Academy of Richmond County

October 23-30

Friday, October 23

7:30 Football 🏈 v Groves High School

Tuesday, October 27

5:00 & 6:00 Flag Football 🚩🏈 v Hephzibah and Glenn Hills @ Hephzibah

Wednesday, October 28

PSAT 📝

Thursday, October 29

Senior Celebrations (Jostens orders arrive) 📣

5:00 & 7:00 Flag Football 🚩🏈 v Westside and Jefferson County

5:00 Swim Meet 🏊 @ Augusta Aquatic Center

6:30 Murder Mystery Dessert Theater 🎭

Friday, October 30

Fall Progress Report 💯

7:30 Football 🏈 v Evans High School at home

Saturday, October 31

GHSA 🏃🏻‍♂️🏃🏻‍♀️Cross Country Sectionals @ Stars Mills High School

Sunday, November 1

Magnet Application Window Opens 🧲

Stress happens to everyone. Find a healthy coping strategy that works for you- music, movement, deep breathing, journaling, talking or taking a break.

Come see the Purple Pride Marching Band perform at the Georgia Carolina State Fair at 1101 4th St

If you have not seen or heard this band perform, make plans to attend. They sound (and look) GREAT!

We are administering the PSAT on October 28 to all 10th graders. Interested 9th graders can sign up simply by paying the $18 fee through MySchoolBucks. Any 11th graders interested should email Mr. Johann at johanma@boe.richmond.k12.ga.us with the subject PSAT in the subject line. The county pays for all 10th and 11th grade test takers.

We will NOT be holding in homeroom for this test. The school day run as usual for the rest of the school.

IB Senior, Justin Jones, was selected out of 1,427 applicants statewide to join 83 students to share perspectives and contribute to conversations about education across Georgia.

We are so proud to have Justin represent ARC and RCSS! Please congratulate him when you see him!

Check out this super fun spirit wear that Ms. Hawkins sourced. You may have seen samples around...This is how you order it!

Any students interested in being a part of the yearbook club this year can sign up here for more information.

Check out the links below with several scholarship opportunities.

Senior Ads are now on sale for the Class of 2027. Early bird pricing ends Oct 31st. Complete your Senior's Ad by the early bird deadline to get the best price of the year. All Ads are purchased and produced through the Jostens website by selecting the Create a Student Ad Option.

Senior Celebration: Thursday October 29, 2026 during lunch

Senior Delivery: Friday April 16, 2027 during lunch

Click HERE to sign up

We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.

The Richmond XC Teams won everything this week at the All County Meet.

Girls Team: 1st Place

*15th year in a row!

Boys Team: 1st Place

*10th year in a row!

Girls Individual Winner:

May Roche (12th)

Boys Individual Winner:

Nopa Scheyer (12th)

Top 10 Girls:

1) May Roche

2) Anne Ross Roche

3) Kelly Jane Andrews

6) Melissa Schroeder

Top 10 Boys:

1) Nopa Scheyer

6) Julian Barrett

7) Lee Andrews

8) Yates Rahimi

SAT Tip of the Day: Don't Read Every Word in the Reading & Writing Section

The SAT is designed to reward efficient reading, not slow reading. For many Reading & Writing questions, start by reading the question first, then focus only on the specific sentence, paragraph, or lines needed to answer it.

✅ Why it works: You save time and reduce information overload.

✅ Example: If the question asks what a specific word means in context, you do not need to reread the entire passage. Read the sentence containing the word and the sentences immediately before and after it.

Student Reminder:
"Be a detective, not a sponge. Hunt for the evidence the question asks about instead of trying to absorb every detail."

Challenge for Today: When practicing SAT questions, see if you can find the answer's evidence in the passage before looking at the answer choices. This builds accuracy and confidence.

Click here for SAT Registration Information and Links

Test Date: November 7, 2026

Registration Deadline: October 23, 2026

Test Date: December 5, 2026

Registration Deadline: November 20, 2026

Test Date: March 6, 2027

Registration Deadline: February 19, 2027

Test Date: May 1, 2027

Registration Deadline: April 16, 2027

Test Date: June 5, 2027

Registration Deadline: May 21, 2027

Click here for ACT Registration Information and Links

Test Date: December 12, 2026

Registration Deadline: November 6, 2026

Late Registration: November 29, 2026

Test Date: February 27, 2027

Registration Deadline: January 22, 2027

Late Registration: February 9, 2027

Test Date: April 10, 2027

Registration Deadline: March 5, 2027

Late Registration: March 23, 2027

Test Date: June 12, 2027

Registration Deadline: May 7, 2027

Late Registration: May 25, 2027

Test Date: July 10, 2027

Registration Deadline: June 4, 2027

Late Registration: June 22, 2027

When you have a question about something at this huge school, do you know who to reach out to? Here's a starting list...There's a form to complete at the bottom in case I forgot someone. REMEMBER ALL EMAILS HAVE TO HAVE A SUBJECT LINE IN ORDER TO BE DELIVERED.

Did I miss one that you need?

• Academic Decathlon, Ms. Mouna and Mr. Bradberry, Room 329
• Art Club, Mr. Lanier, Room 422 or 424 Tuesdays& Thursdays 3:15-4:00
• Chess Club, Mr. Washington, Room 513, Monday-Thursdays 3:15-3:50
• Debate Club, Ms. V. Thompson, Room 310, Tuesdays
• Drama Club, Mr. Hubbard, Auditorium, twice a month after school
• Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), Mr. Jackson, Room 614
• Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), Ms. Roberts, Room 446, Dues $25
• Interact Club, Mr. Loebl, Room 617
• Mental Health Club, Ms. Hawkins, 2nd and 4th Wednesday, Room 404
• Model UN, Mrs. Leonard and Ms. Tyndall, Room 323
• National Honor Society (NHS), Ms. Tyndall, Room 323
• Poetry Club, Mr. Pennywell, Room 524, every two weeks during 7th period
• Rho Kappa, Mr. Ryan, Room 321
• Senior Council, Ms. Engstrom & Ms. Lillard, Room 516, meet bi-weekly
• SkillsUSA, Ms. Walker, Room 429
• Yearbook Club, Ms. West-Hubbard, see Yearbook Information above

Dear ARC Parents,

We hope everyone has had a good first week and has settled into school. If you missed our table at Open House, below is information on the Parent Support Group (PSG) along with information on how to join. We provide support for our teachers, staff and students. The PSG is funded through annual contributions from our generous parents and we would welcome your $50 (suggested minimum).

Venmo: @Kathi-Trotter

Zelle: arc-psg910

With your donation we are able to fund the following:

Back to School Breakfast for Teachers & Staff

Coffee Mornings for Teachers & Staff

Thanksgiving Lunch for Teachers & Staff

Valentines Lunch for Teachers & Staff

Teacher Appreciation Lunch for Teachers & Staff

IB/AP Exam Snacks for Students

Please consider making a donation and volunteering. Feel free to reach out with any questions. We are looking forward to a great year at ARC together! GO Musketeers!

Whitney Walker, Parent Liaison

706-631-9519

Kathi Trotter, Treasurer/Parent Liaison

706-726-1344

Academy of Richmond County

Booster Club - 2026-2027

Student’s Name ___________________________________ Grade _______________

Parent Name(s) ________________________________________________________

Address ______________________________________________________________

Phone (Cell) ___________________________________________________________

Parent Email(s) ________________________________________________________

Join and Support the Booster Club!

Membership $50

Pay through Square or PayPal

Or mail a check payable to ARC BOOSTER CLUB to: ARC Booster Club 1316 Comfort Road Augusta, GA 30909

*All are welcome to join and payment is not required to be a member. While a donation is encouraged to help support the many sports teams at the Academy of Richmond County, ANY donation amount is welcomed. Please provide your name and information so we can keep you in the know!

Stadium Banner Sponsor $500

Individual Home Game Sponsor $2500 Recognition throughout Home Game on air and advertisements)

Questions? Or want to pay in person? Contact Booster Club President Chad Jordan at chadejordan1@gmail.com or Secretary Mary Wallace Broome at mwpbroome@yahoo.com

Printable Form

Anyone wanting to volunteer must follow the volunteer policies for the Richmond County School System. They must also complete the Mandated Reporter Training.

There are 3 levels of volunteers and volunteers have been cleared at the appropriate levels before working with students.

Please check in with Ms. Hawkins, our school social worker, for more information. (hawkica@boe.richmond.k12.ga.us)

Canvas is our Learning Management System (LMS). It allows teachers to organize course materials, assignments, and communication in one digital space. Students can use Canvas to access these resources, submit assignments, participate in discussions, and track their progress.

Yeah, I couldn't either. While I was logged in as a parent, I went to Account. Scrolled down to QR Code for Mobile Login and there it was! Very easy...once you know what you are looking for!

Get the paring code from your child(ren). To do that, have them login. Go to Account. Then Settings. On the right side, there will be a button that says, "Pair with an Observer." Write this code down or take a quick pic for your child (or children if you have multiple in the school system. Do all of your children at once. It'll be easier. Also, if you are a teacher in RCSS, it was recommended to me to use a separate email account from my work email.)

Switch browsers. For whatever reason, I kept clicking logout and it was keeping me logged in to my son's account. I had his account open in Chrome and had to create my account in Firefox.

Go to the parent site. Create an account. Enter one child's paring code--I suggest doing your favorite kid first....kidding! Once you are logged in, if you have multiple kids, go to Account, then down to Observing. In the box, add the pairing code from your other child and click "+Student." Voila!

MySchoolBucks is the online payment system that Richmond County uses. Several people have indicated struggles recently with how to use the system. Grab the App from the App store. Once you establish your account, the first thing you see is Meals.

YOU DO NOT ADD MONEY TO THE MEALS ACCOUNT.

Instead, you go to the bottom to the icon of the store.

Applications for the 2027 LAUNCH Academy open this Thursday, October 1!

LAUNCH Academy is our no-cost, four-month program designed to give high school students meaningful exposure to healthcare careers through hands-on learning, workforce development, interaction with healthcare professionals, and hospital shadowing.

Applications will be accepted October 1 through November 1 at www.launchaugusta.com

Thank you for helping us connect more students with opportunities to explore and prepare for careers in healthcare!

To encourage all students to get to first period on time, we are cutting the breakfast line off for car riders starting at 8:10 am. Please ensure your student either gets to school before 8:00 if he or she needs breakfast or he or she eats breakfast before arriving at school.

Each year, the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program honors some of our nation’s most exceptional high school seniors who shine through academic achievement, artistic talent, and career and technical excellence. Established by executive order in 1964, the program has grown to recognize up to 161 students annually, celebrating those whose accomplishments reflect the highest ideals of scholarship, creativity, and leadership.

The 2027 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program application window will open from September 1 to November 1. High school seniors may apply, provided they meet all program qualifications outlined by the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. The application, program criteria, and informational brochures are on the Excellence Recognitions PSP webpage at http://www.gadoe.org/USPS. Applications are due by November 1 at 5:00 p.m.

Application Link: 2027 PSP Application

Verification Forms: Click Here

Student Application Guidance: Click Here

If your child needs to be absent for any reason this school year, please utilize the school attendance email address: musketeerattendance@gmail.com. We are encouraging parents to provide doctor/dentist excuses, as much as possible. The RCSS code of conduct permits 5 parent notes per school year.

Emails sent to school email addresses MUST HAVE a subject in the subject line. Our email filters will not allow emails without a subject to be delivered. If you haven't heard back from someone you expected to hear back from, make sure your email had a subject.

***PLEASE DO NOT SIGN YOUR CHILD OUT FOR LUNCH. THEY SHOULD REMAIN ON CAMPUS FOR THE FULL DAY. ***

Reminder: DoorDash, UberEats, Grub Hub, etc deliveries are not allowed to the school. Additionally, parents cannot meet their children and hand them fast food. All drop offs (food, clothes, books, water bottles, all things) need to go through the office and food cannot be in restaurant containers. It must be in a lunchbox, brown bag, etc.

Also, students MAY NOT leave campus without being signed out by a parent--especially not for lunch. They also may not cross the street to go to the store. Walton Way is an incredibly dangerous street and we love our children too much to let them cross that street.

Students are also not allowed to go to their cars during the school day unless it's an extreme emergency approved by an administrator.

Leaving campus without permission STARTS with 3 days of ISS and goes up from there.

Please ensure that your students are aware.

Classes START at 8:20. Starting at 7:45, students must go through the metal detectors in the senior cafe and have breakfast/wait in the cafeteria until the bell rings at 8:10. At 8:10, students are dismissed to their classes.

At 7:45, the doors underneath the stairs will be open as well as another option for heading to the cafeteria.

At 3:10, all students must exit the building. Students may not wait inside unless they are with a teacher.

Student parking passes will be available for purchase through MySchoolBucks. Students must provide a copy of a valid student drivers license (not a driving permit), registration, proof of insurance, and proof of parking fee purchase to Ms. Kelly in the front office.

Research is wildly clear about one thing: digital distractions are bad...very, very bad. Note we didn't just say cell phones. Computers used to message friends or stream shows, iPads used to FaceTime, watches, headphones/Beats/AirPods, glasses, all of it! Anything that takes the focus away from instruction will be considered a digital distraction. Richmond has a plan in place to keep the learning the top priority. We are providing lockers for free for every student to keep digital distractions at a distance where it is not so tempting. Parents, we are asking for you to do your part as well: Please keep headphones and ear buds at home. Please do NOT call or text your child during school hours and do not allow your child to call or text you. If you need to get a message to your child, call the front office and we will get that message to him or her. Please remind your child that if there's an emergency and they need to call you, go to an administrator's office or the front office and we can help. Please help us keep the focus on the instruction!