The Renton High School

Happy Friday, RedHawkS,

I hope this week's newsletter finds you well. We have just two and a half weeks left in the first trimester, and we are committed to supporting the academic achievement of all Renton High School scholars. We know that achievement starts with effort and we recognize the amazing efforts our students demonstrate on a daily basis to contribute to their learning and growth. Learning and growing are attributes our staff is committed to modeling as well. Over the past couple weeks, our staff have been engaging in learning opportunities to share ideas, strategies and practices that will contribute to supporting the effort, achievement and intellectual engagement of our students. Staff learned new strategies from each other to increase opportunities for our students to talk to each other about the learning they are doing. They have also learned about the supports we have available from our team of Academic Advancement Coordinators when our students demonstrate a need for support. Our 9th Grade Success Team also shared some best practices with all staff that apply to all students in grades 9-12. I am continually impressed with the dedication of our staff, their willingness to try new things, and for modeling the learning and growth we expect from our students as well.

There are always wonderful things happening at Renton High School and there are so many ways for our students to get involved. Research shows that when students are involved and connected to their high school community, they achieve at higher rates and have a greater sense of belonging. We aspire to achieve both of those things for all RHS scholars. However our students get involved, whether it's through an interest-based club, an athletic team, our amazing band/orchestra/choir program, our fantastic drama program, or attending homework help center and Scholar Saturday with friends, we are always here as a partner in your students' success. Please reach out if there is ever an opportunity to support you as we work together to support the success of your RHS scholar(s).

Please see the important information below and as always, we welcome and appreciate your feedback. Have wonderful weekend!

Drew O'Connell

Proud Interim Principal

It's a wonderful day to be a RedHawk!

NOVEMBER 9: SCHOLAR SATURDAY (see info below)

NOVEMBER 11: NO SCHOOL – VETERAN'S DAY

NOVEMBER 19: CHOIR CONCERT – 6:00PM @ IPAC

NOVEMBER 12 - DECEMBER 3 - FAMILY CLIMATE SURVEY (see info below)

NOVEMBER 22: REMINDER – NOT A LATE START FRIDAY – 7:20AM START TIME

NOVEMBER 23: SCHOLAR SATURDAY

NOVEMBER 25 – 26: 1ST TRIMESTER FINALS – ADJUSTED SCHEDULE – 10:00AM START TIME

NOVEMBER 27: HALF DAY – 10:20AM DISMISSAL

We are hosting our third Scholar Saturday of the year on November 9 form 9:00 to Noon. All RHS scholars are invited to attend, work on missing work, get assistance from RHS teachers or study for the end of the trimester. Please encourage (or require 😊) your scholar(s) to attend.

When students attend Scholar Saturday, their academic knowledge and skill improve and as a result, their grades improve as well.

We had 43 students at our last Scholar Saturday. Our goal for this month is 75! As of this afternoon, 67 students have signed up to come! Please help us get to 75!

What: Scholar Saturday
When: Saturday November 9 (and 23rd)

What time: 9:00 to Noon

Where: RHS Library

Why: Because we care, and we want to support the growth of all RHS scholars.

We hope to see your scholar there!

RedHawkS athletics are soaring along! Below are the upcoming competitions and please check out the Kingco Conference website for all athletic schedules. We'd love to see you out there, cheering on our athletes!

Winter Sports

As Fall sports wind down, we welcome all interested students to sign up for Winter Sports. Winter Sports include:

• Boys/Girls Basketball
• Boys/Girls Wrestling
• Gymnastics
• Boys Swim
• Girls Flag Football (New this year!)

To sign up, you must register through Final Forms. Please follow this link for information and guidance on registering for Winter sports. If you need assistance, please reach out to our Athletics Support Specialist, Ms. Cardenas by emailing andriana.cardenas@rentonschools.us.

GO REDHAWKS!!

One of our school improvement goals this year is to "Increase visibility and participation of families in our school community, with an emphasis on intentionally engaging with and learning from our multilingual families."

One of the ways we will measure our effectiveness in meeting this goal is through the completion of the annual Family Climate Survey, and particularly those completed in language other than English.

From November 12 through Dec. 3, 2024 the online family survey will be available in six languages (Chinese, English, Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese). The first question is to select a language. The remaining questions will be in that language. There are 15 questions total and will take about five minutes to complete.

The following link, and the attached QR code, will take you to the survey once it opens on November 12.

• https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RSDFAM2024

Thank you in advance for providing your feedback about out school. We appreciate you!

Where: Renton High School, Commons

When: Tuesday November 12, drop-in between: 5:00 PM - 7 PM

Who: Families and Students: Class of 2025

This is a Drop-in Workshop- please come anytime between 5-7pm. Come prepared to create your FSA ID or your WASFA account. Bring social security numbers for 12th grade students and parents to create FSA ID. We will also start WASFA accounts. We are getting you ready to fill out your financial aid forms that will open on December 1st.

Register to attend: https://bit.ly/RHSNovNT

Seniors: If you need extra support to finish your college applications, the College and Career Center will be open until 7 pm Nov. 13th-15th. We can support with Common App completion and personal statement revision. Don’t forget, the UW Seattle college application deadline is Nov. 15th.

Our winter apparel drop is here! Please support Renton Athletics by purchasing our newest spirit apparel! You can either purchase the items online at https://wa-renton.intouchreceipting.com/ or with our ASB Bookkeeper, Ms. Carlson in the ASB office. If you would like your items to arrive before winter break, you must pre-order by 3:3o p.m. on November 18, 2024. We will close the shop on December 3rd, 2024 but these orders will NOT arrive prior to winter break. We also have duffel bags (11”x22”) for pre-order and those will be placed monthly. Thank you for supporting RHS Athletics and for representing RHS in the community!

Open the attachment to view all available items.

Earlier this month many of our 10th and 11th graders took the PSAT. The scores are in. Students can log into their College Board account to view the scores. Please follow this link for everything you need to know about your student’s PSAT scores:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rjdSePUoINLeQsDlmo1rjPUmdDkEyVG1/view?usp=sharing

In Washington state, all children ages 0-18 can receive all routinely recommended vaccines at no cost from a healthcare provider that participates in the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program.

In addition, RSD is hosting Free Fall Vaccine Opportunities. These are:

• Open to all children and youth ages 18 years and younger
• For both school-required vaccines and recommended vaccines

After School Vaccine Clinics:

Monday, 12/2 – noon-7pm – At KEC – Link

Walk-ins are welcome and pre-registration is encouraged.

School Day Vaccine Clinics

Parent/Guardian Responsibilities

Families can provide consent for their student to receive vaccines at school during the school day when they are not present by:

1. Completing this link
2. Or by returning a completed consent form to the school nurse/HSA.
1. Nurse/HSAs or other school staff will complete the link and then,
2. Scan and send the consent form to Marissa Fitzpatrick at GoVax Kids

Please reach to our school nurse or Helth Point clinic for more Infromation.

The first trimester ends on November 27 and many of our courses include a final exam. Students can prepare for their finals by talking to their teachers and attending homework help center and Scholar Saturday. Please see the finals schedule and note that school doesn't start until 10:00 AM on November 25 and 26.

The second trimester begins on December 2, 2024.

National Native American Heritage Month is celebrated each year in November. It is a time to celebrate the traditions, languages and stories of Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and affiliated Island communities and ensure their rich histories and contributions continue to thrive with each passing generation. This November and every month, we celebrate the culture and heritage of these remarkable Americans who deeply enrich the quality and character of our Nation.

Please visit https://www.nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov and National Native American Heritage Month | Indian Affairs for more information.

Renton School District has partnered with Providence Healthcare and Hazel Health to provide access to quality mental health care services for all students, at no cost to families. The partnership has already made a difference in its first year with more than 2,200 virtual therapy sessions completed!

At Renton High School. our amazing school counselors can initiate a video visit with a Hazel Health licensed therapist while your child is at-school. The personalized virtual therapy sessions with Hazel Health professionals are safe, private, and confidential, and are conducted through phone, text, and at kiosks at schools.

Families can also create a Hazel account for in-home virtual sessions for help with depression, stress, anxiety, bullying and more. Learn more and create your family account at https://my.hazel.co/rentonschools/info

Read more about this free service at our Hazel Health webpage.

As a diverse, multicultural, and international school, Renton High School wants to acknowledge as many cultural celebrations in our community as possible. If you would like us to recognize an upcoming cultural celebration, please contact Mr. Collie, our IB Coordinator.

November is National Veterans and Military Families Month and National American Indian Heritage

Month

11th Veterans Day

15th Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Birthday (Sikh)

16th International Day for Tolerance

17th International ERG (Employee Resource Groups) Day

RHS offers after school academic assistance through our Homework Help Center. Homework Help Center runs from 2:03 to 3:30 in the library, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Our staff will be here and ready to support your student(s) with their classwork, homework, to study, and to deepen or extend their learning. Please encourage your student(s) to come!

RedHawk Seniors and Families,

It’s time to submit your senior photos and quotes for the 2024-2025 yearbook!

Senior portraits and quotes will be accepted until January 17, 2025. Portraits MUST be submitted through our image upload link (see attachment for link and instructions). Our image upload site is designed to verify name, grade level, and contact information so that we may reach out to you, should there be an issue with your photo submission. PLEASE NOTE: If you do not submit an individual student photo for 2024-2025, your student ID photo will appear in the yearbook by default.

Daily, on time attendance in all classes is one of the most significant factors in your student’s educational success.

Please notify the attendance office via phone, email or written note if your student will be absent for any reason. Absences may be excused up to 48 hours following the absence. Here is the contact information:

Attendance Office Contact

Attendance Specialist: Heather Ralston - heather.ralston@rentonschools.us

Phone: 425.204.3410

Email: renton.attendance@rentonschools.us

For more information about attendance including BECCA law and truancy, please visit our Attendance Website.