Homecoming 2024 was an event to remember! To view a HOMECOMING RECAP IN PHOTOS (featuring the homecoming court, marching band performance, dance, and more), click HERE.

RCES held it's first ever middle school pep rally on Wednesday, October 2nd. Led by the RCES SCA and organized by Ms. Rutherford, the lively event included recognition of the student-athletes, fun games, and Ms. Wissinger, Ms. Lowe-Barton, and Ms. Rutherford being covered in silly string!

Photos by Holly Jenkins

Students proudly showed off and sold plants to support the Farm-to-Table class during the Harvest Festival on October 5th.

Photo by Holly Jenkins

At the regularly scheduled meeting on October 8th, the School Board appointed Ms. Jodi Place as the new Rappahannock County High School Assistant Principal and CTE Coordinator. Ms. Place brings a wealth of experience as a teacher and a building administrator, most recently serving as an Assistant Principal at Unity Braxton Middle School in Prince William County, where she developed and executed the Continuous Improvement Plan, resulting in an increase in academic achievement in reading, decreased discipline infractions using targeted behavioral interventions, and reduced chronic absenteeism rate. Before working at Prince William County Public Schools, she was a program administrator for Phoenix Alternative Education Programs and an assistant principal at Culpeper County High School.

Photo by Holly Jenkins

On Oct. 10th, RCPS participated in the Crunch Heard ‘Round the Commonwealth! Spearheaded by Commit to Be Fit, staff and students enjoyed tasty Virginia grown apples from F. T. Valley Farm at Mont Medi!

Photo by Holly Jenkins

During the RCHS Homecoming Pep Rally on Oct. 11th the Panther Gymnasium was alive with school spirit! The band played upbeat tunes as each grade level, dressed in class colors, filled the bleachers. Following an exciting performance from the cheer team, all fall athletes were recognized, leading to the start of a series of hilarious games. In the final activity, Dr. Grimsley and Dr. Boynton served as judges to decide which class would win the prized spirit stick. Ultimately, the Class of 2025 cheered the loudest and were declared the winners!

Photo by Holly Jenkins

On October 18th, the RCHS 8th grade class enjoyed a fun-filled trip to Verdun Adventure Bound as a part of the 8th Grade Academy.

Photo by Dani Pond

Recently, PreK students learned about fire safety from Mr. Kevin Williams and Mr. Curtis Crawford. The young students enjoyed seeing a real-life firetruck and tools!

Photo by Tiffany Montague

Students have been learning about color and value in the new Middle School Fine Arts Exploratory! Recently, they explored the vibrant colors and varying values found in the fall foliage of Rappahannock County. Using watercolor, they experimented with blending and contrasting hues to capture the beauty of our natural landscape.

Photos by Cecilia Falk

Congratulations to our RCHS Golf Team. The Panthers placed 7th overall during the VHSL Class 1 State Championship at Great Oaks Country Club on October 15th.

Contributed photo

RCES celebrated Start with Hello Week, a program from Sandy Hook Promise that teaches students empathy and empowers them to prevent social isolation by building an inclusive community. As a part of week's activities, the high school peer mentors visited RCES to engage with students over lunch. The young students immensely enjoyed conversing with the juniors and seniors, which started with a friendly “hello.”

Photo by Holly Jenkins

Audience members enjoyed a delightful musical production by the RCHS Panther Band during the 2024 Fall Concert on October 22nd. Directed by Tyler Ende, the line-up included musical numbers from the Jazz Combo and Concert Band. Even with numerous time commitments during a busy marching band season, the musicians put on a fantastic show that concluded with a resounding applause from the audience. Photo by Holly Jenkins

Missed the concert? Watch the video below!

Mr. Jenkins' 5th grade science students enjoyed a circuit-building challenge on October 23rd.

Photo by Gary Jenkins

Congratulations to our Competition Cheer Panthers! They were crowned Region Champions on Saturday, October 26th. The team will advance to the Class 1/2 State Competition on November 9th at VCU Siegel Center. The Panthers are coached by Kylynn Whitt and Ryleigh Shackelton.

Contributed photo

On October 28, GT Academic students explored the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton, Virginia, where they engaged in hands-on learning about the Migration and Columbian Exchange programs. Through interactive exhibits and activities, students gained a deeper understanding of the cultural and historical impact of migration and the Columbian Exchange on early America.

Photo by Cecilia Falk

The RCHS Marching Band, under the direction of Tyler Ende, wrapped up their season by winning 1st place overall in Class 1A at the 2024 Powhatan Fall Classic.

Photo by John Lillard

During a fun, interactive Science Spooktacular assembly presented by Science Heroes, RCES students in grades PreK-5th learned about dry ice! The young students immensely enjoyed assisting with hands-on experiments and participating in the lively program that merged spooky stories with science. Thank you to a generous donor for making this exciting learning opportunity possible for the students.

Photo by Holly Jenkins

Recently, students participated in Girl Power Day in Palmyra, VA, at the VMD Training Center. This event is a collaboration between local electrical cooperatives and contractors who come together to provide young females a chance to experience what it is like to work as a Lineman. The activities offered included climbing a power pole, changing distribution line fuses, disassembling distribution line cross arms and reinstalling, flying drones, and more!

Photo by Kristina Farnham

On October 31st, RCHS students participated in the highly anticipated PRIDE (Positive Relationships Inspire a Drive for Excellence) Club Kick-off. After selecting a club of their choice, the students gathered in Panther Stadium to complete fun, team-building activities with fellow club members. There were lots of laughs shared and memories made. Thank you to Dani Pond for organizing this fantastic annual event!

Photo by Holly Jenkins

Excited students showed off festive costumes and joyful smiles at the annual RCES Trunk or Treat event. Dressed as everything from adorable storybook characters to spooky witches, the kids visited an assortment of creatively decorated car trunks to gather treats from the volunteers. Thank you to Ms. Katherine Todd for organizing the fun event and the many individuals who volunteered to decorate their trunks, dress in fantastic costumes, and greet all the young trick-or-treaters.

Photos by Holly Jenkins

RCHS Peer Mentors provide vital support for 8th graders. To read the article and learn more about the 8th Grade Academy, click HERE.

On October 16th, interested students attended a new Trades of the Month Meeting. Lisa Heiser, FastForward Career Coach at Laurel Ridge Community College, and Mr. Frank Raiter, Treasurer of the Rappahannock County Lions Club, served as the two speakers for the inaugural meeting. To learn more, click HERE.

Congratulations to our Jr. Panthers of the Month! This month’s students were selected by their teachers for demonstrating good citizenship and leadership amongst their peers. In celebration of their achievement, students were treated to a special recognition luncheon with Ms. Wissinger and Ms. Lowe-Barton.

PreK- Alexis Graves and Steven (Jr.) Bremmerman

Kindergarten- Isaiah Bremmerman, Eris Parker, Grace Dodson, and Kendra Corado

1st Grade- Kyle Jones, Oaklen Lee, and Theresa Doyle

2nd Grade- Abigail Dodson, Elijah Phillips, and Zoe Clement

3rd Grade- Sophia Montague, Skylar Ross, and Luke Mitchell

4th Grade- Grayson Bilharz, Aspen Barton, and Gavin Hawkins

5th Grade- Bella Lindsay, Peyton Graves, and Paige Robinson

6th Grade- Angel Lemus Lopez, Edith Smith, and Abigail Jenkins

7th Grade- Arya Goessl, Colt Helbock, and Thomas Starks

Check out the upcoming events calendar, your one-stop place to view RCPS' community events and more! To view, CLICK HERE or visit our district website and click "Happenings and Highlights," now under the CALENDAR tab.

Be sure to check out the RCPS student artwork on display (along with many talented artists from the county) at The Washington School as a part of the RAAC Art Tour. This community event takes place this weekend, November 2nd and 3rd from 10 am- 5 pm. While there, don’t miss the RCHS bake sale and lunch tent, and be sure to grab a Guide/Map that highlights Rappahannock’s artists with open studios available for visiting this weekend.

The RCES artwork is a collaborative piece created by students in grades 4th -7th. Students wrote personal ‘Where I’m From’ poems based on their own lived experience. Students combined their text with images to create their quilt squares and combined all squares to make a quilt.

The high school installation is titled "The Bigger Picture" and represents the things that make our students feel like they are part of a community and part of something bigger.

A heartfelt thank you to RAAC for showcasing the student artwork, which will be on display at The Washington School throughout the month, and to Ms. Amy Grady and Ms. Erin Platt for their encouragement and guidance of our young artists. To learn more, visit https://fallarttour.org/

Rappahannock County High School invites you to our Veterans Day Celebration on November 11, 2024. Join us for a light breakfast at 10 AM, followed by the assembly at 11 AM. This year's theme, A Legacy of Loyalty and Service, will feature remarks by Nancy A. Nykamp Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel and Dr. Mike Wenger Retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel. Additionally, the RCHS Panther Band and the new Rappahannock Community Chorus will provide special musical performances. We hope you will join us as we pay tribute to our heroes.

RCPS will closed on Monday, November 25th - Friday, November 29th. We look forward to welcoming our students back to school on Monday, Dec. 2nd.

We wish our families a wonderful holiday break.

Parents/Guardians—Leaving work is not always easy if your child gets sick at school. Telehealth makes it easier. With your consent, the clinic nurse, Ms. Prince, will be able to use video telehealth technology to connect your child with a provider at Valley Health. In most cases, your child can be diagnosed without leaving school or you having to leave work.

Conditions treated include asthma, allergies, cough, colds, flu, ear aches, sore throats, fever, headache, head lice, pink eye, skin irritations, and more.

The clinic is available to all students in grades PreK-12 with parental consent, as well as available to RCPS staff. The necessary paperwork can be found HERE. To speak with Ms. Prince at the clinic, please call 540-227-0200.

RCPS Students- Be sure to redeem your POP (Power of Produce) Bucks TOKENS at the Rappahannock Farmers Market by November 23rd.

To sign up for Behind the Wheel, visit

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSccnKHX9tDOU1oY45Az8kkTVnkvWGYTEU4sKqIyz0RG02rxwg/viewform

For more information, please contact Ms. Fox at efox@rappahannockschools.us.

To view the list of helpful mental health and wellness resources for students and families, CLICK HERE.

Website: www.rappahannockschools.us
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rappahannockcountypublicschools
Instagram: www.instagram.com/_rcps_

Email: info@rappahannockschools.us

To view a helpful list of our communications channels, CLICK HERE.