GRIZZ BIZ

Happy Halloween!

There are so many reasons to be proud of our students for their accomplishments during the month of October. We look forward to what they will accomplish in the coming weeks and months. Our Fall Sports and performance teams have risen to every challenge given them. Among our Fall Sports teams, eight have earned seven district titles, three have earned state titles, one has earned a regional title, and eight teams have participated in or are about to participate in state tournaments.

Our music programs (band and choir) have received several group and individual awards at various competitions and events. And our Speech & Debate team continues to dominate in several individual categories. In addition to the accomplishments outside of the classroom, our students are meeting important academic goals as they continue to work to achieve College & Career Readiness.

We know that academic success would not be possible without the tireless efforts of our awesome teaching staff and the support of parents and guardians. I am encouraged by the increased levels of engagement and participation in classroom activities. With just six short school weeks left in the first semester, I am confident that our data will continue to show progress in all aspects of student life. To further help our students, we will continue to develop and implement each component of the Rocky Way: Resilience, Opportunities, Community-building, Kindness, and Yearly growth.

It is great to be a Grizzly!

Mr. Dan Lunt, RMHS Principal

GO GRIZZ!

• Oct 31 - Nov 2 State Volleyball Tournament (Idaho Falls)
• Nov 1 - Nov 22 State Football Playoffs
• Saturday, Nov 2 Girls and Boys Varsity State Cross Country Meet (Eagle Island)
• Saturday, Nov 2 Hoedown Dance 7-10pm (RMHS)
• District Professional Learning Day & Election Day - Tuesday, November 5th (No Classes)
• Nov 14 Boise State Information Night - 9th and 10th grade @Eagle High School 6-7pm
• Nov 19 Boise State Information Night - 9th and 10th grade @Mountain View High School 6-7pm
• Nov 20 ASVAB Exam
• Thanksgiving Break - November 25-29 (Campus Closed)

• Friday, Dec 13 Wishmas Assembly
• Dec 16 - Dec 20 Finals Week
• Dec 20 End of 1st Semester
• Dec 23 - Jan 6 Christmas Break
• Tues, Jan 7 Start of 2nd Semester

Boise State Sophomore Start and Associate Degree Program Parent Information Nights will be held at Eagle High School in the Auditorium on November 14th, and at Mountain View High School on November 19th. This is a great event for any Rocky family with Freshmen or Sophomore students interested in learning more about opportunities to complete one academic year, or two of college while in high school.

Sophomore Start – Boise State Concurrent Enrollment Option

ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) is at Rocky on November 20, 2024, and students in 11th or 12th grade can sign up to take it for free in the RMHS Career Center. This is the entrance exam for the military but also a great tool for exploring career opportunities.

It is important that students attend every class on time every day to help them achieve their College and Career readiness goals.

Grades and credits are dependent upon students attending class. It is difficult to do well in a course if a student isn't attending. Students that have excessive absences in a course may also be in jeopardy of losing the credits for that course. Please take the time to review important Attendance information for the 2024-25 school year.

For planned absences, please fill out the Planned Absence form and turn it in prior to that absence to get the schoolwork and other credit-related items approved.

To report a student absence, click on the tab "Absence Reporting" located on the right side of the homepage.

We are excited to celebrate the upcoming Class of 2025 graduation ceremony which will take place on Tuesday, May 20, 2024, at 4PM at the Idaho Central Arena in Boise. We encourage you to plan ahead and keep the following information and important dates in mind. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Ty Schmidt, Assistant Principal of Ed Services schmidt.ty@westada.org

Each graduate will receive seven (7) tickets for the graduation ceremony. These tickets will be available in Spring 2025 and distributed to students when they pick up their honors cords and other graduation materials. Please note that tickets are non-replaceable, so it’s important to store them in a safe place prior to the commencement ceremony.

The suites have been allocated and you should have received an email from Niki Scheppers if you received a suite.

If you are not selected for a suite, a waitlist for additional ceremony tickets will open on November 1 through an online form on our school’s website.

For families who need more than seven (7) tickets, our district will manage a waitlist for additional ticket requests. This waitlist will open on November 1 through an online form on our school’s website.

Congratulations to Jax Tanner for being recognized by Meridian PD and the Meridian Mayor’s office for his accomplishments as a student athlete and for his service to the community.

Congratulations to our Boys' and Girls' golf teams for their performances throughout the season. The Boys' team earned a second place win at State while the Girl's team won both the District and State titles!

Our Girls' Rugby 7-player team dominated this season, winning the District, State, and Regional titles. Congratulations to the players and coaching staff!

Congratulations to our Boys' and Girls' Soccer teams for each earning the District titles. Both teams advanced through the State playoff games to take Boise High in the State Championship game. It came down to penalty kicks for both teams with the Boys' team earning second in State and the Girls' team winning the State title! We are proud of all of our soccer players. JV Boys' team also won the District title! Shout out to the coaching staff for all teams. Well done!

The Boys' and Girls' Varsity Cross Country teams took the District title and will be competing at the State Championship Meet on November 2nd at Eagle Island. Good luck at State!

It has been a well-fought season for our Volleyball team. Their grit and tenacity through the District tournament earned them a State play-in game and a chance to go to State. After winning that game, they are headed to the State tournament in Idaho Falls. Good luck!

Congratulations to our football teams for a great season. The JV team won their District title this month and the Varsity team maintains a 9-0 perfect season, clinching the District title in their win over Eagle High. We have high hopes for our Varsity team as they take on the best teams in the State in the coming weeks. We host their first game in the playoffs on November 8th. Go Grizz!

The Grizzly Marching band competed as part of the Medium-Open division at the District III Championship which included Mountain View, Owyhee, Fruitland, Meridian, Boise, and Skyview. Our students put on a fabulous performance that truly was the culmination of an excellent season. In their division they earned Best General Effect, 2nd Place Color Guard and 2nd Place Overall. In overall rankings, they earned the 2nd highest General Effect score, 4th highest Color Guard score, 2nd highest Percussion Score, and ranked 5th Overall.

Congratulations to Agnes Fillmore & Damian Maldonado for being selected for the All-State band!

Whether it is singing the National Anthem at sporting events or performing for the community at concerts, our Rocky Choir students are top notch. Congratulations to the following Rocky Choir students for being selected for the All State Choir:

• Tyra Baxter Treble Choir

• Tommy Milton All State Jazz Choir

• Reyna Shipley All State Jazz Choir
• Jillian Anderson All State Mixed Choir

Congratulations to the following members of the Rocky Speech and Debate team at the Middleton HS competition:

• Cora Fernandez and Taylor Sandy took Gold in novice PF category
• Teams of Sam Clark & Rosie Hines and Luci Dean & Aleigh Holmes took Gold in Varsity PF category
• Emma Atkinson took Silver in Varsity Congress category
• Bob Earle and Jamie Tuccinardi took Gold in Varsity Lincoln-Douglass category

Overall, the team took 2nd. Good luck in your future competitions this season!

Shout out to the directors, cast, and crew of the production of Midsummer’s Night Dream. Patrons commented on how impressed they were with the actors using original Shakespeare and all enjoyed the many comical moments throughout. Bravo!

Yearbooks are at the lowest price of the year. They will be $70 until we leave for Thanksgiving Break. Then they will be $80 until Christmas Break, and then $90 until we sell out. Here is the link to purchase: https://yearbookforever.com/school-store/i2JpQGs50HiNauU896AfggyU

Senior Portraits are due November 22nd--that's before we leave for Thanksgiving break! Use this link to the schools yearbook website for links and upload codes: https://thrillshare.com/cmsv2/pages/629455/page-builder

The Hoedown Throwdown, sponsored by Student Council, is Saturday, November 2nd at Rocky from 7:00-10:00 pm.

• $15 a ticket or 2 for $20.
• Live DJ, line dancers from the community to help lead the dances, food trucks, and photo opportunities

The West Ada Literary Games are back for a 2nd year! This personal reading challenge is for all West Ada Secondary Students (grades 6-12) and staff! It is designed to encourage and push you to read a wider variety of topics and books. There are 35 different categories of books that you can explore. Need more information? Talk to your secondary school librarian TODAY!

This year the RMHS Library received a grant to help build a reading culture in our school. One way we are doing this is by working with our ELA teachers to get books in the hands of students for recreational reading. Instead of pulling out phones during downtime, students are encouraged to have a book at all times - and it appears to be paying off!

As part of our efforts to promote, celebrate, and support positive behavior attributes at Rocky, our staff is taking the time to submit observed positive behavior for students and staff in the areas outlined in "The Rocky Way." Those attributes include Resilience, Opportunities, Community-Building, Kindness, and Yearly Growth. For this month's newsletter, we will include examples, practices, and important messages of how we are helping students develop RESILIENCE.

The Advisory period is an opportunity for students to develop academic resilience and proficiency in the standards of their courses. If a student is assigned an Advisory period during a quarter because they have not met the proficiency requirements in their grades or assessment targets, they are required to attend Advisory. In Advisory, students have the opportunity to work on assignments and to complete reassessments as needed. Attendance is taken, so students need to attend to avoid any consequences associated with an unexcused absence. We encourage all students, even those who are not currently assigned Advisory, to go to a teacher during the Advisory period to get assistance or to complete a reassessment. Throughout the quarter, students in Advisory will have an opportunity to earn incentives if they maintain grades of a "C" or higher in all of their classes.

At Rocky, we believe that one way to develop academic resilience is to always look for opportunities for improvement. One way students can accomplish this is by taking advantage of our Individual Reassessment Plan (IRP) when they receive a grade that is less than proficient on any assessment (Evidence) in any of their courses. This can be accomplished by completing the following guidelines:

• reassessments must be completed no later than two weeks beyond the due date or date of assessment
• students must complete the required practice tasks in Advisory prior to reassessment
• Students will work with teachers to identify the required practice tasks and to arrange the date(s) that the student will go to their class during the Advisory period

The West Ada School District provides access to all students in grades 3-12 to get online tutoring help through Varsity Tutors. Here are the steps for students to access this free resource:

1. Access “Web Applications” for the West Ada School District - Web Application can be found in several ways including from the district website: https://apps.westada.org/p/portal
2. Log in to Web Applications if prompted using your computer log in information.
3. On the Web Applications page search for or scroll down to the application titled “Clever”
4. Log in to Clever by clicking the “Log in with Microsoft Entra” box.
5. Locate the Varsity Tutors application
6. After selecting the Varsity Tutors application, you should be automatically taken to the Varsity Tutors homepage. Click on “Start Chatting” near the top of the page located in the “Chat with a Tutor” button/box.

From Nurse Shannon Carlson:

With cold and flu season upon us, we would like to remind you to please stock your students with supplies from home. The nurse does NOT carry cough drops, cold meds, allergy meds, etc. Secondary students are encouraged to self-carry and self-administer their own over-the-counter medications as needed at school (including ibuprofen/Tylenol). We are working toward independence at high school and students should be prepared to care for themselves at school. If students choose not to come prepared, the nurse will be available to help them with non-emergencies at lunch or passing period (including tylenol/ibuprofen administration). Thank you!

We encourage all students at Rocky to become involved in activities, athletics, and/or clubs. Participation in organizations provides opportunities for students to feel connected, a sense of accomplishment, and the value of teamwork. Statistics have shown that participation helps to improve academic performance. For more information on the opportunities offered at Rocky, check out our Activities, Athletics, and Clubs homepage.

Both our daily announcements (written and video) can be found by clicking on the "BearCast" tab located at the right side of our website home page. Also, check out our Rocky Roar news publication by going to the same location on our website and clicking the "Rocky Roar News" tab.

Here is some important information from our Registrar, Ms. Meghan Wilkison, (wilkison.meghan@westada.org):

• To request a transcript: https://www.westada.org/o/rmhs/page/transcripts

• To request a Letter of Compliance for Driver's Education: https://www.westada.org/o/rmhs/page/dmv-verification-of-compliance

• 2nd semester schedules can be viewed in Class Choice. If you have an error in your schedule, please email your counselor. The deadline for all schedule change requests is January 9 at 3pm.

• Class of 2025: See if you qualify for the new STEM Diploma or Certificate of Biliteracy. More information can be found here - https://www.westada.org/o/wasd/page/seal-of-biliteracy-stem-diploma
• As we approach the holiday season, we know there may be families who are experiencing some financial strain. Please reach out to your student’s counselor for support.

Counselor Contact information (by student Last Name):

Heather Ginn (A-D)/Department Head ginn.heather@westada.org

Michelle White (E-K) white.michelle@westada.org
Megan Shaw (L-Rh) shaw.megan@westada.org
Yvette Melbihess (Ri-Z) melbihess.yvette@westada.org
Sierra Teseo (College/Career) teseo.sierra@westada.org

Mary Nielsen (Special Projects) nielsen.mary@westada.org

Counseling Resources - https://www.westada.org/o/rmhs/page/counseling-resources

Are you looking for a quick and easy way to support our students in West Ada? Follow up on Purposity and get notified of needs that you can meet right from your phone. Find Purposity on the web or in the App Store. Meet a need today!

MySchoolFees is available for the following:

• Activity Card - $ 44.50 (All students participating in sports must purchase an activity card)
  
• Pay to Participate - $ 110.00 (All Students participating in sports must pay this fee - fall sports ONLY at this time)
  
• Parking Permits - $15
• In order to receive your Parking Permit, please fill out and print the Parking Permit form below. Bring BOTH the filled-out form and proof of purchase to the security office. https://www.westada.org/o/rmhs/page/student-parking-permits
  
• In MySchoolFees, click on the "Optional Purchase" button to see the parking permit option

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to our building administrators:

Assistant Principal - Academic Support (Last Name A-K)

Suzanne Murphy murphy.suzanne@westada.org

Assistant Principal - Academic Support (Last Name L-Z)

Matt Smith smith.matt@westada.org

Assistant Principal - Student Behavior Support

Ryan Curry curry.ryan@westada.org

Assistant Principal - Ed Resources/Operations

Ty Schmidt schmidt.ty@westada.org

Activities/Athletics Director

Troy Rice rice.troy@westada.org

Principal

Dan Lunt lunt.daniel@westada.org

Website: https://www.westada.org/o/rmhs
Location: 5450 North Linder Road, Meridian, ID, USA
Phone: (208)350-4340