Dear, Parents, Guardians, Students, and Staff,

As we mark the completion of Week 31, we're keenly aware that only 9 weeks remain in the academic school year. March was a month filled with productivity, memorable moments, and fun. We get the opportunity to do that again in April. Now, as April unfolds, the pace surprisingly intensifies which means focusing on details is critical. The message from our staff to students remains steadfast: there is work yet to be accomplished. We encourage everyone to finish strong. Remember, how you end is just as crucial as how you begin. Enjoy this month's newsletter. 

John Fote, Principal RHHS

Unified Sports

This past month Unified Sports at Rocky Hill High School was honored with multiple awards. This first being the renewal of their Unified National Champion School Banner that was presented at a board of ed meeting by President and CEO of special Olympics CT Mike Mason and CIAC Unified Sports Assistant Director Steve Trifone. The Banner will be added to the gym in the coming months. 

The team was also honored at the Special Olympics Annual Banquet with the Spirit of Inclusion Award which is given to a select few schools that go above and beyond to promote an inclusive and supportive environment for all of its students. Rocky Hill was selected because of the many events and activities that unified sports provide in our school. 

Tardy Policy 2024:

New policy starting 1/25/2024:

• Students are allowed 10 tardies to school for the SEMESTER 

• On your 11th tardy students will be given a 2 hour detention which are held on Wednesdays after school

• On your 12th - 14th tardy  students will be given a 4 hour detention which are held on Saturdays from 8:00am - 12:00pm

• On your 15th tardy and beyond bring tardy to school will result in 1 day of In-School Suspension

• Any Missed Saturday detention will become 1 day of In-School Suspension

If your child is absent from school, please use the following Google Form to submit the absence to the school office. Please use the password that was sent over school messenger to access the Google Form. 

Absence Form: https://forms.gle/uDtwLJqKoev2QGYJA

Red Cross Blood Drive:

Student council hosted a successful blood drive on April 3rd. Over 30 students and staff took the time out of their day to generously donate blood and support this event. Thank you to all our hard working student voulenteers that made this event a great success!

RHHS Spring Plant Sale

The RHHS Botany and UConn Horticulture students have been hard at work growing perennials, herbs, vegetables, patio planters, and Mother's Day Hanging Baskets.  Plants will be available for sale on May 2 from 1-5, May 4 from 9-12, May 10 from 1-5, and May 13 - 17 from 1-2:15.  

Please contact Ms. Antol  with any questions or plant needs you may have. antolk@rockyhillps.com    

Art Regional Awards

Each year, Connecticut Students grades 7 – 12 are invited to enter the Regional Scholastic Art Awards Competition. Each school selects a handful of works to enter into the competition in the hopes that their students can win cash awards and scholarships. Of the thousands of works submitted from across Connecticut, only a small percentage receive award recognition in the form of Gold Key, Silver Key and Honorable Mention. All Gold Key winners are automatically advanced to the National Competition which will be adjudicated in June. This year we had 7 students recognized for excellence in the Scholastic Competition.

Congratulations to our 7 students who earned awards, with a special mention to Brayden Rule, who earned the ASAP! SUMMER PHOTOGRAPHY INTENSIVE SCHOLARSHIP from the University of Hartford in addition to the Gold Medal Award. 

Please see the page:

https://new.express.adobe.com/webpage/iO10tRNIPpoJG

Women in Action

Rocky Hill High School held its second annual Women in Action career panel on March 7th.  Over fifty students attended to listen and speak to women from fields such as law, education, journalism, and medicine.  Panelists included Erin Connolly, evening news anchor for WFSB; Attorney Brooke Goff of the Goff Law Group; Jennifer Tolman, president of the nonprofit group Dignity Grows; and Dr. Zulma Toro, president of Central Connecticut State University.  Students first listened to the panelists as they spoke about their working experiences, then had the opportunity to speak with them in small groups.  

World language teachers, Ms. Viviana Guzmán and Ms. Lisa Urso, helped organize the event along with senior Grace DiTunno and the members of Girl Up.

(photo credits: Ashley Lockwood, RHHS sophomore)

World Language Honor Society Induction

The World Language Department was honored to induct 74 students into their respective honor societies on March 26th.  Fourteen students became members of the Société Honoraire de français; five were inducted into the Societas Honoris Latina; and the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica welcomed 58 new members.  

Students who were inducted into the honor societies last year assisted their advisors with welcoming the inductees.  Juniors Reshmi Chowdhury, Diya Dave, Jai Gandhi, and Hansika Vipparthi recited “Le Cours du Flambeau” during the French portion.  Senior Suma Dendi recited the Cursus Taedae for the Latin section.  Lastly, Seniors Vaibhavi Annu, Raya Jain, and Jheel Patel recited the poem “La Lengua de La Raza” before the induction of the Spanish students.    

Following the ceremony, students, parents, guardians, and staff enjoyed a light reception in the cafeteria to celebrate their accomplishments.

Voter Registration

Voter registration took place at Rocky Hill High School the week of March 11th.  The process began with a presentation given by senior Grace DiTunno and juniors Reshmi Chowdhury, Diya Dave, and Jahnavi Keelu.  Mr. Tom Pugliese and Mr. Philip Theroux, the Rocky Hill Registrars of Voters, attended the presentation to answer questions.

Students were able to register during the lunch waves on March 14th.  Fifty-nine students did so, which, according to the Registrar's Office, was the highest number of students who registered to vote in the history of Rocky Hill High School.  

Entrepreneurship

Mrs. Nguyen’s Entrepreneurship students were learning about legal forms of ownership and

Mrs. Bobbi Stewart, owner of Chick-fil-A on the Berlin Tpke., came in to explain to them what a

franchise is and what it takes to own one. Ms. Stewart was also kind enough to bring the

students a Chick-fil-A breakfast, which made listening to her that much easier!

2024 Winter Season Update:

Below is the schedule for when each team will begin its regular season: 

Baseball: Saturday, March 30th - Rocky Hill vs Vinal Tech (H) - 11:00 AM - Griswold MS-Rocky Hill Baseball Diamond 

Softball: Saturday, March 30th - Rocky Hill vs Middletown (H) - 1:00 PM - Rocky Hill High School Softball Diamond 

Boys Lacrosse: Monday, April 1st - Rocky Hill vs Maloney (H) - 4:00 PM - Rocky Hill High School McVicar Turf Field 

Girls Lacrosse: Saturday, March 30th - Rocky Hill at Granby Memorial (A) - 9:00 AM - Granby Memorial High School Stadium Field 

Outdoor Track & Field: Tuesday, April 2nd - Rocky Hill vs Newington (H) - 3:45 PM - Rocky Hill High School Track 

Boys Tennis: Monday, April 1st - Rocky Hill at Windsor Locks (A) - 3:45 PM - Windsor Locks High School Tennis Courts

Girls Tennis: Monday, April 1st - Rocky Hill vs Windsor Locks (H) - 3:45 PM - Rocky Hill High School Tennis Courts 

Joe Horvath, Athletic Director

Emergency Medications- Please make sure all emergency medications and emergency health care plans are up to date in the Health Office. If you have not picked up your plan, please stop by the Health Office and speak with Mrs Garrahy.  If you carry a medication, it must be approved by the school nurse. This needs to be done annually.  

MEDICATIONS SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN IN THE CLASSROOM UNLESS APPROVED BY THE SCHOOL NURSE.  THIS INCLUDES OVER THE COUNTER MEDICATIONS SUCH AS TYLENOL OR ADVIL. 

In School Illness-If a student becomes ill during the school day, they should report to the Health Office and be evaluated by a nurse.  The nurse will then contact parents/guardians for proper dismissal from school.  

Mandatory Physicals -10th graders, please be on the lookout for a notification from the nurse regarding your mandatory school physical. Students must submit a health assessment in either 9th or 10th grade per state requirements. If you are in need of one, a letter will be mailed home. Please submit it ASAP if you were notified. If not received by the first day of school, the student will be sent home. 

Sports Physicals - Athletes, please make sure your sports physicals are up to date with the school nurse.  The State of Connecticut Health Assessment Health Assessment Record record is used for the form. You are not eligible for participation if your physical has expired.  Physicals can be submitted by email to garrahyr@rockyhillps.com or faxed to 860-258-7646. Also, please make sure you are registered for the sport well in advance of the season starting. 

If you have any questions, please contact the nurse. Renee Garrahy, RN 860-258-7620.  

RHHS School Counseling Website: https://rhhs.rockyhillps.com/guidance

RHHS School Counseling Phone:  860-258-7724

Instagram account:  rhhs_schoolcounseling 

Students are assigned to a counselor by last name:  

A-D:  Mrs. Notarangelo (notarangelos@rockyhillps.com)

E-K:  Mrs. Carbutti (carbuttia@rockyhillps.com)

L-Rf:  Mrs. Bikowski (bikowskih@rockyhillps.com)  

Rg-Z:  Mrs. Russell (russellj@rockyhillps.com)  

Guidance Google Classroom Codes: 

YOG 2024 (Seniors): eoanfws

YOG 2025 (Juniors): pxokhxgj

YOG 2026 (Sophomores): owc7g32

YOG 2027 (Freshmen):  god6keo

YOG 2028 (8th Graders): rjmcdv7

Important Dates and Information:

• April 4: Xavier and Mercy invite all students and their parents to attend the annual college fair on April 4 from 6 - 8 PM at Xavier High School in Middletown.  Please see the attached flyer for more information.   

• April 5: RHHS Common Scholarship Application (online) deadline

• April 25: NGSS testing for juniors

• May 6-May 17: Advanced Placement (AP) exams

Advanced Placement Tests

• Advanced Placement (AP) testing will take place between May 6 - May 17 - see schedule. Details about timing, location, etc. will be distributed closer to the testing timeframe. 

2024-2025 Course Selection Process

Students chose the classes they would like to take for the 2024-2025 school year. Once the schedule is finalized, counselors will meet with students individually to review any conflicts and finalize schedules. Schedules cannot be changed after the last day of school.  Some additional resources are below: 

• Program of Studies

• Career Clusters and Pathways handout 

Seniors - College and Financial Aid Information

Seniors can complete the RHHS Common Scholarship Application (online) which has a deadline of April 5, 2024 (no exceptions).  

School counselors automatically sent mid-year grades to any college to which seniors applied.

Please continue to check Naviance (Colleges > Scholarship List) and/or Guidance Google classrooms for scholarship opportunities. Keep checking back on a regular basis as more and more scholarships are added every day!

If you are unsure of your after-graduation plans, please make an appointment with your counselor to discuss options - whether it is college, technical/trade schools, employment or the military. Some schools are still accepting applications, including CT community colleges which are offering free tuition for next year. 

PSAT Scores

Students should have received an email from the College Board with instructions on how to access their PSAT scores. Please see the PSAT 8/9 Handout and the PSAT Handout for more information.  As a reminder, the school counselors do not have access to College Board accounts, so make sure you keep track of your username and password.  

Summer Enrichment Opportunities

Students can check Naviance for summer enrichment opportunities by going to Naviance > Colleges > Research Colleges > Enrichment Programs. Students and families are responsible for paying applicable fees and providing transportation. Participating in summer programs can be included on a student's resume. 

Financial Aid Night

A representative from CHESLA presented information about paying for college.  As a reminder, the FAFSA is delayed this year and will be available in December. 

Community Service

All students should be completing and documenting community service hours by submitting the Community Service Form to Guidance.  Current seniors must complete at least 37.5 hours, and all other grades must complete at least 50 hours prior to graduation.  

Class of 2024

Senior Cup Kickballl

• • Thursday May 30th after school 

Senior Prom

• • Friday May31st 6-10 at the Aqua Turf

  • Be on the look out for

    • DJ song list coming in early April

    • Tickets will be sold end of April/Early May

      • Primarily sold online

    • Table form will be coming out when tickets go on sale 

Class Night

• • Monday June 3rd in the cafeteria 

    • Get your cap, gown, tassels and yearbooks 

Senior Picnic

• • Tuesday June 4th at the Farmington polo club 

Please pay attention to the following information about class dues. All students owe $160 for class dues, which are used to help defray activity expenses such as Class Night and Senior Picnic. Since dues are applied to Senior activities, all students, regardless of when they enter RHHS, are required to pay the full amount. All students are afforded the opportunity to fundraise to reduce these dues to avoid any financial burdens that may occur. All money is placed in the Student Activity Fund, and receipts are issued upon payment of dues. Receipts are required as proof of payment. Information regarding the collection of dues and each year’s activities will be sent home by the class advisors during the first quarter. 

Students will not be able to attend events such as Class Night and Senior Picnic if their dues are not paid for by the end of Quarter 3 in their senior year. While class dues total $160 for senior year activities, a payment plan of $40 per year is required. Students who are not up to date on their due payments can not participate in certain class events, such as running for a class office. Please note that dues will not be applied towards proms, and there will be additional ticket costs to cover prom expenses.

• Class dues are a total of $160.  To make dues more affordable, we ask that you pay $40 each year and not wait until your Senior year to pay your dues in full. However, you are more than welcome to pay them in full at any time.  Cash or checks can be given to your homeroom teachers or directly to one of your advisors. Please make checks payable to RHHS SAF (your student's graduation year).  You may also pay online via My Payment Plus.

• Remember, to help offset this expense, and so you may choose to participate in one or more of the two school-wide fundraisers held each year.  The more we sell as a whole school, the more individual profit you make. 

More information on fundraisers will be coming out soon.

Class Google Classroom Codes

Seniors: fmed6wi

Juniors: 5kqlhdj 

Sophomores: 5hlyeee 

Freshman: cgyzyj7

The Peer Tutoring Lab will officially open on Monday, October 30th! Please encourage your students to go to the lab for help during their study halls for extra help. They are welcome up to the lab any day/period that it is open (please note, as of right now, periods 7 and 8 are only open two days a week).

Writing Lab

Rocky Hill High School's peer-led Writing Center has now been open for six successful months. Our 31 trained Writing Collaborators have met with student writers in over 120 appointments focused on all parts of the writing process. The Writing Center is located in the library mezzanine and is open every day, periods 1-9. Students are encouraged to make appointments and can find the link to the Writing Center website on their English class Google Classrooms.  

Clubs and activities are instrumental in learning that extends outside the classroom. RHHS students value the clubs and activities they are part of. To learn more about the clubs and activity opportunities, please access the clubs and activities page on our website. 

 List of clubs: https://rhhs.rockyhillps.com/clubsandactivities

The Broadside

The Broadside, the Rocky Hill High School Newspaper Club, publishes monthly editions which feature articles written by student writers. The Broadside presents a variety of opportunities to students, whether it’s strengthening your writing skills, helping run the Instagram and website, gaining leadership experience, or taking photos for the club.  Every year, we also attend CCSU Journalism Day, where members are able to learn about topics such as the rights of reporters and the importance of social media from notable reporters and other high school students.

Check it out here: The Broadside

The HealthierUS School Challenge (HUSSC) is a voluntary initiative that recognizes schools participating in the National School Lunch Program that have created healthier school environments through the promotion of nutrition and physical activity.

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