Advisory
Calendars
Coffee with the Principal
Ex Days
Flex Day Activities and Driving
Halls
Lunches
Sports
Traffic

RCHS doesn't do things exactly like other high schools and one thing that is a little different is RCHS's take on homeroom, called Advisory. Advisory serves as a home base, and your student is likely to stay in that advisory with the same teacher for the whole time he or she is a student at RCHS. It is a mix of all grade levels to support the school's sense of community.

The basic school calendar is called Academic Year on the RCHS web page at raleighcharterhs.org
Also, if you have another child in Wake County Schools, their calendars are available to compare for vacations etc. at wcpss.net

These almost-monthly meetings, usually held during first period in the Drama Room, rotate through the days of the week. That is, the first one is on a Monday, the second one on a Tuesday, etc. These coffees are the best way to learn about the school and get to know other RCHS parents and Dr Humble. It is well worth taking a morning off work; beverages (including coffee!) and refreshments are served, and you WILL learn something, whether it be that one of your fellow RCHS parents went to high school with you (or is a former business partner or a neighbor or an old girlfriend/boyfriend), what the Legislature is doing about Charter Schools, how well RCHS has done on standardized tests, why we do or do not offer a particular class, long-term plans are for the school, and other Humbolian points of discussion - you never know!

These occur on the occasional Thursday and Friday when the students' 6 classes are EXtended to allow for longer class periods, so that there are 3 long classes one day and 3 long classes the next.

FLEX Days are a complex combination of field trips and class activities - sometimes your student will go with all the other students in their grade level, sometimes it will be a topical trip with, say, their Spanish class. Since RCHS has no buses, we depend on parents to drive for these field trips. EVERYONE should drive for these activities at least once a semester. In doing so, you will directly benefit the school, and you'll come to know a group of RCHS students for a day and a teacher or two as well. Bring a book or a laptop or take part in the field trip activity. Volunteer drivers have gleaned sweet potatoes in Harnett County, collected insects in Johnston County, conducted stream water quality labs in various parks, enjoyed art museum tours in Spanish, enjoyed sex education at Poe Health Center, had an architectural tour of Oakwood and downtown Raleigh, learned about ecology labs near Falls Lake, took part in ropes courses activities in Umstead Park, learned about the ecology of golf course management, toured a water treatment facility, and participated in a Habitat for Humanity deconstruction in Chapel Hill. No, you do not have to participate in activities if you are a driver, but just know these are worthwhile activities for you to help support.

Classrooms are organized along 3 halls. The 100 and 200 halls are the corresponding 1st and 2nd floors of the main light-colored brick building alongside Haynes Street. Pretty straightforward. The 300 hall is NOT a 3rd story, but rather a 3rd hall - it is the basement of the red brick building next door - with several entrances that open onto the patio area between the buildings. Note: The 2nd story of this building contains privately leased office suites. This 300 hall houses the Computer Lab, also referred to as the ETC (Educational Technology Center). The ETC is at the far, west end of the 300 hall and is divided into the so-called hex lab and a horseshoe-shaped lab. There is also a computerized Language lab next door to the Drama room. The even numbers are on one side of the hall and the odd numbers on the other. You are not alone if you are confused in this building! The room numbering system at RCHS, while imperfect, follows the 100, 200, 300 theme on the 3 halls.

All students have lunch at the same time each day; that is, there are no staggered lunchtimes, as in many schools. There is no lunchroom - students eat either outside on the patio, or in a DLA (Designated Lunch Area), a classroom set aside for the unique RCHS dining experience. Each day of the week, an outside vendor provides lunches and drinks for purchase, a portion of which goes to RCHS sports or other organizations. Last year, vended lunches included wraps, hot dogs, pizza, burritos, Chick-Fil-A, and Jersey Mike subs, but students do not have to buy these offerings, and can always bring their own lunch.

A benefit of a small school is that our sports teams are open to a wider range of students and abilities, and are perhaps more akin to intramural or club sports one would find in a college setting. Cross Country, Swimming, Track, Golf and Crew/Rowing are the RCHS co-ed sports opportunities; all other teams are gender-specific, and vary by season. All sports require a physical before participation. Check the RCHS web page for news about try-out schedules each season. Fall Sports: Men's Soccer, Women's Tennis, Women's Volleyball, Cross Country (Women and Men) and Crew/Rowing (Women and Men). Winter Sports: Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball and Swimming (Women and Men). Spring Sports: Women's Soccer, Men's Tennis, Track (Women and Men), Golf (Women and Men) and Crew/Rowing (Women and Men).

Although ours is a small school, we are nested in a neighborhood filled with new homes, old homes, city offices, a community center, a daycare center, housing for the elderly, and a college. Traffic is often overwhelming. Consider a carpool, city bus, or TTA bus. Remember that our teachers volunteer as traffic monitors, so be patient, thoughtful and respectful as you wend your way SLOWLY through the carpool line in the afternoons. If your student drives to school, encourage him or her to be courteous and mindful of neighbors and to obey traffic laws. How we present ourselves to neighbors is a great way to reflect a positive image of our fabulous school. Note: Detailed parking and traffic information will be included in upcoming Phoenix News postings. (ed.)