Exams This Week!
Dear River Hill Families,
Today marks the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Schools and offices close on this day, but people must remember that MLK Day is about more than having another day off. The day has come to be recognized as a day of service nationwide, so take these 24 hours to do something that honors King’s values and his revolutionary place in American history. It is a day of service, after all — but make sure that giving back to the community doesn’t begin and end with January 15th. Therefore, start by searching for volunteer opportunities on MLK Day of Service near you at www.MLKDay.gov.
This week is midterms week!
As students begin their midterms, I offer one very important piece of advice: Do not skimp on the sleep! Students might be tempted to pull an all-nighter, but a good night’s sleep is key to their success. Help them have a healthy sleep routine so that they may reap the benefits of a fresh mind on exam day. The exam schedule is at the bottom of this newsletter. Tomorrow (Tuesday, 1/16/24) is a FULL school day. Students will have their FIRST PERIOD exam. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday are early dismissal days with two exams each day. In the event of a delay or a school closure, I have also included the contingency plans below.
I want to take a moment to reflect on the myriad of events that have made this past week both challenging and remarkable. Our week started with a bit of weather-related upheaval. The impending torrential rain on Monday led to an early dismissal, followed by a delayed opening on Tuesday. I appreciate everyone's flexibility and understanding as we navigated these changes to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Due to these weather challenges, our scheduled visit from the Maryland State Department of Education has been postponed to April. We look forward to showcasing our school's achievements at that time.
On a broader note, we bid farewell to Dr. Martirano as Superintendent of HCPSS and welcomed our new acting Superintendent, Mr. Bill Barnes. His first school visit was to our very own River Hill on Friday. Mr. Barnes began his visit by addressing the entire school and then took time to visit classrooms, engaging with students to gather their insights on the impending weather situation and more. It was a fantastic opportunity for Hawk Nation to meet and interact with our new acting superintendent.
In athletics, there is much to celebrate this week. First, I am thrilled to report that girls basketball coach, Teresa Waters became the winningest girls basketball coach in Maryland public school history. Last week, Coach Waters won her 609th game during the Winters Mill Tournament, surpassing the 608 victories by North Harford coach Lin James. Our Lady Hawks continued their winning streak this week with Coach Waters capturing wins over Mt. Hebron and Oakland Mills as Waters adds to her lead in winning games. Congratulations to Coach Waters -- a well-earned milestone! In indoor track, our girls' 4x800 relay team took 2nd place, with impressive individual performances across various events at the Montgomery Invitational.. Our wrestling team shone brightly, with notable placements in the "Who's #1" all-girls tourney (Shae Fraser placed 4th and Dorothy Seylar placed 7th). Additionally, the team won the senior day dual meet against Howard. Also, congratulations to Ashton Barker who took 4th place at Heavyweight in the Patriot Brawl (JV Wrestling Tournament). Last weekend, our Poms our poms team had their first competition in Philadelphia. They competed in 3 categories including Poms, Jazz, and hip hop and placed in all 3 categories!!! Congratulations! And to round out athletics, junior Sophia Diaz, qualified for the most prestigious national women's gymnastics competition (pre-Olympic level) last weekend in Boston, at a national qualifier competition at Harvard College, by earning the highest score in the entire meet. You can read more about Sophia here and her plans to attend Michigan.
In the academic realm, I found out this week that senior Eric Tang, was named a top 300 scholar in the 83rd Regeneron Science Talent Search—the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and mathematics competition for high school seniors. As a result, Eric will receive $2,000, and River Hill High School, will also receive $2,000 to use toward STEM-related activities. Congratulations Eric and THANK YOU!
Lastly, two of River Hill’s teachers, Ms. Dulce Souidi and Ms. Jessica Nichols were nominated for the Howard County Teacher of the Year. I am overjoyed to report that for the first time in history, one school (River Hill) has TWO semifinalists – a testament to the outstanding teachers on staff! Please join me in congratulating Ms. Souidi and Ms. Nichols and wish them the best as their applications move forward in the process!
As we look forward to this week, let's carry the momentum of these accomplishments and the spirit of resilience shown during the weather challenges. Please stay tuned for any further updates regarding the weather situation into tomorrow morning.
Wishing you all a fantastic week!
Warmest regards,
Robert A. Motley
Principal
River Hill High School
Email: Robert_Motley@hcpss.org
Website: www.rhhs.hcpss.org
Location: 12101 Clarksville Pike, Clarksville, MD, USA
Phone: (410) 313-7120