Two dedicated Roaring Fork High School staff members were honored as October RFSD Employees of the Month.

Rachel Cooper has been a RFHS science teacher for four years. Students know Cooper is a great cook, as she stepped in to help with lunches at the start of the year.

Steve Schabitzer, the RFHS head custodian of almost two years, spent countless hours getting the new building in top shape for crowds at the school’s grand opening, including waxing 28,000 square feet of tile. He also is a science buff who can converse with students in several languages.

The employees recently were honored by the RFSD board of education and received district teamwork building gifts, certificates from The Village Smithy and Chili’s restaurants, and passes to Movieland Cinemas.

The students from Bea Underwood Elementary and St John Middle School in Battlement Mesa recently held a food drive to support LIFT-UP. In conjunction with Kiwanis, students at the elementary school collected food and delivered it to the middle school. The BUE students and the middle school Builders Club helped sort food into categories.

The Grand Valley Kiwanis, Grand Valley High School Key Club, and St John Middle School Builders Club collected food door-to-door in the community. Once all donations were collected and sorted, the food was delivered for use by LIFT-UP in Parachute for holiday food baskets and emergency food requests.

This year, Kiwanis collected 223 boxes of food, a 31 percent increase over last year.

The precollegiate program of the Roaring Fork School District needs adults to mentor small groups of students who are interested in continuing their education beyond high school, and who will be the first generation in their families to go to college.

Now in its fourth year, the program utilizes volunteer mentors to help students realize their dreams of attending college. The program currently is in need of two mentors, one in Basalt and one in Glenwood Springs, to support two groups of students during two meetings a month.

Contact program director Adriana Ayala at 384-5967 or ayala@rfsd.k12.co.us.

Colorado Mountain College’s Roaring Fork Campus is hosting two informational open houses for students interested in the college’s nursing program from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4; and from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday, Dec. 6, in the Calaway Academic Building at Spring Valley (3000 County Road 114, Glenwood Springs).

Faculty, counselors and financial aid advisors will be available to assist prospective students in the nursing application process. The application deadline for the fall 2008 nursing program is Feb. 1.

CMC’s nursing program is now available at the college’s sites in Spring Valley, Breckenridge and Salida. Please call 947-8257 for more information.