ROCHESTER HIGH SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Friday, March 14, 2025
Follow RHS on Twitter at @RochesterHS_3A and on our Facebook Page @rhsrockets and ROCKET_RECAP - RHS Journalism Website for news and information about what is happening in the High School!
IMPORTANT DATES - LINK TO MAJOR EVENTS CALENDAR & ATHLETIC CALENDAR
3/19/25 - Board of Education Meeting - 6:30 p.m. - District Office
3/20/25 - RHS Spring Choir & Band Concert - 6:00 p.m. - Auditorium
3/24/25-3/28/25 - SPRING BREAK - NO SCHOOL
4/9/25 - STEM Fair - 5:30-8:00 p.m. RAC (See Info Below)
5/3/25 - RHS Prom
5/18/25 - RHS Graduation Ceremony - 7:00 p.m. @ UIS
DOUBLE BUS ROUTES, 3-14-25
Bus Routes G, H, N and O are double routes tonight, please wait in the HS cafeteria after school until your shuttle bus arrives to pick you up and take you home. Please direct any questions regarding late buses to the Bus Garage at (217)498-9834.
WRESTLING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Wrestling FR/So State will be held this Saturday and Sunday at the BOS Center in Springfield. Rochester HS will be helping run it. Wrestlers, we will be setting up Friday at 8:00 p.m. You can get a ride from the RAC at 7:30 p.m. IWCOA will provide pizza for setting up. Saturday 7:00 a.m. from the RAC and Sunday 7:30 a.m. from the RAC. Please, return any uniforms or bags to the wrestling coaches or drop off in the Athletic Office.
ROCHESTER BAND PIZZA FUNDRAISER 2025
Rochester Band Families: The pizza build is TOMORROW, Saturday, March 15 at 8:00 a.m. at Rochester United Methodist Church. Please bring a hat and come help us make pizzas! More info can be found at Letter to Parents. Only band families will pick up their orders. If you bought pizza(s) from a band student, they will deliver it to you! Pick-up will start between 10:00-11:00 a.m. Questions? Contact Lydia Hicks at lhicks101505@gmail.com.
SPANISH CLUB ANNOUNCEMENT
The Spanish Club will be partnering with the Pulsera Project to sell handmade bracelets (pulseras) and bags (bolsitas) for the next two weeks. Each $5 pulsera and $15 bolsita sold will help create fair trade jobs, support communities in Nicaragua and Guatemala, and fund a number of programs that help improve the lives of hundreds of Central Americans. Bracelets can be purchased at lunch, or from one of the Spanish teachers until March 14.
MARCH MADNESS TOURNAMENT
Week Two of Library March Madness is now available. Please click on the google form and vote for your top 4 books that were checked out of the HS library this year! Each week we will have a new round of books, until our winning book is chosen. March Madness Week 2 Link
VOTING INFORMATION
If you haven't registered for the upcoming election on April 1, you can still vote by following these directions for Grace Period Voting. You can also Vote Early - find info for that HERE - be sure to check Office Hours before going. If you aren’t sure if you are registered or if you are using your current address, you can check at this LINK. Any other Election Information can be found on the Sangamon County Clerk’s webpage HERE - including sample ballots so you can be prepared!
RHS BLOOD DRIVE INFORMATION
Consent Forms can be turned into Mrs. Hawkins. Please use the link to sign up Rochester HS Blood Drive 2025 - March 14 (A Day).
HOCKEY INFO
Good Luck to RHS Students Trace Friedman, Xander Bridge, Jack Bassett and Mitch Strawn this weekend at the Hockey State Finals in Bloomington. Trace, Xander, Jack and Mitch play on the Springfield High School Hockey Team.
SENIOR CLASS PHOTOS NEEDED
Attention Seniors and Senior Guardians: Each year for graduation a video is created and shown before graduation. We are asking that each senior provide one baby or toddler age (1-3 years old) picture and one senior picture by March 19, 2025 for the video. Photos can be digital or hard copy. Please see the attached letter for additional information - Senior Photo Request Letter
JOSTENS GRADUATION CAP & GOWN PICK UP
If you did not pick up your cap and gown this morning, please stop by and see Mrs. Tucker in the Principal’s Office. Also, please check your items and make sure that you received everything and that everything is spelled correctly.
GET YOUR FREE CENTRAL ILLINOIS STEM FAIR TICKETS BEFORE SPRING BREAK!
We would love for your family to join us at the 2025 Central Illinois STEM Fair to be held on Wednesday, April 9 from 5:30-8:00 p.m. at the Rochester Athletic Complex. Last year the STEM Fair hosted 80 exhibits and attracted over 1000 attendees from 20 different schools in Central Illinois. The STEM Fair showcases local STEM activities for students covering a wide range of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics topics. Check out all of the fabulous exhibitors on the Central Illinois STEM Fair website. Reserve your free ticket today at Link to Tickets!
CAREER EXPLORATION OPPORTUNITY
Attention Juniors and Seniors - If you are interested in attending the State Police Event on Tuesday, March 18 (see attached info), you will need to complete a Pre-Arranged Absence Form which is located in the Student Services Office. You will need to include career/college day for this reason for the absence. LINK TO INFO
5ESSENTIALS SURVEY FOR RHS
PARENTS - Please take a few minutes to complete the 5Essentials Survey for RHS. This is a survey given by the Illinois State Board of Education. What is the 5Essentials Survey? The 5Essentials Survey is taken by all PK-12th grade teachers and all 4th-12th grade students. The information collected through the survey is reviewed and analyzed to generate a 5Essentials Report for each school. The 5Essentials Report includes a breakdown of teacher and student responses and provides a comprehensive picture of the school environment based on five essential areas critical for school improvement in a meaningful context of similar and successful schools. Rochester High School would appreciate your input! Thank You!
LLCC SENIORS
The Annual LLCC Reg Prep Day is Thursday, April 3. Seniors planning to attend LLCC in the Fall may sign-up for the event via the Google Form sent to you by the Counseling Department. Forms are due Friday, March 21.
GIRLS GOLF INFORMATION
Are you interested in Girls Golf? If you want to give it a try and are interested in joining the team this fall, plan on coming out and giving it a try at The Back 9 Indoor Simulators. Join us on Saturday, April 13 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. at the Back 9. Coaches, players and parents will be in attendance to answer questions. Link to Flyer
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
The Rochester Athletic Booster Club is now accepting applications for the Collegiate Athlete Scholarship! If you're a senior athlete planning to continue your sport at the collegiate level, this is your chance to earn financial support for your journey! Deadline to apply: May 1, 2025 Apply now! Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity. Link to Apply
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Girl Scouts of Central Illinois is looking for dedicated, creative, and enthusiastic summer camp staff at Camp Widjiwagan in Springfield (day camp), Camp Tapawingo in Metamora (overnight camp), and Camp Kiwanis in Mahomet (day camp). Spend your summer playing outside, being a mentor to campers, and creating an exciting summer camp experience for all girls. Camp runs June 9th through August 1st with time off for the 4th of July and paid staff development from June 2nd-6th. You will have the opportunity to acquire optional certifications, paid for by Girl Scouts of Central Illinois. Those include: standard first aid and CPR, lifeguarding, archery, boating, and challenge course. Be a part of our summer camp family! All job listings are HERE. For more information about the hiring process, please contact Abigail Smith, Program Specialist/Camp Director, at (217)963-0300 or asmith@girlscouts-gsci.org.
SENIOR RECOGNITION ADS - YEARBOOK
Families - Do you remember your son or daughter's first day of school? It may seem like yesterday, but your student will be graduating high school very soon. How do you express just what this time together has meant to you? How about purchasing a Recognition Ad in the yearbook? It is a great way to say "I love you and I'm proud of you" as well as share favorite childhood photos and memories. Please click on RHS Senior Recognition Ads Flyer to order your senior's ad today! Yearbook Recognition “Happy” Ads are on sale now. The deadline to order will be Friday, May 2, 2025.
SUMMER 2026 TRIP TO JAPAN: (UPDATED INFO)
Thank you for all the interest in our tour to Japan that will be taking place in June 2026. We filled up a full bus back in January, and we currently have a short waiting list. A number of people have inquired about the possibility of getting a second bus for the trip. In order to do that, we would need another 12-15 people to express interest and be willing to sign up for the waiting list. If you, your child, and/or other family members are seriously interested in going, please reach out to Mr. Klemm at kklemm@rochester3a.net. If you feel ready, you can always sign up for the waiting list with a $95 refundable enrollment fee. You would have no other obligation until a second bus is confirmed, so there is no risk involved. The website may tell you that a payment plan will start next month; that is an error. Additionally, there is a $200 scholarship offered on the price right now through March 31, so lock in that price ASAP! You can enroll with this link: www.eftours.com/2812631UW. Additionally, you can see the presentation about the trip right here. We hope you can join us!
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY
The Springfield Lake Shore Improvement Association has scheduled their Annual Cleanup Day on Saturday, April 26, 2025 for the Lake Springfield area. This is a great way to earn community service hours! They are hoping for a huge turnout this year with your help. Please see attached flyer for more information. INFORMATIONAL FLYER
CLASS OF 2025 ANNOUNCEMENTS
You can now find information on Graduation, Scholarships, College Essay Assistance, etc. in one location - SENIOR CLASS ANNOUNCEMENTS
ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
You can now find information on Team Meetings, Concession Stand Volunteers, Sport Registrations, Tickets/Passes, etc. in one location - ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT INFO
STUDENT PARKING
Students must complete the Parking Survey prior to receiving their parking tag.
2024-2025 YEARBOOKS ON SALE NOW
The 2024-2025 RHS Rocket Yearbook is on sale now. LINK to purchase the RHS 2024-2025 Yearbook Just a reminder that we do not purchase an excess of extra yearbooks, so if you want a yearbook, please make sure to order it NOW! If you cannot remember if you purchased a yearbook yet for this year, please email Mrs. Tucker at stucker@rochester3a.net.
GUIDED TEST PREP PROGRAM
RHS now has a subscription to the Learning Express Guided Test Prep program. This resource offers: Test prep for ACT, SAT, ASVAB, and AP exams, a Resume builder, and a Scholarship database. Students can access it by clicking on the Library Canvas page and following the links for EBSCO.
RHS PTO INFORMATION
The HS PTO needs your help! The PTO is seeking donations to provide additional supplies that the HS teachers need in their classrooms. You can make a donation at PayPal - (RHS PTO @rhsrocketspto) or you can mail in a donation to - Rochester HS PTO - Attn: Kendra Jones, 1 Rocket Drive, Rochester, IL 62563 OR you can visit our Amazon Wish List at RHS PTO Wish List. Any donation is greatly appreciated!
ATTENDANCE EMAILS & PHONE CALLS
ALL attendance information (absences, doctors notes, vacation, pre-arranged absences, college visits, etc.) should be sent to Mrs. Basan-Welch in Student Services by email vbasanwelch@rochester3a.net or by phone 217-498-9761, Ext. 53105.
COLLEGE VISITS
March 18 - Quincy University - 2nd Lunch
March 19 - University of Illinois - Springfield - 1st and 2nd Lunches
March 19 - US Army - 1st and 2nd Lunches
March 20 - US Marines - 1st and 2nd Lunches
March 21 - Illinois College - 1st and 2nd Lunches
LUNCH
Friday's Menu
Rocket Line: Fish Sandwich
Corner Crust Pizza: Individual Pizzas
Custom Brother’s Grill: Mozzarella Sticks
Salad Bar
WEEK AT A GLANCE
March 14 - “A” Day