RVHS NEWSLETTER - April 21, 2023

APRIL 21, 2023 EDition

DEADLINE APROACHING

SENIOR Parents and Graduates

It is time for SENIOR students to start gathering up their scholarship information if they would like to be recognized at our Senior Scholarships and Awards Night. Students can use this link to submit academic scholarships (one at a time) and the required supporting documentation (must be logged in to their school google account). Please submit up to 7 scholarships NO LATER THAN APRIL 28. Athletic scholarships and awards will be recognized at a separate event on May 15.

View Invitation- RSVP required

Dress Code

As the warmer weather approaches, we would like to take this opportunity to remind our community of our school dress code. Ralston Valley places a tremendous emphasis on academics, and we feel it is critical to keep a learning environment that promotes safety and professionalism. We feel that dress is a form of self-expression, and know that different environments are appropriate for different types of dress. Please remind your student to keep their attire professional while at school by following our school dress code. For specific details or questions, you can visit our school handbook, contact the Dean, or speak to your student's grade-level Administrator.

District Accountability Committee 2023-24

DAC Application Window Closes April 21, 2023

Dear Jeffco parents and community members. The district is currently recruiting for the District Accountability Committee (DAC) for the 2023-2024 school year. The DAC is a district level accountability and advisory committee composed of members approved by the Board of Education. Membership is made up of parent representatives from all articulation areas including charter and option parents, PTA, at least one member of the business community and district staff. DAC members act in an advisory capacity on such topics as the district’s budget and unified improvement plan as provided by law. Members have the opportunity to hear updates on district issues/efforts and provide input on many topics. If you are interested in applying to join the DAC you can find the application at this link. DAC Application 2023-2024

activities

Day Without Hate Week

Check out the calendar for the full schedule of events that Student Government has planned for Day Without Hate Week.

After Prom

Every year, the PTSA at Ralston Valley High School hosts a SAFE and FUN After-Prom party for all students who attend the RVHS Prom. This year's After-Prom Party is on April 29th, at the Apex Center (13150 W. 72nd Ave., Arvada) from 11:30pm - 2:00am.

This event is 100% paid for by the PTSA and is only possible with your support. Below you will find a link to a Sign-Up Genius page for items we need the night of, as well as donation slots for prizes for the students, and a place for a donation to help cover the cost of After Prom.

We would appreciate your financial support to help make this event possible. You can make a secure donation through www.zellepay.com. The email for our account is rvptsa@gmail.com or https://rvptsa.digitalpto.com click on “Join PTSA” & that will open the link for donating to After Prom.

If you have questions or want to help with the final details to make this night a blast for our students, email rvptsa@gmail.com

After Prom Sign Up Genius

With great gratitude,

RVHS PTSA After-Prom Committee

Calling all Seniors! RVHS PTSA is offering a scholarship opportunity for those seniors who meet the following guidelines:

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
Attending RVHS for two semesters as a full-time student during his/her senior year
Student is a current member of PTSA (note: you can still join for $15 online or in the Finance Office).

A total of $3,000 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 two $500 awards OR any other combination for a total of $3,000). To apply, please go to the RVHS PTSA Website http://rvptsa.digitalpto.com/.

Applications are due to the front office by Friday, April 21th, 2023. Interviews for selected finalists will be early May 2023. Announcements will be made by the end of May 2023. 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 http://rvptsa.digitalpto.com/

Yearbooks - Mustangs, it's time to buy your yearbook if you have not already purchased one. Yearbooks can be purchased through Infinite Campus, where you pay school fees. We are running out of copies to sell, so get yours before it's too late!

athletics

Our boys swimmers are at Meyers Pool all weekend for the Jeffco Invite. A great league preview for the Mustangs. After this morning's prelims, the boys look poised to finish strong tomorrow in the finals. Come by and support the team.

After losing to #1 Colorado Academy on Tuesday, our Girl's Lacrosse team bounced back by knocking off Denver North last night 17-7. With only 5 games left, the Mustangs will look to finish strong. They play Columbine tomorrow afternoon at Trailblazer Stadium.

Track and field had strong showings at the Jeffco Relays. First place for the girls and second place for the boys. With the League Championships just two weeks away, the Mustangs are feeling great about their chances of winning both league titles.

Soccer outplayed #3 Columbine last Friday night in the snow, knocking off the Rebels 4-1. They followed that up with a 5-0 victory over Monarch the following morning. Huge game against the new #3 team in the state when they take on Valor tonight, 5:00PM at NAAC.

BLAX traveled to Vail on Monday to make up a game from the beginning of the year against Grand Junction. After being rained out in March, the two teams decided to meet halfway and play at Battle Mountain High School. The Mustangs come through in a big way for the 14-1 win. They play at Fairview tonight in a big league matchup.

Tennis with three big wins last week, is locked in a top 4 seed for the upcoming State Team Championships. The biggest of those three wins coming yesterday when the Mustangs beat Rock Canyon 4-3 on Senior Day.

Winners of 5 straight, baseball is 10-3. This past week saw victories over Fairview (12-1) and Boulder (16-15). League play opens up for the Mustangs at Columbine tomorrow afternoon.

Congratulations to Senior Josh Rillos. On Monday night Josh was recognized by the National Football Federation as one of the state's most outstanding student athletes. Josh was recognized last fall by the Denver Post as an All Colorado Football player. He gets it done in the classroom as well. Josh is a strong candidate to be one of our valedictorians in May at graduation. Utah State University bound and ready to take on the next chapter in life, we wish Josh the best.

Jackson Zinn (class of 2018) Memorial Scholarship

Jackson Zinn was a 2018 RV athlete/graduate who loved life. He also loved golf. The two were inextricably intertwined in the life that he loved so much. The Jackson Zinn Memorial Scholarship Fund is offering a $10,000 scholarship to the RV student-athlete that best demonstrates the same kind of life Jackson embraced.

The first quality is character, Jackson won the Bobby Jones Character award his senior year on the RV golf team. He won the award due to his leadership and honesty on the golf course and his willingness to help his teammates whenever he could, both on and off the course.

The second is scrappiness, Jackson worked hard on his game every day and thrived in competition. He was extremely disciplined and practiced after every single tournament to do better. His greatest talent was his capacity to learn and improve.

The last is humility, the ability to compete at the best of your abilities and still smile and be a complete goofball at just the right time. Jackson was selfless and always put others before himself.

It is our goal with this scholarship to keep the memory and legacy of Jackson Zinn so deservedly alive. We are looking for a candidate that has these same types of attributes, is that you?

Click here to Apply

off campus policy

Due to the nature of our campus, we do not allow students to walk off campus during the school day.

9th-grade students are not allowed off campus at any point during the school day unless they leave with their parent/guardians.

If your 10th-grade student is driving, they may leave campus with parental permission. They are expected to follow local and state driving laws. Please click on this FORM to give your sophomore child the ability to leave campus with your permission.

Our campus is not closed to our 11th and 12th grade students and they may leave campus.

Schedule for The week of 4/24/23

Monday, Apr. 24th - White Day

Tuesday, Apr. 25th - Blue Day

Wednesday, Apr. 26th - WhiteDay

Thursday, Apr. 27th - Blue Day

Friday, Apr. 28th - Staff Development Day, no school for students

Advisement Corner

Ninth Grade Advisement

We look forward to seeing the ninth graders on Monday, May 1st. We will not have Advisement on Monday, April 24th due to a modified weekly schedule.

Counseling Department

Senior Survey - Mandatory for All Seniors

Jeffco requires all seniors to take the "Jeffco Senior Exit Survey" in Naviance. Part of the survey includes indicating to which college a student's final transcript should be sent. The survey is on the student's Naviance home page under "Important To-Dos and Tasks". The completion deadline is Tuesday, May 9. Instructions are also listed in the Class of 2023 Graduation Checklist. Seniors should reach out to their counselor if they have any questions.

Mustang Mentor Program Applications

We are looking for current sophomores and juniors who want to build their leadership skills and support younger students. Applications are now available for 10th and 11th graders who are interested in being a Mustang Mentor next year. The deadline to apply is Friday, April 28.

Outdoor Lab Leader Interest Form

Interested in being an Outdoor Lab Leader next year? Leaders get free meals and lodging for a week in the mountains while gaining valuble experience teaching and leading 6th graders. Leaders can earn 0.5 elective credit or 85 hours of community service. Click here to access the Interest Form and for more information.

Jeffco Summer School

If your students needs to recover credit for a failed class(es), Jeffco has multiple summer school options. Click here for more information and links to each program. If you have questions about your student's credits, please reach out to your student's counselor.

How to Talk to Your Teen About Mental Health

This resource has been highlighted before, but we think it's worth bringing up again. Robbie's Hope created an Adult Handbook entitled "A Guide by Teens on How to Talk to Teens." It offers detailed instructions about initiating, navigating, and closing a conversation about mental health, as well as things to avoid.

Hazel Health

Jeffco has partnered with Hazel Health, a free virtual mental health support with licensed therapists. If your student needs to talk to someone about anxiety, depression, grief and loss, self-esteem, academic stress, dealing with change, bullying, or other issues, you can find more information about how to connect with Hazel Health here.

AP Testing

AP Testing will run from May 1 - May 12. All updated information including dates, times, locations and preparation tips are accessible via our website. Please contact Scott Merkel (AP Test Coordinator) via email at scott.merkel@jeffco.k12.co.us with any questions or concerns.

Scholarships for Seniors

For our most up-to-date scholarship list, please visit the Upcoming Private Scholarships page. Here are a few highlighted, local scholarships:

Rotary Club of Arvada Vocational Grant due April 28, 2023

Rotary Club of Arvada Academic Scholarship due April 28, 2023

Peck Elementary PTA Scholarship due May 5, 2023

Lisa Nelson Memorial Scholarship due May 8, 2023

Free Car Care and Safety Clinic

DriveSafe Driving Schools are offering free one-hour hands-on car care clinics that include how to check the oil and change a tire. They will also learn about the dangers of impaired and distracted driving. For more information and to register, click here.

Date: Friday, April 28, 20203

Times: 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. (clinics last one hour)

Place: Van Arsdale Elementary School parking lot

ralston valley happenings

Earth Day Clean Up at Ralston Valley

Big thanks to National Honor Society, who picked up litter around school grounds and hosted an electronic recycling drive this past Sunday.

Jeffco High School Art Exhibition at the Arvada Center

Here is some great work from our Mustang artists. Freshman Jordan St. Louis Sanchez was awarded the Barber Nichols Purchase Award for digital photography, and Sophomore Elizabeth White is the recipient of the Mountainside Art Guild Award for her colored pencil drawing. These students and other artists will be honored on Monday, April 24th at 6:30 p.m. The exhibit is running April 7 - May 7 at the Arvada Center, come and check it out.