RRHS Update Week of 8/29
First Week and Links!
On Friday, school leadership held class meeting and discussed the following expectations and dispositions:
- Respect
- RRH Honor Code
- Tardiness, Attendance and On-Time Behaviors
- Hallway and Restroom Expectations
- Title IX Policy
- Cell Phone Usage and Gaggle Alerts
- Drugs, Alcohol and Vape Policy 8240
- Weapons and Safe Harbor Policy 8235
As parents and partners, we ask that you also discuss these policies and expectations over the weekend. High standards for our Phoenix is why our school develops students who achieve at the highest levels while becoming outstanding citizens.
Important Paperwork - Please UPDATE ParentVue!
Parent Liaison and Fee Reduction
Fee and Reduced Lunch Form and Information
School Hours Note
Due to the change in our hours, the building will open beginning at 8:30 am. In the event students arrive earlier than 8:30 am, they must have a scheduled meeting with a staff member who will meet them at the front doors for entry. Thank you!
School Lockers
Questions? Email Mike.Fitzgerald@lcps.org
This Week in Athletics
Monday, August 29th
Golf vs Heritage HS @ South Riding Golf Club; starting at 3:00 p.m.
Tuesday, August 30th
Volleyball vs. Riverside, 9th/JV starting at 5:45 p.m. Varsity starting at 7:00 p.m.
Golf vs. Loudoun County @ Raspberry Falls; starting at 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday August 31st
Field Hockey @ Woodgrove, 5:30 p.m. Bus departs @ 4:15 p.m. Early Release at 4 p.m.
Volleyball @ Broad Run, 9th/JV starting at 5:45 p.m. Varsity starting at 7:00 p.m. Bus departs @ 4:15 p.m. Early Release at 4 p.m.
Friday, September 2nd
Varsity Football @ East Rockingham, 7 p.m. Bus departs at 3 p.m. Early Release at 2:30 p.m.
Varsity Cheer @ East Rockingham, 7 p.m. Bus departs at 3 p.m. Early Release at 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, September 3rd
Cross Country at Hood College, Bus departs at 6:45 a.m.
Upcoming iREADY Testing
All students in LCPS at the high school level will participate in the i-Ready reading diagnostic. The diagnostic results will be used by teachers to glean information on reading comprehension and student progress. It will not be used for grading, college transcripts, or in an evaluative means. Testing will occur in English classes for one block between the dates of Aug. 29th and Sept. 23rd. Parents will be able to view the results in ParentVue in October.
Safety and Security Updates
LCPS Safety and Security and SAFE2TALK APP
Need Assistance?
Safety and Security Officers and Contacts:
Mr. Todd Kinkead Lead Safety and Security Officer - email -todd.kinkead@lcps.org
Mr. Devon Brown Safety and Security Officer - email - devon.brown@lcps.org
Parking Message
Please us this LINK to complete and submit a student parking pass application. The form needs to completed in full and parent approval is required. There are no parking fees this year and students should be parking in the student lot (A-5) in front of the school. All other parking lots are by special exception only for a specific purpose. The passes will be distributed during the lunch blocks. Seek out Mr. Kinkead or Mr. Brown who can verify your approval and distribute the pass.
Senior Parking Spots!
SENIOR RESERVED PARKING SPOTS AVAILABLE
We have 13 pre-painted parking spots that can be purchased for $40 for interested seniors. Purchasing the pre-painted spot will ensure that the student has a RESERVED spot for the entire year. If a student does not have a reserved spot, they will be able to park in any unpainted spot. If you would like one of these spots, please email Ms. Menna at michelle.menna@lcps.org. Spots will be available on a first-come, first served basis.
Student Pictures and Yearbook Notice!
UNDERCLASSMEN PICTURES SEPTEMBER 7 & 8
Ninth, tenth and eleventh graders will have their pictures taken for the yearbook and IDs on September 7 & 8. Ninth and tenth graders will go to the photographer with their PE teacher and eleventh graders will go to the photographer with their English teacher. If students do not have a PE class, they can go to the photographer during their study hall, or from 8:50-9:20.
SENIOR ADS ON SALE NOW- SPACE IS LIMITED- EARLY BIRD PRICING ENDS OCT. 28
Want the perfect way to showcase those baby pictures you’ve been saving and let your senior know how proud of them you are? Place a senior/baby ad in this year’s yearbook to commemorate all their hard work and success!
Ad space is available now and must be purchased online. You can go to www.yearbookforever.com to choose your ad size, upload your pictures and message, and pay for the ad. The yearbook staff will design the ad and send parents a proof. Ad space is limited and available on a first-come, first serve basis. Once the ads are sold out, we cannot accommodate any more. Enter coupon code SENIORS23 for the early bird discount.
YEARBOOKS ON SALE NOW- LOWEST PRICE OF THE YEAR!
Save $20 and buy your yearbooks now! They are on sale for $65. They can be purchased online at www.yearbookforever.com The price will go up to $75 on 10/31, to $80 on 3/20 and then to $85 in May.
LAST SENIOR PICTURES- SEPT. 26 & 27
The last round of senior make up pictures is Sept. 26 & 27. More information will be coming. However, if you have not gotten your senior picture taken, please save the date!
AP Exam Registration
AP Exam Registration
Rock Ridge is excited to offer AP exams to our eligible students in the Spring of 2023. To register for AP exams, students need to be enrolled in the AP Classroom section for their AP class. This can only be done by using a code provided by the AP Teacher or our AP Coordinator, Mrs. Blessing. RRHS AP teachers will guide students in joining AP Classroom and registering for the AP exam during class time.
Please use this one-pager to access information about testing dates, fees, and important deadlines. The registration deadline for all AP exams in LCPS is Friday, November 4th. Registrations and drops after this date will incur a $40 fee per exam.
More information about College Board testing can be found on the RRHS Testing Website.
School Counseling News!
We would like to welcome Ms. Marchante to the counseling staff. Mrs. Marchante now has an lcps e-mail. She can be reached at tiziana.marchante@lcps.org
She is our new College and Career Specialist. Ms. Marchante will continue to send out the weekly(Friday) counseling/college and career information Smores(e-mails) starting next week.
Seniors
Tuesday September 13 at 6:30pm in the Auditorium will be Senior Parent Night. We will cover the college process and life beyond Rock Ridge.
Lessons learned form our Senior College Jump Start presenters. Mr. Exree Hipp III, Assistant Director Virginia Tech, Office of Undergraduate Admissions, put it best.
- All parts of a college application are important.
- Take time to look at the questions being asked.
- Do not finish and immediately submit your Common App or College specific application. Give it a day or so to come back to and review.
- GPA is not EVERYTHING!!! Understand that some essays can count as much as 30% of your college decision as well as clubs and activities that you have consistently invested time in over the years.
- As both Mr. Hipp and Mrs. Spengeman stressed write your essays in your own voice. Do not try to use phrases and words you believe college want to hear.
Scheduling
In the next few weeks student may begin to feel overwhelmed or start to panic about the courses they are in. Returning to school can be stressful as classes get more into a routine. If your student believes a course level is too difficult start by reaching out to the teacher. One test or one paper is not enough of a reason to change a course. It can take several week for students to find their rhythm to balancing the new school year. It is okay to work through some of these early struggles and allow our student to find success. It also takes time for teachers to discover the strengths and weakness of students to be able to help the students grow.
Colleges to KNOW
University of Massachusetts Amherst
From their 1863 founding as a land-grant university known as the Massachusetts Agricultural College, the University of Massachusetts Amherst has had an unwavering commitment to social change and the creation of a better world. They have been dedicated to educating the public, generating new knowledge, and applying discoveries to the betterment of society—a mission they still stand for today. For more than 150 years, they have been at the forefront of some of the biggest shifts in our society, from supporting women's rights and our connections with the early abolitionist movement to the social unrest that took place on our campus and across the country throughout the 20th century. UMass Amherst has recently gain notoriety for out ranking some of the nations most elite universities with their Computer Science programs. It is a hidden gem…
The Family Room
The Division of English Learners, Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Office is excited to welcome you back to school and invite you to join our next The Family Room session titled:
“Navigating ParentVue “
Come and join us for a session of The Family Room about how to Navigate ParentVUE! The Department of Digital Innovation will guide families on how to access their student’s grades, report cards, courses and more. Families are encouraged to come with questions.
Please join us on Wednesday August 31st, 2022:
6 pm (English & Spanish)
7 pm (English & Arabic)
Click on the flyer below to learn more!
From Our PTSO!
PTSO MEMBERSHIP
Please join the PTSO & partner with us as we get things off to a ROCK’in start with a renewed focus on increasing engagement!
Here’s some of what you can expect:
- Enhanced support for student clubs & activities
- Diversity awareness & celebration
- Class recognitions & student socials
- Parent socials & speaker engagements
- Teacher appreciation & instructional support
- And much more!
STUDENTS / FAMILIES - $35 membership fee + free magnet – JOIN HERE!
- Options available to donate more as these funds determine the scope of projects the PTSO can promote.
TEACHERS / STAFF - $10 membership fee + free magnet – JOIN HERE!
The PTSO was pleased to host the teacher and staff back-to-school breakfast this past week! It was great to see everyone back in action!
NEW PTSO MAGNET – FREE with Membership!
1K & 5K FUNDRAISERS with BEST RUNNERS USA
The PTSO is proud to partner with Best Runners USA in support of their 10th Annual Run for Charity 1K & 5K event.
WHEN: Saturday, September 10, 2022, 8 AM
WHERE: Arcola Elementary School - 41740 Tall Cedars Pkwy, Aldie, VA 20105
WHAT TO DO: REGISTER the whole family with the referral code "ROCKRIDGE”
WHY: 100% registration fee collected with this referral code will be donated back to the RRHS PTSO!
- The top 3 schools from the Nova region to bring 100+ registrations will be offered a further grant for supporting Best Runners.
- Best Runners is proud to include Empowering Women to enable needy women to gain financial stability and is introducing a MEGA grant for up to $25,000 to two schools around the globe. – CLICK HERE to learn more.
5K FUNDRAISER with ASHA JYOTHI
The PTSO is proud to partner with Asha Jyothi in support of their 14th Annual 5K Run / Walk event.
WHEN: Sunday, September 18, 2022, at 8 AM
WHERE: Fairfax Corner – 4250 Fairfax Corner Ave, Fairfax VA 22030
WHAT TO DO: REGISTER the whole family with the referral code "ROCKRIDGE”
WHY: Funds collected with this referral code will be donated back to the RRHS PTSO!
- Asha Jyothi is dedicated to serving the needs of the underprivileged by providing access to education and healthcare. – CLICK HERE to learn more.
PTSO COMMITTEES & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
- Please join the PTSO as we kick off the 2022 - 2023 school year with exciting, new opportunities to support Rock Ridge High School students, staff, and families!
- Signing up is not a rigid commitment but allows for flexibility to join as you are able since we know everyone juggles a lot most days.
- See the attached form to learn more and sign up now!