Mustang News
march 26, 2021 edition
Return from Spring Break Reminders
As both Hybrid A & B students return to the building together on April 5th, we want to take this opportunity to remind students and families about the following health mitigation procedures:
Masks must be always be worn on campus, even outside, and must cover nose and mouth
Follow one-way hallways and stairwells during passing periods
Maintain social distancing
Use assigned grade level doors for entering the building before 7:40am Student Entrances/Traffic Pattern
ACTION ITEM: Spring Testing Schedule - April 13 & 14
If you have not done yet, please take a moment and fill out the Spring Testing Form 2021 for your student. With so many students 100% remote this year, it is important to have an accurate count of the students that will be participating in Spring Testing in April. Room assignments will be posted after Spring Break.
Freshmen - PSAT - 9 on April 14
Sophomores: PSAT - 10 on April 13
Juniors: SAT on April 13 and CMAS: Science on April 14
Seniors: No Testing
All tests begin at ~ 7:25 am
Please fill out this form ASAP: Spring Testing Form 2021
Make-A-Wish Donations
We finally have received all our Restaurant Night donations and our final count is in:
$55,378
Congratulations Ralston Valley Community, and we wish everyone well during Spring Break!
MMP Applications
Current sophomores and juniors - are you interested in being MMP leaders for next year's freshmen? The Mustang Mentor Program (MMP) Application is now open for the 2021-22 school year! Mentors are required to attend a training and lead 9th graders through freshmen orientation. They also meet with and lead group activities with their mentees throughout first semester. Application deadline is Friday, April 23.
PTSA Scholarship Application
Calling all Seniors! RVHS PTSA is offering a scholarship opportunity for those seniors who meet the following guidelines:
1. Graduating senior who has earned at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA and who is planning to continue his/her education at a post-secondary institution.
2. Attending RVHS for two semesters as a full-time student during his/her senior year.
3. Student is a current member of PTSA (note: you can still join for $15 online or in the Finance Office).
A total of $3,500 will be awarded to the top applicants. After reviewing the applications and interviewing selected applicants, the RVHS PTSA will determine the number of scholarships and the amounts to be awarded (for example, two $1,000 awards and three $500 awards OR any other combination for a total of $3,500). To apply, please go to the RVHS PTSA Website https://rvptsa.digitalpto.com/
Applications are due to the front office by Friday, April 16th, 2021. Interviews for selected finalists will be in early May 2021. Announcements will be made by the end of May 2021. If you have any questions, you may contact Scott Cochran, PTSA President, at rvptsa@gmail.com. Good luck to all our applicants! PTSA scholarship application and information page https://rvptsa.digitalpto.com/
Senior Yard Signs
What a crazy year for these Seniors! One thing is for sure...Senior Signs. Celebrate their accomplishments and show off to the whole neighborhood!! Be sure to order a truckload, so everyone knows how awesome your kid is!!! Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles...include anyone you can think of.
This year, senior yard signs will be available through an online shop where orders can be made and then picked up will be either at the home of Kathy Lockhart or through another arrangement. Senior yard signs must be ordered ahead of time, and the deadline for ordering is Friday, March 26, 2021. Click on the link to order your sign:
https://rvsenioryardsign.itemorder.com/
The order form will only be open until March 26th!! If you do not pre-order via this method, we cannot guarantee a sign will be available later for purchase. Signs are $15 if you pre-order and $20 if additional signs are available.
Seniors!
Graduation: Reminder - The venue for the Graduation ceremony has been changed to Jeffco Stadium. The date and time remains the same: 7:00 p.m. on Friday, May 21. Although public health guidelines may change before May 21, such a move increases the possibility of allowing four guests for every graduate.
Virtual Graduation Meeting for Seniors and Parents: 6:30 p.m., April 7
Link will be available on the RVHS homepage about 30 minutes prior to the meeting
If you have questions regarding the Graduation Ceremony for the Class of 2021, please complete and submit this form: Graduation 2021: FAQ Submission.
All questions submitted prior to the Parent/Grad meeting held via Zoom at 6:30 p.m. on April 7 will be addressed or answered at the meeting.
Jostens Orders
Thanks to all seniors who picked up their order from Jostens earlier this month. A number of graduation packages have yet to be picked up.
Seniors attending in-person classes and currently earning Cs or above in all their classes, may stop by the main office to collect their packages.
Seniors who are engaging in the 100% remote learning environment and currently earning Cs or above in all their classes may drop by the school during regular school hours to pick up their package. Please follow the directions posted at the front door.
All other seniors should contact Mark Litzau to make arrangements to pick up their package.
If you have not yet placed your order for graduation, you may do so online at Jostens.com. Please feel free to contact our Jostens representatives directly, with any questions. The local Jostens number is 303-985-0095 or they can be reached at nils.erickson.office@jostens.com.
Graduation Speech Auditions
Future graduates of the class of 2021: Do any of you have some thoughts you would like to share with your fellow graduates and families? If so, you may be interested in giving a short 3 to 4 minute speech at graduation. Begin the application process by clicking here.
Valedictorians of the class of 2021: As a part of graduation tradition, we have someone representing the valedictorians speak on behalf of the entire group. Do any of you have some thoughts you would like to share with your fellow graduates and families? If so, you may be interested in giving a short 3 to 4 minute speech at graduation. Begin the application process by clicking here.
National Honor Society
Attention new to National Honor Society sophomore and junior inductees! The induction Ceremony will be held on ZOOM Friday April 16th at 7pm. All information you will need to be successful in NHS, as well as the ZOOM link to the induction ceremony, are posted in the classwork tab of the NHS google classroom. Not sure if you were accepted? Please check the NHS google classroom for your acceptance letter. All declined applications were emailed directly.
Class of 2021 - Welcome to The Main Event
COIVID may have cancelled Prom but it can't cancel the fun. The Main Event, will take the place of our traditional prom. However, you can still get dressed up, go out to dinner and have a good time. More details and a formal invitation to all Seniors will provided after Spring Break.
Who: RVHS Seniors
Where: The Main Event - Highlands Ranch, Colorado (5-Star COVID Rating)
When: Thursday, May 20th from 7:00-10:00 PM
(The night before Graduation)
What: Get dressed up, take pictures, and go get dinner. Then join your classmates for a night of fun, entertainment, and PRIZES!
Self-Report Positive COVID-19 Cases
Student Positive Self-Report: During remote learning periods, families can use this form to report a positive case of COVID-19. If you have specific questions, please reach out to Christy LeBlanc, RVHS District Registered Nurse at christy.leblanc@jeffco.k12.co.us.
Health-Related Information
Please contact Ralston Valley’s District Registered Nurse at christy.leblanc@jeffco.k12.co.us for any health-related issues or diagnoses, including COVID positive students, diabetes, seizures, asthma, allergies, and any other health updates for your student.
Senior spotlight
Taylor Scherff - Class of 2021
Taylor's greatest memory as a student at RV was competing at the state level for volleyball in 2018 and 2019. She is going to miss the people she grew up with and has known since elementary school but is excited to see where this new chapter in their lives will take everyone. Her favorite classes were business and law because business is a strength of hers and the law fascinates her. Taylor lists Mrs. Cawlfield, Mrs. Cerrone, and Mrs. Walker as some of her favorite teachers, even though she loved them all. Mrs. Cawlfield said, "Taylor's energy is infectious. She is always optimistic and positive, and she made every class interesting and enjoyable!" Taylor also enjoyed her time as president of DECA and said that Mr. Rogers helped her learn more about business and effective communication. She plans on attending Colorado Mesa University to study business and play beach volleyball.
Amelia Wrobel - Class of 2021
Going to football and basketball games, showing strong team spirit for each sport, along with playing tennis and bonding with those girls on the team, are some of Amelia's favorite memories at RV. She is going to miss truly living life to the fullest and not worrying about the adult life ahead. Amelia's favorite class was Chemistry because it was challenging and interesting to learn. Mrs. Smith was her favorite teacher, she believed that Amelia could really succeed in math no matter how hard it was. She pushed Amelia to be a good student and to challenge herself. Mrs. Smith says, "Amelia has always greeted me with a smile (even through her mask). Her kindness and her willingness to persevere through difficult times are what I will remember most about Amelia. I know she will find success in whatever she puts her mind to in the future. I wish her nothing but the best." Amelia is going to study Pediatric Nursing at Northern Arizona University.
If you would like your Senior to be featured in our Senior Spotlight, please be sure to fill out this form: Senior Spotlight
aCTIVItiES update
eSports continues to perform strong during their first full season of competition! We have teams competing in both League of Legends and Rocket League. Our State League of Legends Team is currently rated 5th in the State of Colorado! Team Hardstuck split with Highlands Ranch this past week and our JV squad, Ruined Royalty won their matchup against Bawlf School in Alberta, Canada.
Our Art students are gearing up for Exhibition season. After Spring Break, they will be preparing digital works for the 50th Anniversary of the Jeffco High School Art Show. This year all works will be displayed and entered virtually. They are also excited about the upcoming Congressional Show in late April.
athletics update
Athletics
CHSAA Season B for Ralston Valley is now officially over with the completion of the State Championships in Spirit in Colorado Springs today. Both the RV cheers and poms have been working incredibly hard all year to prepare for a three-minute, make-or-break performance. Both teams were solid in their routine, but were not able to advance to the finals. Hard to believe that tryouts for the 2021-2022 spirit squads are just about a month away!
Season C sports are underway and both boys soccer and girls volleyball have already started league play. Our girls’ volleyball team is currently undefeated after defeating Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins last night. The team is moving up the ranks in the CHSAA 5A classification!
Season D sports comprise a large part of the total athletic calendar, so April, May, and June will be packed with action. Registration is now open for baseball, girls’ soccer, girls’ tennis, girls’ golf, boys’ swim/dive, boys’ and girls’ lacrosse, and track and field for both genders. Registration information is available on the RV website.
Finally, I hope everyone has a safe and restful Spring Break!
Counseling Department
Check out this week's brief edition of the Counseling Newsletter, featuring information on Summer School and Mental Health First Aid Workshops for Parents.
Mental health
Mental Health Support
Did you know that there is a robust collection of mental health resources on the Counseling Department’s website? To find them, go to the RVHS homepage, click on Counseling & Registrar, and select Social/Emotional Resources.
In addition to the resources on the Counseling website, it is also the best place to locate Counselors' contact information. On the homepage, you will find our phone numbers, emails, and how to set up an appointment with us. Our doors are always open virtually and in-person.
- Colorado Crisis Services:1-844-493-8255
- The Trevor Project:1-866-488-7386
- Safe2Tell:1-877-542-7233
Technology resources & Help
Spring Chromebook Cleaning - Clean Up Downloads & Memory
Chromebooks have limited local storage & it's a good idea to periodically clean up downloaded files you no longer need before your Chromebook starts saying "Device is low on space: Free up space or select data may be automatically deleted."
If your Chromebook is slow or running out of disk space, try the following fixes to free up space:
Delete files you don’t need from your Chromebook. Remember that you can move files to Google Drive if you want to keep them but not have them taking up storage on your Chromebook.
Clear your cookies & cache.
Uninstall unnecessary extensions. Choose the 3 dots in the top-right corner of Chrome and choose More tools > Extensions. Toggle off all extensions except Zoom and Google Docs offline unless you are actively using them. Delete any game or custom cursor extensions. They hog memory and are notorious for including adware/malware.
Need Tech Assistance?
Visit our Remote Learning Tech Help Page to view the status of our core tools, access how-to and troubleshooting information, and find out how to get in touch with someone ASAP for tech help.
Please encourage your students to reach out to us for tech help right away so we can get them connected ASAP. It's generally easier to troubleshoot over the phone as opposed to email, so have your student call the school at 303-982-5600 so they can be connected to someone who can assist.
Quick Reference
Administration
Principal - Ms. Buenning, (303) 982-5600
12th Asst Principal - Mr. Litzau, (303) 982-5611
11th Asst Principal - Mr. Ackerman, (303) 982-5595
10th Asst Principal - Mr. Pergola, (303) 982-5604
9th Asst Principal - Ms. Kline, (303) 982-9378
Athletics Director - Mr. Hynes, (303) 982-3563
Counselors
A - Da: Ms. Siegert, (303) 982-5639
Db - Je: Mr. Merkel, (303) 982-5602
Jf - Mi: Ms. Belmear, (303) 982-5680
Mj - Se: Ms. Weber, (303) 982- 5597
Sf - Z: Mr. Giese, (303) 982-8110