Happy Veteran's Day!
Dear River Hill Families,
This coming Friday is Veteran’s Day. This is a day where we take time to reflect and respect our brave men and women for what they have done for our nation in times of peace and in times of war. From the Army to the Air Force, the Navy and Marines, and those in other service areas, we have these courageous people who renounce their own safety for the protection of our freedom and let us live in peace. Please be sure to recognize and thank a veteran today!
As we continue our journey through the fall semester, I am thrilled to share some remarkable highlights from our incredible students and athletes.
Last week, I had the honor of visiting our students at the ARL (Applications and Research Laboratory). While there, I visited the Construction Academy, Academy of Finance, and other academies where students are doing exceptional things. I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to junior Finley Dalgewicz-Vollmer who invited me to witness firsthand the incredible work being done at the ARL. I was able to witness the passion and dedication these students have for their chosen academies. They are truly inspiring, and I am humbled to have had this opportunity.
In the world of sports, I want to congratulate our field hockey team for their outstanding performance in a hard-fought game against Centennial High School. Although the match ended with a 2-1 loss, our team displayed exceptional sportsmanship and determination. We are immensely proud of their efforts on the field.
Early last week was the FIRST double-header of soccer playoffs, with both our boys and girls teams facing off against Reservoir. The boys' soccer team secured a thrilling victory in a match that came down to penalty kicks, demonstrating their resilience and skill. The girls, on the other hand, dominated with an impressive 4-0 win, showcasing their teamwork and prowess.
In the second round of double headers – the state quarterfinals, our boys faced a challenging match against Towson, resulting in a heartbreaking 2-1 loss. Despite the setback, their commitment and spirit remain unwavering. Congratulations to the boys on a great season and making it to the state quarterfinals. Meanwhile, our girls continued their exceptional performance, defeating Magruder 2-0 to advance to the state semifinals. We are thrilled to announce that our girls will play this coming Friday, November 10, at Crofton High School against the No. 1 seed, Severna Park. Let's rally together and support our talented girls as they embark on this important journey. Go HAWKS!
In the realm of performing arts, yesterday afternoon was a true River Hill tradition – the Prism Concert. I extend my warmest congratulations to all our talented musicians and the incredible performing arts staff. The Prism Concert was a testament to the outstanding talents and dedication of our students, and it was truly a remarkable event.
Between our exceptional academics, stellar athletic teams, and gifted performers, I am profoundly grateful to witness the incredible gifts and talents that your children bring to our school community. Their achievements and dedication are a constant source of inspiration.
Our boys and girls cross country teams qualified for states as River Hill hosted the regionals last Thursday. Congratulations to Alyssa Mattes who placed third at the Class 3A South Regionals! Our teams will compete in states at Hereford High School this coming Saturday, November 11. GO HAWKS!
Finally, the volleyball team is gearing up for the playoffs and will begin their playoff run against Atholton tomorrow. I encourage all of you to come out and support our talented athletes as they embark on this exciting journey. Let's continue to celebrate and support the remarkable accomplishments of our students and teams.
Next week is American Education Week! This week is about appreciating the hard work that goes into providing students a quality education. It takes an entire cadre of professionals – custodians, cafeteria workers, teachers, administrators, and support staff – to provide that quality education. It is our hope that you will have an opportunity to visit this week to see our professionals in action. We are hopeful that a day in school will further your appreciation of our high school program of studies and provide encouragement for the school work being done by students and teachers. Even if you cannot spend a full day with us, we believe that any part of the day you are here will be interesting for you and supportive of your daughter or son. We look forward to seeing you! We look forward to our families getting involved in the spirit of the week.
Lastly, tomorrow the window opens to schedule parent/teacher conferences and closes on November 16. As in years past, we ask that parents adhere to the following guidelines when scheduling your conferences:
November 6 & 7 will be reserved for scheduling of conferences for students with a grade of “C” or lower
November 8 conference scheduling open for all
Conference Information
- On Monday, November 20, conferences will be in-person only. Teachers will hold all conferences in person at River Hill and parents may only attend their scheduled conferences in person.
- All conferences will be held in-person or virtually on Tuesday, November 21, and Wednesday, November 22 (teacher discretion). Please note that most teachers elect to conduct evening conferences on Monday and Tuesday in lieu of holding conferences on Wednesday.
Have a great week!
Warmest regards,
Robert A. Motley
Principal
Career Planning at River Hill HS
One of our goals at River Hill High School is to provide quality career planning resources. When students are able to identify their strengths and connect their interests to related career clusters, they select more relevant coursework, participate in more career exploration activities, and engage more meaningfully in their education as a pathway to a satisfying career.
One career planning resource, the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) Career Exploration Program (CEP), will be offered (free of charge) to any of our interested 10th, 11th, or 12th grade student in River Hill’s Media Center on Thursday, November 30th, starting at 9:45am!
A comprehensive score interpretation session, using many of these activities, will be provided by an education specialist prior to the HCPSS course registration window for the upcoming 2024-25 school year.
STUDENTS: If you are interested in taking the ASVAB on November 30th, register using this FORM. ONLY those students who register will be assessed. Results from this assessment will NOT be shared with military personnel, unless a family opts to share.
To find out more about the format, results, and commonly held misconceptions about the ASVAB CEP, please click here.
Additionally, college & career readiness advisors are trying to crowdsource parents/guardians in our communities who are willing to speak with our students about a wide range of traditional and non-traditional career pathways. Could you please share this Google form encouraging interested parents/guardians to share their information with me using this link: https://forms.gle/7EeRLb8AHd7AeNZ49
Winter Athletics Registration Information
Instructions for Sports Registration (additional attachment provided with instructions as well): DUE BY: Friday, November 11 (DO NOT SEND DOCUMENTS VIA EMAIL; FOLLOW ALL DIRECTIONS)
Go to https://www.hcpss.org/connect/Links to an external site. *Do NOT use your Mobile Phone
Login to your HCPSS Connect Portal (Parents & Guardian MUST use the parental login. Using your students log in info. will not allow you to register); Once logged in, go to the menu on the left and click the bottom option More Options (Family File, Reports Cards, etc.). If you have more than one student make sure you have selected the student from the drop down menu at the top of the page.)
Click on Athletic Registration on the right hand side Menu, select the correct season Fall/Winter/Spring;
Complete all of the forms: Parent Authorization Form, Sudden Cardiac Arrest Form, Concussion, please complete all additional documents…Do not skip or leave any boxes blank.
Physical Examination Form: Verification of an examination within 12 months of the tryout date for the particular sport must be submitted in each academic year of participation. Upload ALL pages of the Physical Examination Form. Older physicals will not be accepted. https://www.hcpss.org/athletics/forms-and-guidelines/Links to an external site. (Physical Forms can be found here to bring to doctor’s office) If you are having trouble getting a doctor’s appointment try this: https://riverhill.membershiptoolkit.com/physicalsLinks to an external site.
Upload a RECENT Utility bill (Dated September 1, 2023 OR later), it must be the actual bill. Older Utility bills will NOT be accepted. Utility examples: BGE, Water OR Cable Bill ONLY (Must match address the school has on file for enrollment). **No Cell Phone Bills will be accepted**
Common Errors:
File size may be too big on downloads. Make sure document is under 4MB
Just because forms have been submitted, that does not necessarily mean they have been accepted
AAM will go through to ensure proper dates, signatures, boxes checked off, address matches Synergy address.
**Reminder Physicals for Athletics are different from those used to register to attend school. The Athletic Physical includes a Clearance without restrictions by Medical Staff.
Please, make sure physicals have all signatures (Parent/Guardian, Athlete, and Physician) before scanning and uploading.
**Returning Athletes-If a Student Athlete is returning from Fall to play Winter and/or Spring season and wants to use the fall physical, parent/guardian will need to click the checkbox (option to use physical on file dated) and save. Otherwise, it’ll wait for a new one to be uploaded. Reminder, returning athletes will still need to complete permission information and upload a new utility bill.
Academic Eligibility for Athletics
For high school, a full-time student earns academic eligibility to participate in extracurricular activities by maintaining a 2.0 grade-point average (GPA), calculated using credit or non-credit courses, with no more than one failing grade for the marking period which governs eligibility for that activity.
*All Students: 1st Quarter Grades are used for winter athletic eligibility
River Hill H.S. Winter Athletics Coaches Contacts: For sport-specific information
Allied Bowling: Kelley_Pfeffekorn@hcpss.org (Kelley Pfefferkorn): Reach out to Coach Pfefferkorn for details
Boys Basketball: Matthew_Graves@hcpss.org (Matt Graves)
Girls Basketball: Teresa_Waters@hcpss.org (Teresa Waters)
Cheerleading: Jessica_Garry@hcpss.org (Jess Garry)
Indoor Track & Field: sprinterace1984@gmail.com & ammschmidt@gmail.com (Donnie Richmond & Ammera Schmidt)
Wrestling: Remy2747@gmail.com & tperkins5186@yahoo.com (Jeff Rermgosakul & Thomas Perkins)
*What to Bring: Water bottle (large size), sneakers (basketball/cheer/track), wrestling shoes/headgear (wrestling), athletic clothing for all; be prepared for outdoors for track. Please contact your sport specific coaches for questions about equipment and scheduling.
*Anyone who is planning to try out for a team should be sure to check with sport specific coaches on schedules/details; once tryouts are completed, all teams will begin official team practices, scrimmages and then games. Winter sports participants should be prepared to potentially play during holiday breaks as well. Refer to your coaches for scheduling details.
River Hill High School
Email: Robert_Motley@hcpss.org
Website: www.rhhs.hcpss.org
Location: 12101 Clarksville Pike, Clarksville, MD, USA
Phone: (410) 313-7120