RVHS NEWSLETTER - Sept. 13, 2024

September 13, 2024 EDition

I often express how incredibly fortunate I am to lead such a wonderful school, one that embodies school spirit and places a strong emphasis on the student experience. Once again, RV's school spirit has truly shone through. This past Homecoming week was a perfect example of how our community comes together to celebrate, support, and uplift one another.

The coordination and effort required to organize such a memorable week was nothing short of tremendous. I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Mrs. Braketa and our Student Government for their hard work and dedication. From planning after-school events to ensuring daily activities throughout the day, they made sure there was something for everyone. Their thoughtful approach reflects our mission at RV around, “Supporting the Whole Child”. Every event was designed with inclusivity in mind, making sure all students felt welcomed and involved. On behalf of the entire RV community, I want to thank you for the countless hours of hard work you've dedicated to providing such amazing experiences for our student body.

Whether it was the Movie on the Field, Powder Puff Football, Pickleball Tournament, Foam Party, or the Homecoming Dance, our students had endless opportunities to create lasting memories after school with their friends and teachers. And during the school day, the excitement continued! From Spirit Dress-up days to the Sidewalk Chalk competition, Spirit Market, Just Dance Lunch Party, and our whole school assembly - there truly was something for everyone.

I’d like to also extend a heartfelt thank you to our Dance Team and Student Government for transforming our halls with vibrant decorations and infectious school spirit. Your creativity set a warm and welcoming tone for our students as they walked through the doors.

A special shout-out also goes to our Cheer and Dance Teams, Band, Choir, RVTV crew, and Student Government for participating in an incredible Spirit assembly at Three Creeks K-8. It was truly heartwarming to see the joyful faces of our elementary and middle school students as they participated in fun activities alongside our high schoolers. Thank you for creating such memorable moments and building connections across our community!

Finally, thank you to our amazing teachers, administrators, maintenance, and security staff. It truly takes a village to ensure our students and community enjoy the best Homecoming week possible and your support is invaluable. Thank you!

As we wrap up our Homecoming festivities, I invite everyone to join us for the Lisa Nelson 5K run next Saturday, the 21st. This community event is open to all, and we hope to see many of you there!

Please take a moment to enjoy the slideshows below, showcasing many of the exciting activities throughout the week.

As always, I thank you for your support of RV!

Mica Buenning, Principal

ADDITIONAL ACADEMIC SUPPORT & TUTORIAL CLASS

Earlier this month, courses titled 'Tutorial' were added to student schedules. Students and families will notice that a section of Tutorial for each of their teachers was added to the I.C.E. section of their schedule.

Beginning Tuesday, September 10, students earning a D or an F in a course at the time that teachers submit grades are required to attend I.C.E. for additional academic support. The Tutorial class is a placeholder course and is used to track attendance for those students who are required to attend I.C.E.

The expectations of I.C.E are:

Attendance in I.C.E. will be mandatory for ALL students with a D or F in any of their classes.
Parents will receive a phone call notifying them that their student’s attendance is required in I.C.E. during the segmented portion dedicated to the class in which they have a D or an F.
Students earning an A, B, or C are still encouraged to attend I.C.E. for additional support; however, the segmented portion of I.C.E. will be dedicated to improving the learning of students who are currently earning a D or an F.

The schedule for I.C.E. can be found by clicking here.

Attention Bus Rider Families: Ralston Valley is now using Stopfinder to share transportation schedules!

What is Stopfinder?

Stopfinder is the all-in-one parent app that allows Jeffco Public Schools to share your student’s transportation schedule, announcements and more with designated parents and guardians. Stopfinder works with Jeffco’s transportation software to provide the most accurate schedule information quickly.

With the Stopfinder app, you can view your student’s schedule from your mobile device, share student schedules with caregivers and family members and view announcements and notifications in the Stopfinder Message Center.

Stopfinder is secure and only for registered users. Designated contacts of bus rider families will receive an invitation providing access to log in to the Stopfinder app.

Bus rider families will receive an email invitation with more information on how to install the app. You can reach the North Transportation hub at 303-982-1998.

Panorama SEL Student Survey

RVHS will be giving students the Panorama Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Student Survey. This is replacing the Universal Screener that has been in use for the past couple of years. The survey will be administered in the fall and winter. If you would like to learn more about the survey or opt your student out of taking it, please click here for more information.

Student Insights Tool Available

Student Insights is a resourceful tool for K-12 families and students in grades 6-12 to view current and historical assessment data and plans that are applicable to your student.

2023-24 CMAS student score reports are now available electronically in Student Insights. Our school will also be sharing paper reports with families on August 21st at Back to School Night and September 25th at Parent Teacher Conferences. If you would like your paper reports sooner, please request this with Stacy Young, School Assessment Coordinator at stacy.young@jeffco.k12.co.us

Log in to Student Insights here using your Infinite Campus parent portal login credentials to view the following applicable* information:

Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) - 2023-24 results now available!
ACCESS for ELLs results - 2023-24 results now available!
MAP Growth results
READ Plan goals and supports
Advanced Learning Plan (ALP) goals and programming supports
Graduation requirements progress report
High School Transcript Grades

Click here to learn more about Student Insights and here to learn more about our state and district assessments.

*Available data listed above is based on student grade levels and programming

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 accessed at home with a parent/guardian.

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

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 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 for them to retain their parking tag.

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 - In order 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

Jeffco Career Expo

10th grade students are invited to attend Jeffco's annual Career Expo on Wednesday, October 9th, at the Gold Crown Field House in Lakewood. We will leave Ralston Valley at 9:30 a.m. and return by 1:30 p.m. Bus transportation will be provided and students will need to bring a lunch. Students will have the opportunity to explore different career possibilities and interact with industry professionals. Click here to view the flier.

If your 10th grader would like to attend the Expo, please download and complete all parts of the permission form located here. Students can also pick up a permission form in the Counseling Office.

All permission forms are due by Friday, September 20th in the Counseling Office or the Main Office.

Mountain Bike Team Has a Great Weekend in Steamboat Springs

The Ralston Valley Mountain Bike Team continued their momentum over the weekend in Steamboat Springs, leapfrogging over rivals Lakewood and taking second place in the team competition. The team was led by strong fourth & tenth place finishes by Clara Appel & Jack Kardys respectively, while freshman Noah Snelling took a stellar win in his race. The team heads to Eagle in two weeks for the Haymaker Classic.

Ralston Valley PTSA

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year. The Ralston Valley PTSA is looking forward to another great school year supporting the students and staff at Ralston Valley. Please take a moment and register for the PTSA by going to the PTSA website (rvptsa.digitalpto.com) and using the link on the right side. By registering we will be able to contact you to let you know what is happening with the PTSA.

In addition to registering for the PTSA we are looking for volunteers to serve this year and hopefully beyond. We have positions that may be ideal for parents of freshman students as they can serve for the entire time their student is at the school. Please reach out to the PTSA at rvptsa@gmail.com and we can discuss what options we have go from there.

Our meetings are held the first Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at the school. We will do our best to update the website with any changes to either the meeting date, time, and/or location should we need to make changes. By registering we will have your email address and we will contact you through email with the same information should things change. Additionally, if you are on Facebook please head over to our Facebook page Ralston Valley High School PTSA and give it a follow as updates get posted there as well.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the PTSA at rvptsa@gmail.com

I look forward to seeing and/or meeting you throughout the school year.

Scott Cochran

PTSA President

Lisa Nelson 5k Memorial Run/Walk

To wrap up Homecoming Week 2024, we invite you to participate in the Lisa Nelson 5k on Saturday, September 21st. The Lisa Nelson 5k is a community event where we walk, jog, and run in loving memory of a former Ralston Valley volleyball coach, Lisa Nelson. There will be a pancake breakfast and fun activities after the race and during the awards ceremony. We encourage all members of the community to participate in this fun event and help us celebrate such an amazing woman’s life.

Registration Forms

athletics

Thank you for supporting our students all week for Homecoming 2024 - Ralston Valley's 25th Anniversary Tour!!! It has been amazing to catch up with alumni and parents at events and games. Two more big nights!

Volleyball - swept Greeley West on Thursday for their Homecoming match at the Mustang Range. They also earned a 3-1 road victory over Mead on Tuesday. One more game next week against Kent Denver before they start Jeffco League play.

Tennis - is in Grand Junction this weekend for the always competitive Western Slope Invite. Good luck on this long road trip across the state.

Flag Football - is looking to have a good Homecoming game tomorrow as the home team at Valor against Lakewood.

Soccer - After suffering a tough 4-3 loss on Tuesday to Fairview, Ralston Valley looks to bounce back tonight against a good Fort Collins team. 5:00 p.m. at the NAAC is the beginning of a huge Homecoming night. Come cheer on the boys and then walk over the hill for the Homecoming football game. Great chance to see two great games for the price of one.

Golf - Mason Meyer shot a 74 at Hyland Hills this week to lead the scoring for the Mustangs. Caiden Braketa and Liam Siler also broke 80 shooting 78 and 79, respectively. The team finishes league play on Tuesday at West Woods and then will be off to Regionals at Indian Tree the following week.

Softball - split their first two league games this year. They beat Lakewood 5-3 on Tuesday to open up league play and then fell 4-2 to Arvada West last night in a great game here at home. They will host Bear Creek tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. and then have a pair of tough games with Valor and Columbine next week. Good luck.

Cross Country - was off this week from competition. Good luck next week at the Liberty Bell.

Football - They will host Mullen tonight at 7:30 p.m. for our annual Homecoming football game in the battle of the Mustangs. Students should show up in their class colors and be ready to be loud. Expect a big crowd. Purchase your tickets ahead of time online to avoid the big lines.

Pre-Purchase Tickets Here: Hometown Ticketing Box Office

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, Sept. 16 - Silver Day
Tuesday, Sept. 17 - White Day
Wednesday, Sept. 18 - Blue Day
Thursday, Sept. 19 - White Day
Friday, Sept. 20 - Professional Development Day, NO SCHOOL for students

Counseling Department

Upcoming College Visits

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

University of Arizona - Tuesday, Sept. 17 - 9:00 a.m.

Lincoln Technical Institute, Lincoln - Tuesday, Sept. 17 - 11:45 a.m.

Colorado State University, Fort Collins - Wednesday, Sept. 18 - 11:45 a.m.

Willamette University - Tuesday, Sept. 24 - 8:15 a.m.

Northern Arizona University - Tuesday, Sept. 24 - 1:30 p.m.

Hamline University - Wednesday, Sept. 25 - 9:00 a.m.

Miami University, Oxford - Wednesday, Sept. 25 - 11:45 a.m.

University of Iowa - Wednesday, Sept. 25 - 1:30 p.m.

University of Washington, Seattle - Thursday, Sept. 26 - 8:15 a.m.

Colorado Mesa University - Thursday, Sept. 26 - 11:45 a.m.

Grand Canyon University, Traditional Campus - Friday, Sept. 27 - 9:00 a.m.

Valparaiso University - Friday, Sept. 27 - 11:45 a.m.

Louisiana State University - Friday, Sept. 27 - 1:30 p.m.

Scholarship Opportunities

Click on the links below for more information on the following scholarship opportunities:

Boettcher Scholarship (for seniors; merit-based)

Daniels Fund Scholarship (for seniors; financial need-based)

NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing (for females in grades 9-12 interested in computer science)

"Six Colleges" in Denver

Amherst, Bowdin, Carleton, Pomona, Swarthmore, and Williams Colleges are hosting an evening during which they will discuss the value and affordability of the liberal arts and provide specific information about each institution.

Date: Monday, September 16, 2024

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Place: Cherry Creek High School, 9300 E. Union Ave., Greenwood Village

RSVP: Click here

"Admissions 101" Info Session

Representatives from Skidmore College, Trinity University, Wake Forest University, and University of Richmond are hosting an information session regarding academics, student life, admissions, and financial aid at their institutions.

Date: Thursday, September 19, 2024

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Place: Regis Jesuit High School, 6380 S. Lewiston Way, Aurora

Registration is Required: Click here

"Exploring College Options" Info Program

Admissions representatives from Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, Stanford, and the University of Pennsylvania will offer virtual programs to present information about their institutions, discuss the application process, and answer questions on how to put together a strong and reflective application.

Date/Time: Sunday, September 22, 2024 at 3:00 p.m.

Date/Time: Monday, September 23, 2024 at 5:00 p.m.

Registration: Sunday and Monday

Jeffco Performing Arts College Night

Has your student considered pursing music, theatre, or dance in college? Representatives from the top performing arts programs in Colorado are coming together for an evening to answer your questions and give away some swag!

Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Time: 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Place: Jeffco Ed Center, 1829 Denver West Dr., Building 27, Golden

Colleges Attending: CU Boulder, UNC, CSU, DU, UCD, MSU

Venture Crew 911 Open House

Venture Crew 911 is an outreach program at St. Anthony Hospital for students ages 14 and older interested in medicine, nursing, EMS, firefighting, sports medicine, and more. Click here for more information.

Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Time: 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Place: St. Anthony Hospital - Conference Rooms A&B, Lakewood

RSVP: OpenHouse@Crew911.net

Scholarship Webinar

The Boettcher Foundation is hosting a "Everything You Need to Know About Scholarships" webinar. They will go over how students can "ACE" their college and scholarship applications, including tips on how to make their applications stand out. Click here to register - scroll about half-way down the page and click on the date you would like to attend.

Date & Time: Thursday, September 26,12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Date & Time: Wednesday, October 9, 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.

College Fairs of Greater Denver

College Fairs of Greater Denver, Inc. is hosting three upcoming college fairs at local high schools. To register for any of the fairs, click here.

Date/Time & Place: Wednesday, September 25, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at Monarch High School, Louisville

Date/Time & Place: Thursday, September 26, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. at Denver South High School, Denver

Date/Time & Place: Saturday, September 28, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at Mountain Vista High School, Highlands Ranch

Denver National College Fair

The National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC) is hosting a college fair this fall with over 200 colleges. This is a great way for juniors to start building their college list and for seniors to meet with representatives of colleges to which they may/will be applying. Click here to register.

Date: Sunday, September 29, 2024

Time: 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Place: Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th Street, Denver

Leading Ladies Youth Conference

High school females with aspirations in business, entrepreneurship, or law/government are invited to a day focused on exploring careers in Colorado. There will be individual and panel speakers as well as breakout sessions from successful female leaders as they share lessons and advice they wish they could give their teenage selves.

Date: Saturday, October 5, 2024

Time: 8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Place: Daniels College of Business @ University of Denver, 2101 S. University Blvd

Advisement Corner

Advisement

This week in Advisement, 9th graders will do activities that illustrate the importance of preventing missed assignments, and how to prioritize their work time. Sophomores will work on Blue Book Readiness Steps to help them to prepare for the Super Test Date (PSAT and NMSQT) coming in October. Both groups will complete a Needs Assessment with the RVHS Counselor team.

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