RVHS NEWSLETTER - Feb. 14, 2025

February 14, 2025 EDition

Thank You RV Community!

Student Government would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our community for supporting our 2025 Make-A-Wish Efforts! We once again had a record-breaking year, and it is because of YOU and all your support! Thank you for empowering and inspiring our community to lead and give with empathy! Way to go Ralston Valley!

Grand total $112,92.50! Over 14 wishes Granted!!

Parent Teacher Conferences

PTSA is providing dinner for the teachers during parent teacher conferences. Please sign up to contribute if you are able! All contributions can be delivered to the main office any time before noon on Thursday, February 20th. Thank you!

Parent Teacher Conferences will be Thursday, February 20th from 4:00-7:00 pm. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to meet and check in with your student's teachers. All teachers will be in the main gym and the small gym. Please make every effort to keep your conferences to five minutes. If you have topics that you would like to discuss that will need more time, feel free to set a follow-up appointment or phone call.

Course Registration for the 2025-26 School Year

Students in grades 9-11 have officially begun the course registration process for the 2025-26 school year. Thoughtful and informed decisions about course selections are essential in supporting students on their path toward graduation and preparing for their future goals.

To assist with this important process, we encourage families to consult the Course Registration Website, which offers comprehensive resources, including:

Step-by-step guidance for the selection process
Course descriptions
Registration due dates
Enrollment policies

Please take some time to review these materials together and discuss options that align with your student's academic and post-secondary goals.

Thank you for your support in helping students plan a sucessful year ahead!

VanArsdale Elementary Thirty Year Celebration

Come help VanArsdale celebrate their 30th year in the Ralston Valley articulation area!

Sponsor Partnerships

Advertise your business with us! We have digital and static signage options available within a variety of sponsorship packages on our new video board in the gym. Your business logo will be displayed digitally during our home athletic contests and other events in the gym for the community and guests to see. Please reach out to Mike Ackerman or Tony Pergola for more information.

Pre-Arranged Absences

In accordance with district policy, absences of one or more days require a Pre-Arranged Absence Form . Criteria for approved absences are listed on the form, and printed copies are available in the attendance office.

Parking Information

Any student who wishes to park their vehicle in the RVHS student parking lots must have a parking tag. All school registration requirements must be met before obtaining a parking tag, including any fees and fines paid.

All 11th and 12th graders who have already purchased a parking tag for the main student lot can pick it up in the Finance Office. Tickets will be issued for those who do not have the appropriate parking tag. If there are no parking spaces available when they arrive, they should park in the overflow lot off of Alkire St. They cannot park illegally.

Sophomores with a parking tag, please be reminded that you cannot park in the senior/junior lot, you must only park in the North Lot off of Alkire St.

All students who park illegally or in the incorrect lot will be ticketed. Tickets must be paid in a timely manner so students can retain their parking tag.

At this time, we are sold out of parking tags for all student lots. If we are able to offer more tags, we will include that information in a future newsletter.

All concerns regarding parking passes should be addressed with campus supervisors.

Drop Off and Pick Up

It is a great time to remind everyone to be thoughtful of our neighbors and student body during drop off and pick up. We must keep the right of way clear for emergency vehicles and through traffic. With only one road to enter and exit a building this size, with this many people, the roads at the school will always be congested. There are a few things we can do as a Ralston Valley community to help make these busy times of day run as smoothly as possible.

Main Entrance - Dismissal is at 3:30 p.m. and we ask that you do not arrive to pick up your student and park in the loop before 3:00 p.m. Please be sure to pull as far forward as you can in the loop at the front of the school when dropping off or picking up your student. This helps to alleviate backups in the roundabout and get as many cars off of 80th Ave. as quickly as possible. Also, please pick up your student on the outside of the loop, not the inside. We do not want students passing in between cars as this is not safe.

Student Parking Lot - To keep our students safe, please do not park in our student parking lot while you wait to pick up your student(s) after school.

Roundabout - The roundabout is part of the road. Please do not park in the roundabout while waiting for dismissal time. This blocks the flow of eastbound traffic and prevents traffic exiting to the east from leaving campus as well. Please do not stop and pick up your student in the roundabout or on 80th Ave.

Fire Station - As traffic backs up on southbound Alkire, please be sure to leave room for our first responders to exit the firehouse safely and without obstruction. Do not block the exit of their garage.

82nd Ave. - Please pay attention to posted road signs along 82nd Ave. There are multiple speedbumps on 82nd Ave., making it necessary to go the speed limit or slower to ensure safe driving and prevent damage to your vehicle. There are also multiple No Parking signs along 82nd Ave. next to the school's property. Please do not park there to pick up your student. Finally, and most importantly, please do not park across the street and ask for your student to run across 80th Ave. to be picked up. This is highly dangerous!

Thank you for your continued diligence when driving in and around Ralston Valley.

SENIOR BULLETIN

The latest edition of the Senior Bulletin was sent to households of seniors earlier this week. Be sure to check your inbox for detailed information related to the following:

Graduation Website
Senior Signs: Click here for additional details and to order by March 24. NOTE: Proceeds benefit RVHS After Prom.
Senior Panoramic Picture: Tuesday, February 18. Preorder here.
Save The Date: Parent Graduation Meeting: Wednesday, April 9.

activities

Spanish Honor Society Host Top Chef Competition

Last week La Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica had their annual Top Chef competition. Students worked in groups of 2-4 and chose their own authentic Spanish or Latin American recipes. Students had to incorporate the use of a secret ingredient and were judged on their authenticity, taste, presentation, use of the secret ingredient, and teamwork. We had eight teams participate and seven faculty judges. The Asian Student Association joined us to enjoy all the food after the judges got to try everything.

Mustang Musician at All-State Orchestra

Kira Coverdale represented RV at All-State Orchestra last week. Kira played in the symphony orchestra under the direction of Dr. Soo Han.

The RV Speech & Debate team is closing out the season strong! At the Fairview Fling Tournament on Feb. 8, students competed to prepare for the 5A State tournament at the end of February! Holden Hanou received fifth place in Original Oratory and a bid for a spot to enter the Tournament of Champions!

25th Anniversary Celebration - Planning Committee

It's hard to believe but Ralston Valley High School will celebrate its 25th Anniversary this year! This significant milestone is a time to reflect on our achievements, honor our history and celebrate the continued growth and promise of our school community, including our current and future Mustangs!

We would like to extend an invitation to all members of our school community -- students, parents, current and former teachers, staff, and administration, and alumni- as well as our surrounding community to join in planning this celebration. We believe that everyone’s ideas and input will help make this celebration truly special.

Your participation is vital as we come together to create an event that reflects the spirit of our school and community. Our next planning meeting is Thursday, March 13th, at 6:30 p.m.

We look forward to seeing you there and hearing your ideas! Please reach out with any questions.

NHS Accepting Applications

The Ralston Valley Chapter of the National Honor Society is now accepting applications for membership! Students must be in 10th or 11th grade and have a 3.6 or higher GPA to apply.

Invitations to apply have been delivered to eligible Sophomores in their Science classes. If you are a Junior with a GPA of 3.6+, please pick up an application from Mrs. Reid or Mrs. Rosenthal in the science office.

Applications close at 3:40pm on Friday, February 28th.

Join NHS students for study hall! We meet every Wednesday in the library from 3:30 - 4:30. Free tutoring is also available.

athletics

Girls Swim and Dive - A good weekend at State Swimming had the Mustangs finish 11th as a team in 5A. Congratulations to senior Sophia Hineline who was voted CHSAA's 5A State Diver of the Year. Other highlights from VMAC:

Lilia Barlow, Emily McQuitty and Sophia Ganong - Finalists in the 200 Free
Sophia Hineline and Kara Sunbye - Dive FInalists
Barlow 5th, Ganoung 6th, McQuitty 9th, Reagan Hoefer top 15 in the 500 Free
400 Free relay - Hoefer, Barlow, Ganoung, and Kylee Ruhser finished 11th

Hockey - The team is currently sitting 10th in the CHSAA rankings. They have qualified for the postseason and will find out when and where they will play on Monday when the official brackets are released by CHSAA. Good luck in the postseason.

Wrestling - The boys wrestled well at last weekend's Regional at Ponderosa. Competing in a tough regional match makes for some great wrestling but makes it that much more difficult to qualify for State. A few of the boys just missed the top four finish to qualify and the wrestling season has officially come to an end. Great season and thank you to our great senior class.

Basketball - The girls are on the road tonight against Columbine and will finish their regular season next Friday as part of a double-header at Arvada West. They are looking to finish strong to improve their ranking ahead of the playoffs. The boys had their winning streak stopped at 19 games on Tuesday night when Valor banked in a three at the buzzer to give the Mustangs their lone loss on the season. Ralston Valley owns the tie-breaker and still control their destiny in a quest for the 6A Jeffco League Title. Wins tonight against Columbine and next Friday at Arvada West are needed to make that happen. They also have a tough road game on Tuesday at Mountain Vista. Good luck this week to both teams.

Ticketing has moved to GoFan for all Jeffco-hosted events. - Ticket sales to all Jeffco events are now available through GoFan. Cash is no longer accepted at the gates for admittance. You are encouraged to download the GoFan App to help you purchase tickets ahead of time for all home events. This will save you a ton of time at the gate. You can also purchase multiple tickets that are good for the rest of the school year by purchasing a punch pass. Punch passes are good for all Jeffco events, and will save you some money.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the new online ticketing system.

Shout out to Mustang junior Emma O'Connor, wrestling for Arvada West's team, who pinned her opponent and scored the first girls wrestling win in school history at CHSAA State Wrestling at Ball Arena, great job!

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 parents/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

Monday, Feb. 17 - Presidents' Day Holiday - No School
Tuesday, Feb. 18 - White Day
Wednesday, Feb. 19 - Blue Day
Thursday, Feb. 20 - White Day
Friday, Feb. 21 - Blue Day

Counseling Department

RVHS College Admissions Night for the Class of 2026

Designed for current juniors and their parents, this is the annual kickoff to the college search and application process. The RV counselors will provide guidance for each stage of the process, including how to make the most of a campus visit, build a college list, create a compelling application, fund your education, and how RV supports the process. RSVPs are encouraged but not required.

Date: Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Place: RVHS Auditorium

Upcoming College Visits

Representatives from the following colleges will be in the RVHS Counseling Office on these dates and times:

University of Northern Colorado - Tuesday, Feb. 18 - 8:15 a.m.

Western Colorado University - Monday, Feb. 24 - 9:00 a.m.

Colorado Health Careers Academy

The Colorado Health Careers Collaborative is offering students ages 16-24 a summer program where they can learn more about a variety of fields within the health care industry. Two, three-week sessions are offered at Arapahoe Community College. The program features career exploration, virtual job shadowing, career panels, medical labs and more. Click here for more information and to apply.

Workshop: Navigating Social Media & Mental Health at Home

Jeffco Public Schools and Children's Hospital Colorado are hosting a virtual workshop that will explore the potential effects and signs of concern around social media use. Families that attend will receive a template for developing a social media plan with their youth. Click here for more information and to register.

Date: Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Time: 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Jefferson County Counselor Association (JCCA) Scholarship

The Jefferson County Counselor Association is sponsoring a $1,000 scholarship for a graduating senior. Students must have a 2.5 GPA or above and be willing to share a story of how a school counselor positively impacted them while in school. Click here for the application. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2025.

Jefferson County Education Association (JCEA) Scholarship

The Jefferson County Education Association sponsors three different scholarships for graduating seniors of Jeffco Public Schools. Each scholarship has it's own criteria and award amount. Click here to learn about the scholarships and to apply.

Jeffco PTA Scholarship

Jeffco PTA is offering multiple $1,000 scholarships for any college, university or technical school program. Applicants will need to write an essay describing how they have been involved in and/or advocated for their community. Click here for a link to the application. The deadline to apply is March 31, 2025.

Warder Elementary School Scholarship

Warder Elementary is offering a $1,000 scholarship to graduating seniors who attended Warder for at least one full year and plan to enroll as a full-time student in college or other eligible post-secondary institution. Click here for the application. The deadline to apply is April 11, 2025.

Manning Scholarship

Manning Middle School is offering a $500 scholarship to graduating seniors who attended Manning for 7th and 8th grades. The scholarship can be used at an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school. Click here for more information. Applications are available in the counseling office and the deadline to apply is April 11, 2025.

West Woods Elementary PTSA Scholarship

West Woods Elementary PTSA is offering three $500 scholarships to graduating seniors who attended West Woods for two years or more. The scholarship is to be used towards tuition or educational needs at any college or trade school. Click here for more information and the application. The deadline to apply is March 30, 2025.

Hazel Health

Mental, social, and emotional wellness of students is a priority that we share with our community and one that we are addressing with layers of support including school counselors, social-emotional learning specialists, school psychologists, social workers along with partnerships with outside agencies like Hazel Health.

This year, we continue our partnership with Hazel Health’s Telehealth services to provide a free telehealth extension of mental and physical health support for Jeffco students enrolled at district-managed schools.

Parents/guardians may access these services on behalf of your student by visiting this webpage and following the instructions under "Steps to Access Care"

Advisement Corner

Advisement

Advisement classes for 9th and 10th grade students will resume the week of February 24th.

Please click HERE to access the course syllabus for Advisement which explains the purpose, key components, and expectations, including grading and attendance.

Reminder - If your student has Advisement on Thursday mornings, it will be from 8:15 to 9:00 a.m. before the start of I.C.E.

Peer Counselors visited 10th grade Advisement classes to talk about the "Bright Spots of RV" and the impact of gratitude. Students then wrote notes to people they are grateful for and the Peer Counselors delivered those notes.

Ralston Valley Happenings

Statistics Class Tests Theory with Chocolates

In Ms. Smith's Statistics class, students created confidence intervals for the proportion of Hershey kisses that land flat when tossed in the air. It turns out that it is somewhere between 30 - 40%.

Holiday Celebrations in World Language

French II classes created puppet shows to illustrate holiday traditions in the French speaking world.

Love is in the air! Madame Frie's French I classes made over 50 Valentines with messages in French for the senior residents at Covenant Living.

AP Spanish students are having a traditional Spanish meal and experiencing La Sobremesa — a tradition in Spain where families and friends sit together for a multicourse meal. They talk about all the news of the day, politics, kids, friends, and enjoy spending time with each other. This is usually a three-hour event on a Sunday afternoon. Each AP Spanish student made a different tapas recipe which they brought to share with the class. We will use this experience to work on the cultural comparison section of the AP exam which requires students to consider the similarities and differences between cultural practices and perspectives.

English Field Trip

Ms. Medine and Ms. McDowell's English Composition II classes expanded their learning about the role of storytelling and primary sources in research, at the History Colorado Center in Denver.

Modern US History Analyzes Causes of World War I

Students in Ms. Berry's Modern U.S. History class were introduced to the system of alliances to better understand why they contributed to the outbreak of World War I.