Ralston valley high school

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Ralston Valley is a comprehensive high school located in Arvada, Colorado. Offering a full complement of courses, with complete Honors and Advanced Placement programs, Ralston Valley has earned the highest rating given by the Colorado Dept. of Education every year since its opening. RV also features outstanding athletic and activity programs, with numerous state championships and award winning band, choir, art, and drama programs. Come take a closer look at what makes Ralston Valley a premier Colorado high school.

This video was created in 2020. Updated information for statistics mentioned (# of AP classes, SAT scores) is available below.

tradition of excellence

OVER $10 MILLION = TYPICAL SCHOLARSHIP DOLLARS AWARDED ANNUALLY TO RVHS STUDENTS FOR THEIR EXCELLENCE IN ACADEMICS, ATHLETICS, & THE ARTS.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

  • Ralston Valley has been awarded the John Irwin School of Excellence Award every year since the program's inception.

  • US News & World Report - Top High School

  • 11 Honors Courses & 25 AP Courses

  • 70-75% of AP students score 3 or higher on AP Exams

  • RVHS average SAT score typically exceeds Colorado and Jeffco SAT averages by over 100 Points

  • RVHS Percentile Score on PSAT/SAT - 93.6% (US News & World Report)

  • RVHS World Language Department has received the CLEAR Award (Colorado Language Excellence & Achievement Recognition) for the last 4 years.

  • Ralston Valley is the only high school French program in Colorado to be recognized for Exemplary Performance by the American Association of Teachers of French.

ATHLETICS

  • Over 30 Individual & Team State Championships

  • Over 150 Jeffco League Championships

  • Winner of Steinmark Trophy 20 of the past 22 years. The Steinmark Trophy is awarded to Jefferson County’s most successful overall sports program.



ARTS & MUSIC

  • Performances in Italy (2015)

  • Nine performances in Orlando

  • Chamber Orchestra, Shades of Blue, & Sapphire - Selected to perform at the Colorado Music Educators Conference multiple times.

  • Chamber orchestra was selected as a State participant in 2020

  • RVHS Musicals have won three Bobby G Awards

  • RVHS Student Artists are routinely recognized at the state and national level.

Endorsements & Concurrent Enrollment options

  • Ralston Valley's Engineering program is one of only 8 in Jefferson County that allows students to graduate with a State of Colorado STEM-Endorsement on their diplomas.

  • Ralston Valley's World Language Department enables students to graduate with a State of Colorado Seal of Biliteracy on their diplomas.

  • CU Suceed Gold Concurrent Enrollment Program - The CU Succeed Gold program offers juniors and seniors the opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school. RVHS offers Pre-Calculus/Trigonometry and Inferential Probability & Statistics through the CU Succeed program. All courses grades appear on the RVHS transcript and will also receive a CU-Denver transcript.

  • English 121/122, Digital Photography, and Workplace Experience courses offer concurrent enrollment credit through Red Rocks Community College.

DIVERSE ELECTIVE COURSE OFFERINGS

Instrumental Music

  • Marching Band

  • Concert Band Symphonic

  • Concert Band Winds

  • Jazz Band

  • Concert Orchestra

  • Chamber Orchestra

  • String Orchestra

  • Guitar

  • Wind Ensemble

  • Instrumental Ensemble

Vocal Music

  • Advanced Mixed Choir

  • Concert Choir

  • Chorus - Tenor/Bass

  • Chorus - Treble

  • Chorus - Treble Advanced

  • Vocal Ensemble Select

  • AP Music Theory

  • Survey of Rock / Music Appreciation

Theatre

  • Acting/Performance - Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced

  • Theatre Comprehensive

  • Children’s Theatre

  • Stagecraft I & II

  • Unified Theatre

Fine Arts

  • Drawing- Intro, Intermediate, Advanced

  • Painting - Intro, Intermediate, Advanced

  • Ceramics - Intro, Intermediate, Advanced

  • Jewelry - Intro, Intermediate, Advanced

  • Digital Photography - Intro, Intermediate, Advanced

  • Studio Art

  • AP 2-D Art & Design

  • AP 3-D Art & Design

  • AP Art History

Business

  • Intro to Business

  • Intro to PC Applications

  • Business Law

  • Principles of Marketing

  • Strategic Marketing

  • Personal Finance

  • On-the-Job Experience

Computer Science

  • Coding I and II

  • Computer Systems

  • Computer Science Foundations

  • AP Computer Science Principles

  • AP Computer Science A

Engineering

  • Engineering I

  • Engineering II

  • Engineering III/Architectural Design

  • Graduation Capstone

Science Seminars

  • Anatomy & Physiology

  • Astronomy

  • Modern Physics

Family and Consumer Sciences

  • Culinary Essentials

  • Baking & Pastry

  • Child & Adolescent Development

  • Fashion Design & Merchandising

  • Interior Design

Physical Education

  • Health Education

  • Lifetime Fitness

  • Team Sports

  • Weight Training - Beginning - Advanced

  • Fitness Conditioning

  • Individual/Dual Sports (Golf/Bowling/Racquet Sports)

Special Programs

  • Executive Internship

  • Student Government/Leadership

  • Outdoor Lab Education

Business

  • Introductory Business

  • Business Computer Apps I & II

  • Business Law

  • Marketing Principles

  • Marketing Strategies

Social Sciences

  • Sociology

  • Philosophy

  • Psychology

  • AP Psychology

  • Legal Systems

  • AP Government & Politics Comparative

Publications/Writing

  • RVTV Broadcasting & Video Production

  • Publication Production - Yearbook

  • Creative Writing

World Languages

  • French I, II, III, IV, AP French Language & Culture

  • German I, II, III, IV, AP German Language & Culture

  • Spanish I, II, III, IV, AP Spanish Language & Culture, AP Spanish Literature

ECLECTIC STUDENT ACTIVITIES

Ralston Valley features new clubs and activities every year, depending on student interests. Here are some of our typical student organizations and clubs.

  • Anime Club

  • Art Club

  • National Art Honor Society

  • Clean Community Club

  • Debate Club

  • DECA (Marketing and Business)

  • Drama Club

  • eSports Club

  • FCCLA (Family & Consumer Science)

  • French Club

  • National French Honor Society

  • Gay Straight Alliance Club

  • National German Honor Society

  • Interact Club

  • Math Club

  • Mountain Bike Club

  • National Honor Society

  • One World/Diversity Club

  • Pre-Med Club

  • Rho Kappa

  • Robotics' Club

  • Science Bowl Club

  • Society of Women Engineers

  • Spanish Club

  • National Spanish Honor Society

  • Technical Student Association

powerhouse SPORTS

FALL SPORTS

  • Cross Country

  • Football

  • Golf Boys

  • Softball

  • Soccer Boys

  • Tennis Boys

  • Volleyball

WINTER SPORTS

  • Basketball Boys

  • Basketball Girls

  • Competitive Cheer

  • Competitive Pom/Dance

  • Hockey

  • Swimming Girls

  • Wrestling


SPRING SPORTS

  • Baseball

  • Golf Girls

  • Lacrosse Boys

  • Lacrosse Girls

  • Soccer Girls

  • Swimming Boys

  • Tennis Girls

  • Track & Field

enrollment information

Choice Enrollment Information - If you would like to be a part of Mustang Nation but don't live in the Ralston Valley High School attendance area, please go to EnrollJeffco.org to complete your choice enrollment application by January 14, 2022.

Enrollment Information for new students moving into the RVHS attendance area.

Freshmen Registration - All families will use EnrollJeffco to indicate where their student(s) will be attending school in August. Whether students are choice enrolling, changing schools, or just starting in Jeffco -- everyone should use EnrollJeffco to indicate enrollment preferences. Starting in January, RVHS will visit our feeder middle schools with registration information and materials. This information will also be available on our website.