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Good afternoon, Pirate families, this is Dr. Woods-Weeks calling with the weekly update. Congratulations to all the student-athletes who participated in state championships this past weekend.

Diver Vivian Brennan won the 4-A diving State Championship and became Riverside High School's newest state champion in the women's 1-meter diving event at the Pullen Park Pool in Raleigh.

Swimmer Elodie Mitchell had 2 personal best performances in the 100-butterfly placing 6th and placed 9th in the 200 freestyles.

Chloe Mihaly made the consolation final in the 100-freestyle placing 11th and competed in the 500 freestyles.

The women's 200 free relay of Chloe Mihaly, Kate Bakelaar, Aubree Spreitzer, and Elodie Mitchell made the consolation final placing 15th and in the preliminaries broke the school record with a time of 1:39.41.

The women's 400 free relay of Chloe Mihaly, Aubrey Mitchell, Kate Bakelaar, and Elodie Mitchell made the consolation final placing 13th breaking the school record both times finishing with a time of 3:35.44.

Also, congratulations to the Riverside Men's Basketball team who defeated Jordan in a close matchup that came down to the final seconds. 

Indoor track and Field athletes participated in the 4 A state championship last week. The top performers for the Pirates were Rafaela Drake who placed 2nd in the state in Triple Jump and 5th in Long Jump.

Elizabeth Healy placed 5th in the 1600 M and 8th in the 1000 M races.  Philip Blum placed 5th in the 1600 M race and Connor Tyrrell placed 8th in the 1600 M race, way to go Pirates. 

Wrestler Daniel Dickerson placed 2nd at regionals earning him a chance to wrestle at the 4 A state championship.   Riverside will serve as host for the Middle School Wrestling tournament, on February 13 at 4:30 pm.

ATHLETICS UPDATE

Riverside Basketball will travel to East Chapel Hill on 2/13/24 JV Boys at 4:30 pm Varsity Girls at 6:00 pm and Varsity Boys at 7:30 pm.  Basketball will host Northern High School on 2/9/27 JV Boys at 4:30 pm Varsity Girls at 6:00 pm and Varsity Boys at 7:30 pm, this game will serve as Senior Night.

The Final Ticket to Play dates for Spring Sports are as follows February 12th, and 13th during both lunches inside the cafeteria.  All students interested in trying out for spring sports must have completed Athletic Registration and get a Ticket To Play to try out. Contact the designated coaches for tryout dates and locations as they vary by sport. Coaches contact information can be found on the Riverside Athletics Website. 

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/

The athletics Department would like to thank all of those who came out to volunteer for the campus clean-up and workday.

As a reminder:

Freshman Game Night will be held Thursday, February 15, 2024, from 4:30 until 6:00 p.m.

RHS Athletic Booster Club Meeting ( Via Zoom) will be held Thursday, February 15, 2024, from 7:30-9:00 p.m. Zoom Link: https://dpsnc.zoom.us/j/96003693373 


Friday, February 16, 2024, is an Early Release Day. School will be dismissed at
2:15 p.m. Govern yourselves accordingly.

Monday February 19, 2024, is a Required Teacher Workday. No school for students. Mark Your Calendar!

School Safety and Security

DPS School Safety, Security, and Emergency Information Guide for Parents/Families
DPS Safety/Security has created a school guide to provide parents and families with school safety, security, and other emergency information. These can be found here: DPS School Safety, Security, and Emergency Information for Parents and Families and DPS School Safety, Security, and Emergency Information for Parents and Families (SPANISH VERSION).

These can also be found on our website.

COUNSELORS CORNER

Fall Registration
Course registration for the 2024-2025 school year will open February 14- March 11. During this time rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors will be able to select their core and elective classes. Students with experience with registration are welcome to begin to select classes during these dates. However, all students will be required to attend a registration meeting with their assigned counselor. Students and parents can begin to check Canvas on Monday February 12 for their registration appointment time and location.

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 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!
ACCESS for ELLs
The window for ACCESS testing for all EL students in DPS will continue tomorrow February 12th--March 1st. All EL students must test.
Testing is also permitted March 4th-8th for late enrollees and hard-to-get make-ups.

Semester 2 - MOY Benchmark
The second SEMESTER benchmark window for MOY are coming up soon!   February 29-March 6

2024 Spring WorkKeys
The ACT WorkKeys assessment is administered twice a year - once in the fall and once in the spring. All 12th grade CTE concentrators must take the WorkKeys assessment during one of the windows. This year, the window for the SPRING WorkKeys assessment is February 19th-March 15th.  Mark your calendar and govern yourselves accordingly.


COLLEGE ADVISING – See important updates below

IMPORTANT UPDATE!

If you have already completed your FAFSA Form:
The US Department of Education recently announced that due to the extensive updates to the FAFSA, schools will not receive FAFSA information until mid-March. Schools expect to begin making financial aid offers for newly admitted students in early April.
If you have NOT already completed your FAFSA Form:

The 2024-2025 FAFSA application is now available. If you need help completing the form, please see Ms. Harris as soon as possible to get started. 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:

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
•    Durham Alumni Chapter of NC A&T Scholarship -Due by March 29th
•    Durham Civitan Withrow Scholarship -
•    Due by April 26th
•    Home Builders Association Scholarship -
•    Due by March 1st
•    R. Marjorie Thorpe Scholarship -
•    Due by April 8th
More Scholarship Search Engines
§ bullcityschools.awardspring.com
§ North Carolina Scholarship Search Tool
§ North Carolina Community Foundation
§ fastweb.com
§ studentscholarships.org
§ trianglecf.org/students/scholarships-awards/

College Acceptances -Week of 2/05/24 (the class of 2024 has currently surpassed more than $6.5 million in scholarships offered!!)
•    Jayden Jefferson - Virginia Tech
•    Ranon Greyber - Virginia Tech
•    Jake Slavich - Penn State University
•    Maureen Medina - Gardner-Webb University
•    Maureen Medina - Guilford College
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