Hawk News from the Principal

Week of December 11, 2023

River Hill Takes The People Tree Cup!

Dear River Hill Families,

This week, I am writing to express my heartfelt appreciation and pride in our school community following the Winter Dance Concert held last Thursday and Friday. The event was a resounding success, showcasing not only the incredible talent within our performing arts programs but also emphasizing the strong sense of inclusivity that defines our school spirit. It was a true reflection of the diversity and creativity that thrives within our student body. The performances were not only aesthetically pleasing but also demonstrated the hard work, dedication, and passion of our students. It was heartwarming to witness the enthusiastic support from parents, family members, and friends who attended the event. Our dance teacher, Ms. Byrd is to be commended for her leadership and a successful concert.

I would like to recognize three of our Hawks for their outstanding accomplishments this week. First, congratulations to Shruti Vadlakonda, who was selected to be the Maryland General Assembly Page for Howard County. This is a very competitive application process with each high school sending their best forward. Congratulations to Shruti! Second, congratulations to Rishab Jain. Rishab performed Friday and Saturday night with the National Symphony Orchestra as a guest percussionist! What an accomplishment. You can view his performance here. Lastly, senior Kayla Garnett went to the Pentagon this last week to meet with Ashish Vazirani, the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, to discuss military accessions standards. Her visit was part of her GT/Independent Research project. Mr. Vazirani posted about her visit here.

In the athletic arena, River Hill was named the 2023 "People Tree Cup" winners for the top athletic program in Howard County! This recognition tabulates the results of a school's varsity teams (county/region/state) for the calendar year. Our recognition is a result of the leadership of our Athletics and Activity Manager, Mr. Creighton, the outstanding coaching staff, our stellar student athletes, and of course, our supportive families. Congratulations to everyone!

I want to commend our students not just for their achievements in the performing arts but also for their outstanding contributions to athletics and various other areas of school life. The range of talents displayed truly reinforces the idea that our school is a place where students can excel in multiple domains, creating a well-rounded and dynamic learning environment.

On a festive note, I am delighted to share that last Friday, we surprised our students with a delightful holiday ice cream treat during lunch shifts. The joy and gratitude expressed by the students were truly heartening. This small gesture aimed to spread some holiday cheer and express our appreciation for their hard work and positive contributions to our school community.

I also had the pleasure of attending the induction ceremony of the Scholars Leadership Program last Monday evening. The goal of this program is to promote continued academic excellence, build self-esteem in young ladies, increase cultural awareness, develop leadership skills through participation in workshop, presentations, projects and community service. Their motto – Culture, Class, and Confidence was on display as the young ladies listened attentively to the sage advice of guest speaker, Dr. Rachel Edoho-Eket, principal of Waverly Elementary School. Congratulations to all of the young women inducted and continue to soar!

Lastly, more great news to share. Our PTSA just earned $1,250 in funding for the PTA Wellness Fairs Program that is sponsored by Walmart from National PTA. We are thrilled to have been chosen and can't wait to plan activities that engage, inspire and support OUR Community. They are seeking YOUR INPUT regarding topics you would like to see covered in the RHHS Wellness Fair and/or sign up to help out by completing a short survey. Please respond by December 15th at https://tinyurl.com/RHHSWellnessQs2024. You can learn more about the National PTA’s Healthy Lifestyles Program by visiting

https://www.pta.org/home/programs/Healthy-Lifestyles.

Have a great week!

**REMINDER -- 3hr Early Dismissal this WEDNESDAY 12/13**

Warmest regards,

Robert A. Motley

Principal

RHHS Outstanding Music Program

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RHHS Music Programs Continue to EXCEL --

Many congratulations to the following students, who have been selected for participation in Maryland All-State Ensembles:

Charlie Norwood, trumpet, Senior Jazz Band

Allan Ying, violin, Senior Orchestra

Logan Ji, violin, Senior Orchestra

Carlton Luu, violin, Senior Orchestra

Andrew Chen, violin, Senior Orchestra

Gregory Park, viola, Senior Orchestra

Alvin Lee, viola, Senior Orchestra

Jerry Li, viola, Senior Orchestra

Erin Alistar, viola, Senior Orchestra

Jaeyoung Kwon, cello, Senior Orchestra

Lydia You, oboe, Senior Orchestra

Justin Blackman, French horn, Senior Orchestra

Charlie Norwood, trumpet, Senior Orchestra

Kayden Tafrishi, trombone, Senior Orchestra

Adam Azrieli: percussion, Senior Orchestra

Rishab Jain, percussion, Senior Orchestra

Ayush Mishra, percussion, Senior Orchestra

Chris Li, flute, Junior Band

Andie Rahman, oboe, Senior Band

Joseph Alphonso, clarinet, Junior Band

Annabelle Wu, clarinet, Junior Band

Mark Li, alto sax, Junior Band

Brian Hu, alto sax, Junior Band

Ethan Marlow, tenor sax, Junior Band

Akshaya Srinivasan, French horn, Junior Band

Juliet Handelman, French horn, Junior Band

Timothy Wang, trumpet, Junior Band

William Ki, trumpet, Junior Band

Isaac Liu, euphonium, Junior Band

Veronica Park, flute alternate, Junior Band

Alice Lee, oboe, Senior Band

Collin Blackman, bassoon, Senior Band

Divya Kumar, clarinet, Senior Band

Keira Sanner, clarinet, Senior Band

Joseph Chudnovsky, clarinet, Senior Band

Catherine Jiang, clarinet, Senior Band

Ameya Moghekar, trumpet, Senior Band

Zachary Liu, percussion, Senior Band

Amy Yang, bass clarinet alternate, Senior Band

Matthew George, electric guitar, Senior Commercial Band

Kayla Maglalang, bass guitar, Senior Commercial Band

Gaurav Rey Sadanala, tenor, Junior Mixed Chorus

Misha Nowrangi, alto, Senior Treble Chorus

Mizuki Ohtani, alto, Senior Mixed Chorus

Hailey Park, alto, Senior Mixed Chorus

Jonathan MacKrell, bass, Senior Mixed Chorus

Vivian Cai, violin, Junior Orchestra

Julia Hu, violin, Junior Orchestra

Surie Zhang, viola, Junior Orchestra

Seeyen Zeng, viola, Junior Orchestra

Evelyn Park, viola, Junior Orchestra

Aidan Jordan, double bass, Junior Orchestra

Evan Chang, violin alternate, Junior Orchestra

SEMESTER EXAM SCHEDULE

January Semester Exam Schedule

Tuesday, January 16, 2024 (A Day)

Period 1 Exam; Bell Schedule #1 (below)
Full day of school
No extracurricular activities, including practices, rehearsals, events, etc.
AM & PM ARL Classes in Session

Wednesday, January 17, 2024 (B Day)

Periods 2 & 3 Exams; Bell Schedule #2 (below)

All schools close 3 hours early
No extracurricular activities, other than 90 minute conditioning practices which may begin at 3:05 PM
No PM ARL Students

Thursday, January 18, 2024 (A Day)

Periods 4A & 5 Exams; Bell Schedule #2

High schools close 3 hours early
No extracurricular activities, other than 90 minute conditioning practices which may begin at 3:05 PM
No AM/PM ARL Students

Friday, January 19, 2024 (B Day)