Rondout Valley High School
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Name |
Rondout Valley High School |
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| Abbreviation |
RVHS |
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| School SAT Code |
332680 |
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| Address |
P.O. Box 9 |
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| State | ||
| Country | ||
| Type |
Public, Secular |
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| Students |
Co-educational |
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| Level | ||
| Colors |
Royal Blue and White |
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| Website | ||
Rondout Valley High School (RVHS) is a public high school in Accord, New York. The population is made up of 9th through 12th graders of the Rondout Valley School District, encompassing Marbletown, Rosendale, and Kerhonkson, New York. Class sizes average approximately 200 students. The student to teacher ratio is 14.354 : 1.
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[edit] Administration
The high school administration consists of a principal and two assistant principals. In the 2005-2006 school year, the principal was William Cafeiro and the assistant principals were Kris Miller and Trudi Melamed Turck.
[edit] Academics
RVHS is a New York State public high school, and so subscribes to the state regents board for its academic standards. In addition to the standard regents track, there is an honors program and a special education program at RVHS. Participation in these programs is determined by academic ability of the student.
[edit] WISE
Wise Individualized Senior Experience (WISE) is a program available to seniors in their final semester. In this program, the student drops two classes (most frequently English and History) and pursues a project of their interest. They are required to keep a journal where they log the progress of their project through the course of the semester. At the end of the year, each student presents his work to evaluators, friends, and other interested students. The program is generally seen as a valuable experience for the students. Past projects have included: building a boat, creating a website, teaching foreign languages to younger students, building a computer, filming a movie, culinary exploration, dance choreography, senior book, creating a community mural, social action, and writing a comic book.
[edit] New Visions
In addition to wise, New Visions is another program available to seniors in their final semester. In this program, the student's English and History requirements are waived, however he/she must take what remaining classes are needed for graduation. Half of the school day these classes are completed, but the remaining half (may it be morning or afternoon) is devoted to distanced learning. Two days out of the week New Visions students take either college English 101&102 or Political Science 109 (Scheduling depends on the New Visions path chosen and the instructors) at UCCC. On the remaining three days the students partake in an internship in their New Visions field. New Visions offers the chance to work first hand in Education, Health, Law, and Communications/Journalism. In addition to the normal course work associated with the college credits the student will be required to do projects pertaining to the New Visions program chosen, and be required to keep a daily journal logging the events of their internship. While New Visions is definitely not the "easy way" to finish senior year, many students take it to complete 9 college credits and to be able to see first hand what a possible career in that field may be like.
[edit] Student organizations
[edit] Student Government
The Student Government represents the student body to the administration of the school. Each class has its own congress consisting of a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and four representatives. Every other week, these congresses hold a meeting presided over by the Student Government officials: an over-arching president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer of the entire school. The major responsibilities of the Government are to plan: the Homecoming Dance, Spring Fest, several blood drives, and an annual Senior Citizen's Ball. In addition, the Student Government meets over lunch with the principal of the school to discuss school policies and events in the interest of the student body.
[edit] National Honor Society
The Rondout Valley High School Chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS) consists of those students that are academically successful, involved in their communities, demonstrate a degree of leadership, and display a respectable level of character. The organization requires each student to participate in volunteer work around the community. In addition, each student must involve themselves in a the annual chapter project: a project directed at bettering the school or community at large through the work of these dedicated students.
[edit] Peer Mentoring
The Peer Mentoring organization at RVHS provides students with the opportunity to mentor or tutor younger students. Mentorships are setup between high school students and junior high or middle school students. In the 2004-2005 academic year, another group was set up called Newcomers Uplifted. This group connected upperclassmen with groups of freshmen in hopes to ease the transition of these freshmen into the high school community.
[edit] Student Court
Started in 2004, the Student Court seeks to mitigate the punishment of students by offering alternatives to detention and suspension, such as community service and assisting teachers in the lab.
[edit] The Legend
Started in the 2003-2004 school year as a WISE project by Claire Depauw, The Legend is the school newspaper for RVHS. It is published as an insert in the local newspaper, The Bluestone Press. The paper provides the school and the community with news concerning the students of the high school.
[edit] Model Organization of American States
The Model Organization of American States (MOAS) is an organization that teaches students the techniques of debate and diplomacy in order to participate in a model representation of the Organization of American States each year. RVHS represents a different country at each model, and students write resolutions to present arguments in favor of that country's interests. In December, 8-20 students are chosen from the club's participants to embark on a trip to Washington D.C. and miss a week of school. In D.C., the students meet with other schools in the OAS Building to debate their resolutions. This trip results in many traditions, including: speeches on platonicism, an annual party, an afternoon spent making collages to preserve memories for other students, and others.
[edit] Model United Nations
This group is similar the Model Organization of American States. They go to participate in diplomacy at the United Nations building in New York City. This organization sees considerably less membership than MOAS.
[edit] Drama Club
This organization has one of the largest memberships at RVHS. It commits itself to the production of theater by and for the student body. Generally, it does one major production in the Fall, a series of short plays in the Spring, and a senior play at the close of the year. Past major productions have included: Alice in Wonderland, Lysistrata, The Madwoman of Chaillot, The Sting, The Rhinoceros, and The Crucible. An important event produced by the club is Underage Thespian Action, where student written, student directed, and student acted plays are put on. The senior play is the last opportunity for the graduating senior class to put on a play at RVHS. This production is donation only, and has included such works as: The Effect of Gamma-Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, The Bald Soprano, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Cheaters. Also, in 2001, a praised play entitied "War at Home: Students Respond to September 11th" was produced by the club to address the feelings of the events of 9/11.
[edit] Ski Club
The Ski Club is a very large organization at RVHS. It provides discounted ski passes and bus transportations to ski mountains on winter weekends. Mainly, the trips are made to Belleayre Mountain[1], but students may register for additional trips to places such as Hunter Mountain [2], Mount Snow [3], and Okemo Mountain Resort [4].
[edit] The Martial Arts Club
In 1999 a Martial Arts club was created by Rob Suto and Ed Morris, and joined by other students. They perform at the school's pep rallies and often go to the surrounding elementary, middle and high schools to participate in demonstrations. During health week, the club sometimes gives workshops on self defence.
[edit] Others
Other Student Organizations include Chess Club, Synethsis, SADD, Science Olympiads, Math Olympiads, Mock Trial, Frisbee Club, Tennis Team, Baseball Team, Golf Team, The Yearbook Council Fires, Tech Club, Dance Club, and at times a Bible Club.
[edit] Athletics
[edit] Ganders
RVHS's school mascot is the gander. The origin of this mascot stems from the local area's rich history and is attributed to the indigenous Munsee [Lenape] population of the late 1600s which considered the gander to be a sacred animal. More recently, Rondout's mascot has been named "Greg the Gander." This name was chosen by school officials in 1997 as part of a naming contest.
[edit] Football
In 2000, the Rondout Valley Ganders won the New York State Class B Championship Title in football. For the small town around the school, this was quite an accomplishment and instilled great pride in the community.
[edit] Wrestling
The wrestling team as suffered due to lows numbers over the past decade, the epitome of such is the lack of a Junior Varsity Wrestling Team. Despite the small size, Rondout is still considered a class A school in wrestling, and often performs appreciably when considering low numbers.
[edit] Soccer
The soccer team is popular at RVHS. Unfortunately, in recent years it has met with much defeat, and concluded most years with a losing record. Despite this, students still make it out to watch the games.
[edit] Track and Field
RVHS has both a men's and a women's track team.
[edit] Field Hockey
Field hockey is a popular women's sport at RVHS. The 2005-2006 team were MHAL champions.
[edit] Cheerleading
The Rondout Valley Cheerleaders are present at every home and away game during football season and basketball season. They have organized and performed at pep rallies for years, and it has become a tradition for students in grades 9 through 12 to partake in the festivities of pep rallies.
[edit] Traditions
[edit] Frisbee
On most afternoons characterized by clement weather (mostly in the fall and spring), many Rondout students partake in playing Ultimate on the campus’ expanse of fields. Recently, efforts have finally come to fruition and an official Frisbee Club has been formed to better organize such activities. Ultimate remains a Rondout staple throughout the student body.
[edit] Homecoming Dance
Each year, the Student Congress plans and organizes a Homecoming Dance on the weekend of the Football team's Homecoming game. Before the dance, students vote on a ballot of seniors to determine the Homecoming King and Queen for the year. At the dance, the King and Queen are crowned. The next day at the Homecoming Game, these students display their reign as they usher in and celebrate the game.
[edit] Pep Rally
On the Friday preceding the Homecoming Football Game, the cheerleading squad organizes a pep rally to excite school spirit for the game. Students are released from their classes early, and directed towards the gymnasium to participate in the rally. The rally consists of cheering wars between classes, competitions between students and teachers, competitions between different student athletic organizations, and demonstrations by various campus groups. Recently, this tradition has been extended to be held during all three high school sports seasons (fall, winter, spring).
[edit] Springfest
On a sunny day in Spring, the Student Congress hosts Springfest. On this day, students are released half a day early to celebrate the Spring season and participate in many events. These events include: pie-eating contests, ultimate frisbee, live music, movie screenings, bouncy boxing, and club-sponsored events.
[edit] Spirit Week
During this week, Students are requested to dress in themed outfits each day. The week closes with a "Class Color Day", where students are requested to wear a specific color to represent their class. The week is an attempt by the Student Congress to breed school spirit amongst the student body.
[edit] Foreign Language Week
Every year, the Foreign Language Department hosts a Foreign Language Week to celebrate cultures from around the world. Each day, announcements are made in different languages, and trivia questions about other countries and cultures are asked. Important events of week include: a trivia contest, a foreign food pot luck, learning, and a foreign movie screening.
[edit] Wake-Up Week
Wake-Up Week is a week long group of activities, lectures, presentations, and guests organized by Synthesis to deal “with varying topics including: diversity, environment, politics, culture, art, peace, promoting positive debate and behaviours, preventing violence, racism, anti-Semitism, harassment, bullying and all destructive behaviours.”
[edit] Senior Citizen Ball
The Student Congress hosts a Senior Citizen Ball for the local seniors. For this event, the cafeteria is converted into a restaurant and dance floor, congress representatives become waiters and waitresses, and the jazz band and choir perform for the seniors. Teachers volunteer their services to provide valet parking. It is a free event, which gets fairly high attendance and much appreciation from the senior citizens of the area.
[edit] Senior Skip Day
In the Spring semester, graduating seniors organize a skip day, on which they do not attend classes for a day. Although officially not permitted by the administration, the skip day is usually forgiven.
[edit] Senior Prank
For the last day of classes, the seniors traditionally play a prank on the school. Past pranks have included: placement of signs around campus, filling cars with balloons, the deflation of district buses, and even releasing a goat into the center courtyard. This is another tradition that is not explicitly allowed, but is overlooked by the administration.
[edit] Camping on the Football Field
Yet another senior tradition which began in 2003 is to camp on the football field the night preceding the final day of classes.
