The Dig for the Cure Event was a success

According to rhamvolleyball.com, the RHAM volleyball team raised 1,581 dollars for the CT Susan G. Komen Foundation at the Dig for the Cure event. RHAM Volleyball teammates were glad they could raise so much for breast cancer research.

Volleyball Tournament to be held at RHAM

On Saturday, November 1st RHAM High School will be hosting the annual Northwest Conference Volleyball Tournament, with the beginning of the tournament startong at 3 pm. According to rhamvolleyball.com, RHAM volleyball will be playing their 1st game against the winner of the Rocky Hill and Windham game. Rocky Hill is currently number 16 in the conference and Windham is currently number 17 in the conference. The winner of the Rocky Hill vs. Windham game will go to RHAM High School on November 5th to play RHAM volleyball. The game will start at 5 pm. RHAM is currently number 1 in the conference and hopes to keep their winning streak going throughout the tournament.

Girls' Cross Country Team Has Successful Season Yet Again

The RHAM Girls' Cross Country team was very successful in their conference title meet. During the Northwest Conference Stephanie Eldridge was the overall winner of the cross country championship. Stephanie, a junior, led RHAM to their 7th consecutive NWC team title.

All-NWC honors go to Stephanie Eldrige, Lauren White, Kristen Salline, Liz Rey, Cassidy Olio, Katie Wulftange, and Heather Eldridge. Stephanie Eldridge, RHAM's top runner, will be competing in the State Open.

Mock Election Results

RHAM's mock election was completed on Wednesday, October 30th. Students voted on issues of importance, their favored presidential candidate, and the past president they would most want back in the Oval Office. Here are the results:



Critically Important Issues:

War in Iraq

Climate Change

Economy



Very Important Issues:

Cost of Energy

National Security

Education

Health Care



Issues that would be most helped by government spending:

Economy

Health Care

Climate Change



Three most popular past presidents:

John F. Kennedy

Abraham Lincoln

George Washington



Current Election:

Barack Obama 66% (613 votes)

John McCain 25% (236 votes)

Ralph Nader 9% (81)

Last Regular Season Game Ends In A Loss For RHAM Girls Soccer Team

On Wednesday night, the RHAM girls soccer team played Rocky Hill. They took an early lead of 2-0 in the first half, but Rocky Hill made a comeback and one the game 3-2. The RHAM girls were scored by Hanna Schuschke, and Audra Ayotte. This was RHAM's last regular season game. Their final record for the season is 8-7-1(w-l-t). They are in the state tournament and will have their first game November 4th.

Parking

As of October 16th, students are banned from parking in the fire lanes or anywhere else on school grounds without administrative consent. If students are caught in a fire lane or somewhere not permitted by the administration on school property, they will get a ticket and fine from the town or state police. According to Mr. Don Wilson, Assistant Principal at RHAM High School,"If students get caught in a fire lane, the town police will give them a ticket and a fine, which will be between $23 to $25. If the state police catches a student, then they will get a ticket and a fine of $93." The school has begun the ticketing policy so they can have more control of the student parking lot. Hopefully, the students parking in the fire lanes or somewhere that isn't permitted on school property will learn to park in the appropriate spots before they get a fine.

RHAM's Volleyball record now 18-0

On Tuesday night, RHAM volleyball became 18-0 in the Northwest Conference and held their Senior Night for their only senior, Kelly Stratton. RHAM won against Plainville 3 games to none. The scores of the three games were: 25-10, 25-10, 25-05. RHAM will be hosting the Northwest Conference Tournament on Saturday, November 1st, starting at 3 pm. More updates on the tournament is to come.

Jon McLaughlin Music Review

Jon McLaughlin, a talented pianist and signer has released a new single titled "Beating My Heart." This song has a pop feel but is nicely accompanied with drums, piano, and guitar.

Over the past few years, Jon McLaughlin has become an accomplished singer and song writer. He had an Oscar-nominated hit called "So Close" which he sang in the Disney Move, Enchanted. His debut album Indiana gained 420,000 fans when featured as the Download of the Week. Along with topping the charts, McLaughlin went on tour with artists such as Sara Bareilles, Paolo Nutini, Kelly Clarkson, and One Republic. He is now working on his sophomore album OK Now. He is exploring different sounds and comparing his sound to Coldplay and Billy Joel. Jon McLaughlin writes his songs based on things he went through such as his high school experience, or things that he sees going on like the relationship between singer Amy Winehouse and her husband Blake.

McLaughlin's new single shows that has great range vocally. It also demonstrates his skill as a pianist. His lyrics discuss how Jon is not sure about a lot going on in life, except his love for a woman. He may attract a female following due to his good looks. I would give McLaughlin an 8 out of 10. He demonstrates a great amount of talent and is sure to have a promising future.

In the News

[The following information was provided by the RHAM Honors Global Studies class]



Karzai Discusses Possible Taliban Peace Talks in Afghanistan


Summary: From 1995-2002, the Taliban, an extremist Islamic regime has ruled Afghanistan under harsh pressure. While they ruled, Afghanistan's economic and political stability plummeted and the people suffered greatly. But now, Hamid Karzai's brother claims to have met with former Taliban seniors as a first step towards peace talks. If the Taliban do finally agree to join peace talks, it will be a great relief to the people and the government. However, it still will not be easy to satisfy all of their requirements or incorporate all the extremist groups in the nation.
Analysis: In 2001, the Taliban caused Afghanistan to fall apart. Now, the president is beginning to discuss peace between the people of Afghanistan and the Taliban. This will allow the country to rebuild and once again become stable. Rebuilding the nation requires much work from not only the people but also their alliances. This peace treaty will mean hope for Afghanistan and begin to build again. If the Taliban is at peace, there won't be any reason for Afghanistan to fall apart again. In this situation, the best move for Afghanistan to make is to negotiate with the Taliban and focus on realism rather than idealism. With the Taliban on their side, Afghanistan will be on a road to recovery.


[detailed background information on this topic is available in a text document at: http://www.rhamhs.reg8.k12.ct.us/Departments/Technology%20Education/Website/Afghanistan.txt ]

RHAM Girls Soccer Senior Night

On Monday night, the RHAM girls varsity soccer team held their annual Senior Night. This is to honor the seniors in their last home game of the regular season. The events started with the game against Plainville. The field was decorate with balloons and posters put up by the underclassmen to show their appreciation for their seniors. RHAM was victorious with a score of 3 to 2. Olivia Rivosa scored the first goal of the game and her second of the season. Ashley Russo and Ashley Schwer scored the two following goals.

After the game the team along with the coaches honored all of the seniors with flowers and gifts. The team sported tie dye shirts with "I love our seniors" for the underclassmen and "I survived RHAM girls soccer," for the seniors. The seniors being honored were captains Alyce Jovanelly, Amanda Smith, and Kathryn Turlo as well as Katie Keurian, Lizz Dandeneau, Mariah Barrows, and Micaela Connelly. This presentation was followed by a cookout where all the players and their families could enjoy a meal together and reflect on the season. The team has their final game against Rocky Hill on Wednesday to end the regular season. Their first state tournament game is on November 4th. The Sachems are now 8-6-1 (w-l-t).

Andover Fire

An allied effort consisting of fire personnel from Andover, Columbia, North Coventry, South Coventry, Lebanon and Hebron helped put out a blaze in Andover on Sunday night. The call of the incident was received at about 7 pm, reporting a house fire at 69 Burnap Brook, Andover. The fire was extinguished succesfully, leaving the home damaged and no injuries.

Source: http://www.courant.com/

Homecoming Dance

The annual Homecoming Dance was held at RHAM on Saturday, October 24th. "The money from the Homecoming Dance goes to the senior class funds,"said Mr. Tom. Mueller, vice-principal at RHAM High School. There were about 600 tickets sold for the Homecoming Dance. The homecoming dance was hosted by RHAM's senior class but the Homecoming court was run by the RHAM cheerleaders. "I think this year's homecoming dance was a huge success! The kids had a lot of fun and there were no incidents," Mr. Mueller stated.

Senior Study- New TV for fishbowl

Many seniors might be upset about having senior study in the fishbowl because there has not been a television in that room in the past. That will change as of today, October 28, 2008. There is a working television with cable just like the tv in the original senior study spot. There is something new about this television that is taking place and will soon be taking place in the other tv's in the school. This new tv in the fishbowl has a program called the v-chip. The v-chip allows the administration to more closely control what channels can be aired on the tv.

Fable II Game Review

From Lionhead Studios comes the amazing sequel to the original Fable brought to you on the Xbox 360 console. Set 500 years after the events of the first Fable, released August 1, 2004, Fable II, released October 21, 2008, is everything Fable was and much MUCH more. The Fable series is part of the gaming genre of RPG (role-playing game) where the player takes control of the central main character and leads him through a story line. Fable 2 is set in the land of Albion where the heroes of old have passed from the everyday to myth and legend. The main character, known only as Hero, sets out on a journey to avenge the childhood murder of his sister. The first main difference I noticed when I started playing Fable II was the ability to chose whether the hero would be a boy or a girl. The graphics are based around the same idea as the first game.
Fable II's story line is a one of a kind experience where everything your character does has its own effect on the land around you. Good deeds are rewarded with cheers from towns folk and a happy Albion while the evil deeds will be greeted with fear and darkness. The revolutionary fighting system and leveling system the game uses is very nice. The first Fable game was released with many promises made by the publisher that were left unfilled. Fable II is the fulfillment of those promises and more. 9 out of 10 and worth getting.

Loss for RHAM Girls Soccer Team

The RHAM girls soccer team lost to Middletown on Friday afternoon. They score was 2-3. RHAM goals were scored by Audra Ayotte and Ashley Russo. The game was close with Middletown scoring with only 2 minutes left. The Sachems are now 7-6-1.

Music Review-Mishon

Mishon is a 15 year old who is just starting to break out into the music world. Even though he is only a teenager he has his first single "Excuse Me Mama" out now, and plays the younger brother on ABC Family's "Lincoln Heights". Even though he is a very successful actor, Mishon says that singing has always been his first love.
Mishon's first album is called "Yearbook" and will be coming out this fall. So far his first single, "Excuse Me Mama", shows his incredible talent. The song is all about how he is trying to get the attention of a girl and will do whatever it takes, even going up to her mother. The song is very upbeat and relatable to teenagers. Since Mishon is 15 he relates to a high school age group. His song talks about going to the mall, seeing a cute girl, and just being a teenager. The song has a Hip hop and R&B sound to it. Mishon says that his biggest inspirations are Usher,Michael Jackson and Boyz II Men. And when you here the song you can definitely see where his inspiration came from.After watching the music video Mishon reminded me of a younger Chris Brown, which he has been related to often. Mishon said that he is flattered to be related to such a famous artist, but definitely has his own style. He can dance and sing like Chris Brown, but has more of a connection to a younger high school group since he is younger. If you're looking for a upbeat dancing kind of song defiantly check out Mishons first single "Excuse Me Mama".


(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfGZ6mjliV4)

Enraged Teen Swings Bat At Police

A 13 year old boy took a swing at the police with a metal bat before fleeing the scene of the crime in the Greater Hartford area. He was later caught and arrested for assaulting the Police officer.

A disturbance call on Bellevue street led a police officer to arrest a mother of two sons. The mother was holding a bat when the police arrived, and she told the police that she was looking for someone who had been in a confrontation with one of her sons. The officer then told her to drop the bat, and when she did so she was handcuffed. When her 16 year old son saw his mother was being taken away by the police, he starting yelling at the police and put his fists up at them, and then was arrested also. Then the night took a dangerous turn.

After seeing that his mother and brother were being carted off to jail, the 13 year old son ran at the police officer, swung and struck the officer in the arm, and fled the scene. He was later caught on Main street, south of his home.

According to courant.com, the 16-year-old was charged with second-degree breach of peace and interfering with police. The 13-year-old was charged with assault on a police officer, breach of peace and interfering with police. He was taken to the Hartford juvenile detention center.

MYAL Open Gym

The open gym time for boys high school basketball has been changed to Sundays from now on. They will start playing at 4 and play for 2 hours. The location is the same as always - Marlborough Elementary's old gym.

Kids Are Less Likely to Graduate Than Parents

Graduating is one of the most honorable feelings as a young adult. It is a sense of freedom and accomplishment. Yet nowadays, many students are not feeling this way, and many are starting to simply give up. While many are moving on to college and pursuing careers that will take them farther, a good 25% of teens are dropping out of high school, and the schools are not taking much action to prevent this.


"The U.S. is stagnating while other industrialized countries are surpassing us," exclaims Anna Habash, author of The Education Trust. The United States is becoming the only industrialized country where the younger generation is less likely to earn a diploma than their parents were. In order to graduate, high schoolers are required to meet graduation targets each year as part of the "No Child Left Behind Law." Yet this law is set by states, not federal law. Many states allow schools to graduate saying that any progress is acceptable to get by. People are asking why schools are setting the standards so low for graduation requirements and researches are saying that it is simply because they can. State and school officials are under pressure to improve test scores under the No Child Left Behind education law or else face penalties. But they got a break on graduation rates: Schools have to meet annual goals, but the government lets each state set its own goal. There has been an increase in dropouts and the crisis is on the rise.



People are worried that teenagers will continue to drop out if the educational system is not improved. They believe that students should focus and study more for tests and if the dropout rate continues to increase, then the future of America could find itself in not only an economic crisis, but an educational one as well.



source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27336656/

Freshmen Elections

All the votes for Freshmen officers must be in by October 31st. The speeches that each candiate had prepared were shown in English classes via Powerpoint presentations. The presentations were viewed without the names on them so that this election would not be a popularity contest. After time for reflection, the students were told which candidate wrote which speech. This gave the students the choice to either choose who they thought was the best for the job or who was the most popular.

The candidates for President are:

Hendrick Bilek

Jacob Grover

Samantha Dienst

The candidates for Vice President are:

Kimberly Hunt

Sydney Wolfson

The candidates for Treasurer:

Nicole LaRose

Sawyer Hill

Allisa Cafro

Sydney Kern

The candidate for Secretary is:

Molly Bushey

On November 3rd the winners will be announced. Stay tuned for an update.

RHAM High School Fall Concert

Wednesday night there was a chorus, chamber singers, encore singers, band, and wind ensemble concert here at the RHAM High School Auditorium. The Vocal Director for Chorus and Chamber Singers was James Mirakian. The instrumental director was Timothy Ketterer. The Chamber Singers and Chorus came up first and sang a traditional Jamaican spiritual. Next up the Encore singers came up and Meghan Ortegon sang an excellent solo during the song Ride the Chariot by Max T. and Beatrice P. Krone. After them the choirs combined and sang two songs that had the low and high singers conflicting each other for a more powerful sound. In the song, Rhythm of Life, Heather Eldridge and Ruth Hartunian-Alumbaugh teamed up on the piano because the song required three hands and Ruth alone could not play it. After the intermission it was the band's turn to play and did an excellent rendition of Johann Sebastian Bach's Arioso. Although they had a couple minor flaws they were able to quickly react and fix themselves in a split second. Last up was the Wind Ensemble which did an excellent rendition of the highly recognizable song, The Barber of Seville Overture. The concert ended with the song, Jupiter, by Gustav Holst. It was a very impressive concert and all their hard work has definitely payed off.

Ski Club Signup

RHAM Ski and Snowboard club forms are now available! Former members who are part of the Yahoo Group can retrieve the forms online at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RHAMSkiandSnow/. Anyone who wants hard copies of the forms can get them from Mrs. Erlandsen in room 205.

Registration requires a) a C average with no Fs, b) a $25 activity fee, and c) the necessary forms, including the RHAM registration form, the medical release form, the trip permit, the Sundown Group Participation Information and Waiver, and payment to RHAM. Other forms are necessary for those renting equipment.

The trip schedule this year, as of this writing, is:
Thursday, January 8 Ski Sundown, CT 2:20pm – 8:45 pm
Thursday, January 22 Ski Sundown, CT 2:20pm – 8:45 pm
Thursday, January 29 Ski Sundown, CT 2:20pm—8:45pm
Thursday, February 5 Ski Sundown, CT 2:20pm—8:45pm
Saturday, Feb 7 Okemo , VT 6:00am -–8:30 pm
Thursday, February 12 Ski Sundown, CT 2:20pm -–8:45 pm
Fri-Sun, Mar 13-15 Smugglers' Notch, VT 2:30pm Friday – 9:30 ??pm Sunday

Registration will begin on October 27th and end on November 3rd. Bring completed forms and payment to Mrs. Erlandsen in room 205.

RHAM Girls Soccer Loses to Rocky Hill

The RHAM girls soccer team lost to Rocky Hill on Tuesday afternoon. The close game ended with a score of 2-3. RHAM goals were scored by Hanna Schuschke and Audra Ayotte. The teams will play against each other once again next week. The Sachems are now 7-5-1 (w-l-t).

Dig for the Cure Volleyball Event

Dig for the Cure happened at RHAM High School on Tuesday, October 21st. Dig for the Cure was an event, hosted by RHAM Volleyball to benefit cancer research. RHAM Volleyball played Rocky Hill but there was one change on the court that was very noticeable: The Sachems were not wearing their usual uniforms - they were wearing pink uniforms, which showed their support in the event. RHAM Volleyball also wanted their fans to wear pink to the game to show their support for the cause. Donations were collected at the door and the proceeds from the event will be donated to breast cancer research.

The RHAM varsity team defeated Rocky Hill in 3 straight games to win the match. RHAM is now 16-0.

Spirit Week

This weekend will be the homecoming football game followed by the homecoming dance. So to get ready for the this weekend RHAM is having a spirit week. The topic for each day was chosen by the RHAM cheerleaders.Here are the topics for each day:

Monday-Sports Team Day

Tuesday-Blast From The Past

Wednesday-Tie Day Hippie Day

Thursday-Opposite Day

Friday-RHAM Spirit Day

So show your school spirit this week and contribute to spirit week.

Grocery bills may stay up, regardless of falling oil prices

According to CNN.com, the recent drops in the prices of oil, while relieving, may not mean a drop in prices of all commodities, at least, not yet. Due to the company setting prices on the commodities that it sells, prices on items such as a box of cereal, and a gallon of milk may go unchanged for weeks. These are called "sticky" prices, where the cost of the goods sold does not change on a day to day basis, much like other products, such as oil. What this means is that consumers will still see higher prices on food and other goods, at least for a little while.

RHAM Girls Soccer Ties East Catholic

The RHAM Girl's soccer team tied East Catholic on Friday afternoon. The game went into double overtime and ended with a score of 3 to 3. RHAM goals were scored by Audra Ayotte, Ashley Russo, and Kristen Brett. The Sachems' recored is now 7-4-1(w-l-t).

Cross Country Update

Today the boys and girls cross country team had the Northwest Conference meet in Middletown. The girls varsity team came in first place overall with Stephanie Eldridge coming in first for the team. The girls team hasn't lost this race in over 10 years. The guys varsity came in second overall with Reid Keener coming in first. This was the last race that the JV teams are racing in for this season. Both JV teams did well and came home with many medals. The next meet is 10/25: the Class MM State Championships at Wickham Park.

RHAM Volleyball beats Berlin

Great excitement and noise came from RHAM High School on Thursday, October 16th during the game between RHAM Volleyball and Berlin. There was cheering for both sides, with the gym nearly full with fans. RHAM Volleyball beat Berlin 3 games to 0. Berlin is now 12-2 in the conference, with both losses to RHAM. The scores of the 3 games Thursday were: 25-22, 25-13, and 25-18. There was good teamwork on both sides of the playing field making this game one of the best and the closest matches played by RHAM so far this year. More updates as RHAM Volleyball progresses with their season.

The RHAM JV volleyball team also defeated Berlin, 2 games to 0.

[Brian S. contributed to this story.]

RHAM Boys Soccer Team Defeats Berlin

The RHAM boys soccer team defeated Berlin at Sage Park on Tuesday night. The Sachems did not take a lead until the end of the first half. The final score of the game was 4-2. Goals were scored by Jack Taute, Cooper D'Ambrosio, Robby Ives, and Cameron Ware.

Pussycat Dolls Music Review

What did you want to be when you grew up? Nicole Scherzinger, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, Melody Thorton, and Kimberly Watt knew exactly what they wanted to be-famous. The widely known Pussycat Dolls tell us all about it in their new hit single "When I Grow Up." The dolls sing "when I grow up I wanna be a star, I wanna be in movies," expressing their desire for fame. They also caution, "be careful what you wish for because you just might get it." In this case these five girls got exactly what they wanted.

The Pussycat Dolls, lead by Nicole Scherzinger are very well accomplished pop artists. They already have one hit album "PCD" that has sold over 6 million copies and earned them a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals. They now have a new CD in September, titled "Doll Domination." On the CD they continue to promote woman empowerment as they have in many of their other songs. In "When I Grow Up," the Pussycat Dolls describe what they wanted to be when they were young which mirrors what they are now. The song is all about fame, which may sound boring or pointless. But what makes this song unique is that it warns its listeners to not strive for fame unless its what you really want.

Not only do they Pussycat Dolls sing, but they dance too. The dolls are skilled hip hop dancers. This group can be compared to Destiny's Child, or Spice Girls. They have impressive vocal range and dance skills. Although their pop sound may not be liked by all, it does not reflect a lack of talent from the fierce five-some.

RHAM Girls Soccer Team Defeats Berlin

The RHAM girls soccer team won against the previously undefeated Berlin at home Tuesday afternoon. The score was 2 to 1. RHAM goals were scored by Ashley Russo and Alyce Jovanelly. The Sachems are now 7-4 and qualify for states.

Rham Students Own Profitable Business

RHAM high school sisters, Tessa and Laura Smolinski own a very successful business of their own. Tessa, a junior, and Laura, a freshman, have owned and operated this business for about four years. Pre-wrap.com is a website that sells prewrap, a soft, stretchy material that is used for many athletic purposes, including making a buffer in between skin and the very adhesive tape that athletic trainers use and now for a hair wrap for female athletes.

One day Tessa came home from a soccer practice with a piece of pre wrap in her hair and asked her mother to look for some rolls of it. Her mother checked all over, ending up finding it on eBay and bought a few rolls. When Tessa saw how much the girls wanted it at soccer practice and how hard it was to find, she thought about the idea of a money making opportunity.

Tessa, Laura, and their parents took the idea and ran with it. What had started as a small business venture that was merely for teaching the sisters how to own a business and organize funds has turned into a successful small business for the Smolinskis. The Smolinkis say that within 30 minutes of the website opening, there was an order placed for over 40 rolls of prewrap. According to Courant.com, the earnings from the site will help offset the price of going to college for Tessa.

As the demand for the wrap grew, profits grew, more colors were added to the inventory, now 12 overall, and the business went global.

The whole family does their part in the business, from fulfilling orders to packing the right colors to be shipped to writing out the bills, they all work together. This growing business keeps becoming more profitable and though Tessa is going off to college after next year, Laura will take over and continue helping the business. This business will continue to be profitable for years to come, as long as female athletes want to keep the hair out of their eyes, that is.

Haunted Mansion - Mafia Hideaway

In State Island, New York, an old mansion is said to be the perfect backdrop for a ghost tale. There has said to have been strange happenings, eerie cries and noises late at night from the people who died there long ago. However, these stories only only scary myths whereas one tale lies true and is the most haunting of them all. Two years ago, investigators uncovered the secret about the mansion. They discovered the Kreischer mansion was a place for the mafia to reside and slay. Caretaker Joseph Young was pressed charges for allegedly luring Robert McKelvey to the grounds in 2005. Young then proceeded to stab, strangle and drown McKelvey and then sawed the body and threw it in the furnace.

Many officials still believe that there is a mystery which lies in this mansion even though no recent oddities have occurred there. The FBI returned to the location this past summer to search for any additional bodies though there were none found. There are many strange tales told. Scratching noises near closets are heard, a cook who committed suicide in the kitchen lurks the halls and screams are always there. The real story to this mansion is less creepy. A man and his two sons once lived there and the dad worked as a bricklayer in a factory. One day he shot himself in the head because of troubles with employees. Over the years, the mansion became a restaurant but then fell into disrepair until Isaac Yomtovian purchased it. Yomtovian's plan was to use the mansion as a sort of clubhouse or housing center for seniors but was unable to secure funding. Despite people telling Isaac of the eerie tales about the mansion, he still remained insistent in the desire to keep the mansion and restore it. "In my opinion, it's a beautiful place to have a home" he says.

The home is empty as of now, but as Halloween approaches, many come to the streets to see the outside to try and catch something a little beyond normal.

source: http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/10/13/haunted.mob.mansion.ap/index.html

Another Win For RHAM Girls Soccer Team

The RHAM girls soccer team defeated Immaculate High School at home on Saturday morning. The Sachems won with a score of 2 to 1. The first goal was scored by Julia Hersh. The second goal was scored off a penalty kick by Alyce Jovanelly. This was the second win in a row for the Sachems who are now 6-4.

Win For RHAM Girls Soccer Team

The RHAM girls soccer team defeated St. Paul at home on Friday. The score was 9 to 1. Goals were scored by Micaela Conelly, Audra Ayotte, Ashley Russo, Mariah Lipscomb, and Brenna Kaplan. The Sachems are now 5-4.

New State Standards for Education

The Connecticut State Department of Education is developing a plan to institute new standards for preschool and high school education. The plan, available at http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/commish/comp_plan06-11.pdf, emphasizes new requirements for students in reading, writing, mathematics, and science. Its rationale is to reduce the "achievement gap" between low- and high-income students, cut down on the number of high school dropouts, and prepare Connecticut students "for lifelong learning and careers in a competitive, global economy."


Among other things, it recommends an increase in graduation credit requirements for mathematics and science, and adds a two-credit world language or career tech requirement. The Department of Education has already begun to implement the plan, which it expects to complete in 2011.


Stay tuned for more updates to this story, as well as more information on how it will affect RHAM. Comments are welcome.

Girls Cross Country Update

This week the Girls Cross Country team had a home meet against St.Paul and HK. RHAM beat both teams. They beat St.Paul 19-44 and they beat HK 15-50. Stephanie Eldridge came in first for RHAM and overall for the race.The girls varsity team has another meet this Saturday at Wickham Park in Manchester.

RHAM Volleyball hosting "Dig for the Cure" Event

On October 21st, RHAM Volleyball's home game against Rocky Hill will be a "Dig for the Cure" event to support breat cancer research. The RHAM Volleyball team will be wearing pink uniforms in support of this cause. They hope people will come to the event and will be wearing pink to support the cause. According rhamvolleyball.com, in the last five years "Dig for the Cure" has raised $340,000. Check back here for more details on this event.

Boys Cross Country Team Successful at Home

The RHAM boys cross country team had a home meet yesterday against HK, Plainville, and St. Paul Catholic. Rham defeated HK 25-32, defeated Plainville, 19-38, and beat St. Paul Catholic 15-50. The top runner for RHAM was Reid Keener, who took second place overall in the meet. The RHAM boys are running in the Wickham Invitational on Saturday, October 11th in Manchester, Connecticut, at Wickham Park.

Superintendent's Office

Recently, the Superintendent's Office has been located in a conference room in the high school main office. The superintendent said that the reason they haven't moved into their newly constructed office space yet is because the fire-proof steel coating has not had enough time to dry due to the climate. He also said that it will be 2-3 more weeks than they expected for the superintendent's new office to be finished. The reason they moved into the conference room was that the lease on their old office space expired before the new offices were available. There are currently 3 people that work in the superintendent's office and their names are secretary Kathy Mund, Director of Finance Bill Mazzara, and Bob Siminski, the superintendent. Although this was a slight setback they expect to be in the new office soon.

Medical Emergency Forms

What happens when a student becomes ill, seriously or not, and is brought to the nurse? The nurse may have to administer medicine to the student to make them feel better. That seems easy enough, right? Wrong. What if the medicine administered gives the student a severe allergic reaction, and the student becomes seriously ill?

That's where the medical emergency forms come in. Each year that you attend Rham High School, a form must be filled out by each student's parents about medical history, allergies, emergency contacts, or other medical information vital to the school if the unfortunate event of a student becoming ill were to occur. After freshmen year, the forms only need to be updated if there are any changes. This is an easy task task that may only take a minute.

According to assistant principles Mr. Mueller and Mr. Wilson, many students have not filled out these forms or brought them back to the office this year. These forms are a necessity of the school and both assistant principles are in charge of making sure that all of these medical emergency forms come in.

This is a very grueling process, with Mr. Wilson calling down all 9th and 11th grade students and Mr. Mueller calling down all 10th and 12th grade students. This may not sound like a long activity, but according to Mr. Mueller, about 30-40% of all students at RHAM have not brought their forms in.

So, please bring in any medical emergency forms if you have not brought them in already, because they will help make things easier for the nurse to keep you safe and secure in times of an actual medical problem. If you still need your medical emergency form, you can go down to the office and request a copy for your parents to fill out.

RHAM boys soccer wins against Northwest Catholic

On Tuesday, October 7th, RHAM's boys soccer won the game against Northwest Catholic. The score was 2-0. RHAM scored their first goal in the 1st half. Northwest Catholic became more agressive but still didn't score. RHAM also scored in the second half of the game. RHAM has six wins, two losses, and one tie. RHAM's next game is on Friday, October 10th, at St. Paul Catholic.

Loss For RHAM Girls Soccer Team

The RHAM girls soccer team lost to North West Catholic High School. The game went into overtime where North West player number 10 scored ending the game with a score of 2 to 1. The RHAM Sachems are now 4-4.

RHAM Volleyball wins against Fitch

On Monday, October 6th, RHAM Volleyball played at Fitch and won 3 sets out of 5. For the 1st set, RHAM won 25-17. The 2nd set RHAM won again with the score of 25-14. For the 3rd set, RHAM lost 17-25. RHAM lost the 4th set against Fitch with the score 17-25. For the last set, RHAM won 15-12.

RHAM Volleyball played their hardest game of the season so far and still came out on top. Every girl on the RHAM team had great-all-around team effort against an excellent team. RHAM Volleyball is still undefeated and their standings are 11-0.

Class Size

This year's RHAM High School freshman class is the largest in the school.The freshman class consists of 321 students while there are only 278 sophomores, 239 juniors, and 264 seniors. The average kids per classroom has gone from 16 to 18 last year to about 18 to 20 this year. Also the classes are only getting bigger. The incoming freshman class has 326 kids and the following class has 339 kids, and that is not including people who may move into the area.

Yet Mr. Wilson says that the next few years will be growth years then the numbers are predicted to flatten out and then finally decline.

Stay tuned to RHAM News for a follow up story.

Boys Soccer loses to Plainville

During the boys soccer game on friday against Plainville, the RHAM boys soccer team lost against Plainville 0-1. No team scored during the game, but during the sudden death period, Plainville got close enough to RHAM's goal and scored. The game ended with Plainville winning, but RHAM will have another chance at Plainville, later on in the season.

RHAM Volleyball beats Plainville

On Friday Afternoon, RHAM Volleyball played at Plainville. They won 3 sets and the scores were: 25-16, 25-11, and 25-15. Everyone on the Sachem volleyball team put in their efforts to win against the Plainville Blue Devils. Jocelyn Taylor had two blocks during this game. Ellie Linden finished the game by having 33 assists and 6 digs. So RHAM Volleyball is 10-0 overall and 8-0 in the Northwest Conference. RHAM volleyball is going to play at Fitch at 5:30 pm today.

Election Time - SPEAK OUT ABOUT THE CANDIDATES

With the debates in full swing and presidential elections approaching fast we'd like to hear from you. What do you think about the candidates? Post your comments below.

(These private opinions do not reflect the official views or positions of Regional District 8. Comments that are offensive, insensitive, off-topic, or otherwise inappropriate for a school setting will not be allowed.)

Recall on Chinese candy

According to WTNH.com, There has been a recall on several kinds of candy. Manufactured in China, certain candies have been found to contain Melamine, a compound commonly used in the manufacturing of plastics. As the ingredients are often written in foreign languages, it is hard to determine which type of candy may contain the Melamine. Currently, the main focus is on White Rabbit branded candies. Although White Rabbit was sold in CT, there have been no confirmed cases of illness in Connecticut as of yet.

Chuck Wicks Music Review

Chuck Wicks is a country music singer/songwriter straight out of Nashville, Tennessee. He started his career on March 28, 2006. Although his music career started in Nashville, Tennessee, he was raised in Smyrna, Delaware. When he was young he dreamed of becoming a famous baseball player until he moved down south for college. His senior year in Florida Southern College that his desire to play music eclipsed his athletic aspirations. At first he started off poorly and did not end up releasing an album and realized that it took more then just talent to succeed in the country music world. Although he was not doing as well as he expected, giving up never crossed his mind. Instead of giving up he took the next couple of years writing songs and honing his skills alongside Music Row writers such as Monty Powell and George Teren. He needed to get a job so he ended up with a job of parking cars and ironically some of the cars he parked belonged to famous songwriters who taught him how to put a pen to a paper and write a song. Chuck's perseverance payed off when landed a deal with RCA records and began working on an album with Monty Powell and Dann Huff. His very first single was "Stealing Cinderella" which got people who had never heard of Chuck to want to hear more of his stuff and that is just what they did. Chuck's next big single was called "All I Ever Wanted" and this is what Marilyn Haney had to say about the song: "I liked it very much. It had a great beat - very danceable music! I have heard it on country radio stations a few times and it's a good song. The only thing I found that was wrong with it was that he repeated 'All I ever wanted' a little too much throughout the song. But I would rate the song an 8 out of 10 overall. And he is good looking too; I predict he will go pretty far in his career". Even though he's not the best I'm sure his career is far from over. If you are interested check him out on his website at http://www.chuckwicks.com/.

Loss For RHAM Girls Soccer Team

The RHAM girls soccer team lost to Plainville at Alumni field on Friday night. The score was 2 to 1. RHAM's only goal was scored by Alyce Jovanelly. The Sachems currently have a record of 4-3.

Clique Girlz: Music Review

Clique Girlz is a band made up of 3 girls,Paris(12) and Destinee Monroe(13) along with friend Ariel Moore(13).The girls met 5 years ago at school. And they have been together ever since. Their goal is to stay together as long as the Rolling Stones.The band has been recently recording with Interscope Records.The band has a pop rock kind of sound to their music. The band tries to keep their music relatable to all ages.
After listening to a few of the bands songs you can get a pretty good overall sound of the band. The girls have great voices. But I would defiantly say that they are for a younger fan base. When you listen to there song Then I Woke Up you can see how they relate to a younger audience. They have some very good lyrics to their songs but I think that the overall theme of the song is more for young girls. Their songs would probably not suit' a high schooler. Id defiantly request a middle schooler or a kid between 10-14 to listen to them. They have a sound that I would relate to a Hannah Montana and Avril Lavigne mixture.If you have ever heard of Aly&AJ(a Disney Channel band) I would say they sound like a younger version of them. They have a strong pop sound to them but they try to add some rock to their lyrics. I'd say the pop over comes the rock aspect of it though. Its the kind of music that you would hear on Disney Channel. But I think that it is a band you should definately check out.

Here is the band's website if you'd like to check out the band yourself: www.cliquegirlz.com
If you have any of your own opinions on this band, please share it.

RHAM Varsity Volleyball wins against St. Paul

RHAM varsity won against St. Paul on October 2nd, while playing at RHAM. RHAM won three games out of five and that makes RHAM still undefeated. The scores of the three games were: 25-8, 25-7, and 25-7. During the game, there were some good plays by RHAM. Jocelyn Taylor and Kelsey Welling made some great blocks during the the game. The game was broadcast on the Community Voice Channel 19 and it was filmed by RHAM TV.

RHAM Boys Cross Country Wins In Rocky Hill

On Wednesday, October 1st, Rham boys cross country ran a meet at Elm Ridge Park in Rocky Hill. The Rham boys defeated both Rocky Hill and Middletown, 22-37 and 18-43 respectively. Reid Keener and Mitch Werner were the top two runners of the race, both from Rham. The Boys team has 4 more meets in the season.

RHAM Girls Cross Country Remains Undefeated

The RHAM girls cross country team defeated both Middletown and Rocky Hill on Wednesday afternoon. The team beat Middletown with a score of 24-37, and Rocky Hill 19-44. The meet took place at Elm Ridge Park in Rocky Hill. The cross country team remains undefeated in the North West Conference.

Mr. Zeisner

Mr. Zeisner is the long term substitute for Mr. Moore. He had always been planning to come to RHAM and be a substitute this year. Yet when there was a need for a long term social studies substitute he was asked because of his credentials.

Currently Mr. Zeisner is going to graduate school at the University of New Haven, and he is finishing up his masters degree in education. He plans to start his student teaching in January of 2009. At this point he has four global studies classes and one civics class. He says that he is most interested in teaching civics yet he also like global studies because you deal with current events.

Yet before he was a teacher, he was an engineer. He got his bachelors degree from Quinnipiac University majoring in history. He worked as an engineer at AT&T for twenty-four years. Yet has been thinking of becoming a teacher for the past twelve years.

He says that he enjoys working at RHAM because of the supportive staff and wonderful students.