RALSTON VALLEY NEWS

OCTOBER 20, 2023 EDition

PSAT-NMSQT Make-Up

9th-11th grade students who did not take the PSAT-NMSQT on October 11th can make it up on Tuesday, October 24th at 8:15 a.m. Please refer to the email sent by Sarah New, counselor, or contact her at sarah.new@jeffco.k12.co.us for more information.

Pick-up and Drop-off Safety

Please be aware of students in the crosswalk at 80th and Alkire at pick-up and drop-off times, as there have been close calls with cars nearly hitting pedestrians. Thank you for helping keep our kids safe.

Hazel Health Information for Families

Jeffco Public Schools has partnered with Hazel Health, Inc. to provide a telehealth extension of mental and physical health supports to Jeffco students enrolled at district-managed schools, through evidence-based, culturally responsive, on-demand integrated healthcare services, accessed at home with a legal parent/guardian. Visit the Hazel Health webpage for more information about accessing services for your student, opting out, etc.

Class of 2024: Cap & Gown and Graduation Orders

Preparations for the graduation ceremony celebrating the Class of 2024 are already underway.

Thank you to all seniors who placed their orders in person. Ordering packets are available in the Main Office for those seniors who still need one.

Can I Order Online? Yes. Jostens will accept online orders through October 29th. Place online orders using this link.

Who Do I Contact for Questions? Please contact our Jostens representatives directly with any questions at nils.erickson.office@jostens.com or by calling 303.985.0095.

Academic Awards for 2022-2023 School Year

Invitations have been sent to students who will receive an Academic Award or Letter for their achievements during the 2022-2023 school year. We ask students to arrive no later than 6:30 p.m. on Monday, October 23rd, so that we can get students prepared and lined up for the program.

Please click here if you would like to support PTSA by providing refreshments at the end of the ceremony.

If you have questions please contact heather.nigut@jeffco.k12.co.us

activities

Speech and Debate Tournament

Our Speech and Debate team competed in their first tournament of the season last weekend. The Bruin Novice tournament, held at Cherry Creek High School, is designed for new competitors and each student won an award, well done! Their next competition will be at Northglenn High School on Saturday, October 28th.

Will Burczyk: Lincoln Douglas Debate - Superior Award

Daniel Harness: Lincoln Douglas Debate - Excellence Award

Nathaniel Joselyn & Madalyn Ackerman - Public Forum Debate Superior Award

Ella Lindholm - Student Judge

Marching Band Regional Competition

Congratulations to the Marching Mustangs on their 4th place finish at Regionals held last Monday at Littleton Public Schools Stadium! They are on their way to State again with a score of 71.2, their highest of the season! Good luck Marching Band!

Save the Date - "The Curious Savage"

“The Curious Savage” is the comedic and touching story of an elderly widow named Mrs. Savage, whose husband has left her 10 million dollars. She intends to give the entire fortune away to people who wish to pursue their “foolish dreams,” but her stepchildren strongly object.

To prevent her from doing away with their family’s wealth and ruining their legacy, they have her committed to a sanatorium called The Cloisters, and it is among the gentle residents there that she finds her true family

“The Curious Savage” is a warm comedy that compares the kindness and loyalty of psychiatric patients with the greed and hostility of so-called “normal people.”

November 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in the RVHS Auditorium or streamed online. Click HERE for ticket information.

Trick or Treat Street

Join us on Friday, October 27th, from 5:30-7:00 p.m. for the annual Trick-or-Treat Street at Ralston Valley! Admission: One canned food or personal care item for the Arvada Food Bank or cash donation for RV National Honor Society. Please use the entrance east of the Main 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.

athletics

Athletic Updates

Flag Football finished in the top 4 in the state of Colorado last weekend at the state championship tournament. Competing at the Broncos training facility in Dove Valley, the Mustangs knocked off the defending champions form Chatfield in the quarter finals before falling to runner up Cherry Creek in overtime during the semifinals. Great first season and congratulations.

Boys Soccer played Valor to a 1-1 tie on Tuesday night at NAAC. Both teams were semifinalists last season and are looking to make a run again this fall. With that draw, Ralston Valley clinched the league title. With a win over Columbine on Friday night, the Mustangs can finish the regular season with the first undefeated season in school history. Playoffs start next Wednesday with a likely first round matchup at NAAC. Brackets will be released this weekend.

Softball played hard at regionals but eventually fell to Mountain Vista in the state qualifying game. Great season Mustangs.

Volleyball beat Lakewood on Monday night 3-2 and fell 3-0 to Valor on Wednesday in a match for the Jeffco League Championship. They finish league play on Tuesday against Columbine and then will spend next weekend at the always tough Cheyenne Mountain Tournament in Colorado Springs.

Cross County will race at Regionals on Friday at the Northwest Open Space. Come out and cheer the Mustangs on to State qualifying. The Girls are up first at 12:30 pm with the boys taking to the course at 1:15 pm.

Football has a big game on Friday night at Jeffco Stadium against Chatfield. A win keeps Ralston Valley in position for a first round by and top 8 seed for the playoffs at the end of the month.

Pre-Season Wrestling Meeting - RV High School Wrestling season begins November 13th. For interested athletes and families, please plan to attend a parent information meeting for the 2023-2024 Wrestling Season. Wednesday, October 25th at 7pm, C-Hall (upstairs). You can also meet our new Head Coach, Aaron Coorough

Hometown Ticketing - All Jeffco events have gone cashless this year. When attending games at our schools or stadiums save yourself time by purchasing your tickets ahead of time by using the link below. You can also purchase punch passes to use for your entire family. Punch passes will save you money on processing fees.

HOMETOWN TICKETING BOX OFFICE

Winter sports registration is open! The deadline to register is Friday, November 10th at 3:00 p.m. Winter sports are: boys wrestling, boys and girls basketball, girls swim & dive, and ice hockey. Please ensure your student-athlete has a valid ATHLETIC physical to upload into the registration.

The registration page, and instructions, can be found on the RVHS Athletics website: https://ralstonvalleyhs.rschoolteams.com/

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

October 23 - 27, 2023

Monday, Oct. 23rd - Silver Day

Tuesday, Oct. 24th - White Day

Wednesday, Oct. 25th - Blue Day

Thursday, Oct. 26th - White Day

Friday, Oct. 27th - Blue Day

Advisement Corner

Advisement

This week our 9th grades students learned about note taking strategies using 'Make it Stick' strategies.

Our 10th-grade students attended a presentation by Kari Eckert, who is the CEO of Robbie’s Hope. The program focus was to ACT (Acknowledge, Care and Tell a trusted adult) if they are concerned about themselves or a friend. Parents received communication regarding this presentation through School Messenger.

Counseling Department

RVHS Financial Aid Night

Financial aid night is designed for parents of college-bound students in the class of 2024, but is open to all RV families. Attendees will learn about upcoming changes to the financial aid process happening this year. There will also be an overview of the many ways families can finance a college education, including need-based and merit-based aid.

Our presenter is Brooke Geraghty, Senior Admissions Counselor at Colorado Mesa University. Ms. Geraghty has a wealth of knowledge and experience at private and public universities that she will share with families.

Date: Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Time: 6:00 - 7:00 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:

University of Nebraska, Lincoln - Tuesday, Oct. 24 - 9:30 a.m.

Texas Christian University - Tuesday, Oct. 24 - 1:00 p.m.

Texas A&M University, College Station - Wednesday, Oct. 25 - 1:00 p.m.

Louisiana State University - Thursday, Oct. 26 - 9:30 a.m.

Colorado Christian University - Thursday, Oct. 26 - 11:30 a.m.

University of Alabama - Friday, Oct. 27 - 11:30 a.m.

University of Northern Colorado - Wednesday, Nov. 1 - 1:00 p.m.

Red Rocks Community College, Arvada Campus - Thursday, Nov. 2 - 9:30 a.m.

Westminster University, Utah - Friday, Nov. 3 - 9:30 a.m.

Stony Brook University - Friday, Nov. 3 - 11:30 a.m.

Washington College - Friday, Nov. 3 - 1:00 p.m.

Upcoming College Fairs

The National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC) sponsor college fairs across the country. The Denver Metro area is lucky to be the site of one of their fairs. Over 200 colleges and universities will be in attendance!

NACAC National College Fair - Denver

Date: Sunday, November 5, 2023

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

Place: Colorado Convention Center

NACAC Virtual College Fairs

Date: Sunday, November 12, 2023

Time: 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

RVHS Peer Counseling Podcast

The Inside Out podcast is where our RV Peer Counselors dive into the world of mental health with a fresh perspective and a dose of positivity! Join us as we take the mic to discuss the real stuff that impacts our minds and hearts. From tackling burnout to taming anxiety, listen for insightful discussions, relatable anecdotes, and a dash of inspiration – all wrapped up in a podcast that's as dynamic as you are. This is Inside Out, where we're turning mental health into an open conversation, one episode at a time.

ralston valley HAPPENINGS

Jeffco Career Expo

Over 120 RVHS students, mostly 10th graders, took a field trip to the Gold Crown Fieldhouse this week for the annual Jeffco Career Expo. Students were able to speak to 90+ industry professionals about their line of work and learn about the different requirements for their occupations. In addition, college representatives and military personal were on hand to discuss future possibilities with our students.

Lab Work in Chemistry

Students in Ms. Geinitz's Chemistry class made Bohr models of different elements using Oreo cookies. The sprinkles represent the subatomic particles; protons, neutrons, and electrons.

Here, they are recording observations of the different atomic spectra in gases.

Interior Design Students Creates Original House Design

Ms. Avalos' Interior Design class is working on a 2D Elevation sketch of a house using a combination of different architectural styles throughout history to create their own original design. The class had a guest visit from RVHS Engineering teacher Mr. Gause, to provide feedback on their sketches.

Robotics Get Inspiration from Engineers

Students in Mr. Jonson's Robotics and Drones class met with industry engineers to share their design ideas.

Cookie Competition in Baking and Pastry

Baking & Pastry students have been studying the function of ingredients for cookies, varying their recipes to understand the impact of each ingredient on the cookie's texture, spread, and flavor. This week in class, each group chose a Crumbl-inspired recipe to compete in our annual Crumbl competition! With flavors like pumpkin pie, cinnamon apple, dirt cake, churro, s'mores, and carrot cake, the ultimate winner went to the group who made a Twix cookie! Community Superintendent Beth Elmgreen stopped by and got a sample of the tasty work.

Biology Field Trip to Rocky Mountain National Park

Mr. Annest's and Ms. Rosenthal's AP Biology students enjoy a beautiful autumn field trip to Rocky Mountain National Park last week.

French Students Inspired by Monet

Madame Leslie's French classes take their artistic pursuits outdoors, inspired by Monet's "Field of Flowers" work.

Fashion Show in Espanol

Senora Hayes' and Senora Chacon's Spanish II classes are doing a clothes unit. They dressed up and practiced describing their clothing to each other in Spanish.