River Hill High

Principal’s Update
November 19th, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving!! I hope that you and your family enjoy your time together during this special time of year. I would like to congratulate our Girls’ and Boys’ Soccer teams for their State Championships – Bravo!!!!! Our Marching Band was also very successful this past weekend, when they brought home a National Championship at M & T Bank Stadium – Incredible!!! Congratulations also go out to our undefeated football team for advancing in the State Playoffs. Friday’s home game will be an important one for the team as they march on towards a State Championship. Hopefully you will be in town to come out and support the team. Wow, what a season for the Hawks!! Currently, we have won 6 Regional Championships, 4 State Championships, and one National Championship!!

The following information is being provided to help keep you informed.

Congratulations!!

Jocelyn Martin – Congratulations on receiving National Board Certification!!!
Brian Van Deusen – Congratulations on Channel 2 News - Coach of the Week!!!
Matthew Shagogue – Congratulations on Howard County Coach of the Year!!!

Congratulations, students!!
All-State Jazz Ensemble:
Vanessa Collier - Alto saxophone
All-State Junior Band:
Lili Sun - Oboe
Nikki Francisco -Clarinet
Kristen Long Bass -Clarinet
Acadia Kocher - Trumpet (1st Chair)
All State Junior Orchestra:
Heejo Choi -Violin
Jeffrey Huang - Violin
Rena Shi - Violin
Alex Yang - Violin

Marching Band Success!!!

The River Hill Marching Band competed in the 2nd annual US Scholastic Band Association (USSBA) National Championships this weekend at M & T Bank Stadium. The event hosted over 70 bands from throughout the United States (mostly east coast) from Massachusetts to Tennessee. Competing against 14 other bands in Group III (based on size) River Hill earned the title of NATIONAL CHAMPION with a score of 95.55, also winning the awards for BEST VISUAL PERFORMANCE and BEST MUSIC PERFORMANCE. The Marching Band placed 2nd in BEST OVERALL EFFECT, 3rd in BEST COLOR GUARD, and 5th in BEST PERCUSSION. This caps off a 2007 season in which the Marching Band was undefeated in all 7 competitions and shows them ranked in the top 25 of all bands (over 700, representing 22 states) throughout USSBA.

This is the first time that the River Hill Marching Band has received such an honor. Howard County was well represented in these National Championships as Reservoir HS placed 4th in Group IV, Atholton HS placed 11th in Group III, and Centennial HS placed 15th in Group IV.

The Marching Band students, parents, and staff would like to thank you for your support and encouragement this season. We could not have done it without you. We would also like to extend our congratulations to...
The River Hill Drama Program on an outstanding fall production of "It's a Wonderful Life"
(Pamela Land, Director)

Boys and Girls Cross Country - STATE CHAMPIONS
(Coach Lauer and Coach Romano)

Boys Soccer - STATE CHAMPIONS
(Coach Shagogue)

Girls Soccer - STATE CHAMPIONS
(Coach Song)

Girls Volleyball - STATE REGIONAL FINALIST
(Coach Modispacher)

Boys Football - Advancing to the State Regional Playoff
(Coach Van Deusen and Staff)
GO HAWKS!

PTSA News

PUBLIC FORUM on MRSA (Methicillin-resistent Staphylococcus aureus)
Sponsored by the Howard County Health Department and Howard County General Hospital
Tuesday, November 20, 2007, 7:00-8:00 PM
Florence Bain Center in Columbia
Howard County Health Officer Dr. Peter Bielenson and Drs. Mark Landrum and Ramya Gopinath, infectious disease specialists with Howard County General Hospital, will present the facts about MRSA and share information about preventative measures.

Reflections Program:
All Reflection entries must be received no later than December 10th to participate in the contest and to get extra credit from your teachers. The rules, entry form and entry drop box are in the front office. We can't wait to see all your creative entries in Literature, Art, Photography, Dance, Video and Music. All participants and their families will be informed of the Awards Ceremony date.


Boosters News

The football team remains undefeated and plays in the 2A South Region championship on Friday against Patuxent at RHHS. Both teams boast 11-0 records going into the game. Wear your Hawk spirit wear to show your support. Fill the stands with blue and gold!

FOOTBALL PLAYOFF GAME vs. Patuxent
Friday, November 23, 2007 Game time at 7:00 p.m. at RHHS
Admission: General Admission = $5; Children under 7years = No charge

Guidance Update

Carson Scholars Scholarship
The Carson Scholars Fund aims to recognize and reward students in grade 4-11 who earn the highest level of academic achievement, and also display strong humanitarian qualities. Winners are designated as “Carson Scholars” and receive $1,000 scholarship awards that are invested for college.

To be considered for nomination students must:
• Be enrolled in grades 4-11
• Previous winners in the 12th grade may participate
• Have a GPA of 3.75 or above on a 4.0 scale in the following academic subjects: English, Reading, Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Foreign Languages. Please note: Applicant may only submit fall 2007, 1st Quarter grades and/or 2nd Quarter if available. No previous year is accepted.
• Demonstrate humanitarian qualities in school and community through school programs and/or community service above and beyond what is required. Community Service is unpaid, volunteer work that benefits individuals, groups, or non-profit organizations and the volunteer work must demonstrate unique accomplishments such as: collecting money for Hurricane Katrina victims.

If interested in being nominated please provide a resume and a personal statement explaining your humanitarian qualities (as mentioned above) to Mrs. Pizzo in guidance by December 7th.
The Software Applications I Credit by Exam
The Software Applications I Credit by Exam is scheduled for Saturday, January 5, 2008, at Long Reach High School. The snow date is scheduled for Saturday, January 19, 2008.
Any HCPSS student who is currently enrolled in ninth grade through twelfth grade has the option of establishing credit for Software Applications I by taking and passing this exam. The student may take the exam as long as the student meets all of the following criteria: is not currently enrolled in Software Applications I; has not previously enrolled in the course; and has not taken this exam in the past 12-month period.
Registration is online. The online registration will begin on Thursday, November 8, 2007, and will close when all of the seats have been allocated. No registrations will be taken after Thursday, December 13, 2007. The registration website is: www2.hcpss.org/bcms. Seating for this exam is limited.

Organizational Workshops for Students
S.O.A.R., our peer tutoring program, and the Guidance Office are pleased to offer Organization Workshops on the 2nd & 4th Tuesday of each month from 2:15 - 3:15 in Room 135. Students should sign up in advance in the S.O.A.R. binder in the Guidance Office. Peer tutors will provide one-on-one assistance with getting backpacks and notebooks organized. Materials will be provided to assist students with their organizational skills and strategies to stay on top of their paperwork.

SAT Prep Classes for the May/June Test
RHHS SAT Prep Course Registration Forms are now available in Guidance or at www.riverhill.org/ptsa for students planning to take the May or June SAT Exams. These classes begin February 2.

NCAA Clearinghouse
Any senior planning to play a sport in college at the NCAA Division I or Division II level must register with the NCAA Clearinghouse. You can register on-line at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net. If you have any questions regarding this please contact your child’s counselor.