Principal's Update
January 19th, 2010
Dear Parents,
Congratulations on a successful first semester. Hopefully our students do well this week on their mid-term exams. Just a reminder that starting on February 1st and running through February 7th you can go online to set up conferences with your student’s teachers. Teachers will be available Feb. 10th– 12th for conferences. I hope you have had a chance to work with your student on their schedules for next year. If he/she has not turned their form in to guidance, please have them do so ASAP.
Tonight at 7:00 at our PTSA will have a very important workshop for parents – Myth Busters. This program will feature Speaker Jason Hall from the HC Police Department and private drug counselor Mark Donovan, with Integrative Counseling who will help us understand what’s going on with our kids. The reality is that tragedy can happen when we continue to ignore the facts. This is a highly interactive program sponsored by the Howard County Drug Free Council.
These are things you should know…
· RHHS kids are resourceful, clever and imaginative, and find unique ways to sneak alcohol into your home (in the sleeves of jackets, in water bottles, left just outside an exterior door that is not monitored)?
· Student as young as 9th graders drink?
· Several RHHS students have received DUI violations or warnings?
· Some students think that if they are not drinking, it’s okay to be at a party where there is alcohol?
· Some parents do not monitor parties at their home?
· Even after losing a classmate over Thanksgiving, our River Hill students continue to drink and post their indiscretions on Facebook!!??
· You can be part of the solution?
Parents, please join PTSA at this important program so we can discuss how to get our students and our community back on a safe track. This affects every parent, in every grade. We can do more!
Finally, I will be holding my monthly Principal’s coffee Thursday, January 28th at 8:00AM in the student dinning area. With the help of the PTSA, I will broadcast the meeting over a conference call so that if you can not join us at least you can listen in on the conversation. The Conference dial-in number is 218-339-2500 and the Participant Access Code is 303663#. Please call in at least 5 minutes prior to the start of the conference – 8:00am. I hope you can join me to discuss all of the happenings at River Hill .
The following information is being provided to help keep you informed. Have a great week.
Congratulations
Bravo Richard Li!!! Intel Science Talent Search 2010 Semifinalist – One of only 300 students nationally.
Student Services Update
Course Selection Sheets: Course Selection Sheets for the 2010-11 school year were due on Friday, January 15. If you have not yet turned your’s in yet please do so as soon as possible. Students should give them directly to their counselor.
Attention seniors: Now is the time to bring in your Mid-year Report Forms for colleges with stamped addressed envelopes and give them to Ms. Jezior in the Registrar’s Office.
Graduation Cap and Gown orders: Seniors if you have not yet ordered your cap and gown for graduation you can do so at the following website: www.nationalqp.com .
Coffee with Guidance: On Friday, January 29 at 9am the Student Services office will be hosting a coffee with guidance. This is an opportunity for you to hear about upcoming guidance programs, meet our staff and ask questions. If you are interested in attending please RSVP to Mr. Vangeli at pvangeli@hcpss.org.
The Howard County Gifted and Talented Program Parent Academy: Centennial High School will be hosting Dr. Patricia Schuler, a National Certified Counselor and noted expert on issues related to the education of highly able learners, especially perfectionism, the social and emotional needs of advanced-level learners, twice exceptional children, and underachieving advanced-level learners on Wednesday, January 20 at 7pm. This informative academy will provide you with practical learning strategies to help your child deal with the internal stresses and external pressures related to being an advanced-level learner.
North American Computational Linguistics Olympiad (NACLO) at John Hopkins University: NACLO is a competition for high schoolers that deals with computational thinking about languages. Computational Linguistics combines logical thinking with linguistics, the study of language. In order to participate no previous knowledge is needed, just an interest in problem solving and language. There is more information at our website, www.clsp.jhu.edu/NACLO. The first round of the competition is on Thursday, February 4th, from 10 to 1, and registration is open until February 3rd at noon. Registration is free athttp://www.naclo.cs.cmu.edu. There will be a training session on Saturday, January 23, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Johns Hopkins Campus, Students are asked to RSVP to this email address if they will be coming.
The Center for Women in Information Technology (CWIT) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) Bits and Bytes program: As part of its mission to encourage and support women to be leaders in Engineering and Information Technology fields, CWIT is hosting a two-day, overnight event for academically talented females who are juniors in high school and excel in math and science. The event is called "Bits and Bytes" and will be held over President's Day weekend, February 14-15, 2010. The purpose of this FREE event is to engage high school girls in the college atmosphere and expose them to the possibilities open to them in Engineering or IT majors in college. Along with in-depth exposure to life as a college student and UMBC as an institution, the students will participate in an Engineering or IT design competition (for prizes) and will interact with current college students involved in the CWIT Scholars Program, including staying overnight in a residence hall on campus and attending a college class with one of the CWIT students. The qualifications for the program are: Female, Junior standing in high school, 3.0/4.0 GPA or higher, Strong in mathematics and science, Desire to learn, Display leadership qualities. If you are interested please complete the application online at:http://www.umbc.edu/cwit/bits+
Winter Pep Rally
Want to see your favorite teacher kiss a pig? In addition to pig kissing we will also have a teacher-vs-student basketball game, class competitions, team/club skits, and more. Come to the first ever WINTER PEP RALLY/Battle of the Classes! It will be Monday, February 8th at 7 pm in the MainGym, and it is FREE!! Bring your friends and come support our winter sports! A fundraiser to benefit Haiti will be held, spiritwear will be on sale, and the Concession stand will be open for business as well.
H1N1 Clinic
The Health Department has scheduled a clinic for children (under 10 years) who need a second dose of H1N1 vaccine as well as other people interested in receiving the H1N1 vaccine.
It will be:
Monday January 25th
First Presbyterian Church of Howard County
9325 Presbyterian Circle
Columbia, MD 21045
7:30 A.M.-11:30 A.M. and 12:30 -3:00 P.M.
They will offer only the H1N1 vaccine---mist and injectable
Senior Class Valentine’s Day Fundraiser
The senior class is having a fundraiser for Valentine's day starting the first week of February. Flowers and Valentine's day notes will be on sale during all lunch shifts February 5th - Feb. 9th. Carnations with a note attached will be sold for $3.00 and a Valentine note will be sold for $1.00. Items will be delivered on February 10th during 4th period. Be sure to send a flower or note to let your friend know how special they are to you!
Calendar of Events
You can find a calendar of all our events at:
http://web02.hcpss.org/school_
Hope to see you out supporting the Hawks!! Go Hawks!!