National Merit Scholarship Corporation Announces $2,500 Winners
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding finalists, two students in Richland School District Two were selected as National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners. Stephanie A. Babinec and Madison K. Han, both of Spring Valley High School, are scholarship recipients. Babinec and Han are two of 36 seniors in South Carolina receiving the scholarships.
According to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who appraised a substantial amount of information submitted by both the finalists and their high schools, selected these scholars. Their academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®); contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the finalist; and a recommendation written by a high school official were all considered.
This year’s National Merit Scholarship Program began in October 2021 when high school juniors took the PSAT/NMSQT, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. Last fall, the highest-scoring participants in each state, representing less than one percent of the nation’s high school seniors, were named semifinalists on a state-representational basis. More than 16,000 semifinalists had an opportunity to continue in the competition.
Richland Two had 10 finalists competing for National Merit $2,500 Scholarships, including Nathaniel C. Cason of Richland Northeast High School; Aleena A. Chattha, Justin I. Kong, Ryan D. Leadbitter, Christopher W. Ravan, Jacob A. Stoll, Sai Siddharth C. Thumsi, and Anna V. Todd of Spring Valley High School.
CATHY TANG OF SPRING VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL NAMED 2023 U.S. PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Spring Valley High School senior Cathy Tang is receiving one of the highest honors for high school students. This week, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona announced the selection of Tang as a 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholar. Tang is one of two students in South Carolina to receive the honor and the only student in the Midlands.
The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects 161 scholars annually based on their academic success, artistic and technical excellence, essays, school evaluations and transcripts, as well as evidence of community service, leadership and demonstrated commitment to high ideals.
Of the 3.7 million students expected to graduate from high school this year, more than 5,000 candidates qualified for the 2023 awards determined by outstanding performance on the College Board SAT or ACT exams or through nominations made by chief state school officers, other partner recognition organizations and Young Arts, the National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists.
Each U.S. Presidential Scholar gets the opportunity to name his or her most influential
teacher. The teacher chosen for recognition by Tang was Stephanie Thomas of Spring Valley High School. The Secretary of Education will honor Thomas as a distinguished teacher with a personal letter. The Presidential Scholars Class of 2023 will be recognized for their outstanding achievement this summer with an online recognition program.
Initially, Tang was one of seven candidates in Richland Two in the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. The other candidates were Nathaniel C. Cason, Richland Northeast High School; Ivy F. Boyd, Ridge View High School; Carson A. Aycock, Madison K. Han, Jacob A. Stoll and Sai Siddharth C. Thumsi of Spring Valley High School.
Spring Valley Rotary Club Awards Scholarships
Spring Valley Rotary Club awarded two Spring Valley High School graduating seniors with the club’s annual scholarships at its May 11 lunch meeting. The scholarships are funded by a portion of the proceeds of the club’s annual pecan sale. Award recipients are Gregory Bailey and Bobby Swick. Both students received a $2,500 scholarship.
Bailey’s high school years have been filled with a variety of experiences including being a member of the Track and Field team, Future Business Leaders of America, Film Club, National Honors Society, Rho Kappa Social Studies Honors Society, Mu Alpha Theta Math Honors Society, SVHS Peer Tutoring, Harvest Hope Food Bank volunteer and Fairfield Community Food Bank volunteer. Bailey is a scholar, athlete and community servant. He ranks in the top 5% of Spring Valley’s graduating class of over 475 students, and has been accepted to The University of South Carolina where he will major in Mechanical Engineering. He is the son of Danielle Mozie.
Swick has also demonstrated academic excellence, leadership and community service throughout his high school years. He is an officer and member of the Science National Honor Society, a bassist in the SVHS Orchestra, member of the baseball and swim teams and volunteer at Pontiac Elementary School. He also works as a park attendant at Sesquicentennial State Park. Swick ranks in the top 20% of Spring Valley’s graduating class of over 475 students, and plans to attend Clemson University where he will also major in Mechanical Engineering. He is the son of Tim and Amy Swick.
Spring Valley Rotary Club is a service club of inspired individuals whose contributions improve lives in communities near and far. Founded in 1978, the club has always had a focus on supporting youth and education. The club meets every Thursday from 1 to 2 pm in the Grand Hall of Northeast Presbyterian Church at 601 Polo Road in Northeast Columbia. To learn more about membership or to visit an upcoming lunch meeting, contact Brian Dunphy by email at brian.dunphy1@wellsfargo.com or by calling (803) 920-4751.
Swim Team Interest Meeting
Biology EOC Review Sessions
EOC Review Nights
USHC EOC REVIEW NIGHT
International Festival
“Come join us on May 20th from 11AM to 3PM at Spring Valley’s annual International Festival! Come and enjoy the cultural booths featuring games and activities, lots of delicious food, entertainment, and challenges. At the festival, you can get henna tattoos, participate in the fire noodle challenge, and watch the cooking demonstration! Entry is free and you can buy tickets for $1 each to buy food and participate in the various other activities at the festival!”
Senior Week Events
SHOW US WHAT YOU KNOW!
SPRING VALLEY END-OF-COURSE EXAMS
Good evening Spring Valley Families,
The final few weeks of the school year are quickly approaching, and with that so is Exam Season. For many of our students, this will include the State End Of Course Examination (EOC) for Algebra 1, Biology, English 2, and US History and Constitution. The EOC for these classes is a comprehensive assessment that is worth 20% of the total grade. Due to the nature of this assessment, there are a number of rules and procedures that must be followed by both staff and students. Please be aware of the following information for all EOC Exams:
No testing will be allowed after Friday, June 2nd. It is imperative that your student is present and on time for their designated Exam Date. The Exam Schedule can be found on our website. Failure to complete the exam will result in a 0% on the assessment.
Students will need a fully charged, school-issued Chromebook to take the assessment. Please ensure your student charges their device the night before.
All technology, besides a school-issued Chromebook, is strictly prohibited for the entire duration of testing. This includes but is not limited to, cell phones, headphones, smart watches, etc. Failure to completely power off these devices, store them in a bag or purse, and place them in a designated area of the room provided by teachers will lead to disciplinary consequences, the administrative search of devices/phones, and a potential 0% score on the exam.
As with any test, a good night’s sleep and a nutritious breakfast are important leading up to test day.
EOC Testing will begin with English 2 Writing and Senior Exams the week of May 15th and will continue throughout the Semester 2 Exam Schedule. If you have any questions regarding the EOC, please contact the School Testing Coordinator, Mr. Joshua Dundr (jdundr@richland2.org).
Valley Girls Youth Basketball Camp
Senior Walk
Middle School Football Schedule
Football spring workouts for rising 9th graders will begin with practice on May 9-11 from 4:15-5:30. Please bring cleats and be prepared to be on the field. In order to participate you will need to have a physical uploaded into you Planet HS account. Workouts will continue on Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:15-5:15 in the Weight Room. Please go to the link https://forms.gle/deDZQDAoSFu7uADR6 to fill out information. Please contact head coach, Nygel Pearson for more info at Nygelpearson77@gmail.com
High School Summer School
SEMESTER 2 Exam Schedule
Report Scholarships & College Acceptances
Class of 2023 Graduation
Attendance Matters
SCHOLARSHIP INFO
INTERNSHIPS/APPRENTICESHIPS/ JOBS
INTERNSHIPS/APPRENTICESHIPS/ JOBS
FOLLOW SVEF
GEAR UP NEWS:
ParentSquare for Parents
StudentSquare for Students
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After School Tutoring
We will offer both on-campus and virtual tutoring options this year. Offering both platforms allows us to provide more options for students to get academic assistance after school. Please visit the SVHS Tutoring website for a complete schedule of the tutoring opportunities.
A special thank you goes out to the Spring Valley Education Foundation for funding this important initiative.
