Rowland High School
Raider Review - October 31-November 4
Message from Principal Brunyer
Rowland High School Community: it is our pleasure to provide a new format for communicating the great things that are happening on our campus. We will have a weekly “Raider Review” coming out that will provide a schedule of activities and athletic events, provide relevant campus information, and highlight various aspects of our instructional programs and student life. We hope that you will find this communication useful, interesting, and informative. Thank You Raiders!
Events for the Week of October 31 to November 4
Monday 10/31
Halloween Costume Contest
Tuesday - 11/1
Pupil Free Day
Wednesday - 11/2
Cal Baptist University - Admissions Rep Visit
Cross Country Boys & Girls @ Horsethief Canyon Park
Thursday - 11/3
ELAC Meeting @ 5:30 p.m. in the Hideout
Friday - 11/4
12 Week Progress Report Grades in Aeries
2023 National Merit Students
Semifinalists
Rowland High School is proud to announce that three students, Selina Cheng, Juliet Kim, and Madeleine Tsoi were selected as Semifinalist in the 2023 National Merit® Scholarship Program based on their high Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®) scores. In October 2021 and January 2022, over 1.5 million junior students in about 21,000 high schools entered the National Merit Program by taking the 2021 PSAT/NMSQT®. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists represents less than one percent of the U.S. high school seniors. These academically talented high school seniors have the opportunity to continue in the Merit Scholarship® competition and advance to Finalist standing to be awarded in the spring of 2023.
Commended Students
Congratulations goes to twelve Rowland High School students who were named Commended Students in the 2023 National Merit® Scholarship Program. In April the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) identified the 50,000 highest scorers. About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation were recognized for their exceptional academic promise. These Raiders have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success and were recognized by the NMSC for their accomplishments. Each student received a National Merit Certificate.
September Students of the Month
Dylan Kang is an outstanding student who maintains Principal’s Honor Roll status with a 4.29 GPA, ranking 7 in his class. He is in an Advanced Placement course of study and a National Merit Commended Student. Dylan has diversified through several clubs and activities as the President of the Korean, UNICEF, and CSF clubs. Through these clubs, he has raised awareness of world problems, Korean heritage, college opportunities, and child care. Dylan is also an excellent athlete and has been part of the Water Polo and Badminton teams since his freshman year. He has nurtured an open and more competitive environment as a varsity badminton player and water polo captain. Dylan has also engaged in many volunteering opportunities by co-founding Go Choose Change. This nonprofit organization participates in voluntary activities such as hikes for charity, cleanups (parks, beaches, community center, etc.), and food distribution events. Dylan co-founded Go Choose Change to make slow, significant changes through various measures. Their journey in community service began amidst the pandemic that heightened problems within our society and highlighted the need for student service. Dylan completed Finance/Investment Management and Investment in Technology at Columbia’s Academic Year Immersion program. He also attended Harvard summer school, where he became a member of their multicultural club. After high school, Dylan plans to attend a 4-year university and enter the finance industry.
Samantha Leong has excelled in the International Baccalaureate course of study with a 4.23 GPA, maintains Principal’s Honor Roll status, and ranks seventeen in her class. Samantha is active in extracurricular activities as a member of the Creative Writing Club (2019-23) - Member (2019-20), Vice President (2020-21), Treasurer (2021-22), and President (2022-23); CSF (2019-23) - Member (2019-20), Volunteer Tutor (2020-23), Commissioner of Special Activities (2021-22), and Treasurer (2022-23); National Honor Society (2020-23), Inductee (2020-21), and Vice President (2021-23); Chinese Club (2019-23) - Member (2019-21), Treasurer (2021-22), and President (2022-23); and Vice President of the Chinese Club (2020-22). Samantha also participated in the Raider Jazz Band as a pianist in her freshman and sophomore years. As an athlete, Samantha has been part of the Volleyball Varsity Team since her freshman year. She became captain of the team during her Junior year and has continued to lead the group through her Senior year. Samantha has received the following recognitions in Volleyball: 2019-20 Valle Vista All-League Honorable Mention, 2020-21 Hacienda League All-League First Team, 2021-22 Hacienda League All-League First Team, Hacienda League All-Academic First Team, and Most Valuable Player. She has also been a part of the Varsity Tennis team since her first year in high school and has been captain since her second year in high school. She was a CIF Finalist during her freshman year and has received the following recognitions in Tennis: 2020-21 Hacienda League - League MVP, 2021-22 Hacienda League All-League First Team, Hacienda League All-Academic First Team, Hacienda League - League MVP, and Most Valuable Player Award. Outside of school, Samantha helps widely in the community. She has volunteered for the Second Harvest Food Bank in Irvine and has collected and donated toiletries to the Ronald McDonald House for those in need during her four years of high school. Samantha has volunteered for three years at the Children’s Museum of La Habra. She created the “Music Movement,” where she is an instructor. Due to this effort, she received a certificate of recognition from the City of La Habra for her volunteer work. Samantha is the founder and volunteer of the Rowland Little Free Pantry. She worked closely with Dr. Julie Mitchell, Superintendent of Schools, David Malkin, Board Member, and Principal John Martinez to set up this project. Samantha’s plans after high school include attending a four-year college and studying mathematics. In the future, she hopes to eventually become a principal or administrator to continue helping those around her.
Class of 2023 November Event – Senior Rec Night
Monday November 7th 6:00-8:00pm in the quad
Come enjoy inflatables with your senior classmates. FREE with purchase of senior attire or $5 without.
High School Voter Registration Week
The week of September 19-23 was High School Voter Registration Week. This week is dedicated to informing students who are 16 & 17 years old to pre-register to vote so they will be ready to vote in all elections when they turn 18. 11th-grade US History students in Ms. Woo's class participated by first brainstorming ideas about how to go about encouraging their peers to register to vote. They then created engaging infographics with registration information and youth voting statistics. A few students had their infographics chosen to be turned into flyers, and then they volunteered to pass them out to other 11th and 12th graders at lunch.
STEM Activities with the Next Generation
On September 15, students from the Maker Club and the Programming Club joined the RHS library staff to host Ms. Sandy Orduno's kindergarten students from Killian. Our young guests built paper circuits, coffee filter butterflies, and marshmallow tetrahedrons. We plan to host more STEAM activities in the coming months with our young friends.
Clinical Medical Assistant
Students in the Clinical Medical Assistant class have started practicing donning (putting on) and doffing (taking off) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
RHS Girls Golf
The Rowland Girls Golf team participated in the 2022 Lady Mustang Golf Tournament Division III-IV on Monday, Sept 12, and tied for second place out of 12 schools from various leagues. Our own Brianna Nakano won 1st place for individuals shooting 1 under for a score of 69.
This was a great start to the girls' golf season for the Rowland Raiders!
RHS Volleyball
The RHS Volleyball team ranked #5 in Division 6 at the end of the season and qualified for an at-large bid to play in the CIF finals. Their current record is 19-9.
“As far as this goes, I feel we got off to a very strong start,’ Coach Varela said. “We knew going into a league that we had to perform well in the preseason, and we did. Our losses have been to Highland, Los Altos, Walnut, and South Hills. All very strong teams, who I feel we played well.”
The player that has played a major role for the Raiders this year is Julianna Lopez. The junior has accumulated a team-high 136 kills and 85 digs. “She’s an all-around player the team can count on to put the ball away,” Coach Varela said. “Julianna is also effective defensively at the net and when digging the back row.”
The Libero position is one of the thankless positions for a player, and Coach Val had a nice one in Meredith Bato. The junior leads the team with 110 digs and has a serve-receiving rating above 2.00, which is very impressive. “She has been able to dig some of the big players in our league and is just fearless,” Coach Val said.
Samantha Leong is a senior that has been a standout. She is a veteran setter who has 293 assists and 41 aces. “It’s incredible to see how her hard work and dedication are paying off,” Coach Varela said of Sam, a four-year varsity letterman. “She has a way of leading the team with compassion and knows how to command attention from her peers.”
“This team is one of the best I’ve coached,” Varela said. “I’m excited about the noise we will continue to make this season going into the playoffs.”
Guidance News
Counselors are here to serve you!
Raiders, do you have a question for your counselor? Counselors are available during lunchtime near the library to answer your questions. You can also contact them by email or schedule an appointment. Visit the Guidance website for contact information.
College & Career Center
Our College and Career Center is located in the center of campus (next to the ASB office) and it's a place where you'll find a variety of resources to help you with your college and career goals. You can get help applying to college, applying for financial aid, choosing majors, and exploring careers. Visit our website for additional resources: rowlandhs.org >guidance > college & career center.
10th Grade Presentations
The Guidance team met with 10th grade students last week during English class to talk about planning for high school & beyond. Students learned about graduation requirements, A-G course requirements, California colleges, how to read their high school transcripts, and how to create an academic plan for 11th & 12th grade.
Senior Reminders
- CSU and UC applications are due on November 30th. Don’t wait until the last minute to submit your application!
- Private college application deadlines vary. Be sure to look at their admissions website for admissions deadlines.
- Seniors, need help with your College or Financial Aid applications? Get assistance daily in the College & Career Center, before school, during lunchtime, and after school, Monday/Wednesday/Friday (7:45am-4pm) and Tuesday/Thursday (8:30am-4:45pm). Counselors are available in the CCC Monday-Thursday during lunchtime to answer your questions.