Richland County High School

Dear Parents/Guardians of RCHS students-

Today RCHS had a safety lockdown Raptor Activation. This activation was initiated by a staff member in regards to a physical altercation between students in a classroom.

While there was not a serious threat to the student population, administrators and law enforcement were quick to respond to diffuse the disturbance.

All students are safe and we appreciate the help of local law enforcement as well as the quick response from all RCHS students and staff who took this seriously.

We are grateful for the continued support of our parents, guardians, and community members.

Mr. Ellison’s woodworking class recently took on a unique community-based project by designing and building squirrel benches that were placed in city parks throughout Olney. Because multiple benches were made students experienced assembly line techniques and learned how breaking a larger project into specific tasks can improve efficiency and consistency. Students were responsible for delegating tasks, communicating with team members, managing materials, solving problems, and working together to keep production moving. Most importantly students were able to see how the skills they are learning in the classroom and shop can be applied to a real world project that benefits their community and contributes to a local Olney tradition.

Mr. Ellison’s woodworking class recently took on a unique community-based project by designing and building squirrel benches that were placed in city parks throughout Olney. This project provided students with an authentic manufacturing experience while allowing them to contribute something positive to their community. Throughout this process, students developed and practiced essential skills including safe and proper tool use, accurate measurement, cutting, fastening, sanding, and assembly.

Congratulations to the Richland County High School STRIPES Award winners in September! The RCHS students listed showed Service, Trust, Respect, Integrity, Positive Attitude, Excellence, or Self-Discipline throughout the month and earned a STRIPES t-shirt, bracelet, or other goodies.

First Row (Pictured left to right): Alysyn Marks, Sofia Elder, Jackson Newton, Liam Doyle, Annalyn Douget, Kylie Kazel, Mallory Richardson, Korynn Snider, Mallory Sloan, Naomi Patten, Baylee Shafer, Izabella Biyok, and Hadley Heath.

Second Row: Grayson Sterchi, Lucas Painter, Reid Brown, Drake Bolton, Ceily Peavler, Bailey Combs, Riley Kraus, Karlee Jenner, Bailey Graves, Katelyn Allen, Addison Cleveland, Cammie Johnson, Camden Blank, and Jereme Higginbotham.

Third Row: Lucca Trupiano, Dominik Ginder, Landon Burton, William Roberson, Gentry Michels, Ridge Meadows, Brooklyn Beard, Annie Angle, Carder Burgener, Callie Reynolds, Ireland Walters, Hayden Womack, Keegan Ray, and Enzo Rossati.

Not pictured: Gian Doris, Brianna Beard, Braden Weidner, Carson Fox, Carly Seiler, and Grady Feddes.

Thank you to 2026-27 STRIPES sponsors: Blanks Insurance, Citizens National Bank, First National Bank, Infiniti Strength & Performance, Joe's Pizza, Prairie Farms, Printforce, Runyon Insurance, Trust Bank, Walmart DC #6059, and Rude Wealth.

Reminder: Today is a 2pm Early Dismissal for RCHS students only. Buses will run on a regular schedule so HS bus riders will be picked up at 2:55pm. Please make other arrangements if necessary.

Mrs. Burris's Dual Credit Calculus students have been working towards their "derivers" license. They have taken a short derivative quiz every day for the past month. The quizzes focused on the power, product, quotient, and chain rules for derivatives, with each quiz increasing in difficulty. These students are all derivative pros and have officially earned their de-rivers license! 🚗✏️📈

Mr Powell’s Anatomy and Physiology students are wrapping up term 1 with a rat dissection. The purpose is to compare rat anatomy to the human organism. Students are studying external features, muscle anatomy, and organs of the thoracic and abdominal cavities

Dear Senior Parents and Guardians,

To help you navigate the college financial aid process, we are hosting a FAFSA Informational Night on Wednesday, October 14, 2026. Stop by any time from 5:30-7:00 pm and join us in the RCHS IMC Computer Lab. Financial aid representatives from OCC will be here to share expert insights and guide you through the application. Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the most critical step in securing grants, scholarships, and federal loans. Because federal guidelines require every contributor (including parents) to have their own unique login, we highly recommend attending to get your questions answered. Please see the attached letter for more information.

RCHS Weekly Bulletin for 10/5/26-10/12/26

School Resource Officer Ameter spoke with students on the dangers of drugs during Health class with Ms. Fehrenbacher.

The Andrew Gobczynski Big Heart Foundation is hosting heart testing the morning of Saturday, October 17th at HSHS St. Anthony from 8 am to noon.

Here is the information we would like you to distribute to all sophomore, junior, and senior student-athletes. This includes all fall/winter/spring sport athletes, as well as band members and cheerleaders.

This is a free service, paid by the AGBHF and provided by HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital.

Students/parents must fill out the packet and return it to the school office by Thursday, October 8 at noon. HSHS will then contact parents on October 12-15th to schedule a testing time.

Students, Parents, Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles:
There will be an informational meeting this Tuesday, October 12, 2026 @ 6pm in room 212 for Iceland 2027! Anyone is eligible to go on the trip and fundraising is possible. Please come for information and to see how to sign up! If you can't make it and would like to go, see Mrs VanDyke for a packet of information.

Students in Dual Credit Calculus worked on related rates using derivatives this week. Students measured the rate at which the radius of a pancake changed as it expanded each second and then used that information to calculate the rate at which the area was changing. Who knew Calculus could be so tasty?

A huge shout out to the RCHS custodial team for all the hard work they put into the building. Classes, lunches, sporting events, club meetings, school dances, all of it would not be possible without the care of the janitorial and maintenance staff.
Thank you Tara, Randy, Gary, Gavin, and Charles.

Our Intro to Teaching students had an incredible week of learning last week from professionals both inside and outside the classroom!

A huge thank you to our guest speakers who shared their expertise and gave our future educators a real-world look at some of the important responsibilities teachers face: Rylan Rusk - School Law, Jami Mills, DCFS - Mandated Reporting, Kristin Jurgilanis - Special Services, and Kerrie Weidner - Socioeconomic Diversity.

We also had the opportunity to see special services in action through classroom observations. Thank you to our RCMS teachers, Mrs. Page, Mrs. Clodfelter, and Mrs. Shoemaker, and our RCES teachers, Mrs. Rusk, Mrs. Daily, Mr. Taylor, and Mrs. Ochs, for opening their classrooms and allowing our students to learn from you.
We are incredibly grateful to all of these professionals for investing their time in the next generation of educators!

RCHS hosts a Tchoukball tournament and Champions were announced...

A special thank you to School Resource Officer Drew Bunting for visiting with our Intro to Teaching students last week.

Officer Bunting shared valuable insight into school safety, emergency procedures, and the responsibilities teachers have in keeping students safe. We appreciate him taking the time to share his experience and knowledge with our future educators.

Congratulations to our 2026 Richland County High School Homecoming King, Owen Cycholl and Queen, Ryen Gray.

RCHS 9/21-9/28/26 Weekly Bulletin