RVHS NEWSLETTER - Nov. 15, 2024

November 15, 2024 EDition

Cameron Holland Toy Drive November 18 - December 6

The Cameron Holland family adopted this toy drive tradition in 2019 when Cameron Holland, an RV student and athlete, passed away before the holiday season. The Holland family is tightly involved in the RV community, granting a scholarship to a senior student-athlete each year, raising awareness for vehicle safety, and sponsoring a toy drive in memory of Cam, making it really more than just about toys!

Our 9th and 10th grade Advisement classes as well as National Honors Society, will collect toys for the Cameron Holland Toy Drive, benefiting Children’s Hospital and Jeffco Head Start, starting Monday, November 18th until Friday, December 6th.

Students can bring their unwrapped donations to their Advisement teacher or the main office. Even though this is presented mainly in 9th and 10th grade Advisement classes, we encourage our entire community to get involved.

Here is a list of acceptable items.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Jenny Braketa: jenny.braketa@jeffco.k12.co.us

Come join us in the Ralston Valley library for School Accountability meeting on Monday, November 18, at 6:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome!

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.

Class of 2025: Jostens Ordering Information

Second Semester Schedule Release

activities

Mustang Jazz and Concert band gave a great performance on Wednesday this week!

Shout out to our Speech and Debate students who represented RV and won awards at the tournament at Cherry Creek this week! Eight students competed, and they all received great feedback and high marks in their competition chambers. We did a mock Congress with 17 different schools and were up against 160 competitors. They were split up into small chambers of about 15, it is very competitive!

Congratulations to four of our students for receiving Top Speaker Awards: Holden Hanou, Daniel Harness, Riley DiGiosio, and Lucie Fortman

Our other competitors did a great job in a tough competition, congratulations to them on a job well done: Ellis Thomson, Reagan Russell, Elana Campo, Joelle Blatt

Peer Tutoring Available

NHS Peer tutoring will run on Wednesdays in the library after school from 3:30 - 4:40 p.m. No appointment is needed, just come as you are! National Honor Society students are excited to work with you! All grades, all classes, and all levels are welcome. Let's learn together!

athletics

Winter Sports begin Monday, November 18.

While hockey teams across the state got a week head start on the winter sport season, holding tryouts this week, the rest of the winter sports held camps ahead of next week's tryouts. Girls Swim and Dive will look to defend their Jeffco 5A league title, Wrestling will look to continue their upward trajectory within the league, and both Girls and Boys Basketball teams will look to dethrone Valor in Jeffco 6A. Excited for our winter athletes to begin their season and wish them the best.

Football - A noon showdown this Saturday at NAAC between #3 Ralston Valley and #14 Arvada West will mark the first time these two league and crosstown rivals will meet in the postseason. Ralston Valley beat Arvada West in a low-scoring game just two weeks ago at NAAC 17-7. The winner will take on the winner of #6 Legend and #11 Arapahoe. If you are coming out to the stadium, be sure to purchase your tickets ahead of time via the GoFan App. If you are bringing your middle school student, please plan on staying with them at the stadium to enjoy the game as well.

Soccer - Last weekend's snow moved the 5A quarterfinals to last Sunday. The #8 Mustangs took on top-seeded Northfield. Both teams brought some of the state's top talent to the field in a great battle at DPS-All-State Stadium. In the end, Northfield scored a pair of late goals and Ralston Valley fell 2-0. Congratulations on a great season.

Volleyball - Regional volleyball was also moved due to last weekend's snow. The Mustangs headed to Legend HS last Sunday to try and earn a second consecutive bid to the state tournament. They defeated Durango in the first round in straight sets. This set up a Regional final with host, Legend. The team fought hard, pushing Legend to four sets before falling 3-1. A lot to be proud of this season. Congratulations.

Ticketing has moved to GoFan for all Jeffco hosted events. - Ticket sales to all Jeffco events now are 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.

Fall National Letter of Intent Signing Day at Ralston Valley

The Mustang community came out on Wednesday morning to celebrate 17 student-athletes who will continue in their sport at the next step in their education journey, college! Congratulations!

Rylee Diebold Coe College Softball

Maylei Washburn Hastings College Softball

Mallory Chavez Indiana State University Softball

Karlee Noe Buena Vista University Softball

Isabella Martinez University of Northern Colorado Soccer

Izabella Henriksen Buena Vista University Soccer

Peyton Henriksen Buena Vista University Soccer

Holly Engelking Auburn University Soccer

Raleigh Greason Texas Tech University Soccer

Cooper Hineline Clemson University Soccer

Tanner Braketa University of Northern Colorado Basketball

Sophia Hineline San Diego State University Diving

Kaden Nielsen York College of Pennsylvania Lacrosse

Collin McLaughlin St. John Fisher University Lacrosse

Griffin Niedzielski Lake Forest College Lacrosse

Cooper Van Dyke Queens University of Charlotte Lacrosse

Luca Rotola Carthage College Lacrosse

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, Nov. 18 - Silver Day
Tuesday, Nov. 19 - White Day
Wednesday, Nov. 20 - Blue Day
Thursday, Nov. 21 - White Day
Friday, Nov. 22 - Blue Day

Counseling Department

Upcoming College Visits

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

Texas Tech University - Wednesday, Nov. 20 - 9:00 a.m.

Jeffco Career Links Internship Opportunities

All RVHS students received an email on Tuesday afternoon regarding interviews for internship opportunities. All of the information, including a link to sign up, is in this flier. Interviews are being held on Tuesday, November 19 between 2:00 - 6:00 pm at the Jeffco Ed Center. If students have additional questions, they should see their counselor.

MSU Denver Coffee Chat

An admissions representative from Metropolitan State University Denver will be at a local Arvada Starbucks to discuss any questions your senior might have about the university admissions process.

Date: Tuesday, November 19, 2025

Time: 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. (stop by any time)

Place: Starbucks, 12395 West 64th Ave, Arvada

RSVP: scan the QR code on the flier to RSVP and get a free drink!

RRCC Nursing AAS Degree Info Session

Red Rocks Community College, Arvada Campus, is hosting an information session about their new AAS Nursing RN program. Attendees will learn about the application and admission process and pre-requisites for the program. Click here for a flier.

Date: Thursday, November 21, 2025

Time: 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Place: RRCC Arvada Campus, Room 7102

Warren Tech Open House

Warren Tech will host Open Houses at all three of their campuses on the same night. All are invited to attend, but it is strongly recommended for current 10th and 11th graders who are interested in applying to one of their programs for the next school year. Click here for a listing of which programs are offered at which campus and here for a flier of the event.

Date: Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Time: 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Places: Warren Tech North (Arvada), Warren Tech Central (Lakewood) & Warren Tech South (Littleton)

Apex Youth Advisory Board

Apex Parks and Recreation District is launching a Youth Advisory Board for 6th-12th grade students in the Arvada articulation area. This board aims to amplify youth voices, foster community engagement, and build partnerships. Click here for an application and/or contact Monica Bowser at Apex with questions.

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

This week in 9th Grade and 10th Grade Advisement classes, students will work on their service project and have a Gratitude Graffiti Contest. They will also celebrate Friendsgiving.

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

Business Class Gains Stock Market Experience

Ralston Valley Business Education students enrolled in BUS1016 Personal Finance had the exciting opportunity to participate in the Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge last week. This dynamic field trip brought their classroom lessons on the stock market to life, as students actively managed a portfolio of hypothetical stocks over a simulated 60-day trading period. Though our team didn't take home the win, students had an incredible time making strategic financial decisions and experiencing the thrill of stock trading firsthand.

Significant Special Needs Class Field Trip

Ms. Silburn's students had a great time on their field trip to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. They got to try out rock climbing and archery, sponsored by a grant from the National Sports Center for the Disabled.

Pot Throwing Competition in Ceramics Class

Students in Beginning Ceramics competed in Olympic Throwing Events. Have you heard of partners skating? How about partners throwing? Students were challenged with the task of making a pot on the wheel with a partner. Each partner was only allowed to use one hand. The cooperative efforts and results were impressive.

National French Week Kickoff

This week, Madame Leslie's French students re-enacted the Paris Waiters' Race in front of the school to start their celebration of National French Week. The winners were Seniors Grace Cook and Justin Brooks.

Mustangs Honor Veterans

Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society invited students to recognize a veteran in their lives or simply send a message of thanks to our United States veterans by creating a commemorative star that was on display in our main lobby as students entered the building. Hundreds of stars and red, white, and blue streamers decorated our halls in honor of those who have served in the U.S. Military.

Administration

Principal - Ms. Buenning, (303) 982-5600
9th Asst Principal - Ms. Young, (303) 982-5713
10th Asst Principal - Ms. Abrams, (303) 982-9463
11th Asst Principal - Mr. Ackerman (303) 982-5595
12th Asst Principal - Mr. Litzau, (303) 982-5611
Athletics Director - Mr. Pergola, (303) 982-5604
Dean - Mr. Duplice, (303) 982-8274

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