Senior Ryan Neely stops by The Flower Shop at Castle Pines to pick up the corsage for his prom date. (photo by Elean Gersack)

RCHS friends get ready for prom. From left: Taylor Pridgen, Alyssa Montoya and Mackenzie Guest (photo provided by Mackenzie Guest)

RCHS seniors get set to board a bus for prom. Pictured left to right are: Chelsea Higines, Erica Hollern, Drew Dahlstrom, Kyndal Carolus, Paige Carter, Alex Kirkendall and Nate Cook. (photo by Elean Gersack)

Dan McMinimee, principal at RCHS, gets set to take on another challenge. He will become the Director of Schools for the Ponderosa High School feeder area. (photo by Elean Gersack)

Rock Canyon High School Prom - Seniors and Juniors Hit the Town

by Elean Gersack

For 2007, 007 (“Double-O Seven”) seemed the appropriate theme for the RCHS prom. Held at the Sherman Events Center Downtown, Drew Dahlstrom and Caitlin Brookman were named king and queen.

In preparation for the big night, RCHS senior and Castle Pines North resident, Nate Cook, helped organize an 80 passenger bus to take teens safely to and from prom activities. “My friend and I were looking for limos and found they had a six hour minimum. We wanted something reasonably priced and found this. We started calling people and everyone was jazzed,” said Cook. According to Cook, the bus was a great way to bring students from multiple social circles together for a fun evening.

The bus took the group to 16th and Larimer, in downtown Denver, and then the students split into four groups for dinner. After dinner, they boarded the bus and headed to the dance at the Sherman Event Center and then to the After-Prom party at the school.

All kids who participated in the bus to prom were required to sign waivers saying they would not bring alcohol or tobacco products on the bus. In the end, the bus driver said that she would welcome the chance to come back to RCHS. The bus accounted for about one-third of those who attended prom.

Other students, like Mackenzie Guest and her friends Alyssa Montoya and Taylor Pridgen, enjoyed the dance and just spending time with friends. “The best part was just being with a group of friends that I love to death. The dance was so much fun seeing everyone all fancy and what not - I just loved being with my friends and having a good time,” said Junior Mackenzie Guest.

The After-Prom event, organized by parent volunteers, was themed “Lights, Camera, Action” and featured TV shows from past to present, including Deal or No Deal and Grey’s Anatomy.

Dan McMinimee Promoted

Dan McMinimee has been selected as the new Director of Schools for the Ponderosa High School feeder area. This school year ends not only with his first class from Rock Canyon High School (RCHS) graduating, but with a professional move as well. McMinimee will be responsible for overseeing Ponderosa High School in Parker and all schools, both elementary and middle, which feed into it. The new RCHS principal will be Kim Rauh, currently an assistant principal at Chaparral High School in Parker.

According to McMinimee, leaving is bittersweet. His new role will allow him to connect kids from elementary school through high school. “It shouldn’t matter who is here (at RCHS) in my seat because the teachers and students will continue the culture,” said McMinimee.