The Renton High School

Happy Friday, RedHawkS,

I hope this week's newsletter finds you well. As we prepare to recognize and honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. next week both for his birthday on January 15, and during our assembly on Friday, I am reminded of the promise of our beautiful community. While we undoubtedly have work to do to achieve our goals aligned with Dr. King's vision, it's the promise that RHS holds for an even more beautiful tomorrow that serves as the catalyst for our work today. I am also reminded of Dr. King's message in his speech at the Washington National Cathedral in 1968 in which he said, "the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice." At RHS we each hold a measure of accountability to be a part of the work to help the arc bend ever more towards what our students need and deserve to carry humanity forward towards justice in all forms. It requires that we become increasingly honest with ourselves and each other, and that we collectively identify the injustices that impact our community. As your proud principal, I am committed to address our challenges in order to maintain our steadfast focus on Dr. King's vision.

I hope you have a fantastic weekend and enjoy the art created by our students in recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Please see the important information below and as always, we welcome and appreciate your feedback.

Drew O'Connell

Proud Principal

It's a wonderful day to be a RedHawk!

JANUARY 11 & 25 - SCHOLAR SATURDAY (see info below)

JANUARY 14 - FINANCIAL AID NIGHT (see info below)

JANUARY 17 - MATTER OF THE HEART (see info below)

JANUARY 17 - Dr. MLK Jr. ASSEMBLY

JANUARY 17 - SENIOR (12th GRADE) PHOTOS ARE DUE (see info below)

JANUARY 20 - Dr. MLK Jr. HOLIDAY - No School

JANURAY 22 - COSMETOLOGY PROGRAM INFO NIGHT (see info below)

JANUARY 30 - PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES

Our first Scholar Saturday of the new year is tomorrow, Saturday, January 11. From 9:00 AM to Noon, we welcome all RHS students to come get extra help on assignments, make up missing assignments or assessments, or just study. A number of RHS staff will be there to help.

When students come to Scholar Saturday, their learning improves and therefore their grades improve.

Our goal for January 11 is at least 100 RHS students, and we can do with your help.

Please encourage (or require 😊) your student(s) to attend.

Please RSVP using the QR Code below.

What: Scholar Saturday

When: Saturday, January 11

What time: From 9:00 am to Noon

Where: RHS.

What else: Lunch & Snacks are included.

Do you need support in completing the FAFSA or WASFA? Please come to our family support night and get help from RSD experts. Please bring:

• Social Security Number (if applicable)
• Tax information
• Relevant income documents

Questions? Please reach out to Debbie Currie or Cindy Martinez.

Please RSVP here.

Matter of the Heart is a RHS tradition where we recognize and celebrate students chosen by our staff. Each staff member is able to nominate one student to receive the Matter of the Heart award, and on Friday, January 17, 2025 from 7:00 to 8:30 AM we will honor each student in the IPAC. This distinguished award honors our students for a variety of reasons and tied to their demonstration of our school values. Each student who is nominated is invited to bring up to 2 guests to celebrate with us. Students who have been selected were notified earlier this week and we are starting to see the RSVP's come in. We look forward to celebrating with you next Friday.

RedHawk 12th graders and Families,

It’s time to submit your 12th grade photos and quotes for the 2024-2025 yearbook!

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.

Through a partnership between the Renton School District and the Evergreen Beauty College, we are excited to announce a new Cosmetology Program for students who are about to enter their senior year and are interested in and admitted to this program. Operating similar to Running Start, students would spend their summer fully immersed in Evergreen Beauty College’s Cosmetology Program. Then, in their senior year (2025-26), they would attend RHS part-time to complete required classes and spend the rest of their days on Evergreen’s campus earning the hands-on training and education needed before taking the Washington State exam for the Cosmetology license. Renton School District pays for tuition until graduation and the majority of the cost for the tool kit required for the program.

If you are interested in being a student in the Cosmetology program, please plan to attend the upcoming info night on January 22 at 6:00 PM.

CLICK HERE JUST BEFORE 6PM ON JANUARY 22, 2025 TO JOIN THE MEETING!

Cosmetology Information Night-Wednesday 1/22/25 at 6-7PM via Teams

· Learn the ins and outs of how the program works – including deadlines and requirements

· Get a snapshot of a successful candidate for the program

· Hear from staff at Evergreen Beauty College & current RSD students in the program.

CLICK HERE JUST BEFORE 6PM ON JANUARY 22, 2025 TO JOIN THE MEETING!

Overview of 2025/26 Cohort Timeline

· January 22nd: Mandatory Information Night for potential students & families

· March 14th: Application deadline

· March 24th – 28th: Application review, student selection & notification

· April 14th – 25th: Individual student & family meetings

· May (date TBD): Family Night @ Evergreen Beauty College for students selected for the program

The link below will take you to the District’s Cosmetology Family Information webpage:

https://www.rentonschools.us/learning-and-teaching/career-and-technical-education/career-exploration/family-consumer-sciences/cosmetology/family-night

For those interested, your next step is to click the link below to attend the meeting on Jan. 22 @ 6pm:

CLICK HERE JUST BEFORE 6PM ON JANUARY 22, 2025 TO JOIN THE MEETING!

2025/2026 student course registration will take place in February 2025 for all current 9th, 10th and 11th grade students. The online registration window will be open from February 3 to 21. Students and staff will be receiving guidance for registration in the coming weeks and we will also provide registration information, guidance and resources to families for you to have conversations with your scholar about their 25/26 course selections.

Counselors will also visit our feeder middle schools to complete registration for current 8th graders.

More info and resources coming soon.

Homework Help Center is offered to all RHS students every Tuesday and Thursday from 2:03 until 3:30. RHS staff are there to help with assignments, work on projects and/or to study for assessments. All RHS students are invited!

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

Here are our upcoming competitions:

1/13/25

Boys C-Team Basketball vs. Mount Si, 6:30 p.m. at Mount Si High School - Main Gym

1/14/25

Boys C-Team Basketball vs. Liberty, 4:00 p.m. at Liberty High School- Main Gym

Boys Junior Varsity Basketball vs. Liberty, 5:30 p.m. at Liberty High School- Main Gym

Boys Varsity Basketball vs. Liberty High School, 7:15 p.m. at Liberty High School- Main Gym

1/15/25

Girls JV Basketball vs. Redmond, 5:40 p.m. at Redmond High School- Main Gym

Girls Varsity Gymnastics vs. Mercer Island (and 3 others), 7:00 p.m. at Mercer Island High School- Gym

Girls Varsity Basketball vs. Redmond, 7:15 p.m. at Redmond High School- Main Gym

1/16/25

Boys Varsity Swim vs. Mount Si, 3:00 p.m. at Hazen High School- Pool

Girls Varsity Flag Football vs. Highline, 5:00 p.m. at Highline Stadium

Girls Varsity Flag Football vs. Mercer Island, 6:00 p.m. at Highline Stadium

Girls Varsity Wrestling vs. Highline (and 1 other), 6:00 p.m. at Lindbergh High School- Main Gym

Girls Varsity Wrestling vs. Lindbergh, 6:00 p.m. at Lindbergh High School- Mian Gym Mat 1

Boys Varsity Wrestling vs. Lindbergh, 6:00 p.m. at Lindbergh High School- Main Gym Mat 1

Boys C-Team Basketball vs. Woodinville, 6:30 p.m. at Renton High School- Main Gym

Boys Varsity Wrestling vs. Highline, 7:15 p.m. at Lindbergh High School- Main Gym Mat 2

1/17/25

Girls JV Basketball vs. North Creek, 3:30 p.m. at Renton High School- Main Gym

Boys JV Basketball vs. Woodinville, 5:00 p.m. at Renton High School- Main Gym

Girls Varsity Basketball vs. North Creek, 6:30 p.m. at Renton High School- Main gym

Boys Varsity Basketball vs. Woodinville, 8:00 p.m. at Renton High School- Main Gym

To sign up for RedHawkS athletics, 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 adriana.cardenas@rentonschools.us.

GO REDHAWKS!!

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

January is Muslim American Heritage Month, and Poverty in America Awareness Month among others.

January is also host to:

20th - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

27th - International Holocaust Remembrance Day

29 - Lunar New Year - 2025: Year of the Snake

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.

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.