Dear Parents,
WELCOME BACK TO THE 2009-2010 SCHOOL YEAR! The staff members were very busy last week preparing for the return of our students today. We hope everyone had a great summer full of rest and fun and are excited to join us at RHHS! On Thursday, we welcomed the Class of 2013 to school for New Student Orientation. Students met their teachers, had a pep rally and picnic lunch and returned to school in the evening for a 9th Grade Social! Thank you to all parents and staff who made their welcome and evening social so special!
Below are important items for your information.
BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT
Back-To-School Night: Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009 (Grade 9 at 6:15 p.m.--Grades 10-12 at 7:00 p.m.)
Parking is a big issue at Back-To-School night. Carpool. Arrive early. Parents start in Advisory and move to classroom visits at approximately 7:30 p.m. There will be an Advanced Placement meeting in the auditorium after the class visits; this meeting is required for parents of students enrolled in AP courses.

PARKING MEETING FOR SEPTEMBER 2
Please note the time change from 7 pm to 7:30 pm on the 2nd. We have made this change so the Sports Meeting can take place the same night. Parents in both meetings will have time to get to the parking meeting by 7:30 pm.

RULES OF THE ROAD FOR MORNING DROP OFF TRAFFIC
Watch for cars/busses changing lanes just past the entrance. Stay to the right if you are dropping off a student; to the left if you are parking a car in the lot!
Pull all the way forward in the car loop. We have two people to direct you most days!
Students, be ready to jump out of the car without retrieving belongings from the back seat/trunk. If your drop off will take more than 10 seconds, follow the main road to the parking lot and drop off at the gym doors.
Most importantly, leave home 5-8 minutes earlier than you think you need to depart. Traffic gets very congested at about 7:10 am. The earlier you leave, the better the arrival time!

PLEASE do not drop off your student in the street for any reason! We worry about students getting hit by a car while crossing traffic!

SPORT UPDATE
Please check out the new River Hill School Calendar on www.riverhill.org ! Click on the calendar icon on the left side of the home page. This calendar is the COMPLETE source for athletic, academic, clubs, parent and social information here at River Hill.

A MESSAGE FROM THE HEALTH ROOM
Dear Parents,
New this year, as part of the Health Department tracking of Influenza Like Illness (ILI) in Howard County, the RHHS Health room is required to report numbers of student illness and symptoms. If your child is absent from school because of illness, we have set up the following method of notification. Please send a single email addressed to all three people listed below.
Diane Goldberg, School Health Assistant: diane_goldberg@hcpss
Marisa Maravi, RN, BSN, Cluster Nurse: marisa_maravi@hcpss.org
Debbie Chambers, Attendance Secretary: debra_chambers@hcpss.org
Please include your child's name, date, and symptoms: i.e. fever greater than 100 F, cough, sore throat (symptoms of ILI), or any other illness symptoms - gastrointestinal, headache, etc.
This will not replace the note you must send with your child upon return to school. Thank you!


STUDENT SERVICES UPDATE
The River Hill Guidance Office is now River Hill Student Services: To follow the county guideline, the River Hill Guidance Office is now Student Services. Student Services incorporates the School Counselors (Danny Ives, Marianne Pizzo, Annette Jackson, Kareef Overton, Phil Vangeli, Jennifer Ruby), the Data Clerk (Debbie Leone), the Registrars (Lisa Andersen, Sharon Jezior), the Guidance Secretary (Danise McEneaney), the Black Student Achievement Program Liaison (Harriet Lee), The Korean Family Liaison (Sung Kim), the AP Testing Coordinator (Jan Peedin), the Pupil Personnel Worker (Monique Finch),and the School Psychologist (Jonathan Solomon).
Save the Date: Wednesday, September 2 at 7pm in the Centennial High School Auditorium HCPSS, LDA, IDL, and CHADD will be discussing Late, Lost, and Unprepared: Helping Children and Teens who struggle with Executive Functions. The featured speakers will be Laurie Dietzel, Phd. and Joyce Cooper-Kahn, Phd.
Attention Seniors: Now is the time to bring your final list of the colleges to which you are applying to Ms. Andersen and Ms. Jezior in Student Services with two stamped addressed envelopes for each college you are applying to and $ 4.00 for each school. Do not give anything directly to the teachers or your counselor. If you have questions please see your counselor.
Registering for the SAT: River Hill will be a test center for the SAT Exam for the October 10, November 7, December 5, and January 23 test dates. Other high schools in Howard County will be offering the exam on March 13, May 1, and June 5. Students can register for the SATs at www.Collegeboard.com. River Hill’s school code is 210402. Our Test Center Code is 21-254.
Registering for the ACT Exam: Wilde Lake High School is a test center for the ACT Exam. Wilde Lake will be offering the ACT on October 10, December 12, February 6, April 10, and June 12. To register for the ACT please go to www.ACT.org. River Hill’s school code is 210402.
Registering for the PSAT Exam: All students in grades 10 and 11 will take the PSAT Exam on Wednesday, October 14 free of charge. 10th and 11th grade students are automatically registered. Students in 9th grade that would like to take the PSAT exam can pick up a registration form in the Counseling Center and the registration form is due to Mr. Vangeli on Friday, September 18. The fee for the exam is $13.00.
Cornell Engineering’s Fall Diversity Hosting Weekend for Students of Color (African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native American): October 16-18 The College of Engineering is hosting a weekend specifically for high school seniors who enjoy using math and science as tools to creatively tackle hands-on problems. Participants should be pursuing a rigorous college preparatory high school curriculum that includes the completion of calculus, chemistry, and physics prior to graduation. Students selected to take part in the program will learn more about Cornell University’s College of Engineering through presentations, tours of the campus and facilities, and discussions with faculty, staff, and current students. Current Cornell engineering students host visiting students during their stay and Cornell covers travel and meal expenses. If you are interested in applying please see Mr. Vangeli in the Counseling Office for an application or go to www.engineering.cornell.edu/fallhosting to apply online.

Upcoming River Hill Student Services events:
Coffee with the Counseling Staff, September 25 at 9am.
Fall College Night, September 30 at 7pm
Financial Aid Night, featuring Christopher Hanlon, Director of Financial Aid at Stevenson University Nov. 10 at 7pm
Spring College Night, January 12 at 7pm
Military Fair, March 24, 7pm-9pm

Scholarships:
The Morehead-Cain Scholarship: River Hill can nominate one student to apply for the Morehead-Cain Scholarship at the University of North Carolina. To be eligible you must be: competitive applicant to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in the 12th grade and on track to graduate in the Spring of 2010, unmarried and without children. To be selected you must demonstrate: Moral Force of Character, This is the bedrock of the Morehead-Cain culture.Integrity. Empathy. Bravery. Humility. Maturity. Generosity. Scholarship, We seek not so much the student as a scholar – the one for whom knowledge is more than grades and test scores, and for whom learning is an appetite rather than a means to an end. Physical Vigor It is as simple as a demonstrated commitment to an active lifestyle, and a dedication to fitness and physical activity.Leadership, For the Morehead-Cain, it may not be what you think. We look not so much for titles or roles. Rather, we look for courage and action. Morehead-Cains initiate. They act and they impact. they influence and they inspire. If you are interested in being nominated you must bring your resume and a brief personal statement on why you think you should be nominated to Mrs. Pizzo in guidance by September 9th 2009. For more information please go to www.moreheadcain.org
3rd annual County-wide NCAA night at LRHS high school on Nov. 18, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.
SGA Announcement
Help the Local Food Bank!
The RHHS Student Government Association Executive Board is collecting much needed food donations for the local Food Bank. Donations are desperately needed right now, and every little bit helps. Please show your support by bringing at least one non-perishable food item with you on Back to School night, Thursday, September 3rd. There will be donation boxes in the front lobby of the school.
Thank you in advance for your generosity!