Hello Ridgeline Families-- life on the Ridgeline campus seemed to be a little slower and more quiet this week. Probably didn’t feel that way for our students and coaches who are continuing to work hard in preparation for competitions and other performances. Another first for Ridgeline Cheer is coming up as they prepare for a regional cheer competition. It’s the real deal with judges and all.
Music concerts celebrating the Christmas season are set for next Wednesday and Thursday night.
This past Thursday Ridgeline hosted the East Region Community Link Event. CVSD held an event in all three regions over recent weeks. The purpose of this event is to inform and show our community what programs and opportunities are available to our students at all levels. This was the first time the East Region administrators have been together to showcase our schools all in one event. Each level teamed up, and it was interesting to see commonalities at all levels for how we support our students, care for them, and enrich their school experience. As a reference, the East Region schools are: Liberty Creek, Liberty Lake, Greenacres, Riverbend, Selkirk MS, Greenacres MS, and Ridgeline HS. Collectively, we’re establishing our own unique regional identity, at the same time building a stronger sense of community. Mrs. Foster’s cooking classes provided home-made breakfast casseroles and fresh cinnamon rolls, which were a huge hit! Mrs. Maxwell jazzed up the library (even more than usual), enhancing her warm and welcoming atmosphere. I can’t recall being more proud of a group of students, than this group, who led our portion of the presentation. Our students described school-life through their individual experiences—from the heart, in their own words and voice. They impressed the crowd and moved them at the same time. Shout out to the students pictured here! (Back row L-R; Warrick Duarte, Kharma Gentry, Mike Fox, Sanjana Sharma, Katherine Figueroa-Lopez, Owen Gingras, Parker Clevinger, Brodey Shimp, Oleg Laptev. Front L-R; Mr. Hardt, Jacob Perry, Nick Goode, Payten Hooper, Gracie Newell, Makayla Hickman). A recorded version of this event will be made available soon.
We have regular dismissal time on Friday, December 15, and will end the day with a “spirit of the season” assembly for all students. Please REMEMBER, if you are starting a vacation early and pulling your student out of school, please make arrangements with their teachers and call the attendance line in advance. Thank you.
Please enjoy additional student highlights, opportunities, and timely information in today’s edition. Be informed, read the Flyer! Make it a great weekend! –Mr. Hardt
Interested in Running Start?...
Next Wednesday, December 13, members of the counseling team will offer an informational meeting for sophomores and juniors interested in Running Start at either the Community Colleges of Spokane (SCC or SFCC) or Eastern Washington University (EWU) next year. The counselors will provide a general overview of the program and things students should consider before applying. Parents/Guardians and students interested in learning more program specifics will be invited to an evening Zoom meeting on January 24, in which representatives from the EWU, SCC, and SFCC will outline their respective programs. Watch this space for additional program specifics, and contact your student’s grade level counselor if you have questions.
Celebrating Ridgeline High School Seniors
As this year’s seniors are afforded opportunities for the next steps in their educational/career journeys, Mr. Spraggins would like to celebrate them! If you have a current senior who has applied and been admitted to a college, university, and/or trade school, please encourage your student to take a moment and share with Mr. Spraggins a copy or screenshot of the admit letter/communication for each of the schools to which the student has been admitted. Similarly, if your senior has chosen to serve our country by enlisting in a military branch, please share with Mr. Spraggins confirmation of your student’s enlistment. As Mr. Spraggins collects these notifications, he will keep a running list of where RHS students have been admitted/enlisted, displaying these accomplishments on our building television displays throughout the application season!
Interested in $40,000.00 for your student’s college education?...
Of course, most of us would happily answer "yes" to this question! If so, I encourage you to have your student(s) access the Google Classroom post about Big Future Scholarships Mr. Spraggins added earlier this week. The qualification process is ridiculously EASY, so don’t wait! Of course, there is no guarantee of winning, but one thing is for certain: nothing ventured, nothing gained!
Clinical Volunteerism: A great way to learn about healthcare careers
If you have 16-18 year old student who aspires to work in the healthcare field, the Junior Health Scholars Program (aka, COPE) offered through Multicare's Deaconess and Valley hospitals may be a great opportunity. To learn more about it, access this link. If you would like to apply, access the QR code below for the application, which closes quick--December 12!
The COPE Health Scholar program
The COPE Health Scholar program is a great opportunity for high school students who are interested in the healthcare field to gain clinical volunteer experience while interacting with all levels of medical staff to better understand the dynamics of a hospital environment. We have been involved with many local high schools and college in the Spokane area such as Mead, Rogers, West Valley and much more! Our program allows students to receive an initial training where they will learn the basics of US health care. In addition to that hours gained in our program can be used for college or even graduate school applications.
Our current application deadline is December 12th with training planned in January. More information can be found at our website (linked below) or on our Instagram page @eastwahealthscholars .
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): The Latest…
In 2020, the federal government passed the FAFSA Simplification Act, which, in a nutshell, led to the form’s shortening, as well as increased accessibility. Additionally, a number of enhancements and process changes are currently in the implementation phase. Among other things for filers, this means the form availability has been delayed until Sunday, December 31. Accordingly, Sunday, December 31, will be the first time filers will be able to complete either the FAFSA or the WASFA (Washington Application for State Financial Aid, which is intended for undocumented students). The FAFSA has become a far simpler form to navigate and file since the days of paper and pencil, but there are often detailed questions and/or very individualized family circumstances that result in the need for additional guidance. Fortunately, Spokane Teachers Credit Union has proven a ready and willing partner for CVSD families, having trained staff at many of its branches to help guide those who need it through the filing process—no STCU membership necessary! To access the schedule of FAFSA/WASFA assistance dates, times, and branch locations, please access the this link.
Health Sciences Career Fair
the Central Valley, East Valley, West Valley, and Freeman school districts will host a Health Sciences Career Fair at the HUB on Wednesday, January 24. Ms. Fuller and Mr. Spraggins will take a busload of 50 juniors and seniors to this fair on the morning of January 24. In a nutshell, participating students will go to three sessions: two educational pathway sessions and one hands-on, fair style session with local healthcare practitioners. If you have a junior or senior who is interested, please encourage them to use the QR code in the flyer below to access the registration form. Students MUST complete the registration form NO LATER THAN WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3. Please direct any questions to Mr. Spraggins.
Each summer on the University of Washington, Seattle campus, the Do-It Scholars Program (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) hosts a no-cost capstone program for students with disabilities. The program “serves to increase the participation of individuals with disabilities in challenging programs and careers,” focusing on high school sophomores and juniors with an aptitude for and interest in attending college. To learn more about the Do-It Program and the application process, please visit the website. The priority application deadline for the summer 2023 program is January 30, 2024.
Speech & Debate
A few wins at the Welcome to the Jungle Tournament at Lewis and Clark on Nov. 17-18 and the Highlander Invitational at Shadle Park on Dec. 1-2 helped conclude the first half of the Speech and Debate tournament season.
Skyla Nemitz (10) and Emily Rountree (10) competed in Public Forum debates in each tournament and placed first overall in the novice division at Shadle Park. Rountree took first place in novice impromptu and Nemitz was a quarterfinalist in best overall speaking. The pair also made it to the quarterfinal round at LC.
Also competing were in each tournament were Ryland Jacoby (11), Alyssa McSwain (10), Grace Morgan (9), Kaylee Roome (9) and Sienna Shadd (10).
Roome took first place in novice impromptu speaking at LC and Shadd grabbed the top spot in the novice informational speech event.
Also at LC: Jacoby made it to the finals in Congress debate and McSwain was third overall in novice informative speaking.
Tuesday team meetings start again in January and are led by team captain Gracie Ayer (12). Any students interested are welcome to attend.
The team's next tournament is the Southside Invitational at Ferris High School on Jan. 19-20.
Winter Formal theme ideas
Hello from your Junior class council!
We would like students to have the ability to submit theme ideas for winter formal this year, so please send in a theme idea and let us know what you want to see this year. We are excited to create another magical night for everyone!
The dance will be held in February on a Saturday. Finalized date will be announced soon.
Boys Basketball has gotten off to a great start this season with our entire program currently 10-3. Friday our Freshman and JV will play CDA at Ridgeline HS at 5:00 PM and 6:30 PM and our C Team will be at LC 4:00 PM. Next week the Falcons will travel to Ferris on Tuesday and then the Varsity team will travel to Alaska on Wednesday to participate in the Doc Larson Roundball Classic in Wasilla, AK. The Falcons are excited to represent Ridgeline HS, the Central Valley School District, and our Liberty Lake community as they make their trip to the Last Frontier. Games will be streamed on the NFHS Network (subscription site $10.99/month – www.nfhsnetwork.com ) with the December 14th game at 1:45 Spokane time vs Wasilla, the December 15th game at 5:15 Spokane time, and December 16th TBD. We’d like to thank all of those who have come out to support our teams and we hope we can pack our gym January 2nd when we play Mead in our next home game! Go Falcons!!
