Hawk News from the Principal
Week of October 23, 2023
End of the 1st Marking Period Fast Approaching!
Dear River Hill Families,
Fall has certainly arrived as we endure our first few days of significantly cooler weather. Congratulations to our varsity football team on their 20-7 victory over rival Glenelg last Friday night. We wish them all the best as they continue their win streak when the Atholton Raiders come to The Hill this coming Friday. I hope you are able to attend. It will be a great game!
I am excited for the playoffs for boys and girls soccer, field hockey, cross country and volleyball. Additionally, I want to wish the golf team the best as they head off to the State Championships tomorrow. Our fall signing day will take place on November 8 in the Main Gym. Please reach out to Mr. Creighton with any questions at James_Creighton@hcpss.org.
I hope you had the chance to take in one of the shows of our Fall Play, She Kills Monsters. Kudos to Ms. Meyer and the entire cast and crew for a great show. I am sure our Dungeon and Dragons fans truly enjoyed the production. What great talent we have in our school!
Believe it or not, the end of the first marking period is just around the corner (October 31)! As with the end of the first marking period, the time to set up parent conferences is fast approaching. The window to set up conferences will open on November 6 and close on November 16. As in years past, we ask that parents adhere to the following guidelines when scheduling your conferences:
November 6 & 7 will be reserved for scheduling of conferences for students with a grade of “C” or lower
November 8 conference scheduling open for all
Conference Information
On Monday, November 21, conferences will be in-person only. Teachers will hold all conferences in person at River Hill, and parents may only attend their scheduled conferences in person.
All conferences will be held in-person or virtually on Tuesday, November 22, and Wednesday, November 23 (teacher discretion). Please note that most teachers elect to conduct evening conferences on Monday and Tuesday in lieu of holding conferences on Wednesday.
Tomorrow is the River Hill Flu and Covid Vaccination Clinic! Students who are registered for FLU/COVID vaccines will report to PLANNING ROOM D/ WRESTLING ROOM TOMORROW OCT 23, on the ground floor as specified on their timed YELLOW hall passes they received this past Thursday! Any questions, please email our nurse at Linda_mattes@hcpss.org.
This Friday, October 27, River Hill will welcome the President of the National Parent Teacher Association (National PTA), Yvonne Johnson to our school. Ms. Johnson is making it a priority to get out and visit schools across the country and is thrilled to add Hawk Nation to the list. She is an ardent advocate for children and cannot wait to see the outstanding things taking place at our school. Thank you to our PTSA President, Ulrike Thompson, for taking time to meet with Ms. Johnson this Friday.
Finally, last week, I went on the morning announcements to speak to students regarding the events taking place in the Middle East. I reassured students that we are here to support anyone who may be affected by the crisis in the Middle East and that River Hill High School is a SAFE SPACE for ALL. Our counseling staff is available to provide emotional support and resources for those who may need it. We encourage open and respectful discussions in our classrooms and will strictly apply and adhere to the guidelines on how to teach about controversial issues as outlined in HCPSS Policy 8050.
I urge our entire school community to keep those affected by the crisis in the Middle East in your thoughts and prayers. Let us hope for a swift resolution and peace in the region. Together, we can make a difference through understanding and education.
Wishing you all a great week ahead!
Warmest regards,
Robert A. Motley
Principal
Winter Athletics Registration Information
Instructions for Sports Registration (additional attachment provided with instructions as well): DUE BY: Friday, November 11 (DO NOT SEND DOCUMENTS VIA EMAIL; FOLLOW ALL DIRECTIONS)
Go to https://www.hcpss.org/connect/Links to an external site. *Do NOT use your Mobile Phone
Login to your HCPSS Connect Portal (Parents & Guardian MUST use the parental login. Using your students log in info. will not allow you to register); Once logged in, go to the menu on the left and click the bottom option More Options (Family File, Reports Cards, etc.). If you have more than one student make sure you have selected the student from the drop down menu at the top of the page.)
Click on Athletic Registration on the right hand side Menu, select the correct season Fall/Winter/Spring;
Complete all of the forms: Parent Authorization Form, Sudden Cardiac Arrest Form, Concussion, please complete all additional documents…Do not skip or leave any boxes blank.
Physical Examination Form: Verification of an examination within 12 months of the tryout date for the particular sport must be submitted in each academic year of participation. Upload ALL pages of the Physical Examination Form. Older physicals will not be accepted. https://www.hcpss.org/athletics/forms-and-guidelines/Links to an external site. (Physical Forms can be found here to bring to doctor’s office) If you are having trouble getting a doctor’s appointment try this: https://riverhill.membershiptoolkit.com/physicalsLinks to an external site.
Upload a RECENT Utility bill (Dated September 1, 2023 OR later), it must be the actual bill. Older Utility bills will NOT be accepted. Utility examples: BGE, Water OR Cable Bill ONLY (Must match address the school has on file for enrollment). **No Cell Phone Bills will be accepted**
Common Errors:
File size may be too big on downloads. Make sure document is under 4MB
Just because forms have been submitted, that does not necessarily mean they have been accepted
AAM will go through to ensure proper dates, signatures, boxes checked off, address matches Synergy address.
**Reminder Physicals for Athletics are different from those used to register to attend school. The Athletic Physical includes a Clearance without restrictions by Medical Staff.
Please, make sure physicals have all signatures (Parent/Guardian, Athlete, and Physician) before scanning and uploading.
**Returning Athletes-If a Student Athlete is returning from Fall to play Winter and/or Spring season and wants to use the fall physical, parent/guardian will need to click the checkbox (option to use physical on file dated) and save. Otherwise, it’ll wait for a new one to be uploaded. Reminder, returning athletes will still need to complete permission information and upload a new utility bill.
Academic Eligibility for Athletics
For high school, a full-time student earns academic eligibility to participate in extracurricular activities by maintaining a 2.0 grade-point average (GPA), calculated using credit or non-credit courses, with no more than one failing grade for the marking period which governs eligibility for that activity.
*All Students: 1st Quarter Grades are used for winter athletic eligibility
River Hill H.S. Winter Athletics Coaches Contacts: For sport-specific information
Allied Bowling: Kelley_Pfeffekorn@hcpss.org (Kelley Pfefferkorn): Reach out to Coach Pfefferkorn for details
Boys Basketball: Matthew_Graves@hcpss.org (Matt Graves)
Girls Basketball: Teresa_Waters@hcpss.org (Teresa Waters)
Cheerleading: Jessica_Garry@hcpss.org (Jess Garry)
Indoor Track & Field: sprinterace1984@gmail.com & ammschmidt@gmail.com (Donnie Richmond & Ammera Schmidt)
Wrestling: Remy2747@gmail.com & tperkins5186@yahoo.com (Jeff Rermgosakul & Thomas Perkins)
*What to Bring: Water bottle (large size), sneakers (basketball/cheer/track), wrestling shoes/headgear (wrestling), athletic clothing for all; be prepared for outdoors for track. Please contact your sport specific coaches for questions about equipment and scheduling.
*Anyone who is planning to try out for a team should be sure to check with sport specific coaches on schedules/details; once tryouts are completed, all teams will begin official team practices, scrimmages and then games. Winter sports participants should be prepared to potentially play during holiday breaks as well. Refer to your coaches for scheduling details.
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