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Good afternoon, Pirate families, this is Dr. Woods-Weeks calling with the weekly update. Congratulations to the Riverside Swim Team. The women’s team broke two school records in the relays, as follows:

Chloe Mihaly, Kate Bakelaar, Aubree Spreitzer, Elodie Mitchell -- 200 free relay -- 1:40.27

Chloe Mihaly, Aubrey Mitchell, Kate Bakelaar, Elodie Mitchell -- 400 free relay -- 3:39.59

Senior Elodie Mitchell also was named the women’s conference swimmer of the year and took first place in the 200 free and the 100 fly.

Junior Vivian Brennan also was named the women’s conference diver of the year and took first place in the diving competition.

The women’s team finished third place overall in the conference and the men’s team finished fourth.  All three men’s and women’s relays qualified for regionals and five women, and four men qualified for individual events at regionals.

Also, congratulations to the Riverside Men's Basketball team who defeated Hillside.  The win was topped off by an outstanding performance from multiple pirates.

Lastly, wrestler Stephanie Diaz Won the 4A Regional tournament and will have a chance to compete for a state Championship this week. She is the first Female Wrestler to compete for a state championship in school history. 

National School Counselor Week
National School Counseling Week is Feb. 5-9, 2024, to focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors in U.S. school systems. Sponsored by ASCA, it highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. The 2024 theme is "School Counseling: Standards-Based, Student-Focused." Let’s give a shout out and celebrate our school counselor’s hard work and dedication this week with special tokens of appreciation for all they do for our students.

PTA
Join us for our next PTA Meeting - Tuesday, February 6th at 6:30pm in the Media Center.  All are welcome!

PTA would like to support the Riverside Red Cross Club in their upcoming Blood Drive. 
Riverside High School
Wednesday, February 7, 2024 - 9:00am – 2:00pm
Held in the Front Lobby.
Students & parents can schedule their lifesaving appointment by visiting edcrossblood.org with enter sponsor code: Riverside.

Booster Club
Riverside Booster Club is organizing a workday on Saturday, Feb. 10th at 1:00pm to complete important maintenance and improvements to our athletics facilities, including baseball, softball, cross country/track, and tennis. Please sign up to volunteer! - http://tinyurl.com/Feb10WorkDay We will meet at the entrance to the stadium at 1:00pm and divide up tasks / assignments. Please wear closed toe shoes and bring work gloves if you have them. If we need you to bring any additional equipment, we will let you know the week before the Workday.

Mark your calendar and plan to join us for our next Booster Club Meeting - February 15th at 8:00pm via Zoom.

Maximize Your ACT Potential: Upcoming Test Prep Sessions for Juniors
We are thrilled to announce our upcoming ACT Test Prep Sessions for Juniors. These sessions are designed to help students achieve their highest potential and best scores. These sessions are scheduled on February 2nd, 16th, 23rd, and 28th, and will feature comprehensive, expert-led guidance covering all critical areas of the ACT.
Students are expected to participate in four sessions, with one session each week. These sessions will take place in four designated rooms along the tech hall – Rooms 161, 163, 165, and 167. Each student will be assigned to a specific room for their sessions, ensuring a focused and conducive learning environment.
Signs will be posted to guide students to their assigned room and period, making it easy to locate their respective sessions.
We look forward to seeing our students excel and achieve their academic aspirations!

PRACTICE ACT ONLINE EXAM
The Spring Practice ACT Online Exam will be Saturday February 10, 2024. Students may elect to take this online exam at-home or in-person from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. at the host sites specified in the flyer.
Here is the registration link (http://bit.ly/dpsACT23) and the flyer . You may also find it on the school’s website.

Registration closes on Thursday, February 8, 2024. Students will not be able to walk in or sign up later.

FALL REGISTRATION
Fall registration is slated to begin Monday, February 12, 2024. Current 9t, 10th, and 11th graders should check their email regularly to make sure they don’t miss important from the counselors about choosing their classes for next school year.

ACCESS for ELLs
The window for ACCESS testing for all EL students in DPS opens tomorrow February 5th--March 1st. All EL students I grade 10 must test.

ATHLETICS

Riverside Basketball will travel to Chapel Hill on 2/6/24. JV Boys at 4:30 pm Varsity Girls at 6:00 pm and Varsity Boys at 7:30 pm.  Basketball will host Jordan High School on 2/9/27 JV Boys at 5 pm Varsity Girls at 6:30 pm and Varsity Boys at 8 pm.

The Indoor Track and Field Team will Travel to JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem on 2/9/24 for the 4A State Championships. Riverside will have multiple athletes participating in the meet. Congratulations to Diver Vivian Brennan she came in 1st place in the region for Diving, and she will compete at the State Championship on 2/9/24. In swimming news Pirates Swimmers break school records and advance to states after stellar performance at regionals.  Elodie Mitchell placed 2nd in Fly and 5th in 200 Free, and Chloe Mihaly placed 6th in 100 Free and 6th in 500 Free. The following Girls 200 Relay broke the school's record, the relay included Chloe Mihaly, Kate Bakelaar, Aubree Spreitzer, and Elodie Mitchell with a time of 1:39.90 for 5th place overall.  The Girls 400 Relay also broke the school's previous Record. Chloe Mihaly, Aubrey Mitchell, Kate Bakelaar, and Elodie Mitchell posted a time of 3:37.24 for 5th place in the region.  they will have an opportunity to compete for the 4A State Championship on 2/10 at the Triangle Aquatics Center. 

The Athletics Booster Club will have an in-person spring Spirit wear sale on Saturday 2/10 at 1 pm.   Purchase T-shirts, Blankets, sweatshirts, and more while supplies last.   

Ticket To Play dates for Spring Sports are as follows February 5th, and 6th during both lunches in the PLTW hallway.  All students interested in trying out for spring sports must have completed Athletic Registration and get a Ticket To Play to try out.

Tickets can be purchased by card or online at TICKETS.  All DPS athletic events observe a "Clear Bag Only" policy in conjunction with no Re-Entry.  For more information about winter sports please visit https://riversideathleticzone.com/

Riverside Booster Club

Have you joined Booster Club?  it is never too late to join or donate!
Join - https://tinyurl.com/JoinRHSBoosters
Donate to Keep Our Kids in the Game - http://tinyurl.com/PirateBoosterDonation

College Advising

IMPORTANT:

The 2024-2025 FAFSA application will be doing a "soft launch" and will be available periodically throughout the coming weeks. If you are experiencing technical difficulties, log out and try again later. In the meantime, I encourage students AND parents to create their FSA ID on studentaid.gov.  It takes 3 days to verify your information before you can complete the form. Students must have an SSN to be eligible for federal student aid, however, there may be other opportunities to receive other forms of financial aid. Parents who do not have an SSN can still create an FSA ID.

To ensure that you are prepared to complete the form, have the following materials accessible when applying:

- Laptop
- SSN
- 2022 Tax Information
- Records of child support received (if applicable)
- Current balances of cash, savings, and checking accounts
- Net worth of investments, businesses, and farm

UPCOMING EVENTS:

College Visits: *These opportunities are open to Juniors and Seniors only. You are responsible for any information or materials that you may have missed during the trip. You must complete the interest form to be considered for the trip. but completing this form does not guarantee a spot on the trip*

Criteria:
•    Have applied or plan to apply to the school
•    Must have at least a 2.5 GPA (weighted)
•    No write ups / referrals for the semester
Wednesday, February 21: College Visit to NC A&T (10:00 AM - 3:00 PM)
      - If you want to visit NCAT, complete the interest form here. You must meet the minimum criteria to be considered. Please submit the interest form by Friday, February 9th. Submitting the form does not guarantee a spot on the trip*

Events:

Tuesday, February 13th at 12:30 PM-1:30 PM: Riverside HS Alumni Panel
      - Recent Riverside HS graduates will return to Riverside to discuss their college experience and will give advice to current students to help them prepare for their post-graduation plans. This opportunity is available to all students at Riverside, regardless of their post-secondary plans.

Saturday, February 17th at 12:00 PM-3:00 PM: Bull City in Black: HBCU Showcase and Community Resource Fair
      - Emily K Center is hosting The Bull City in Black: HBCU Showcase & Community Resource Fair will showcase the illustrious Historically Black Colleges and Universities across North Carolina and surrounding areas, while sharing valuable information on many of the community resources in the Bull City. Sign up here to attend!


SCHOLARSHIP ALERT: The title of each scholarship application is hyperlinked with more information
        Durham Promise Scholarship
•    All students who apply for a scholarship through DPS Foundation are automatically entered into consideration for a Durham Promise award. The Durham Promise will be awarded to one graduating senior in each senior high school in the Durham Public Schools System in the amount of $3,000 (non-renewable). Eligible students must be graduating seniors who expect to enroll in a post-secondary institution in the fall. A minimum 2.5 GPA is required.   
       Andrew Edward Crabtree Scholarship
•    Available for seniors at Riverside High School in the amount of $5,000 (non-renewable). Eligible students should demonstrate a strong and significant interest, proficiency, passion and participation in drama, choral music, history, or creative writing. A minimum 2.75 GPA is required. Deadline is March 4th, 2024.
      Aubrey Lee Brooks Scholarship
•    The Aubrey Lee Brooks scholarship provides an award up to approximately one-half of the cost of an undergraduate education to students who demonstrate financial need. Selection for the Brooks Scholarship is competitive. Successful applicants have excellent high school grades and SAT/ACT scores. Applicants are expected to have participated in extracurricular activities, volunteered in their community and/or been regularly employed. These students often demonstrate leadership within the organizations with which they work. Deadline is March 1st, 2024
       2023-2024 Noz Scholarship
o    This scholarship is in honor and memory of one of Ms. Laura Brady's best friends, Nick. Nick was her biggest supporter throughout high school and college, a constant reminder to resist being average, live in absolutes, and the invaluable importance of persistence. His passing left an indelible mark on the world. This scholarship is awarded to a student who demonstrates leadership inside and outside of the classroom and strong character. Eligible candidates should be driven, curious, and persistent. Deadline is March 4th at 11:59.
Other Scholarship Opportunities
•    DPS Foundation Scholarships -
•    Due by March 4th
o    Click
o     here to apply!
•    Durham Alumni Chapter of NC A&T Scholarship -
•    Due by March 29th
o    Click
o     here to apply!
•    Durham Civitan Withrow Scholarship -
•    Due by April 26th
o    Click
o     here to apply!
o   
•    Home Builders Association Scholarship -
•    Due by March 1st
o    Click
o     here to apply!
College Acceptances -Week of 1/29/24 (the class of 2024 has currently surpassed more than $6 million in scholarships offered!!)
•    Luke Musser - NC State
•    Megan Rehder - NC State
•    Megan Rehder - UNC-Charlotte
•    Megan Rehder - East Carolina
•    Megan Rehder - Cottey College
•    Juliana Hilton - NC State
•    Juliana Hilton - UNC-Charlotte
•    Julien Cloutier - NC State
•    Kyla Perry - NC A&T
•    Kyla Perry - NC State
•    Naomi Tisdale - NC State
•    Lucas Gaylord - NC State
•    Lucas Gaylord - UNC-Charlotte
•    Piper Winton - UNC-Chapel Hill
•    Theo Dessauer - UNC-Chapel Hill
•    Theo Dessauer - NC State
•    Sayer Brown - UNC-Chapel Hill
•    Maddie Cohoon - NC State
•    Maddie Cohoon - East Carolina University
•    Maddie Cohoon - UNC-Greensboro
•    Tobin Smith - NC State
•    Tobin Smith - UNC-Chapel Hill
•    Tobin Smith - NC A&T
•    Riley O’Connor - Ithaca College ($27,000/yr.)
•    Louisa Jenniches - NC State
•    Genesis Smith - NCCU
•    Brayden Moore - NC State
•    Sydney Brown - NC State
•    Sydney Brown - Lees McRae ($13,000/yr.)
•    Jayden Jefferson - NC State
•    Jayden Jefferson - Maryland
•    Trevin Johnson - UNC-Charlotte
•    Trevin Johnson - Virginia Tech
•    Noah Cho - NC State
•    Zachary Kuo - NC State
•    Otto Schonwalder - NC State
•    Niko Bradley-Bull - UNC-Chapel Hill
•    De’Kayla Taybron - NC A&T
•    Julien Cloutier - Virginia Tech
•    Ranon Greyber - Virginia Tech

That said, parents please continue to help us enforce the DPS Code of Conduct by ensuring that your student adheres to the policies and procedures set forth. Students show your school pride by wearing our school colors on Friday. I will see each of you at the River Wednesday. Go forth and make it a great evening. Roll Pirates Roll! Thank you