RVHS NEWSLETTER - Oct. 18, 2024

OCTOBER 18, 2024 EDition

Fall Academic Awards Ceremony-Monday, October 21st

We look forward to honoring our students for their academic achievements. If you received an invitation and RSVP'd to the event, your student should arrive by 6:30 p.m. and follow signs to where their class will meet. Parents should arrive by 6:55 p.m. and proceed to the gym for the ceremony.

If you are able to donate cookies for the reception that follows the ceremony, please have your student drop them off in the main office on the 16th or 21st. Thank you.

Business Advertising

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.

PSAT/NMSQT Fee

Thank you to all of our students who took the PSAT/NMSQT on Tuesday, October 8th! The fee for this test has been added to your student's online payment system. Please go to The Ralston Valley website to pay the $14 fee online:

https://ralstonvalley.jeffcopublicschools.org/families/pay_fees.

The deadline for payment was October 4th. Please pay ASAP. Please contact your counselor with additional questions.

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.

activities

Marching Band Regionals Prep

The Mustang Marching Band completed one final rehearsal on Thursday afternoon in front of the RVHS Staff in preparation for their regionals on Thursday night.

At their regional performance, the Mustangs finished with a score of 72.3, which earned them a spot in the State Quarterfinals next Friday, 10/25, at the Air Force Academy! Way to go, we are proud of you!

National Honor Society is Halloween Ready

NHS juniors and seniors are getting ready for Trick-or-Treat Street on Oct. 28th by creating hallway decorations to dazzle and scare the community! Please encourage your friends and family to bring their trick-or-treaters to RVHS from 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. for a night of fun! Admission is a can of food or personal care item for the Arvada Community Table OR cash donation for RVHS NHS. Please use the entrance on the southeast side of RVHS at the Math Hall doors in the staff parking lot. After walking through the halls collecting candy from our students, little ones can play carnival games in our cafeteria.

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!

Fall Play Information

Get your tickets now for Ralston Valley's Fall Play: "Walk Two Moons" November 7-9 at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets are $12.00 for adults and $10.00 for students. You can purchase them at onthestage.com.

Come out and support these awesome kids in the arts!

Silent Movie Orchestra Concert

Congratulations to our orchestra on their silent movie performance this past Wednesday featuring Ko-Ko the Clown (1926) and Buster Keaton in Cops (1922)! It was a great experience for the students and audience alike!

athletics

Winter sports registration is now underway! If your student would like to participate in basketball (boys & girls), girls swim & dive, wrestling, or ice hockey….please register on the RVHS Athletics Website: https://ralstonvalleyhs.rschoolteams.com/

You will need a valid athletic physical to register. Information, instructions, and blank physical forms are also located on the RVHS Athletics Website.

Deadline to register for Ice Hockey: 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8.

Deadline to register for all other winter sports: 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 11.

Ticketing is moving to GoFan for all events. - Starting Monday, October 14, all Jeffco event ticket sales will be sold through GoFan or at the door. Sales will remain cashless. All ticketed sporting events must be purchased through the app. It is highly encouraged to purchase tickets ahead of time to avoid lines at the gate.

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

Cross Country - Ran well at the League Meet this week. Wave Pucket was the top finisher for the girls, taking 4th place and receiving first team all-conference honors. Eliana DiManna earned second team honors. On the boys side Keaton Westley earned second team honors and Frank Venezia took home honorable mention.

Volleyball - The ladies had a great week. They went on the road on Tuesday at Columbine and walked away with a 3-0 sweep of the Rebels. Thursday they went to Dakota Ridge and earned their second road victory of the week 3-1 over the Eagles.

Tennis - This week our State Qualifiers: Brady Swartz (1S), Joey Rillos and Brody Colwell (1D), and Logan Dozon and Noah Martin (2D) represented Ralston Valley well at the State Tournament.

Flag Football - The postseason will begin next week for the Mustangs. Based on current seeding index they will host a first round game next Wednesday at Trailblazer. Start time is TBD based on the number of games being played their that night. Good luck in the postseason.

Soccer - A big week for the Mustangs in Soccer. Monday saw them take down Arvada West 3-2 in front of a huge crowd at NAAC. Thank you to all of the local programs that came out in support of both teams. This set up last night's huge game against Columbine at Lakewood Memorial. What turned into a league title match, turned into the first team league title of the year. Jake Sweeney puts in the game's lone goal off his head with four minutes left. Congratulations!

Football - The team improved to 2-0 in league play and 6-1 overall after taking down Denver South last week at NAAC 41-7. This sets up another huge matchup tonight at Jeffco Stadium when they take on Columbine in what might end up being a league-champion game. 6:00 is the game time for this big game.

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, Oct 21 - Silver Day
Tuesday, Oct. 22 - White Day
Wednesday, Oct. 23 - Blue Day
Thursday, Oct. 24 - White Day
Friday, Oct. 25 - Blue Day

Counseling Department

AP Test Fees

AP test fees have been posted to student accounts. The fee this year is $99/test and is set by College Board. Fees are due THIS Wednesday, October 23, 2024. After the due date, a $25 late fee will be added. Please follow the steps below to pay the fee:

https://ralstonvalley.jeffcopublicschools.org/families/pay_fees
Click "guest fee payment portal" (you will need your student's ID)
Enter the Student ID & Last Name and click "Search"

RVHS College Night

RVHS College Night will be an informative presentation covering the modern college admissions process, ways to fund a college education, and up-to-the-minute details about changes to the Financial Aid process this year. Parents and students in the Class of 2025 who will apply to college this fall are encouraged to attend. Families with younger students are also welcome.

Date: Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Place: RVHS Library

Upcoming College Visits

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

Creighton University - Tuesday, Oct. 22 - 8:15 a.m.

University of Missouri, Columbia - Tuesday, Oct. 22 - 11:45 a.m.

University of Oregon - Wednesday, Oct. 23 - 9:00 a.m.

Fort Lewis College - Thursday, Oct. 24 - 8:15 a.m.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute - Thursday, Oct. 24 - 9:00 a.m.

Arizona State University, Tempe - Friday, Oct. 25 - 9:00 a.m.

University of Cincinnati, Main Campus - Friday, Oct. 25 - 1:30 p.m.

University of Alabama - Tuesday, Oct. 29 - 11:45 a.m.

University of Colorado, Denver - Wednesday, Oct. 30 - 11:45 a.m.

San Diego State University - Wednesday, Oct. 30 - 1:30 p.m.

Hawaii Pacific University - Thursday, Oct. 31 - 1:30 p.m.

Northeast Publics College Fair

The Universities of New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Delaware, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rutgers University are hosting a college fair for students and their families to meet admissions representatives and learn more about their institutions.

Date: Thursday, November 21, 2024

Time: 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

Place: Prospect Ridge Academy, 16501 Alcott Place, Broomfield

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

For the week of October 21st, 9th grade Advisement will work with Peer Counselors, and discuss what it means to be a Mustang, highlighting the values of inclusivity, motivation, honesty, respect, empathy, integrity, and perseverance.

In 10th grade, there will be a presentation from Robbie's Hope, a youth-led teen suicide prevention organization. Their goal is to empower the next generation to cope with the stress and pressure of modern society, to help teens recognize warning signs of a mental health condition and realize they are not alone, and allow youth to feel their voices are being heard, letting them know it’s ok to ask for help, and giving them the tools and resources they need to rally together and talk openly about their struggles.

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

Engineering Students Work with NASA Scientists

Mr. Gause's Engineering II students have been hard at work this semester. Through the NASA HUNCH program, students have been contracted to help solve issues that NASA is facing on the international space station, as well as anticipated issues with their upcoming Gateway mission and Artemis Campaign. This week, 35 students gave presentations to NASA representatives and local industry partners, hoping that their ideas will make it to space someday. What a great experience!

Faculty and Students Create Together

Ralston Valley teachers got a lesson in how to throw pots on a ceramic wheel from their students. A great time was had by all!

Anatomy and Physiology Builds Skeletons

Anatomy students dissected owl pellets during our skeletal system unit and classified bones to determine what organisms the owls had eaten. They collaborated with other groups to build a complete skeleton of small birds and small rodents found in pellets.

Chemistry Class Builds Models

Chemistry students made atomic models in the Bohr style, using Oreo cookies and sprinkles.

Advanced Placement Chemistry finished a unit in stoichiometry, the determination of the proportions in which elements or compounds react with one another, with a well-deserved mini lab of grilled cheese sandwiches.

SSN Class Fall Happenings

Ms. Silburn's Significant Special Needs had a great Halloween craft fair and pumpkin patch visit last week, and also competed in the unified P.E. flag football tournament at Trailblazer Stadium. They played against Standley Lake, Pomona, and Wheat Ridge, and Student Government showed up to cheer them on!

RV Students Mentor Young Writers

Mr. Lieberman's Creative Writing class went on a field trip to Van Arsdale Elementary this week. Students developed a unique theme to educate a young audience and wrote a narrative that delivered the theme while keeping readers engaged. Then, they illustrated their children's books and brought them to Van Arsdale Elementary to test in front of the target audience. Afterward, a Van Arsdale teacher emailed to give the following feedback:

"...these students inspired my kiddos to take an interest in Creative Writing, and we were able to tie their stories into our lesson on text structure." Great job from our Mustang writers!

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

Calendar

Important Links

Page updated

Report abuse