Student Spotlight: Four Students Named Rising Stars of Indiana Class of 2019
The Indiana Association of School Principals recently presented the “Rising Stars of Indiana 2018” list featuring highly successful juniors across the entire state. The list presented on November 30, 2017 included four River Forest students: Patrick Hottle, Hailey Bianco, Makayla Brooks, and Maria Cabrera. These four students are involved in many leadership roles, community service opportunities, and diverse activities throughout the school and community all while obtaining grade point averages that exceed 4.0.
“These four are extremely involved and some of the best that River Forest has to offer. They represent everything great about their class and our school,” River Forest Guidance Counselor Jeremy Moore stated.
The IASP has honored these students on their many achievements, as well as offering encouragement as they continue to grow as individuals, expand their knowledge, and gain more leadership skills well into their undoubtedly successful futures. The IASP will be recognizing these four, along with other students throughout Indiana, with a certificate of achievement.
Later on, colleges will receive a list of the students who indicated an interest in their school along with their possible fields of study. Lastly, the full list was published in the Indianapolis Star.
Performing Arts Students Showcase Talent and Holiday Spirit
December at River Forest is always a festive time and the time for the performing arts students to showcase their talents. The band and choir holiday concerts always draw huge crowds. Theatre arts also performed in their debut show for the school year, Strings Attached.
Theatre arts performed Strings Attached on December 4, 2017 with veteran actors and newcomers performing for the first time together. The show revolves around Marshall, a lonely inventor played by Marlin Walker, who has invented the next big thing in the toy world: life-sized dolls. A multi-billion dollar toy company, Toyco, buys the prototype doll, played by Sabre Hein, but soon the dolls, played by Tiffany Rodriguez, Hailey Bianco, Talia Woods, Bre’Anna Quarles, Thea Burt, and Alexys Wilson, take on a life of their own. Unwilling to be contained to a child’s bedroom, the dolls stage a revolt.
Meanwhile a group of frustrated young women, played by Lexie Espinoza, Caitlynn Robinson, and Selena Santiago, make an odd magical soup with items around their house in attempt to create the perfect man. They instead end up with an egocentric ladies man. The girls must find a way to ditch their annoying creation while the Toyco hunter must track down and deactivate the dolls.
Soon the the band and choir programs will also be performing in their annual holiday concerts. The choir program, under direction of Lauren Erickson, will perform on December 11, 2017 and the band program, under direction of Bridget Flory and James Wasmundt, will hold their concert on December 14, 2017. Both will be held in the high school gym as the Bill Logan Gymnasium will be filled with holiday classics performed by the talented performing arts students at River Forest.
Men’s Basketball Takes Care of “Unfinished Business”
The men's’ basketball program, under fourth year head coach Derrick Milenkoff, has high ambitions this season as they head into a tough competitive schedule. With a powerful junior class and a lot of underclassmen talent, the Ingots are ready to make their mark and finish the job from the past two seasons by bringing home the sectional crown. Milenkoff has set the standards high for his team after falling in the sectional championship the past two seasons; he has made it clear to his team that they have “unfinished business.”
The guys currently stand at 2-1 as of December 2, beating LaCrosse and Wheeler but dropping a close one to Highland.
“We did not finish last night, [November 29, 2017] we will learn. We played 24 minutes of basketball when we needed to play 32 minutes. We will bounce back,” Milenkoff stated after losing to Highland by three points.
During the first weeks of competition the mens basketball team has showed a lot of potential as they move through the season. They are determined to make it their year.
Teacher Spotlight
Kristine Ralston has been River Forest`s biology teacher since the 2009 school year. Ralston obtained a BS in biology from the University of Southern Indiana and worked at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago prior to making the career change to education in 2009. Her first day at River Forest was her first-ever teaching experience, and she has been at River Forest ever since.
“My sister-in-law taught at River Forest at the time. She mentioned an opening for a science teacher. After some thought and discussion with family, I decided to apply and got the job,” Ralston stated.
Ralston is well-liked by her students and introduces biology in an interesting manner. She has not taught in any other school and has come to feel at home with the teachers and staff of River Forest.
“River Forest High School is a small school, which creates a great atmosphere for both the faculty and the students. The staff members are wonderful, and I have always felt comfortable here. Throughout the years I have spent at River Forest, the majority of my students have been eager to learn. Overall, they have been hard workers. I really enjoy watching them learn and succeed,” Ralston stated.