The financial aid workshop that was canceled due to weather last week has been rescheduled for tonight in the Library Media Center starting at 6:30 p.m. Bruce Wierda, Muskegon Community College’s department chair for financial aid will share his expertise on this very important subject.
There is no cost to attend this workshop where parents will learn more about the FAFSA form and other pertinent information on navigating the challenges of college costs.
It’s exciting to see the new clubs and groups that are forming on campus this semester! More students are finding a connection to school outside of their class load. Research informs us that the more involved a student is with their school, the better they perform on their school work.
Mr. Schlaff, counselor at R-PHS does a very nice job in capturing “What’s Your Extra?” in video format that’s presented to our students. The videos, part I & II are posted below:
If you’re a student reading this post, and you’re not currently involved in an “Extra”, now’s the time to get involved!
Most of the high schools in our county have endowments set up through the Muskegon Community Foundation. These endowments are set up with the hope of growing and continuing to provide more and more kids financial assistance for post secondary education. Four years ago, a very passionate group of community members set up the “Rocket Scholars Foundation” through the Community Foundation to support Reeths-Puffer students and graduates.
On January 19th at the Hilt Building, the Rocket Scholars will host a very fun “fund-raiser”. Light hors d’oeuvres will be served and entertainment will be provided. They will also be engaging in a “reverse” raffle with the top prize being $10,000. Only 350 tickets are being sold to keep the odds strong.
Tickets are $100. Tickets include the evening and the drawing.
Possible Reasons or Ideas to Purchase:
*In the event that we sell less than 200 tickets the raffle will become a 50/50 drawing.
**There is also an option as the drawing comes to an end, that remaining present ticket holders could split the money, e.g. if the last five (5) ticket holders are present and agree to split the money, each would receive 1/5 or $2000.00 (all must agree).
***The Rocket Scholars Foundation is conducting various fundraisers throughout the year to begin supporting 2011-12 graduates. They are currently looking at reimbursement to seniors who take and “pass” AP exams and providing several additional scholarships.
If you would like to purchase a ticket, I can assist you! Please contact my office at: 719-3107 and I will be glad to sell you a ticket to this grand event!
Our Mighty R-PHS Marching Band travelled to Ford Field in Detroit, MI on Saturday to compete in the Flight II state marching band finals. Their performance was exciting and generated a huge applause from the spectators. My amateur seven-minute video of their performance can be accessed by clicking on the link below:
Our Rocket Marching Band finishes runner-up to Jenison High School, a fellow OK Conference school who made the marching season a two-horse race in every competition throughout the fall season. The top twelve marching bands competing in Flight II had the following scores:
1st Place: Jenison High School (Score: 91.23)
2nd Place: Reeths-Puffer High School (Score: 90.83)
3rd Place: South Lyon High School (Score: 84.51)
4th Place: Farmington Hills Harrison High School (Score: 83.36)
5th Place: Southgate Aquinas High School (Score: 82.66)
6th Place: Flushing High School (Score: 81.94)
7th Place: Carmen Ainsworth High School (Score: 78.65)
8th Place: Woodhaven High School (Score: 76.77)
9th Place: Farmington High School (Score: 75.07)
10th Place: Wyandotte High School (Score: 74.88)
11th Place: Lakeview High School (Score: 73.55)
12th Place: Milford High School (Score: 69.74)
The three caption awards were earned by the following schools:
Caption: Best General Effect: Jenison
Caption: Best Marching: Jenison
Caption: Best Music: Reeths-Puffer
I took a few photos as the band prepared for their performance:
Our National Honor Society is currently running a Pennies for Patients drive to raise money in the fight against Leukemia and Lymphoma. This is the second year that NHS has engaged in this activity to support those afflicted with one of these challenges diseases.
(Megan Bremer & Alyssa Perel pose with a Penny Box)
The name of the drive makes it sound like only pennies can be donated but money in any denomination will be accepted! It is a 5th hour class competition but if you (the reader) would like to make a contribution, your check can be made out to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Last year, Mr. Krispin’s class won the pasta lunch provided by Olive Garden of Muskegon. The pasta lunch was the prize for bringing in the most money in our class competition. Mr. Krispin’s 5th hour class will be given a challenge by many classes as they’ve heard how delicious the pasta lunch was from Olive Garden.
Last year, NHS rasied over $1,500.00 to support this great cause. They have great hope that this amount will be far exceeded with this year’s competition. A big thanks goes out to Mrs. Milder, our NHS advisor for providing wonderful leadership to this dynamic group of students.
For those of you that have already graduated from High School, think back to your glory days when you were a student and make a mental list of the clubs, sports and other organizations that you were involved with.
As I took a walk down memory lane, I listed the clubs, organizations and sports that I took part in while attending Whitehall High School.
A long time has passed since I looked so youthful but my memories of being a part of the groups listed are ingrained in my memory as experiences that helped shape my interpersonal skills, work ethic and my understanding of what it meant to be part of something greater than myself.
One of our goals at R-PHS is to connect every student to a group, ensemble, club, sport or other school-related organization to broaden their connection to R-PHS beyond their coursework.
We’re asking students to get involved. We’re asking students: ”What might be an area of interest that we can support you through the formation of a club or support group. ” What’s great is our students are responding with multiple ideas which are quickly turning into newly founded student groups. Since the start of the school year, we’ve added a chess club, GSA, two Bible study groups and our IMPACT student leadership team.
Our Positive Behavior Supports Team has been very busy assisting students with the communications relative to connecting an EXTRA with their current lifestyle. Our most recent video is linked below to give you a glimpse into what our plan is to expand student opportunities at R-PHS.
Great things are happening at R-PHS!
The Reeths-Puffer Choir department welcomes Dr. Kimberly Dunn Adams, Choral Director from Western Michigan University, who will work with our choirs this week Wednesday, October 26th at 7 p.m.
All four R-PHS Choirs: Madrigals, Vocal Fusion, R-P Chorale and Chorus, will have the opportunity to perform two selections each, and then have a clinic work session with Dr. Adams. “This is such a fantastic opportunity for our high school singers to work with such a highly esteemed Choral Professional. I can’t wait to see what insights Dr. Adams will bring to our choirs,” says Schlaff, R-PHS Choir Teacher.
The Performance Clinic will start at 7 p.m., and is open to the public free of charge.
Dr. KIMBERLY DUNN ADAMS is the Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Music at Western Michigan University, where she conducts the University Chorale, Collegiate Singers, and Grand Chorus. She holds a doctorate in choral conducting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an M.M. in choral conducting from Yale University, a B.M. in Voice Performance from Oberlin Conservatory, and a B.A. in Religion from Oberlin College.
Mrs. Adams has earned numerous accolades throughout her career, having been selected to participate in prestigious master-classes and festivals. She has also received various academic awards, including the Lorna Wendt Distinguished Doctoral Fellowship at the University of Wisconsin, and the Hugh Giles and Hugh Porter Prizes from Yale.
From 2006-2011, Dr. Adams was on the faculty at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts and directed the school’s three choral ensembles. While at the University of Wisconsin, she served as the Director of the Women’s Chorus & Masters Singers as well as Assistant Conductor of the Concert Choir. At Yale, Dr. Adams was Director of the Yale Divinity School Chapel Choir, Co-Conductor of the Yale Recital Chorus, and Assistant Conductor of the Yale Camerata. As an undergraduate, she founded the Oberlin Women’s Choir. She also maintains an active performing life as both soprano and mezzo-soprano soloist with various ensembles.
Dr. Adams is an active member of the American Choral Directors Association, the National Collegiate Choral Organization, the Conductors Guild, and Michigan School Vocal Music Association.
Connect….Affiliate….Join….Associate….
R-PHS Positive Focus Films will shine a spotlight on co-curricular and extra-curricular activities over the course of the school year informing our school community of the benefits of connecting with a group, organization, club, sport or ensemble to broaden their experiences with our high school.
Mr. Paul Schlaff, counselor at the high school, has taken a leadership role in developing the short video vignettes that promote student membership in the offerings we currently provide to our students with respect to co-curricular and extra-curricular activities.
Our first video is linked below for your viewing pleasure! We hope you enjoy it!
BENEFITS OF HIGH SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
The following excerpts are taken from “The Case for High School Activities” published by the National Federation of State High School Associations.
At a cost of only one to 3 percent (or less in many cases) of an overall school’s budget, high school activity programs are one of the best bargains around.
ACTIVITIES SUPPORT THE ACADEMIC MISSION OF SCHOOLS.
They are not a diversion, but rather an extension of a good educational program. Students who participate in activity programs tend to have higher grade-point averages, better attendance records, lower dropout rates and fewer discipline problems than students generally.
ACTIVITIES ARE INHERENTLY EDUCATIONAL
Activity programs provide valuable lessons for many practical situations. Through participation in activity programs, students learn teamwork, sportsmanship, winning and losing, the rewards of hard work, self-discipline, build self-confidence, and develop skills to handle competitive situations. These are qualities the public expects schools to produce in students so they become responsible adults and productive citizens.
ACTIVITIES FOSTER SUCCESS IN LATER LIFE
Participation in high school activities is often a predictor of later success - in college, a career, and becoming a contributing member of society. A 1989, nationwide study by the Women’s Sport Foundation indicated that athletes do better in the classroom, are more involved in school activity programs, and stay involved in the community after graduation. The study, based on an analysis of data collected by the U.S. Department of Education’s High School and Beyond Study, indicated that girls receive as many benefits from sports as boys. Sports involvement was significantly related to a lower dropout rate in some school settings and minority athletes are more socially involved than non-athletes. Research conducted by Skip Dane of Hardiness Research, Casper, Wyoming in 1991 revealed the following about participation in high school sports: (1)
By a 2-to-1 ratio, boys who participate in sports do better in school do not drop out and have a better chance to get through college. (2) The ratio for girls who participate in sports and do well in school is 3-to-1. (3) About 92 percent of sports participants do not use drugs. (4) School athletes are more self-assured. (5) Sports participants take average and above average classes. (6) Sports participants receive above average grades and do above average on skills tests. (7) Student-athletes appear to have more parental involvement than other students.
The American College Testing Service compared the value of four factors in predicting success after high school. The one yardstick that could be used to predict later success in life was achievement in school activities. Not useful as predictors were high grades in high school, high grades in college or high ACT scores. The College Entrance Examination Board’s Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) was examined in much the same way. It was found that having a high SAT score did not necessarily indicate success in a chosen career. The best predictor of later success, the study showed, was a person’s independent, self-sustained venture. Teens who were active in school activities, had hobbies or jobs, were found to be most likely to succeed. Besides higher grades, participation in activities helps students have a better attitude, according to a study conducted at the request of the Utah State Board of Education. In the study, students, parents, teachers and administrators agreed that being part of such activities serves not only as an incentive to do well in academic work, but it relieves tension and increases self-confidence. The following information is a reprint of “RESEARCH UPHOLDS VALUE OF PROGRAMS” by John R. Olsen, CAA, Madison, Wisconsin, Interscholastic Athletic Administration, Spring 1993.
EFFECTS OF EXTRACURRICULAR PARTICIPATION ON VARIOUS ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
School administrators, parents, and taxpayers generally support high school activity programs because of the positive effect these activities appear to have on students of both genders. However, in periods of economic austerity the expenditure of public tax funds for nonessential programs are occasionally challenged as wasteful and lacking in tangible cost benefits. As balance to various criticisms, excerpts from ten research studies on various effects of high school activities’ participation have been provided. These studies were conducted over a 25-year period in several geographic areas and demonstrate consistent themes of student growth and achievement. High school sport programs are legitimate offerings for secondary school systems. Teachers feel students derive educational values from high school athletic experiences. Also cited was the positive correlation between athletic participation, academic performance, and self-esteem for 17,000 students. SOURCE: Braddock, Jomills H., II. “Race, Athletics, and Educational Attainment – Dispelling the Myths,” Youth and Society.
Lack of participation in school activities is associated with a greater likelihood of involvement in delinquent behavior. SOURCE: Dinitz, S. and B.A. Pfau-Vincent. “Self-Concept and Juvenile Delinquency,” Youth and Society.
Our Positive Focus Films this school year will shine the spotlight on extra-curricular and co-curricular activities at R-PHS. Our goal is to have every student in our school connected with a group, organization, club, sport or ensemble. I will post the films on this blog throughout the school year so you have an opportunity to see our intentions with our student body.
The Muskegon County College Night is set for Tuesday, September 27th right here at R-PHS from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. in the cafe.
Over 50 colleges and universities will be represented for our students and the greater Muskegon County at College Night. It’s a great way to gather information and talk to on-site representatives about their college or university and college life.
College Night is being sponsored by The Shoreline Counselors Association. If you have questions regarding College Night, call 231-865-4044.
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