August Newsletter

Email: RCHSwebmaster@rheacounty.org
Website: rchs.rheacounty.org
Location: 885 Eagle Lane, Evensville, TN, USA
Phone: (423) 285- 6833
Facebook: facebook.com/RheaCountyHighSchool
Twitter: @rhea_high

To the class of 2028,

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to Rhea County High School for the 2024-2025 school year. We hope you are excited to begin this new chapter with the Rhea County High School family.

We are entering our 12th school year in the new Rhea County High School facility. We are very proud of our facility, and we want to make sure that it is treated with the utmost care and respect. It is very important that everyone takes pride in our building to ensure that it remains in the top condition for many years to come.

The information in this handbook is very important to you and should be taken very seriously. These rules will be enforced. You should keep this student handbook where it can be available as a reference on a daily basis. It should be a constant reminder of the rules and guidelines that every student is expected to follow while at Rhea County High School.
Your success at Rhea County High School begins on the first day of school. You should strive to do your very best every day and make your studies a top priority in order to meet all of your academic requirements. This should be your goal, not only this year, but every year. It is very important that you set goals for yourself and assess those goals often. One of the most important goals for students should be to do everything necessary to stay on track and graduate at the end of four years with your class in 2028.

To all our students, but especially to the 2024-2025 freshman class, I want to emphasize the importance of getting off to a good start this school year and to begin to look forward to your graduation. Every day at Rhea County High School prepares you for your graduation. Our studies show that students who have had difficulties during high school that endangered their possibility of graduation were linked directly to the fact that they got behind during their freshman year and could never seem to get back on track. Make sure you stay on track!

Everyone at RCHS has your best interest in mind. Our administrative team, teachers, and counselors are here to help you, in the event you begin to have problems. If you begin to struggle academically, please take advantage of the help that is available to you, immediately. The sooner you address the problem, the quicker you can get back on track.

One of the most important things that is in your control and is directly related to your success is to make a commitment to be at school every day unless you are not physically able to be here. This is vitally important. Your teachers cannot teach you if you are not in the classroom. Students who make the commitment to be in school every day have very little trouble keeping up with their academic requirements.

I want you to know that the administration and staff of Rhea County High School is committed to all our students and will do everything we can to help and encourage you throughout this school year. My office door is always open, and I am available to you whenever you need me. I wish you the greatest success at Rhea County High School and look forward to you accomplishing your ultimate goal of becoming a graduate of Rhea County High School.

Best wishes,
Doug Keylon, Principal

September 2nd: Labor Day, no school

September 3rd: PD Day for teachers, no school for students

September 23rd- 27th: Homecoming Week

September 27th: Homecoming Game at 6:30

Introducing the cover and theme of THE AERIE, Volume 51: "TO BE DETERMINED" ...and yes, that's the actual theme.

(To those of you that may have noticed this hint on page 303 of Vol. 50, the yearbook staff commends you on your powers of observation and deduction.)

It's no secret that this school year is radically different than previous years in many, many ways, so the yearbook editors developed this theme as a means of documenting our school's new changes, while also casting an eye towards the future... like the next 50 years of Rhea County High School. The yearbook staff doesn't want to reveal too much, but they have plenty of interesting features planned to explore this year's theme.

Instead of the design-heavy aesthetics of Volume 49's "LISTEN" and Volume 50's "SPOTLIGHT," the yearbook staff is embracing a minimalist design, a "less is more" approach so to speak. It may look different than what you've come to expect, but they couldn't think of a better way of approaching this "blank canvas" of a year.

Yearbooks will be sold for $75 until October 31st. Afterwards, the price will increase to $85, and then again on January 1st to $100. (Personalized nameplates are also available for $10, along with up to four activity icons for $5 each)

• To order a yearbook, please visit this link: https://www.balfour.com/student-info?smi=69151

• OR, see Mr. Marsh with cash or check in Room 2510.

Senior Tributes are on sale NOW. A digital PDF of the order form is available for printing. You can also purchase online at the same link above, or see Mr. Marsh. A physical order form MUST be submitted for all Senior Tributes. The deadline to submit the order form and payment is October 4th, but purchasers have until October 31st to submit all photos and messages.

Information regarding SENIOR TRIBUTES: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vATf7nzVmLIjYmhS0EuOiMYvz_1Cn3Sm6Yb_WMbyKe4/edit

Please reach out to RCHSyearbook@rheacounty.org if you have any questions!

Beginning in September, RCHS will begin a composting initiative at the high school. Students and staff will be able to place vegetable and fruit waste, coffee grounds and coffee filters, or used tea bags in compost buckets which will be located in the commons area and cafeteria. Students from our CDC program will be helping with emptying compost buckets regularly.

The compost collected in the school will be placed in a compost bin near the greenhouse and will be used to benefit the plants grown by the agricultural classes here at Rhea County High School. Look for the green buckets in the cafeteria and the commons and start putting your vegetable and fruit scraps to good use!

Students from the RCHS Chorus went to the All East Prep Clinic at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Saturday, August 24th. This was in preparation for their auditions September 14th for All East Choir. The students seemed to enjoy their time and were able to get a good start at learning their music for auditions. Pictured (left to right): Annah Jackson, Fiona Vickers, D’arcy Kelly, Brionna Alonso, and Cheyenne Wente. Natalie Shuler, Pru Mize, and Esmeralda Ramos Lopez also attended but are not pictured.

Mrs. Worthington's Spanish I and II students celebrated La Tomatina with tomato Plinko, tomato basketball, and a "tomato" fight. It was a fun and innovative way to translate and learn facts about this food fight festival!

August 17th was Best Buddies Day in Rhea County, and we had our first annual celebration at Point Park. Best Buddies Day was established last year by proclamation by our County Commission. To recognize the day, we enjoyed food, games, and most importantly- time together. Best Buddies alumni also participated, which creates a special way for Buddies to stay connected for years to come.