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SUNDAY LETTER - FEBRUARY 28, 2016
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MESSAGE FROM HEAD OF SCHOOL
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Get Involved in Strategic Planning for the Future of RHP and Renaissance
My main theme in today's letter is not simply to share the details of next year's calendar dates, but... here they are anyway!
Sharp eyes will notice that next year's calendar mirrors this year's with one exception, and that concerns Outdoor Education week, which will run from Tuesday through Friday in order to accommodate religious holidays.
My main theme today, however, is to nudge us all into thinking even further into the future of our schools. Would you like to join the board, faculty, and administration in the process of thinking and planning strategically for developing our schools over the next three to five years? We will be kicking off this process on an upcoming Saturday morning (April 30). If you would like to join us and become an integral part of prioritizing our future enhancement and growth, please email me before spring break at pmccormack@rollinghillsprep.org and I will be glad to include you. The initial commitment is for around three hours only on that morning. The more focused and varied perspectives we bring to the process, the better our outcomes will be!
Peter
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ANNUAL GALA: MARCH 5, 2016
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Click here to become a sponsor or donate an auction item. |
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GALA LIVE AUCTION HIGHLIGHT: BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED CUSTOM-MADE SURFBOARD
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Beautifully Crafted Custom-made Surfboard
Designed and shaped by renowned surfboard maker Jose Barahona, this one-of-a-kind board will be decorated and adorned with RHP student artwork. Hang it on the wall or Hang 10, this piece is priceless!
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THE RHP/REN FRIENDSHIP TREE
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The Friendship Tree is my Silver project for Girl Scouts. I am Maya M. and I'm in the eighth grade. The Tree is a mural of hand prints of all the students and staff hand prints. Each grade has its own shade of green as the leaves. The teachers are a dark shade of brown and the faculty are a light brown that are the trunk and branches of the tree. The trunk is the base of the tree and without it the leaves would not flourish. The teachers and faculty are like the trunk of the tree without them the students wouldn't flourish. At the very bottom of the tree in the center of the trunk is Mr. McCormack's hand print. He is the center of life at both schools and it makes sense for his hand print to be there. Each year I am planning to have the new students and staff add their hand print to the tree. The mural will get bigger as the school grows. If you want to come to see the mural it is in front of the high school restrooms. I wouldn't have been able to do this without Mrs. Morris's help. I had a lot of fun making this mural and I'd like to thank the school for letting me do my Silver project here.
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GALILEO INNOVATION CAMPS ARE HERE THIS SUMMER
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Galileo Summer Camps are coming to the RHP/Ren campus this summer. These "Innovation Camps" for elementary and middle school students offer computer coding, engineering, "maker" classes, field trips and much more. We have chosen Galileo to run our summer program because their philosophy of education matches ours perfectly. More information can be found at www.galileo-camps.com. They are running a $150 off promotion this weekend at " Be my innovator." Check it out if you are looking for an exciting offering for your, pre-k through grade 8 son or daughter this summer.
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PERFORMING ARTS BOOSTER CLUB MEETING ON MARCH 2
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Performing Arts Booster Club
March 2, 2016
6pm
Library
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SUPPORT THE COSTA RICA SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT
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On March 28th, students from Rolling Hills Preparatory and Renaissance Schools will embark on a service learning trip for ten days, in conjunction with World Leadership School, to the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica. Eighteen of us are raising money to work on a Community Project that will be designed in consultation with the needs and desires of the Dos Brazos de Rio Tigre citizens.
It is our hope this trip will redefine service as:
- establishing a partnership instead of just donating money.
- understanding the importance of political and financial situations that impact a community.
- being respectful of and participating in different cultures.
- connecting on a personal level and listening to people of this community.
Your donation will directly impact this community. We appreciate your consideration to donate towards our project.
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PARENT ASSOCIATION EVENT: BOTTLE & BRUSH ON MARCH 23
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Bottle and Brush Parent Association Event
Featuring our very own Lucinda Rudolph and her artwork.
Wednesday, March 23
6:30 - 8:00pm
MPR
All art supplies provided. Appetizers and wine will be served. |
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UPPER SCHOOL SPRING MUSICAL IS MARCH 17-19
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FIELD TRIP: 5-7TH GRADES TO WARNER GRAND THEATER, MARCH 3
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Field Trip
RHP and Ren 5-7th Grades to Warner Grand Theater in San Pedro
Thursday, March 3
Depart - 9:45 am
Return - 1:15 pm
Students are visiting the Warner Grand Theater as part of the Read the Book, See the Movie, program. This year's selection is The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
Students should wear field trip attire.
Snacks will be provided during the movie, but students may also bring a sack lunch.
If students prefer to order lunch from Kelly's, they will be able to enjoy their food upon their return to campus.
Chaperones: Jon D'Agostino, Amy Stewart-Johnston, Ana Alejandre, Danielle Berry, and Debbie Delarosa
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FIELD TRIP: MUSIC TO MOCA AND COLBURN SCHOOL OF MUSIC, MARCH 7
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Field Trip
Music Lab, Voice, and D Block Mixed Media to
MOCA and Colburn School of Music
Monday, March 7
Depart - 9:30 am
Return - 3:30 pm
Field Trip attire
Required materials: Brown bag lunch or money for lunch Students will visit the MOCA and the Colburn School as part of our visual and performing arts curriculum. During the downtown walking tour they will have chance to observe the beautiful modern architectures including one of the newest addition Broad Museum, Frank Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall, Music Center and Grand Park. This tour will end at MOCA where they will visit to experience its diverse collection of modern arts from all over the world and current exhibitions including "The Art of Our Time." Then students will hop over to one of the most prestigious music schools in the nation where they are invited to observe the Colburn Conservatory's weekly chamber forum. There, the students will listen to talented, passionate young professional musicians perform and discuss the art of chamber music. 
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Our middle schools celebrated "Decades" at the dance on Friday! Check out the pictures.
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SERVICE LEARNING OPPORTUNITY: RELAY FOR LIFE ON APRIL 30
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The PV Relay For Life will be held on our campus on Saturday, April 30. Stay tuned for more details! For now, follow the Facebook page.
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SERVICE LEARNING OPPORTUNITY: KIDS IN THE KITCHEN
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NHS is helping to promote an event in Long Beach to teach kids about healthy habits, including healthy eating and physical activity. Students from NHS will be volunteering to help get kids active at the fair. One of their goals is to make sure each kid at the fair leaves with a raffle prize. So, they are looking for raffle items kids can use that day to be active: all types of balls, jump ropes, hula hoops, bikes, etc. Items need to be new and each item donated will count as one service hour. There is no limit to the items students can donate, but if they want to donate cash ($10 is one service hour) they can only donate up to $20, or earn 2 service hours.
Items/cash should be turned in to Mrs. Wratschko (Room 8A) by March 4th. This is an awesome opportunity for middle schoolers in particular to get their required hours.
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Make sure to follow us on our social media for all the fun!
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It's hard to believe that I will be graduating High School in a few months. Every year I have spent at Rolling Hills Prep I have looked forward to leaving, but now as the year is coming closer and closer to the end I wish it would all slow down. Looking back at the four years I spent here, I am starting to see all the benefits and lessons I learned from my experience. When I told my friends in middle school I was going to Rolling Hills Prep next year for high school they seemed baffled. "Did you do anything wrong" some would ask or "Why do you parents hate you" others would say. I answered saying it was a great school and how I was looking forward to going, trying to have a positive attitude, when really I was upset to be leaving my friends. The first day of my freshman year was a big change for me. I would have to make new friends with not a lot of kids to choose from. Class sizes were much smaller than what I was used to. Everyone seemed so engaged in the classroom with what we were learning. Students would do classwork without the teacher having to tell them to, and no one slacked off. For me this was a big change from the school I went to the year before. My attitude wasn't the greatest going into my freshman year and I would complain to my parents about school just about every day. I missed my old friends and wanted to transfer. The typical story for most, new, RHP students... Click here to read the rest of Daniel's speech. |
To put the upcoming speech into context, each one of my experienced lessons will be introduced with a short poem. Poem one: Violets are red Roses are blue I have this backwards Or don't I; do you? Lesson number one: don't think too much. If I have learned anything from the last 18 years and, more specifically, my last 4 years of high school, it's that I think too much. What if I do that, but then this happens... and then what if? Just think less and do more. Don't complicate life, which is already horribly complicated, and more importantly, don't ruin your life by overthinking the seemingly simple. Sometimes let things be. Stop stressing... Click here to read the rest of Trent's speech. |
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SCHOOL EVENTS
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March 2, 6pm
Performing Arts Booster Club Meeting
March 3, 9:45 am
Field Trip: 5-7th Grades to Warner Grand Theater
March 5, Annual Gala & Auction
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Visit our website to see the Athletics schedules.
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