make things better.
On Nov. 9, Jonas' visa was officially approved and within a week he was on a plane to Colorado. Jaci said that for the first couple weeks after Jonas' arrival he struggled with the adjustment — missing his family in Haiti, shutting down around crowds and dealing with the cold for the first time — but that he rebounded quickly. Now, Jonas says he's fitting in well and getting used to life in the mountains.
His bedroom, the first he's ever had, is decorated with welcome signs from family friends who greeted him in the airport after his arrival, and with the sleeves off hardcover books he enjoys. He's already taken to the slopes and is proving to be a natural. He made it down the Schoolmarm trail at Keystone Resort on just his second day, and he and Maxem built a small jump in the Ohayons' front yard to practice snowboarding.
"It's been fun," said Maxem of finally having Jonas around again. "We play Battlefront all the time, and we mostly spend time downstairs playing together on our tablets, or playing foosball or snowboarding."
"I just feel like … thank you God for making this glorious thing happen, even though we could have lost the fight," added Eleeana.
Jonas is also progressing quickly in his schoolwork at The Peak School in Frisco. The school allowed Max to accompany Jonas on his first few days in the sixth grade, and he has some help from a Spanish teacher when he's struggling with his English. But as his English improves, so does his schoolwork. He said that his favorite subjects are math and geography (he doesn't have any that he dislikes), and that he likes getting to change classrooms for each subject.
Jonas also said that his classmates are kind and all want to be his friend, and that he already has three close friends who sometimes help him with his homework.
"He's doing so well," said Jaci. "He showed me his geography homework, and he had to fill out a map of the United States. He's just so proud. I think he's a kid that rises to the challenge. The Peak School is slowly getting him acclimated to being in an academic environment, but they're also holding him accountable for things. It's been cool to see him get home and work on his math.
"It's been wonderful to see how they've been treating him, and to see him rise to the challenge with how hard he's been trying. I'm shocked by his English. I'm shocked when he pulls out a saying in English that I didn't expect or didn't know he knew. Or I'll talk to the kids in English and Jonas will answer me. And that's never happened before. He's a sponge."
But there's still a lot that Colorado has to offer that Jonas still hasn't gotten to experience. He said that he's looking forward to biking and riding his skateboard (he got a new one for Christmas), and was enthusiastic about the prospect of joining soccer and basketball teams.
Jonas also expressed an appreciation for the people of Summit County, who he says have shown him nothing but kindness since his arrival.
"I love all the people here because they're so very nice," said Jonas.
It has been a busy year for Jonas and the Ohayon family, tackling Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve in the short time that he's been here. Now, with the crowds of patrons having shuffled out of Belle V and the hot cocoa stand retired for the time being, it's time for the family to usher in the new year with some well deserved calm and quiet.
"I feel like we haven't had a chance to just take it in," said Jaci. "It's been go-go-go since Jonas got here. Tomorrow is our first day off in weeks. We're building a big fort in the living room and watching movies, and we're just going to be together."
FRISCO, Colo. (CBS4) – After months of fighting to get a visa for a poverty-stricken Haitian boy to come to the United States to attend school, a Frisco family has much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.
Read more and see the news video from CBS4 here!
Jonas poses for a photo with Jaci and his mother, Nelta Mondesir, in front of their house.
SUMMIT DAILY NEWS: After months of wading through the turbulent waters of immigration policies and wondering if he'd ever get the chance to reconnect with his second family, a decision has finally been made.
Jonas is on his way to Summit County.
Last year Jaci and Stephan Ohayon, along with their children Maxem and Eleeana, took a family trip down to the Dominican Republic. On the beaches of Las Terrenas they encountered Jonas Julian, a young Haitian "street kid" who had taken to shining tourists' shoes for money. It wasn't long until Jonas became an honorary member of the Ohayon clan, taking on a strong friendship with Max and Eleeana, and eventually moving in with the family.
When it was time to head back to Summit County, the Ohayons made Jonas a promise — one that seemed impossible at the time — that they would come back for him.
“There have been so many people involved. You know that saying that it takes a village? Our village has extended to the Dominican Republic, Haiti, France, here … It’s like this amazing Haitian Cinderella story. Just giving him this opportunity is incredible.”Jaci Ohayon
On Friday, they made good on that promise. The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, has officially approved Jonas' student visa, which means he'll soon be on his way to the mountains to rejoin the Ohayons, attend The Peak School and sleep in his own bedroom for the first time.
"It's been one step forward and 30 steps back at each stage trying to get this to happen," said an emotional Jaci. "There have been so many people involved. You know that saying that it takes a village? Our village has extended to the Dominican Republic, Haiti, France, here … It's like this amazing Haitian Cinderella story. Just giving him this opportunity is incredible."
Jonas initially applied for a visa in September, though his application was quickly denied on the basis that he couldn't sufficiently prove strong enough ties to Haiti — immigration officials look for proof in income, housing and jobs among other ties — fearing that Jonas would never return to his home country.
On Oct. 29, Jonas tried again, but it seemed that his application was once again doomed to fail. The Ohayons received emails from the offices of Senator Michael Bennet and Gov.-elect Jared Polis informing them that Jonas' visa was denied. A representative from Polis' office, Jorge Loweree, told the Ohayons that they intended to set up a teleconference between Polis and the Port-au-Prince embassy to find a solution. But on Friday morning, everything changed.
"This morning I got another email from Jorge, and it's just a million exclamation points on his end," said Jaci. "It was a response from the U.S. Embassy saying that they'd be happy to set up a teleconference with Congressman Polis, but that there was a mistake. The visa wasn't denied, it's actually been approved."
The Ohayons are hoping to fly to Haiti by the end of next week to bring Jonas back with them. Jonas will move back in with the Ohayons and attend the rest of the school year at The Peak School in Frisco.
While Jonas' visa only lasts until the end of the school year, it will be possible to extend his stay depending on how he does in school and how much he likes living in the United States.
The family expects that certain aspects of moving from Haiti to Summit County will be overwhelming at first — from attending school regularly for the first time as a non-native speaker to seeing snow for the first time — they expect that he will adjust well and fit in with the community.
"The cool part is he's already lived with us," said Stephan. "So he's just changing location in a way. He felt protected as soon as he walked into our house down in the Dominican Republic. Life was simpler between those four walls. I think he will have all these new experiences outside. It's a different atmosphere, different country, different everything. But once he gets into those four walls, he'll be home."
But Jonas' arrival doesn't mean all fun and games for the family. Along with the already considerable resources the Ohayon family has used to get to this point, they now have to purchase new clothes, a new car that can fit the whole family and most importantly, they need to find a way to afford to send Jonas to school.
Luckily for Jonas and the Ohayons, there was one more surprise waiting for them on Friday morning. As they arrived at The Peak School to deliver the news, head of school Travis Aldrich broke some news of his own: Jonas was the recipient of the first ever Fulkerson Family Scholarship.
Fred and Ellen Fulkerson, the parents of two Peak School alumni, decided to create a scholarship for Jonas after hearing his story, offering to pay for the entirety of his tuition along with his books and a laptop to work on during his stay at the school.
"We knew after our kids graduated that we would continue to be involved," said Ellen. "So when Travis told us the story, he said maybe this is a way to start our scholarship. Fred and I talked to the kids, and they were excited about Jonas' story and wanted to give him a chance. If the Ohayon family believes in him so much that they're going out of their way to take care of this boy and his family, then we're happy to help as well."
"That a family is going to sponsor Jonas to go to school … I just feel so much love for everybody," said Jaci. "This has been so incredible."
Jonas will likely get some time to adjust to his new setting before he begins school, but the tentative plan is to have him start sometime around Thanksgiving. He'll be placed into sixth grade, and his classmates are already eagerly awaiting his arrival.
"Our sixth-graders were in class and their teacher got the notification that Jonas had been approved, and shared it with the class," said Aldrich. "They erupted in cheers. That's the best indicator of how Jonas is going to be received here. They read about his story in the paper, and such an open-hearted reaction to someone they've never met speaks volumes to what we think his experience will be like here."
The process has been a long and difficult one for both Jonas and the Ohayon family. But Jonas' approval to come to the United States isn't the only change to come out of their efforts.
Jaci, once an immigration attorney, gave up her practice over a year ago after a particularly heartbreaking loss on an asylum case. But the experience with Jonas has helped to reaffirm her passion for helping those without a voice find better opportunities in the United States.
"I've had a really good break from it," said Jaci. "But I want to go back and fight for people, because this has been a horrible process. I didn't go to law school to make a lot of money. I went because I wanted to change the world. Then you get there and you get beat down so much that you stop believing that's possible. Maybe it's not. But you can definitely change lives. Jonas is going to get this opportunity to change his whole life and his whole family's life. That feels good."
You can read the original story here.
On Stephan's last trip to Haiti, he brought Jonas a t-shirt from The Peak School in Frisco.
SUMMIT DAILY NEWS: When Jaci and Stephan Ohayon ventured to the Dominican Republic last year they were hoping for a change of perspective. The Silverthorne couple saw a chance to remove their children for a time from the Summit County "bubble," and introduce them to an alien world filled with both outstanding beauty and widespread poverty.
But what they found there, or rather who, made more of an impact than they could have ever imagined. On their trip they met a young Haitian boy named Jonas, who in the time since has become an unofficial member of the family. As the second youngest of eight children in an exceptionally impoverished family, Jonas grew up as a "street kid," shining tourists' shoes to feed himself, and taking what little he could back to his mother.
But earlier this year, thanks to the generosity of the Ohayon family, Jonas was given something that had eluded him throughout his early years: a chance at a better life. The Ohayons, with the blessings of Jonas' mother, began working to bring Jonas to the United States, where a spot is currently waiting for him at The Peak School in Frisco. He'd have a chance to educate himself, and after his schooling is over to return to Haiti and help raise his family out of poverty.
But immigration into the United States, especially for a poor boy from a poor country, is an uphill battle. In September — despite a valid passport, along with a bedroom and spot in school waiting — his student visa was denied. But the fight isn't over yet.
"I'm an immigration attorney, and I know how impossible this seems," said Jaci. "But we've got faith, and I was hoping for a miracle. The problem is the U.S. Embassy treats every applicant as an intending immigrant. Jonas' family has nothing. They can't show that they have jobs and a house, things that would show he'd go back. … we just sent money for a new visa application fee, and we're hoping to get another interview by the end of the week. I still know it's not a super great application. We can't show ties to Haiti when there aren't any. But I believe in miracles, and I still think he could get here."
FAMILY VACATION
In April 2017, on an otherwise unremarkable day, the Ohayon family was spending a day at the beach in Las Terrenas, a small town on the northeastern coast of the Dominican Republic. As they sat there they noticed a small boy tossing his flip-flops into the ocean and diving in after them with his clothes on. Curious, they called him over and invited him to have lunch with them. That was their first interaction with Jonas.
Communication was difficult at first. He didn't speak English, and his French and Spanish were still a work in progress. But he made an instant impression on the family.
"He has the brightest, most vibrant smile ever," said Jaci. "He was just amazing. He would just play with Maxim and Eleeana (the Ohayons' children). He was obviously older than them, but he was interested in them. We invited him to have lunch with us, and that's when we found out that he shined shoes for a job. When Maxim realized that Jonas was a kid with a job it really hit him hard. He took the money out of his pocket and tried to give it to Jonas.
"It was just a huge thing for our kids, and we wanted to develop that relationship more," Jaci explained. "We thought they could really learn a lot from each other. So we asked him the next day if he wanted to meet us in the park, and we just started meeting with him throughout the rest of our vacation."
Despite numerous warnings from individuals in the area not to trust "street kids," the Ohayons saw something different in Jonas.
"He was very respectful," said Stephan. "He was obviously hungry, but he would never ask for food. These kids are here to make money from people from developed countries. They try to get as much as possible. But with him, he never asked for anything."
Over the following months they became close with Jonas. They learned that he was originally from a town called Cap-Haitien on the northern coast of Haiti, and that he walked alone to different towns across the Hispaniola Island to try to make money before reaching Las Terrenas. The journey took more than two months and included walking literally hundreds of miles. They learned that he shined shoes throughout the trip, recycling old Coke bottles to hold his polish, and that he was somewhere between 12-14 years old. They learned that he went by Jonas Julian, a made-up last name, because he never knew his father. But most importantly, they learned that Jonas' lifestyle was neither safe nor sustainable.
One night the Ohayons were out on the town, enjoying pizza at a local restaurant when they saw Jonas run by in the street. They'd never seen him at night before, but they could tell something was wrong. He told them that he had missed his bus home, and was planning on spending the night on a bench. But it soon became clear that something even darker was going on.
"It was evident he was being chased by a man," said Jaci. "The man was grown and very big. He came over and pushed Jonas, and Jonas gave him money. He said he had to pay for his protection. Basically he pays these men, and they don't hurt him. My husband got into it with the man, and he put his arms around Jonas and said he's with us. It was a really scary situation."
The Ohayons drove Jonas home to a dilapidated building that Stephan described as similar to the outhouse in "Shrek," where they first met Jonas' mother, Nelta Mondesir.
"This whole time I was thinking about how my son isn't much younger than Jonas, and about him being on the streets and what he would see," said Jaci. "I thought so much about where his mother is, and how she could let her kid do this. But when I saw her sobbing with relief when he showed up, it was huge for me. This might not be an ideal life, but he's loved. It's just such a different world than Summit County."
From that point on Jonas became a part of the Ohayons' family. They took him in, gave him his first night's sleep in a real bed, allowed him to take the first shower of his life and paid to send him to a Haitian school in the area. The adjustment to a more comfortable life was difficult at first. Jonas would wrap himself from head-to-toe in blankets before bed, not understanding that insects were no longer a concern, and spent his days seemingly trying to pay back the Ohayons.
"He would clean all day long," said Stephan. "At some point we had to tell him to stop. We had to tell him 'you don't work for us. You're part of us.'"
In school, despite never learning to read or write, Jonas showed a dedication to learning. He attended classes five days a week, along with meeting a French tutor twice a week. He took to studying aloud in his room with Maxim and Eleeana, and even began taking karate lessons. According to the Ohayons, his Spanish has grown strong, and he's made great strides in English and French.
In his free time, he would consume American media with the family, in awe of the luxurious American lifestyle.
"Watching American movies he'd ask if it's really like that," said Jaci. "He'd ask 'are your cars really that big? Your houses are really that big?' Everything blows his mind."
HOMECOMING
When the Ohayons came back to Summit County, they decided to find a way to let Jonas come with them. They reached out to The Peak School, which immediately took on the cause, agreeing to sponsor Jonas with a scholarship.
"We knew it was the right thing to do," said Travis Aldrich, head of the school. "When Jaci came in and told us about Jonas and his story, we wanted to do everything we could to help him on this journey. The school itself made an effort to make it work financially, and we've issued his visa."
But the process, even this far, has been staggeringly difficult. Jonas and his mother first had to make the trip back to Haiti and get Jonas a passport, a difficult task in Haiti given that Jonas doesn't have a father to sign his documents. It also involved bringing together documents from The Peak School, financial records, applications fees and more.
At the end of September, Jonas and his mother finally made the trip to the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince for his interview. His application was swiftly denied.
According to Jaci, Jonas' visa was denied under section 214 B of The Immigration and Nationality Act, essentially stating that Jonas could not sufficiently demonstrate strong enough ties to his home country. In other words, officials believed that Jonas would refuse to return to Haiti after finishing school. She noted that it was the most common denial for individuals seeking temporary visas to the United States.
"It's unlikely for anybody to get to the United States," said Jaci. "Even for people in developed countries. We have programs with other countries like France where people can come over for a few months. But we don't have those programs with poorer countries. The fear is people who are in these countries don't want to stay there, and they don't want to go back at the end of their stay.
"Jonas is from Haiti, which is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. I do believe it was our own president who called it a 's***hole country.' So just being from Haiti, the chances of getting to America are very slim. And being from a very poor family makes it almost impossible. The way you show ties is by showing your family has jobs, a car, a nice house. His family doesn't have those things."
But the fight to get Jonas into the country is ongoing. The Ohayons and representatives from The Peak School decided to go political. They began reaching out to officials around the state before finally breaking through with Congressman Jared Polis.
"Jonas is being given an extraordinary opportunity by a family from my district and by The Peak School in Summit," said Polis. "What they are doing is truly beautiful and inspirational. It will change Jonas' life. I have always believed that education is the most effective pathway to opportunity. When my office is contacted by a constituent, we always try to provide the highest level of service possible. We are supporting their renewed application for a student visa before the Department of State in an effort to increase the likelihood of success."
Polis and his team drafted a letter asking officials at the embassy to consider Jonas' case more carefully, with hopes that a second application could get Jonas into the country. Jaci noted that Jonas' next interview could happen as early as Thursday, though even with a letter from Polis, approval may be a long shot. If Jonas' visa is approved, it would only remain valid through the school year, though there is a chance it could be extended after that.
"We're waiting to see," said Jaci. "You can apply for this application over and over again. But I can't make Jonas' family have money and good jobs."
Stephan emphasized that Jonas has every intention of returning to Haiti if his visa is granted.
"He wants to go back," said Stephan. "He wants to help his people. He wants to be an engineer, he always tells me that. He'll spend hours drawing and building."
THE FUTURE
It's uncertain whether Jonas' visa will be approved this time or not. If it's declined again, the Ohayons say they intend on continuing the efforts, they're just not sure how. One possibility is trying to get an athletic club to sponsor his visa (he's apparently a skilled soccer player). But the ideal scenario involves his visa simply being approved this time around.
Those involved in Jonas' story believe that the stakes are much higher than one boy getting to come to the United States or not. Not only would Jonas have a once unimaginable opportunity to educate himself, but his education could have far reaching effects on both the students at The Peak School, as well as his community in Haiti.
"Our mission is to graduate compassionate, confident, capable students who will embrace their roles as local and global citizens," said Aldrich. "Jonas helps us complete that picture. He's living proof of what it means to be a global citizen, and would help our students with that conversation the whole time he's here. We're very excited about that possibility."
The opportunity could also mean the elevation of his entire family.
"Jonas' big brother told us that since the beginning of time their family has been the lowest of the low in Haiti," said Jaci. "That this was the first opportunity any of them have ever had to pull themselves out of that class. They're all rallying behind him, because if this happens for Jonas it can change the future of their family. He could change so many people's futures."
But Jonas' arrival would also mean, in a sense, the completion of the Ohayon family.
"We love him, and he loves us," said Jaci. "He's a part of us. That's one of the cool things about his mom. We just both love him, and we're sharing this huge privilege of raising him. … I know the chances aren't good, but I really hope that he's on his way here soon. We already have his bedroom ready."
You can read the original article here.
A look at one of The Peak School's outdoor education orientation trips, inviting students to canoe the Colorado River in the days leading up to the start of school.
SUMMIT DAILY NEWS: The weather is cooling down, the summer is coming to a close and the school year is about to begin. For most, that means back-to-school shopping, catching up on summer reading and trying to squeeze in the last bit of summer adventure they can. But for students at The Peak School in Frisco, the adventure still awaits.
Students at The Peak School, an independent college preparatory middle and high school, are gearing up to head out on their annual outdoor education orientation trips, taking students canoeing, mountain biking and climbing around Colorado and Utah. While the trips are meant to serve as a relaxing and fun way to dive back into the school year, they're also meant to teach students useful skills they can carry with them back to the classroom.
"One of the main pillars for Peak education is character, and we know that through outdoor education and bringing small groups out into the wilderness is a great way for them to connect with not only their peers, but adults as well," said Travis Aldrich, head of the school. "We put students in a position where they have to challenge themselves in a safe way, and we believe that's a really positive experience for young adults."
The entire school, about 65 students from grades 6-12, will embark on one of three different trips from Aug. 27-29 before the beginning of the school year on Aug. 30. Students are divided into mixed-aged groups of about 20, and groups rotate every year so that every student has a chance to try all the trips.
Trips include a canoeing adventure down the Colorado River in Utah, a mountain biking and hiking trip to Penitente Canyon in the San Luis Valley and a challenge course in Glenwood Springs. While their days will be filled with outdoor activities, students are also responsible for making their own food, putting up their own tents and more. Despite the work, students appreciate the opportunity to fend for themselves.
"One of our principles of the school is that the student is the worker, and the teacher is the coach," said Maggie Hoehn, a junior at The Peak School who took on the challenge course last year. "The teachers supervise and show us what to do. We're doing it all, but we have the coaching we need. It's the same thing in our classes. They help us learn, but it's not just having teachers talk at us."
For students it's also an opportunity for them to reconnect with old friends, make new ones, explore new ecosystems and even learn life lessons.
"The big goal is we want to be able to build community, teamwork, and foster young leaders," said Ben Butler, math teacher and head of the outdoor education program. "By creating different trips and having each student experience those, we're opening them up to new experiences that can push them to be leaders. … It's an opportunity to refine their teamwork and communication skills in a non-academic setting. It's learning by doing."
Leadership comes naturally to older students who have gone on trips before and are expected to act as mentors for younger kids who are struggling with tasks or social issues. That connection carries over to the school, creating an environment of comfort for students, sometimes six years apart, to engage with each other in the halls.
For teachers, it brings a chance to get to know students outside of the classroom as well.
"It's a lot of fun," said Butler. "You see different personalities come out. Being in a classroom, some students have a hard time getting outside of themselves. But in these trips we get to see different sides of them. We want to encourage that. Students often come back from this more open to participation and act as leaders in the classroom. It's an important piece to this trip."
This is only the second year that The Peak School has done multiple trips. Historically the entire school would go on a single trip before the school year, though the program was changed last year to give students more diverse experiences throughout their time at the school.
It's also possible that the program will continue to expand over the next few years, as the school looks to give students even more outdoor education opportunities.
"I think it's one of those things where because of our size we're sometimes limited," said Aldrich. "But we have the ability to send our whole school to get these kinds of experiences. It's one of those times our size can be used as a strength."
In the meantime, the students are perfectly happy with the offerings.
"It's great because you get to go to new places, see new things, learn new skills and be outside rather than being stuck in a classroom," said Hoehn. "We live in such a great place, we might as well take advantage of that."
You can read the original article here.