![Held up by a group of cheerleaders, flyer sophomore Leyu Yonas poses as part of a stunt, also supported by flyer junior Shayne Mitchell behind her. (Left) Prior to the pink out football game on Oct. 13, the athletes practiced in the aux gym from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (Right) On Oct. 19, the cheerleaders competed in their District Championships at Woodgrove High School. “We definitely put all our effort on the mat [at Districts], and it showed,” Mitchell said. Left: Photo by Nadia Shirr. Right: Photo by Steve Prakope via Victor O’Neill Studios.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/feature-image-1200x823.png)
![Sophomore Xavier Smith (6), the Phoenix quarterback, runs the ball as his teammates help hold up the defense. “My [offensive] line collapses, so I just [have to run], and its a good way to get first downs because [Tuscarora’s] defense was really good,” Smith said.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/IMG_5383-1200x897.jpg)
![As the referee throws the ball up for the tip-off, freshman Simone Diby leaps towards the ball to get it in Phoenix possession. Diby is a new member of the Phoenix girls basketball team, and despite it being a change, she finds it enjoyable. “It’s definitely a different experience if you’ve never played on a team, [but] I think it’s still fun.”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/DSC_0057-1200x662.jpg)
![With the energy and effort the Bolts were bringing to the game, the Phoenix had to step up and match them to make it through their first game of the season. Many of the girls on the team, including freshman Nazly Rostom, have been playing soccer since their childhood and have grown a love for the sport as a result. “It was fun to see how we actually played in a [real] game,” Rostom said. “Even though the outcome was not what we were hoping for, I’m still happy we got to play together.”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_0154-1200x800.jpg)
![After waiting, planning, and preparing for two years, Rock Ridge Performing Arts (RPPA) finally performed “Frozen,” a musical about two sisters — one human and one with powers –who face adversity together in order to protect each other. The first show was performed on Friday, April 26.
“Frozen” was highly anticipated by students, and for good reason. The “Frozen” movie was one of the most successful animated Disney films and had a lasting impact on younger audiences when it came out.
Due to its sheer popularity, the rights to perform “Frozen” as a musical are extremely difficult to attain, and only one school in each state gets the chance to do so per year. “There was a competition called ‘Fifty States of Frozen,’ and we submitted an application two years ago,” Anthony Cimino-Johnson, the director of RRPA, said. “We were accepted as the only school in Virginia to do the musical. [We had to include] set design, how many students, how many performances, [and] photos from previous productions. It was a competitive process.”
The cast and crew of “Frozen” acknowledged the privilege they had to be able to perform the musical. “It’s actually pretty cool to have permission for ‘Frozen,’” freshman Divitha Mathe, a background actress in the musical, said. “We have [one of] the biggest theater programs and we have been preparing for ‘Frozen’ for a long time. There is a really beautiful set and the costumes are so pretty. The actors and tech crew are doing an amazing job. If I would want to shout out to anyone, it would be Mr. CJ and Mrs. Hess because they are really pulling the show together, and I am glad to have them as my teachers.”
“Frozen” is still being performed today and tomorrow at Rock Ridge!
Click the link in our bio to learn more about RRPA’s “Frozen” production!
✏️ & 📷 by Ria Athreya, Rachel Bhardwaj, and Aline Gonzalez](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)
As the tables in the library filled with a breakfast feast, veterans flooded in to be honored for their service.
On Nov. 10, Rho Kappa partnered with the Rock Ridge Oscar Mike Military Connect Club and the Stone Hill Military Connected Student Ambassadors program to put together a breakfast buffet for veterans. Members and volunteers joined to make this event special and honor the service given to our country. The effort to inform and connect the student body with other military children was rewarded with the Purple Star award. The Purple Star Award is given to military-welcoming schools that have shown tremendous commitment to students and their families with military connections.
Counselor Ashlee Erestain, the head of the Military Connect Club, is very involved in the military community. Erestain’s connection to the military, through family and community both growing up and now, is abundant. “[Military children] are very prideful and don’t always ask for help, so being present and visible in the community will help them feel more comfortable to approach and ask for help,” Erestain said. “That is why I got into it, and I’m very passionate about it. I saw an opportunity and I wanted to take it to help out Rock Ridge.” Erestain’s efforts to strengthen Rock Ridge’s military community of both students and parents have had a large role to play in the school’s Purple Star award.
Rock Ridge partnered with Stone Hill’s Military Connected Student Ambassadors Program in this event to reach a larger audience and honor more veterans. Stone Hill seventh grade history teacher, Valerie Mizerak, previously served in the U.S. Army for 11 years and joined the program in hopes of becoming a Purple Star school. “I think it’s important that our military-connected students feel like they are part of the community because they do jump around so much [and] for them to know who is also military-connected so they can seek them out,” Mizerak said. “Maybe they will run into [one another] in the future at another location. [It’s] just another way of making that connection, which is important.”
This partnership and connection to the local community invited veterans to the doorstep of Rock Ridge. The breakfast to honor the veterans’ service is a yearly event in various schools around the country. Veteran’s Day is officially celebrated at hour 11 of 11/11, revisiting the exact anniversary of the end of World War 1. Veteran Christopher Cole served in the U.S. Space Force and was welcomed to the breakfast. “For me, it’s important to recognize all of the special events that occur throughout the calendar year,” Cole said. “We [have a] very diverse culture here, especially in Loudoun County. We recognize some of our other cultural uniqueness like Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, and Diwali. So, Veteran’s Day is another special event that recognizes service members who have served.”
This annual Rho Kappa Veteran’s Day event brought together students, veterans, and teachers to thank veterans for their service and help military-connected students, from middle school and high school, find others they can connect with.
