April 2024
RCPS Division Newsletter
A Look Back at the Month in Pictures
RCPS delayed dismissal on April 8th to allow for students to observe the solar eclipse. RCES students watched in awe and wonder as they witnessed the astronomical phenomenon firsthand. Equipped with safety glasses, courtesy of the Rappahannock League of Environmental Protection (RLEP), students excitedly watched the partial eclipse under careful supervision by school staff. It was a fantastic learning experience that they will not forget!
Photo by Holly Jenkins
On April 4th, under the guidance of Ms. Kathryn Waters, the Intro to Healthcare Professions class visited Fairfax Training Academy. During the trip, students practiced hands-on skills with BLS and ALS airways, saw various units such as Heavy Rescue, and even witnessed a Fairfax County Police Helicopter returning from a mission. It was a great experience for all!
Photo courtesy of Kathryn Waters
The PTO Adventure Awaits Fun Run was a hit! Students cheered with excitement as the DJ counted down the event's start. With energizing music playing, beach balls flying, and colored lights flashing, students ran and walked laps while enjoying the party atmosphere. Ultimately, the PTO fundraiser was a huge success with the student body hitting their goal to fund exciting field trip experiences!
Photos by Holly Jenkins
The C2BF Battle of the Blenders championship round was held during the Fun Run event, with each grade level voting on their favorite smoothie. To add to the fun, students had an opportunity to blend the smoothie ingredients on a student-powered blender bike! With students racing against one another, it was a true 'battle of the blenders.' While it was a close race throughout the day, the Busy Bluebird (blueberry, banana, and orange) narrowly won the student choice championship, beating out the Fla-Mango (strawberry and mango) by only FIVE votes!
Photo by Holly Jenkins
On April 5th, future RCHS graduates participated in Freshman Focus at Laurel Ridge preparing for life’s next big steps!! A special thanks to the staff at Laurel Ridge for their warm welcome and hospitality to our seniors.
Photo by Dani Pond
On April 11th, second grade students visited to the Atlantic Union Bank to learn about bank operations. The students determined that most of them have earned close to $400 in their MyFuture savings accounts, and were excited to realize that they will each have close to $1,500 upon high school graduation.
Photo by Erin Sherry
On April 20th and 21st, audiences were entertained by the RCHS theater department’s spring production of Clue! The hilarious murder mystery was brought to life inside Panther Auditorium by a talented ensemble cast directed by Ms. Beth Seeley.
Photo by Tim Stockdale
The annual 7th Grade Career Fair was held on April 12th! Students displayed poster boards that contained facts about their chosen careers. The information included the career cluster, required skills, job duties, salary, and why the student had selected that career. Many students dressed the part and brought props, including live animals: a dog, roosters, guinea pigs, a rabbit, and even a horse! Students in grades PreK-6th had an opportunity to attend the fair to learn more about the various careers.
Photos by Holly Jenkins
Participating students enjoyed a fun-filled senior trip to the Bahamas this month. In addition to the the island adventures, they had a blast aboard the Carnival Sunshine and touring Charleston, SC.
Photo by Tim Stockdale
RCHS held a contest called “The Battle of the Blocks” from February to March with classes achieving the highest attendance rates earning a free Chick-fil-A breakfast! The winners of the contest were announced today and they are: Ms. Goff’s 1st Block with a 96% attendance rate! The 2nd Block winner was a tie between Mr. Hogan and Teacher of the Year, Mr. Stephens at 95%! 3rd Block was another tie between Mrs. Cooper and Mr. Stockdale with a 94% attendance rate! Finally, Block 4 was won by RCHS Band Director, Ms. Page at 93%! Congratulations to the winners!!
Photo by Tim Stockdale
On Thursday, April 25th, students from RCES took part in the Regional Math 24 tournament. Math 24 is a competitive mental math game that requires participants to quickly solve multi-step problems while racing against their peers. Congratulations to the RCES Math-letes (including those not pictured) and Ms. Beth Seeley for their impressive performance!
Photo by Holly Jenkins
The auxiliary gymnasium was abuzz with excitement as it hosted the annual celebration for the MyFuture program on April 25th. The event was a wonderful opportunity for students (K-4th grades) to share their favorite aspects of MyFuture's STEAM and financial literacy modules, as well as reflect on the essential life skills they've acquired over the past year. Students enjoyed a mesmerizing performance by "Tyler the Magician" and a special ice cream treat. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to FamilyFutures, the non-profit organization that supports the MyFuture program. We are also grateful to the William and Mary Greve Foundation for providing the funds for this year’s MyFuture t-shirts.
Photo by Erin Sherry
Farm to School at It’s Finest! Earlier this month, 7th-grade Farm-to-Table students, guided by Mr. Brian Volmrich, harvested a delightful Salanova lettuce blend planted by 6th and 7th Farm-to-Table classes. In less than two hours, the freshly picked lettuce appeared on the high school salad bar for students and staff to enjoy during lunch. Additionally, it was featured in the Harvest of the Month tasting event. The following day RCES students had a chance to savor the fresh produce!
Photos by Brian Volmrich and Holly Jenkins
On Friday, April 26th, juniors and seniors watched as a realistic car crash simulation, The Aftermath, unfolded before their eyes. While this served as a training exercise with real-time response it allowed the students to witness the serious consequences of driving under the influence. This eye-opening simulation was made possible by may real-life heroes in our community.
Photos by Holly Jenkins
The 2024 RCHS Senior & Junior Prom was a night to remember! Held at Regions 117 in Warren County on April 27th, the students arrived in their formal attire, wearing beautiful smiles and joyful expressions. During the Mama Mia-themed event, students dined on a tasty dinner of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and macaroni & cheese, generously sponsored by the Rappahannock County Sheriff's Children Fund. Following a course of decadent desserts, the 2024 Prom Court was announced. As students and faculty applauded, seniors Andrew Deal and Kim Pempel were crowned Prom Queen and King, and juniors Jeremiah Philips and Ida Mezinger were named Prom Princess and Prince. The rest of the evening was filled with dancing as most attendees took to the dance floor to celebrate the monumental occasion.
Photos by Holly Jenkins
April is Neurodiversity/ Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month! RCES students and staff posed with a butterfly backdrop in recognition of the month. Check out a few of the many pictures taken (above).
Photos by Holly Jenkins
Student and Staff Recognitions
Jr. Panthers of the Month
Congratulations to our Jr. Panthers of the Month! This month’s students were selected by their teachers for demonstrating good citizenship and leadership amongst their peers. In celebration of their achievement, students will be treated to a special recognition luncheon with Ms. Wissinger and Ms. Lowe-Barton.
Pre-K: Finley McPeak and Cameron McArthur
Kindergarten: Kyle Jones, Mason Miller, Desdamona Wilson, and Easton McClanahan
First Grade: Addy Hausler, Paislee Guevara, and Grace Bernard
Second Grade: Bailey Cubbage, Jaylen Sosa, and Harper Nicholson
Third Grade: Ryan Jones, Grayson Bilharz, Alaina Voorhies, and Gabby Williams
Fourth Grade: Willow Bremmerman, Luke Pitts, and Kayden Stanley
Fifth Grade- Mackenzie Baldwin, Myles Doyle, and Blake Alger
Sixth Grade- Adele Genho, TJ Troilo, and Will Crouch
Seventh Grade: Brooke Gant, Benson Dillow, and Malcom Christian
Photo by Holly Jenkins
Congratulations, Ms. Fincham!
Congratulations to Mrs. Michele Fincham for achieving the 2024 Outstanding Early Career Agriculture Teacher award by the Virginia Association of Agricultural Educators (VAAE)! Mrs. Fincham has worked tirelessly over the past few years to develop an amazing Agriculture Academy and FFA Chapter with a thriving membership! Thank you to Ms. Fincham for your hard work and dedication to Agriculture within our school and community!
Contributed photo
Announcements & Reminders
RCPS Fit Kids Clinic
We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Tara Prince to the RCPS Family! Ms. Prince brings 23 years of nursing experience to the Fit Kids Clinic and is excited to assist the students. RCPS Parents/Guardians- Leaving work is not always easy if your child gets sick at school. Telehealth makes it easier. With your consent, Ms. Prince will be able to use video telehealth technology to connect your child with a provider at Valley Health. In most cases, your child can be diagnosed without leaving school or you having to leave work. Conditions treated include asthma, allergies, cough, colds, flu, ear aches, sore throats, fever, headaches, head lice, pink eye, and skin irritations. The clinic saves valuable time (for students and parents) and reduces absenteeism. The clinic is available to all students in grades PreK-12 with parental consent, as well as available to RCPS staff. The necessary paperwork can be found at https://www.valleyhealthlink.com/about-us/school-based-telehealth-visits/
POP Bucks is Back!
Through a PATH Foundation grant, Commit to Be Fit is thrilled to continue the POP (Power of Produce) Bucks program to provide access to local food and support our local 2024 Farmers Market season. EVERY RCPS student has the opportunity to redeem a POP Bucks Market Bag filled with local produce, protein, and bread. Plus, each bag includes TWO $5 tokens to redeem at participating market vendors. SIGN-UP IS REQUIRED and is limited to 25 students per week (first come, first serve). To sign up, visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc41bZx2QEpJ_6ysM3r8H2FYRZZ7O6J2NIlkzximyGl7NIrIQ/viewform or on our website at https://www.rappc2bf.com/pop-bucks
Behind the Wheel
We are scheduling Behind the Wheel session for RCPS students and non-students. Please click the following link to learn more and to sign-up your student. https://forms.gle/J9WhhcbdTZhbPKer9
Pictured: Our Behind the Wheel Instructors, Ms. Sell and Ms. Fox
Alumni Spotlight
NEW Alumni Spotlight
We are thrilled to debut our NEW Alumni Spotlight section of our newsletter. Check it out to catch up with a few of our remarkable alumni. To view the pdf, click HERE.
RCHS Alumni-- Have a new job, promotion, retirement, or achievement? Want to tell us what you have been up to since your RCHS graduation? If so, please CLICK HERE to submit a short bio. Complete this short survey by Thursday, April 25th, to be included in the April edition. Later submissions will be included in upcoming newsletters.
Important Upcoming Dates
May 2024 Calendar of Events
View our May Calendar of Events to see all the End-of-Year Activities by clicking HERE. Additionally, this calendar can be found on our district website homepage.
Helpful Information
Mental Health & Wellness Resources
To view the list of helpful mental health and wellness resources for students and families, CLICK HERE.
Connect With Us
Website: www.rappahannockschools.us
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rappahannockcountypublicschools
Instagram: www.instagram.com/_rcps_