ACADEMICS: English 1 Students Perform Romeo & Juliet

Buren Martin from the Baillie Players, a touring theater company from Inman, S.C., was here at RVHS working on an interdisciplinary unit with the English 1 classes. He helped bring Romeo and Juliet to life by placing the students on the stage and working with the material the way it was originally intended. This unit culminated with a Romeo and Juliet play on Friday, February 20th in which Mr. Martin performed with RVHS students. This was made possible with a grant from the State Department of Education: Arts Curricular Innovation Grant.

ARTS: Guest Director Assists Advanced Chorus

On Friday, February 20th, Dr. Chuck Neufeld, the director of choral activities from Lander University, came to Ridge View to work with our Advanced Chorus students in order to prepare for the upcoming festival season. Thank you Dr. Neufeld!

ARTS: Blazers Excel at Central Solo & Ensemble

On Saturday, February 21st, Ridge View hosted nine schools for the 2015 SCEMA Central Solo & Ensemble. The Ridge View Chamber Singers participated and received a Superior rating for their performance of two pieces. The Chamber Choir included Khalia Harvey, Courtney Willis, Keron Darmanie, Knique Eichelberger, Bernard Hasan, Gabriel McFarlan, Maya Hannah, Allondra Stroman, and Laura Montgomery. Illia Dia performed a solo and also received a superior rating! Congratulations Blazers!

ARTS: Band Members Compete in Honor Band

Congratulations to Khalil Gray for being a member of last weekend's All-State Orchestra! The Orchestera division of SCMEA included a few winds to have a full orchestra, and Khalil was the bassoonist. Also congratulations to our 19 members who participated in last weekend's Region Honor Band. RVHS was represented by Hunter Antwine, Kathleen Arevalo, Matthew Carter, Spencer Creech, Micaela Dixon, Thomas Drummond, Diamond Gaston, Nicholas Guditis, Jonathan Guzman, Kiara Hayes, Andrew Marino, Kamia McDaniels, Maggie Mozdzierz, Tianna Myers, Kevin Seabrook, Jae'la Simmons, Donoven Tribble, DeAsia Witherspoon, and Adjoray Yed. Congratulations Blazers!

COMMUNITY: Free Prom Dresses & Accessories

Brookland Baptist Church on Sunset Blvd. in West Columbia is hosting the Cinderella Project tomorrow, Saturday, February 28th from 8 am - 12 pm at the their Columbia Boutique. New and used dresses, accessories, and more will be available at no charge to high school students. To enter the boutique, you must bring your student ID. Limit one dress per student. Contact Sheila Bias at (803) 576-3718 or sbias@richardsonplowden.com if you have any questions. You can also visit www.cinderellaprojectsc.com for more details.

ATHLETICS: Interested in Boys Tennis?

Practice for the Ridge View High School Boys Tennis team began this week, but the team is still accepting new players. The team practices Monday through Thursday from 3:45-5:00 pm. In order to participate, you must have a current physical on file. Please click on the image for the attached file for more information. If you have any questions, please contact Coach John Combs at jcombs@richland2.org.

Booster Beds Mattress Fundraiser Tomorrow

The Blazer Band will be holding a Booster Beds Mattress fundraiser on Saturday, February 28th from 10 am to 5 pm in the RVHS Cafeteria. BoosterBeds will provide up to 20 mattresses to display in various sizes from Twin to California King, and styles such as firm, soft, inner-spring, pocketed coils, latex, memory foam, flippable and pillow top. Pillows, sheets, mattress toppers and various protectors will also be sold as take home items. Also, check out coverage of the event in The State newspaper.

Military Ball Tickets on Sale

The Junior ROTC is holding its 18th Annual Military Ball on March 7th for current and former cadets. Tickets are on sale for $20 each for couples and $25 for individuals. See Major England for tickets. Buy soon or you may miss out on these low prices!

ARTS: Murray/National Youth Philharmonic to Travel to China

Congratulations to Daniel Murray for making the National Youth Philharmonic 2015. As part of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America, Daniel will be a part of a historic first visit to Asia in July 2015, and will perform seven concerts in China in some of the greatest concert halls in the country. Each summer, Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute brings together the brightest young players from across the country to form the NYO-USA. Their upcoming visit to China has been designated by their respective countries as one of only four Cultural Pillars of the Consultation on People to People (CPE) Exchange between the USA and China. Safe travels Daniel!

TONIGHT: Town Hall Meeting On Domestic Violence

Did you know that S.C. is ranked #1 in the nation for women who are killed by men as a result of domestic violence? Please join us for a Domestic Violence Town Hall Meeting TONIGHT to discuss the impact of domestic violence on our communities and our youth. The meeting will take place in the Ridge View Auditorium from 6:00 - 8:00 PM. The event is sponsored by Representative Mia McLeod, House District 79. Partners for the event include Ridge View High School Improvement Council, Brookland Baptist Church, Rehoboth Baptist Church, and Christian Antwan Rainey, the executive director of REALMAD (Real Men Against Domestice Violence/Abuse).  Mr. Rainey will also be at Ridge View today talking with the Blazers during 5th and 7th period about domestic violence.

ACADEMICS: HOSA Students Attain Certifications

Our Health Science 1 HOSA students recently received their Basic Life Support/CPR certifications. A big thanks to Roger Casteal from Delta Healthcare Systems for instructing our students for certification.

ACADEMICS: Scholars Academy Supports Pasta for Pennies

Junior Kyla Woodard

Scholars Academy students are raising money in conjunction with Round Top Elementary School for the Pasta for Pennies Project, which benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Funds raised will go toward ongoing research and patient treatment costs. If you would like to donate, please contact Nicole Walker at nwalker@richland2.org.

ARTS: Halbrook Places 2nd in Young Musician Competition

Congratulations to Michael Halbrook for winning 2nd place in the Lake Murray Symphony Orchestra's "Young Musician Competition." Along with the title, Michael received $300. Click on the image for more information.

ATHLETICS: Blazer Rangers Place 6th in Army Nationals

Congratulations to the Blazer Rangers for placing 6th overall in the Army Service Championship on February 14-15th. Over one thousand teams began this process with regional qualifiers starting five months ago. Za'Cori Ross placed 7th and Tatiana LeGrand placed 13th overall out of 250 individuals this weekend, and out of 8,000 overall. This is the second year in a row that the Blazer Rangers have qualified for the All-Services championship in Ohio in March.

ACADEMICS: February Students of the Month

Our February Students of the Month were recently recognized and treated to a pizza luncheon. The following students were recognized by various departments, which are in parentheses: Michael Bland, Jr. (School for the Arts), Chantoya Brown (Social Studies), Omar Burnett (Health/Physical Education), Gabe Christian (Bio-Health Magnet), Ethan Conner (Math), Jasmine Cooper (AVID), Marlin Davis (Science), Muhammad Erkek (JROTC), Noah Gascon (Health/Physical Education), Tori Huey (English), Naya Jackson (CATE), Jasmine Johnon (Allied Health Magnet), Rebecca Massaro (English), Alexis McAllister (Science), Connor McCloskey (Social Studies), Julianna McDonald (World Languages), Maggie Mozdzierz (Fine Arts), Tianna Myers (Scholars Academy), Sauntavia Parker (JROTC), Victoria Rickards (World Languages), Allondra Stroman (Fine Arts), Shaelyn Tolliver (Math), Alexis Tourony (Blazer Academy), Alexis (Monet) Williams (CAT), and Taniya Winston (CATE). Congratulations students!

ALUMNI: Hammond Wins National Theater Honor

Ridge View Alum Sarah Hammond is a winner of the 2015 Richard Rodgers Award for Musical Theater. The award nurtures talented composers and playwrights and enables their musicals to be produced in New York City. For more coverage from The State, click on the image. Congratulations Sarah, The View is Proud of YOU!

RVHS Facilities Update

At the last Richland Two School Board Meeting, Executive Director of Operations, Jack Carter, reviewed the top 10 renovation/upgrade priorities for Ridge View High School. The contractor installing the artificial turf expects to complete the installation by the end of February. Installation of lighting on a practice field will begin in March. Design work continues on renovations to the auditorium and media center, and the district anticipates the work will begin in June. Click on the image to view the Ridge View High School Facilities Upgrades Presentation.

High School Assessments Update

New laws passed by the South Carolina General Assembly have resulted in new tests that will be administered during the Spring of 2015 throughout our state. The High School Assessment Program (HSAP) will no longer be given. Instead, students in their third year of high school will take two assessments: The ACT, a college and career readiness assessment, and WorkKeys, which measures essential workforce skills. Both assessments will be administered as paper and pencil tests. These tests will help teachers understand where their students are succeeding and where extra help or academic focus is needed. By having a better understanding of a student's skills, abilities, and knowledge, parents and teachers can determine what students need to know to be successful in school in the future. For more information on ACT and WorkKeys, visit the Richland Two Assessment web page by clicking here or the S.C. Department of Education's ACT web page by clicking here.

New State Standards Update

The new mathematics standards were approved upon first reading by the State Board of Education (SBE) on February 11th. The vote was unanimous, similar to the January vote on the new English Language Arts standards. The next step is to secure certification by state colleges and universities that the standards will prepare students for college.

Both the ELA and math standards must also be approved by the Education Oversight Committee. Once the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) secures their approval and concludes the certification process, the standards go back to the SBE for a second and final reading approval. If all goes well, that final approval will come during the March 11th SBE meeting. For more information, click on the "New Standards" button on the SCDE's homepage.

Band Booster Beds Mattress Fundraiser Saturday

The Blazer Band will be holding a Booster Beds Mattress fundraiser on Saturday, February 28th from 10 am to 5 pm in the RVHS Cafeteria. BoosterBeds will provide up to 20 mattresses to display in various sizes from Twin to California King, and styles such as firm, soft, inner-spring, pocketed coils, latex, memory foam, flippable and pillow top. Pillows, sheets, mattress toppers and various protectors will also be sold as take home items. Please click on the image for more information including pricing. Also, check out coverage of the event in The State newspaper.

This Week in the College and Career Center

SAVE THE DATE: Parent/Community Meeting with Coach Parks

Coach Perry Parks, the new head football coach, has been getting to know our Blazers.  He's been spending time in the hallways talking with students about the upcoming season.  Now he wants to meet the parents of current and potential players.  

If you would like to know more about Coach Parks's goals and expectations, please plan to attend the parent/community meeting scheduled for Tuesday, March 3 at 6:00 PM in the Ridge View High School cafeteria.  Calendars marking the March and April workout schedules will be provided along with information about the formation of a new booster club, the Ridge View Football Touchdown Club.

ACADEMICS: How Can You Enroll in AP Courses?

Students who enroll in AP courses are usually enrolled in honors courses, but are not required to have taken honors courses. Most students are enrolled in AP courses based on teacher recommendations, which are based on a students' potential for success in that AP course. In addition, some students are recommended based on their potential as measured by standardized tests such as the PSAT/NMSQT. If you are interested in taking AP courses, speak with your content area teacher or school counselor.

Blood Drive Today

Ridge View will be hosting a Blood Drive today, Tuesday, February 24th.  Students under the age of seventeen need parent permission to donate. Parent permission forms are available outside of Student Activities on M-Hall.  We would like to also encourage the RVHS staff, parents, and community member to participate in this blood drive. All that we ask is that all parents and community members sign in at the front desk.  We will have someone escort you to the blood donating area.

REMINDER: Muffins for Moms Tomorrow

Delayed Start Bell Schedule

Richland School District Two will operate on a two hour delay on Tuesday, February 23rd. This decision is based on a winter weather advisory from the National Weather Service that warns of the potential for dangerous travel conditions in the morning. A two-hour delay means: school start times are delayed by two hours; students who ride the bus should report to their bus stops two hours later than usual; and car-riders should report to their schools two hours later than usual. The following is the bell schedule for RVHS:

• EB: No Classes
• 1st: 10:40 - 11:25
• 2nd: 11:31 - 12:01
• 3rd: 12:07 - 12:37
• 4th: 12:43 - 1:13
• Lunch: 1:13 - 1:47
• 5th: 1:53 - 2:23
• 6th: 2:29 - 2:59
• 7th: 3:05 - 3:35

School District Hiring Bus Drivers

Richland School District Two is currently experiencing a shortage of qualified bus drivers, and is now hiring bus drivers. Interested applicants can apply online by clicking on the image. For more information, contact Brittany Singleton at bsingleton@richland2.org.

COMMUNITY: Create It Discovery Day

RVHS Social Media Outlets

Aside from AT THE VIEW Daily, Ridge View High utilizes other social media outlets such as Facebook, Flickr, Google+, Twitter, YouTube, Our Feed, and the RVHS Website. Click on the icons below to view our other social media sites.

      

Assessment Resources for 3rd Year Students & Their Families

This school year marks the beginning of important changes in state testing for all third year high school students in South Carolina.  The High School Assessment Program (HSAP) will no longer be given.  Instead, all third year students will take two assessments - The ACT and WorkKeys.  The ACT is a college and career readiness assessment; and WorkKeys measures essential workforce skills.  

To assist you and your Ridge View student in learning more about both assessments, the EOC developed documents explaining the benefits of each assessment.  To access the informational documentation on The ACT, click here.  To access the documentation on WorkKeys, click here.  

ACADEMICS: Why Take AP Courses - Part 4

AP courses BUILD COLLEGE SKILLS. Taking an AP course builds the skills you'll need throughout your college years. You give your mind a rigorous workout while polishing up your time management and study skills. You also get better at handling challenging issues and problems, with the support of your AP teachers. AP courses let you know what to expect during the next phase of your educational journey, and help you build the confidence to succeed.

ACADEMICS: Why Take AP Courses - Part 3

A benefit of taking AP courses is that you can SKIP INTRODUCTORY CLASSES. If you already know your preferred college major, taking a related AP course and earning a qualifying score on the AP Exam can help you avoid required introductory courses so you can move directly into upper-level classes and focus on work that interests you the most. Even taking an AP Exam unrelated to your major (even if you're unsure of your major) can place you beyond your college's general education requirements. This opens up additional time on your schedule, enabling you to do a second major or minor, take exciting electives, or pursue other interests. 

REMINDER: Blood Drive on Tuesday

Ridge View will be hosting a Blood Drive this Tuesday, February 24th.  Students under the age of seventeen need parent permission to donate. Parent permission forms are available outside of Student Activities on M-Hall.  We would like to also encourage the RVHS staff, parents, and community member to participate in this blood drive. All that we ask is that all parents and community members sign in at the front desk.  We will have someone escort you to the blood donating area.

Muffins for Moms This Wednesday

Ridge View mothers, grandmothers, and mother figures are all invited to come out to our annual "Muffins For Moms" this Wednesday, February 25th.  Breakfast will be served in your honor in the Multipurpose Room from 7:30 am to 8:30 am. Please come out and have breakfast with your Blazer sons and daughters. We ask that you enter the school campus through the gate near the Auditorium and proceed to Parking Lot-C behind the school. There will be several JROTC cadets available to escort you to the Multipurpose Room.  We look forward to seeing you.

ACTIVITIES: Prom Ticket Prices to Increase Next Week

Prom tickets are currently on sale for $45, but will increase to $55 next week. Tickets will be sold in the hall outside of the book room on Tuesday's and Thursday's during lunch, and will only be sold to juniors and seniors with a current Ridge View I.D. If you would like to invite a guest that does NOT attend Ridge View, then you must complete the prom date request form available at the ticket sales table, from Ms. Wimmer (C-76) or outside of Student Activities (M-141). Your date must be aged 20 or under at the time of the prom in order to attend. If you have any questions, see Ms. Wimmer (C-76), Ms. Goings (M-141), or by clicking on the image. The deadline to purchase tickets is April 8, 2015 at a cost of $65. Tickets needed to be purchased after this date will cost $100 per ticket with no exceptions.

ACTIVITIES: Asst. Superintendent Visits SMOOTH

On February 9th, Richland School District Two Assistant Superintendent Dr. Baron Davis took time out of his busy schedule to speak to members of the SMOOTH Movement. SMOOTH is a male empowerment mentor group at RVHS. Dr. Davis shared with the students important skills needed in order to achieve success in life as well as developing the motivation to pursue entrepreneurship. Members of SMOOTH are very appreciative of Dr. Davis for his visit.

REMINDER: Student Drop Off and Pick Up

All students should be dropped off and picked up in our upper parking lot located at the top of the hill off of Hard Scrabble Road. The lot entrance, when going up the hill from the direction of the Food Lion, is PAST the marquee sign on the left.  When you turn into the lot, please follow the blue line on the roadway which will guide you to the D-lot drop-off point, just behind the Auditorium. For dropping off or picking up purposes, please do not use the circle in front of the school's main entrance, the bus lot (A lot), or B lot (behind the school on the cafeteria side). Thank you for your assistance in dropping off and picking up our students safely.

New Tests Administered To 3rd Year Blazers

Because of the new laws passed by the South Carolina General Assembly, the High School Assessment Program (HSAP) will no longer be given to high school students. Instead new tests will be administered during the spring.  These new tests are WorkKeys and the ACT.  

The ACT is a college and career readiness assessment.  It is a college entrance exam covering English, reading, math, science, and writing.  It measures what students have learned in high school coursework. This is a timed test that includes multiple choice questions and a writing portion.  All 11th grade students in South Carolina are eligible for FREE online ACT preparation courses.  The ACT will be given to all students in their third year of high school on April 28.

WorkKeys measures real world skills that employers believe are critical to job success.  Test questions are based on situations in the everyday workforce.  This timed-test consists of three parts with 45 minutes per section.  The Applied Mathematics and Reading for Information sections both contains 33 items.  The Locating Information portion of WorkKeys contains 38 test items.  To see sample questions of each section, please click on the name of the section.  WorkKeys will be given to all students in their third year of high school on April 29.

For more information on The ACT and WorkKeys, please visit the Richland School District Two Assessment website.  We will also post more information on these tests through this semester.

SAVE THE DATE: Our 20th Anniversary Grand Finale

Ridge View is inviting all alumni (students, faculty, and staff) to celebrate with us.  We are having our Grand Finale: Carousel of Excellence on May 22, 2015.  This event will not only showcase our milestones and accolades during our 20 years, but will also be a time for you to fellowship with your fellow Ridge View Blazers.  We would love to see you, so please place on your calendars.  

We are also celebrating each month and showcasing our monthly celebrations on our 20th Anniversary Facebook page.  Please click on the image, like our page, and share with other RVHS Blazers so that we can spread the news to all Blazers.

ACADEMICS: Why Take AP Classes - Part 2

By taking an AP course and scoring successfully on the related AP Exam, your can EARN COLLEGE CREDITS, which can save you on college expenses; most colleges nationwide offer college credit and/or advanced placement for qualifying AP Exam scores. These credits can allow students to save college tuition, study abroad or secure a second major. Check out specific colleges' guidelines on accepting AP scores by searching the College Board's AP Credit Policy database by clicking on the image.

ATHLETICS: Willie Webb Named to All-Region Team

Willie Webb

Congratulations to Senior Willie Webb for being named to the All-Region team for wrestling at 152 pounds for the second year in a row. Willie is currently 38-3. He is competing in the Lower State Wrestling Championships this weekend in the hopes of qualifying for the State Championship next week. Other Blazers hoping to qualify for State include Deon Wallace, Josh Green and Dejuan Warren. Good luck Blazers!

ACADEMICS: FBLA Students Qualify for State Competition

Ridge View students competed in the Future Business Leaders of America regional competition on Saturday, February 7th. The following students placed in the competition:

• Morgan Legette: 2nd Place in Health Care Administration
• Kemari Mack-Caver: 3rd Place in Social Media Campaign
• Brooke Redmond: 3rd Place in Health Care Administration
• Benjamin Thompson-King: 3rd Place in Digital Design & Promotion
• Aerial Johnson: 5th Place in Sales Presentation

These students helped earn the Ridge View FBLA Chapter the opportunity to participate in the FBLA state competition in Charleston, SC on March 20-22. Congratulations Blazers!

ARTS: Winter Guard Places 4th

The Blazer Band had a busy weekend. Nineteen members participated in the University of South Carolina's Band Clinic while our Winter Guard placed 4th in a competition in Rock Hill. Congratulations Band members on all of your hard work throughout the year!

ACADEMICS: Why Take AP Courses - Part 1

One reason for taking AP courses is to STAND OUT IN COLLEGE ADMISSIONS. Deciding to take an AP course lets colleges know that you have what it takes to succeed in an undergraduate environment. When admissions officers see "AP" on your transcript, they know that what you experienced in a particular class has prepared you well for the challenges of college. Taking AP is a sign that you're up for the most rigorous classes. If interested in taking these courses, see your school counselor when school reopens after the holiday break.

Tonight is Student Council Wild Wings NIght

Come on out and support the RVHS Student Council by eating dinner at Wild Wings from 5-9 pm tonight. A portion of the proceeds will be donated back to our Student Council.