Rimrock Raider Newsletter

Thank you to all our students and parents for an outstanding first semester! Students have been working hard, completing all their Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) testing over the last 3 weeks, and also wrapping up their semester 1 classes. Winter athletics are off to a strong start. And we continue to make strides in building up a culture of Integrity, Respect, and Effort among our students.

Below I've included a few short writeups highlighting some of the great things happening at Rimrock recently. These just scratch the surface, as I know our students and staff are doing many amazing things in the classroom day in and day out.

I hope all our families enjoy a winter break filled with joy and peace, and that our students and team at Rimrock come back on January 6th rested and ready to tackle the second semester. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

To close the semester, Student Body Government hosted a Christmas Break assembly. The event started with a Christmas Caroling competition, which the dueling 6th Grade Creative Writing and Band classes jointly won with their enthusiasm and choreography. Their prize will be a pancake breakfast when classes resume in January. Other events included a marshmallow carry, which was won by 7th grade, a a Christmas wrapping paper race won by 9th grade in a tiebreak over 10th grade, and a "Name that Christmas Song", which the 11th grade dominated. Also, the 8th graders had the chance to pie 'Santa' (our Student Body Vice-President, Rocky Aquiso) as well as Student Body President Ronaldo Gomez, as a "prize" for winning the door-decorating contest earlier in the week. Hopefully all students enjoyed a fun send-off into the winter break!

On, 13 December, Rimrock's National Honor Society visited three senior centers in Mountain Home with eight members for a community service project. Students requested the trip from their advisor, Mrs. Brandi Lisle, saying they wanted to help spread Christmas cheer and brighten people's lives. Homemade cookies and treats, homemade cards, and small gift bags filled with assorted toys and necessities were hand delivered to each facility in Mountain Home. Students sang Christmas carols and visited with residents. It was an incredible experience, and students are eager to repeat it in the spring - possibly to plant flowers when the weather is warm!

Rimrock Sources of Strength, led by Sariah Pearson and Emily Waterlander, applied and were accepted for a grant from the Youth in Philanthropy Project. As part of this grant, Sources of Strength will receive $5000 to distribute to deserving local non-profits to help them meet critical community needs. The Youth in Philanthropy program will also provide training to Rimrock staff and students in how nonprofits operate, the role of philanthropy in building strong communities, and how to evaluate community needs. Students (with staff oversight) will then solicit and evaluate applications for grants from within our community before disseminating the funds to our local organizations. Expect to see more information in Spring as Sources of Strength embarks on this exciting campaign!

- 20 Dec 24 - 5 Jan 25: Rimrock Winter Break

- 6 Jan 25: School Resumes, beginning of Semester 2

- 7 Jan 25: Semester 1 Attendance Petitions Due (all students with 7 or more unexcused absences)

- 10 Jan 25: Rimrock Blood Drive, 9 am - 2 pm (organized by Senior Alia Aquiso!)

- 14 Jan 25: Regularly scheduled Board Meeting @ Rimrock, 7 PM

- 17 Jan 25: District Professional Development Day