RVHS NEWSLETTER - May 2, 2025

May 2, 2025 EDition

Staff Appreciation Donations

We are excited to celebrate our incredible staff during Teacher Appreciation Week May 5th - 9th.

As part of our celebrations, PTSA is providing breakfast for our staff on Tuesday, May 6th. Any donations would be greatly appreciated! Please use the sign up here for donations that can be dropped off in the main office on Monday, May 5th. Thank you!

Senior Chromebook Return & Google Takeout/Transfer

Seniors should return their school-issued Chromebooks to the RVHS library after their last final (on May 9th for most students). Seniors taking AP tests after May 9th will return their Chromebooks after their last AP test at the AP testing location.

Seniors can use Google Takeout or Google Transfer to quickly save and/or move any files from their @jeffcoschools.us Google accounts that they want access to after July 1st. Seniors need to save/move files by July 1st before they lose access to their Jeffco Google accounts.

Senior Scholarship and Awards Ceremony

SENIOR Parents and Graduates!!

It is time for senior students to start gathering up their scholarship information so that they can be recognized at our Senior Scholarships and Awards Night on May 15th at 6:30 pm.

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 seven scholarships NO LATER THAN APRIL 30th.

*Athletic scholarships and awards will be recognized at a separate event on May 12th.

View Invitation and the link to the RSVP (required, by May 9th).

Senior Sundaes at Meiklejohn Elementary

Meiklejohn Elementary invites you to Senior Sundaes on Tuesday, May 13th from 3:00 to 3:45 p.m., held in the Meiklejohn library. We will have ice cream sundaes and we look forward to seeing all of our past students.

Senior Breakfast at Excel Academy

Excel Academy would like to invite the graduating class of 2025 back for a sendoff before starting their new journey. This is a wonderful opportunity for former Excel students to reconnect and learn what the next chapter holds for their Excel classmates.

Our teachers and staff are so proud of you and would like to celebrate your high school accomplishments and hear about your future plans as well. Breakfast snacks will be served.

Be sure to bring your driver’s license for our check-in process and click HERE to RSVP.

When: Tuesday, May 20th: 7:00-7:45 a.m. The event may take place inside and outside.
Parking: Please park on 84th Ave.

We look forward to seeing you!

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

Additional sophomore parking tags for the North (dirt) Lot are now available on a limited basis. Parents/guardians must fill out this Parking Information Form first, then the fee will then be placed on their school account. Once the form has been filled out and the fee paid, including all other fines and fees, students can pick up their parking tag from the Security Office.

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

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.

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 the junior/senior lot. 11th and 12th graders can fill out this FORM to be placed on a waitlist.

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.

activities

25th Anniversary Celebration - Planning Committee

Next Meeting: Thursday, May 8th at 6:30 p.m.

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.

We look forward to seeing you there and hearing your ideas! Please reach out to mike.ackerman@jeffco.k12.co.us with any questions.

athletics

Girls Golf - The Mustangs finished the Jeffco League Tournaments strong and took home second place honors. Congratulations to Junior Addi Hines on being Jeffco's top golfer and being named Jeffco 5A MVP. Next up for Ralston Valley will be regionals on May 12th at Indian Tree.

Girls Tennis - The Mustangs had an unbelievable week on the court. They played host to Region 1 on Wednesday and Thursday. All 11 players qualified for the individual State Championships next week. All seven lines took home Regional Championships in a dominant performance ahead of State. This Saturday morning at 8:30, the #1 Mustangs will take on #4 Rock Canyon in the semi-finals of the State Dual Championships. With a win, they will be one step closer to their goal of winning back-to-back state titles.

Boys Lacrosse - For the first time in program history, Ralston Valley Boys Lacrosse can call themselves League Champions!!! The Mustangs beat Columbine on Monday to clinch the League 2 title. Congratulations. They will play Golden tomorrow at Ralston Valley at 2:00 to close out the regular season.

Track and Field - The Mustangs are looking to repeat as Jeffco 5A League Champions this weekend. In a season that has seen more than ten school records fall, Ralston Valley is looking strong through day one. Currently, both the girls and boys programs are in first place. The meet finishes tomorrow at Jeffco Stadium. Good luck Mustangs!

Boys Swim and Dive - The Swim and Dive team is looking to send their seniors out in style this weekend at the League Meet. This year's senior class has not been beaten at the league meet, and look to cap off the rare four-peat. After dominating the league all year, the boys are hungry to finish the feat tomorrow at the Arvada Aquatics Center. Go get it, Mustangs!

Baseball - The Mustangs swept Columbine earlier this week and look to strengthen their position in Jeffco 5A with two huge games against city rival Arvada West. They play game one at Ralston Valley tomorrow morning at 10:00 and game two next Tuesday at Arvada West at 4:00. No matter what the records are, these two teams always play each other tough.

Girls Soccer - The Jeffco League Champions have one more regular season game tomorrow at NAAC against Fairview. 10:00 is the start time for a game that could help solidify a top four seed for the Mustangs ahead of next week's State Playoffs.

Girls Lacrosse - The Mustangs beat Columbine this week to finish the sweep of 5A GLAX programs. Congratulations to Senior Kaden Nielson on scoring her 100th varsity goal as a Mustang. They finish the regular season tomorrow at Colorado Academy and will find out their first round playoff opponent on Sunday.

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.

Congratulations to the Mustang Golf Team, who placed second in league, and to the Jeffco 5A MVP Maddie Hines!

off campus policy

Due to the nature of our campus, we do not allow any 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, May 5 - Silver Day
Tuesday, May 6 - White Day
Wednesday, May 7 - Blue Day
Thursday, May 8 - White Day
Friday, May 9 - Blue Day

Counseling Department

Outdoor Lab Applications Open for Next Year

Current 10th and 11th graders are encouraged to apply to be a High School Leader at Outdoor Lab next year. High School Leaders spend a week (Tuesday - Friday) at one of the two Outdoor Lab schools with 6th graders from one of RV's feeder middle schools. Leaders need to be emotionally mature, demonstrate good judgment, and demonstrate a natural love and respect for the environment. Click here for the application.

Outdoor Lab Foundation Scholarship

The Outdoor Lab Foundation is offering three $2,000 scholarships to senior students who have served as High School Leaders or Interns at Mount Blue Sky or Windy Peak. Students can use the award at any private or public vocational training program, college, or university. Click here for the application. The deadline to apply is May 4, 2025.

Lisa Nelson Memorial Scholarship

Lisa Nelson was a physical education teacher and the head volleyball coach at Ralston Valley from 2000-2013. On March 3, 2013, she lost her life after a 2-year battle with cervical cancer. She was 43. To commemorate her life and to ensure others are touched by the legacy she left behind, the "Lisa Nelson Memorial Scholarship" has been established. This year, a Ralston Valley High School student athlete will be awarded a $5000 college scholarship in Lisa's memory. Click here to apply. The deadline to apply is May 9, 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

Next week in Advisement classes, both 9th and 10th grade classes will celebrate their teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week. They will also work on their spring Advisement survey to help with planning next year's Advisement, and take some time for a study hall session. Students in 9th grade will revisit the letter that they wrote to themselves in August, and reflect on the growth they have made during their Freshman year.

For students who need to make up an Advisement class, the following dates and times are available.

Wednesday, May 7th - 3:45-4:15 in L1102

Thursday, May 8th - 3:45-4:15 in L1102

Monday, May 12th - 3:45-4:15 in L1102

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.

Ralston Valley Happenings

DNA Studies in Advanced Placement Biology

Ms. Rosenthal's AP Biology class is using a thermocycler borrowed from the Colorado School of Mines to make multiple copies of DNA from a colony of bacteria to determine if they were successful in manipulating the bacteria with the CRISPR-Cas9 system.

Ralston Valley Engineering Students Recognized

Congratulations to Jackie Ben-Avraham! Jackie was recently honored with the Aspirations in Computing Colorado Affiliate Rising Star Award by the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT). She earned this recognition for her outstanding achievements with SolidWorks, having obtained three globally recognized SolidWorks certifications in just two years. In addition to her technical accomplishments, Jackie also serves as the President of our Society of Women Engineers (SWE) chapter, demonstrating exceptional leadership and dedication to advancing women in STEM.

This week, the Ralston Valley SWE (Society of Women Engineers) club accomplished two incredible things at once—creativity and community service! The team took part in the second annual Jeffco CANstruction event at Colorado Mills Mall by designing and building a stunning "Space Shuttle Discovery" sculpture made entirely out of canned food. This fun and meaningful project not only showcased their engineering skills but also supported a great cause by contributing to local food banks.

You can check out their impressive creation on display at the Colorado Mills Mall Food Court through Friday, May 9th.

Scholarship Awarded to RV Student

Shoutout to Mustang Senior Maddie McChesney, who was awarded a scholarship from Jeffco PTA! Maddie is active in National Honor Society and plays volleyball, and she will attend Colorado School of Mines in the fall.

French Students Take National Exam

Madame Frie's French I students took the National French exam this spring and all of the students pictured received a certificate of Honorable Mention. Owen Earl and Lauren Halladay also received Bronze medals recognizing an even more superior achievement on the exam. Felicitations French I students!!

1st photo students pictured:

Sofie Cox, Maren Gill, Buddy Pouchot, Alex Jumel

2nd photo students pictured:

Beckett Politis, Lauren Halladay, Owen Earl, Suzie Mayer, Hailey Rabbitt, Layla Woodin, Bailey Williams