May 2023

CONTENTS

NEWS COVER

PAGE 4 - WILSON HIRED FOR ENGLISH POSITION

PAGE 4 - STUCO EXECUTIVE OFFICERS ELECTED

PAGE 5 - AFTER 32 YEARS, COLE SET TO RETIRE

PAGE 5 - BASEBALL, SOFTBALL GET NEW UNIFORMS

PAGE 6 - THANK YOU, VICKIE!

PAGE 7 - SIMONEAU NAMED AV-CTL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

PAGE 7 - HOLDAWAY TO BE NEW MATH TEACHER

PAGE 8 - BABYSITTING TO LIFEGUARDING: THERE ARE PLENTY OF SUMMER JOBS FOR HIGH SCHOOLERS

PAGE 10 - SCHOOL’S OUT FOR SUMMER!

YOUR SCHOOL. YOUR MAGAZINE.

OPINION

PAGE 13 - HERE’S TO YOU, CLASS OF 2023

PAGE 15 - GOODBYE ROCKET PRODUCTIONS

STAFF

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

HAYDEN SWOPE

REPORTERS MACKAYLA CARR, JESSA LEE, JOSIE BELDEN, ANGELICA BINION, LINDSEY ESSLINGER, KEIA PALMER, KIMBER LOVELL

The Rocket Press is the official news magazine of Rose Hill High School that is published four to six times a year. The Rocket Press is a student publication, written and produced by students.

Opinions expressed in The Rocket Press are of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the USD 394 Board of Education, the administration, the faculty or the adviser.

Wilson hired for English position

by kimber lovell, staff reporter

As of 2023, Kari Rettinger announced she was resigning and moving to Texas after her husband accepted a new position. The school was quick to find her replacement as she was in another Rose Hill school building.

Courtney Wilson was a student teacher during the spring semester for eighth grade teacher Phil Van Horn. Wilson was born and raised in Derby, Kansas, but she chose Rose Hill for its small town vibes.

“I knew I wanted a smaller district,” Wilson stated. “I’m originally from Derby, but I knew I wanted more of a small town vibe. Coming from Derby I get more of the big town, small town kind of view.”

Teaching English runs deep in Wilson’s

STUCO executive officers elected

by mackayla carr, staff reporter

The 2023-2024 Student Council elections recently took place for the four executive officer positions. Hayden Swope, Dawson McNaul, Alexa Marshall, and Lucas Shropshire will all step into the positions next year.

Swope said her main objective going into next year is making her mark as president

“Walking into my senior year I knew I wanted to make a difference,” President Hayden Swope said. “I had been in StuCo since third grade, and being Student Body President had always been a dream of mine.

Making his class’s senior year the best it can be will be McNaul’s primary objective.

family. Her grandma was also an English teacher and a big influence in her becoming one. She used to live with her grandparents growing up and she always went to Barnes & Noble and found a huge appreciation for literature.

“Growing up I lived with my grandparents and my grandma was an English teacher,” Wilson said. “I went to Barnes & Noble every Saturday with her and I just fell in love with reading, English, literature, and teaching because she’s the one who taught me.”

With the advice her grandma gave her, Wilson is excited to start her teaching career at Rose Hill High school for the 2023-2024 school year.

“It is really cool to be recognized by my peers and to be in this position,” Vice President Dawson McNaul said. “I plan to make the most of this opportunity and make our senior year the best I can.”

Marshall said making the environment at the high school even better is something she wants to focus on.

“It really does mean a lot to me to have been elected as Student Council secretary,” Secretary Alexa Marshall said. “I am looking forward to helping in StuCo even more throughout the upcoming school year.”

Shropshire felt like he has now made it as a student at Rose Hill High School after being elected.

“It feels as if I have fully belonged in Rose Hill,” Treasurer Lucas Shropshire said. “I felt like I wouldn't have expected to belong in Rose Hill. Not even my parents thought I would fit in but I've exceeded both mine and their expectations.”

After 32 years, Cole set to retire

by lindsey esslinger, staff reporter

One of Rose Hill High School’s most beloved teachers, Dan Cole, has decided to retire after 32 years of teaching.

“I wish I could go ten more years, but after 32 years of teaching I’m ready for something else.” Cole said.

Moving forward, Cole plans to spend his time raising his three younger children, and spending more time with his grandchildren. He also wants to hang out at Santa Fe Lake and Lake Okoboji, and drink coffee with other retirees.

Cole is going to miss a lot about Rose Hill High School, especially his students.

“I’m going to miss the students that I bonded with,” Cole said. “You wouldn’t think that a math teacher would even bond with students or that any student would want to ...but I do. I’m also going to miss the faculty and staff.

Baseball, softball get new uniforms

by mackayla carr, staff reporter

This year the Rocket softball and baseball teams got updated looks. They both acquired new and improved uniforms for the 2023 season for their teams.

Softball head coach, Brooke Heumann, was excited to get a fresh new look after having the same uniforms for many consecutive years.

“Our current uniforms were 12 years old,” Huemann said. “I believe we are on a four to

At times I wish that I could have a full day of going from classroom to classroom visiting with each staff member. Some of us have been through a lot together.”

Cole said he was passionate about math and that showed in his teaching. He also said he hoped his students saw how much he cared about the,

“My legacy, I think, will be that my students could tell that I really cared for them, that I really did love being around them,” Cole said. “I think they can tell that I didn’t favor one type of student over another, that each one was a fingerprint of God. I respected them no matter what they were dealing with. Lastly, I think my legacy will be that my students knew that I loved the subject of math, that I actually was passionate about the concepts that I was teaching all these 32 years.”

five year rotation,” Huemann said.

Baseball head coach, Scott Carr, also went through the same process of creating the best jerseys for his team. Carr was able to purchase new white tops for his team through his baseball program.

“I wanted them to have white tops for their home games,” Carr said. “The tops are the same as the red and gray that we’ve purchased over the past four seasons. The kids like them because they are lightweight and for me are priced right and are durable.”

The baseball and softball teams are having successful seasons, as both won at least a share of the their league championships and will be high seeds in regionals.

Thank you, Vickie!

Longtime high school secretary set to retire

by angelica binion, staff reporter

After 29 years, secretary Vickie Hull is retiring from Rose Hill High School. Hull started working at the high school in August 1944, fulfilling many jobs throughout her career. She has worked as a secretary, attendance clerk, principal secretary, and been an in-school suspension supervisor.

Over the years, she has been a cheer sponsor, and traveled to away games. Hull has also assisted by watching classes when there was not a substitute teacher available. Her commitment to the school goes beyond that as she has helped with many of the school's organizations.

She has volunteered to help with : KAYS, Volleyball, Basketball, NHS, Football, Forensics, Scholar’s Bowl, Debate, STUCO, Track, Yearbook/Media, and the Senior Citizenship Award.

One of her most memorable moments was when the staff had a grandma shower for her when her granddaughter was born.

After retirement, Hull plans on going on an Alaskan cruise, and taking a land trip with her husband, as he is also retiring. She also looks forward to being more involved at her church, as well as being involved in her granddaughter's activities.

High School Reactions

“Vickie is so helpful for the teachers. Sometimes we need help with supplies, transportation, getting a sub, or help getting something fixed in our rooms. She always knows what to do and who to contact. Most of all, she is a friendly face to see first thing in the morning and has been welcoming to students, parents, teachers, and staff when they come to the office.”

“I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Mrs. Hull over the last 10 years. She has been a pillar at RHHS for 25+ years. It will be hard to replace her experience and expertise. I wish her and Mr. Hull all the best in their retirement!”- Mr. Jackson

“Vickie Hull has been the epitome of a school secretary. She has taken her duties very seriously. Mrs. Hull treats everyone she comes into contact with in a professional and sincere manner. Her consistency in demeanor, in her attendance and job performance have been outstanding. Mrs. Hull would always go the extra mile when asked and has never complained. Vickie

Hull will be missed greatly by students, staff and the administration. We wish her the very best in her retirement.”- Mr.

Haydock

“Mrs. Hull has helped me so much, she is great at answering questions and helping to navigate through procedures for the district. She is smiling and a bright spot to my morning. Every day I go in for my cup of coffee and she is already smiling and working on making the high school run at its best whether it is for finding subs for the day or paperwork. I will miss her greatly.” - Mrs. Holland

ISS teacher she has been the high school secretary, also being fair, consistent, and made sure you didn't make too many copies (smiley face emoji). After the recent Andover Tornado she contacted me to see if me and my family were okay.(that means a lot) !”- Mr.

Cole

Simoneau named AVCTL D4 Player of the Year

by josie belden, staff reporter

Kellan Simoneau is a well-known basketball player in Kansas that was recently voted the AVCTL Division IV Player of the Year. He is a four year starter who averaged 20 points per game.

“It is a blessing to be named the Player of the Year,” Simoneau said.

With support from his family and friends, Simoneau is thankful for all of his given opportunities.

“My trust in God along with support from my friends and family has helped me stay on course throughout my career.” Simoneau states. “I also thank the Rose Hill community for all of the support throughout the years.”

Simoneau has chosen to attend Sunrise Christian Academy after he graduates. Sunrise is a prep school that he is going to for the first year of college in hopes that better offers will come to him around this time next year. Attending Sunrise will help him grow in his faith and continue his basketball career in the years to come.

Holdaway to be new math teacher

by hayden swope, staff reporter

Amber Holdaway, who is currently a middle school math teacher in the district, recently accepted the high school math position. Dan Cole teaches Algebra I and II, Honors Algebra II, and Pre-Calc and Trig, but announced his retirement in March.

Holdaway knew she wanted to teach math at the next level.

“I've always wanted to teach high school and I wanted to stay in Rose Hill,” Holdaway said.

With the different classes and grade levels, Holdaway is excited to get to educate and teach her favorite subject to the high school students.

“I love math and when you teach at the high school you get to teach all of the good stuff,” Holdaway said. “Algebra is my favorite but I like Calculus too.”

While moving up to the high school is an exciting change, Holdaway will miss the relationships she built with her staff members at the middle school.

“I will miss my teacher friends at the middle school,” Holdaway said.

Holdaway is one of three new teachers to the high school for the 2023-2024 school year. Courtney Wilson will be replacing Kari Rettinger in the English department, while Jonnell Johnson will be replacing Kathy Ryff in the special education department.

Conventional or not: There

are plenty of summer jobs for high schoolers

by hayden swope, editor-in-chief

When most people think of summer jobs, they think of mowing lawns, umpiring, lifeguarding, or babysitting. Not often do they think about writing for a magazine, which is how I spend my summer.

VYPE Kansas Magazine puts out a final traditional issue of the magazine in early June. This wraps up all spring sports. The rest of June, July, and August are spent preparing for the upcoming football season.

Our football preview includes all 6A through 6-Man high schools. That is 112 high schools that we cover. The preview consists of returning starters, a list of past records, the schedule for the upcoming season, and

by josie belden, staff reporter

Lifeguarding is a great summer job for teenagers 15 and older if you have the drive and willingness to help people and go through difficult situations.

I became a lifeguard March of 2022 at Rock River Rapids. My mom put me in the class and said, “You're going.”

I didn't want to but it ended up becoming an amazing job that I would very much recommend. I then started working as a lifeguard at the Derby Recreation Commision shortly after summer started. It is a yearround job that is flexible and laid back.

Many people think it is an easy job but you have to have good customer service, fast reflexes, kind demeanor, courage, teamwork and many other aspects to be a good

a quote from the head coach. There are also short stories on football players and poll winners from around the state.

The traditional magazine is around 36 pages, and our football preview is usually double that. Last year we hit 84 pages. While this is a fun and enjoyable job, the workload is large and pressure is high.

I hope to one day enter the field of sports journalism after college, so this not only summer, but an all around job is very beneficial to my future. I can say that it has definitely changed my summers for the better.

lifeguard. You are trained for situations that might never happen but need to know how to handle the worst situations in case they do happen.

While being a lifeguard you have many responsibilities including enforcing rules, helping with chores such as picking up trash, stacking chairs, and many more easy tasks. You might also be asked to help with first aid or refill water bottles.

I was a part of a passive save last summer, those saves rarely happen and are very scary but you are trained for the worst. When this happened to me I knew exactly what to do to save his life. Having that sense of preparedness helps your confidence tremendously.

Vacation Mood:

by kimber lovell, staff reporter

Every year my family always tries to plan a family trip together. In 2020 we tried going to Florida but couldn’t go due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The next few years we couldn’t due to other obligations.

This year, we decided to take a trip on a family cruise together. We are heading on the Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Sea ship. We will depart from Galveston, Texas and then leave for Mexico. We will spend days on the beach and the boat and just have a fun all around trip.

At first this seemed like something I did not want to do because I am not the biggest water person and I love long car rides to get to places and not a boat. After a while it didn’t seem so bad. Especially with all of the activities aboard the ship.

by lindsey esslinger, staff reporter

Many seniors in high school take vacations as a graduation gift from their parents. I don’t usually have the luxury of that, but a friend of mine is taking me with her this summer. We started thinking about places to go and were thinking of going to Florida and visit the Universal Parks. Then, her mom messaged us saying her work is paying for her to go to Paris, and threw out the idea that she could take us with her.

I was ecstatic about this idea because I have dreamed of going to Paris since I was a little kid. I never thought that it would come to reality so soon, but here I am planning a trip to Europe. There have been some bumps in the road, but Paris is still the plan.

Emily’s mom, Jen, is not going to Paris with

The activities include many fun things. Including salsa dancing, laser tag, the FlowRider, performances, and many more. This cruise has become very popular and my family can’t wait to go on it.

With a big family, planning trips and family fun becomes very difficult due to expenses, time, and other scheduled events. Usually in the summer we can be pretty busy or pretty relaxed. Going on a trip is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.

For a long time I struggled with wanting to travel outside of Kansas. I had anxiety and didn’t want to leave home. Now I can’t wait for this fun, family adventure.

her work anymore, but she still wants to take us anyway. I also never knew getting a passport would be so difficult.

For me, I got my application in on the day I planned, but Emily had to come back the next day due to lack of information. We were told nothing about what we needed, and there is not a ton of information online either. Luckily the applications are in, and should be here late June to early July.

There are so many attractions I cannot wait to see in Paris, my personal favorite being the Louvre Museum. Yes, there is the Eiffel Tower, but I’m most excited to see the museum's other attractions. Overall, this trip will be a dream come true for me, and I cannot wait to go.

From Mexico to Paris

Here’s to You

Mr. Haydock

“This senior class is one of my favorites. They have matured and excelled through historically conflicted times. The intellect and talents of so many of our seniors is inspiring and it makes it enjoyable to see how they use their gifts to make our community and country better.”

Mr. Browning

In my 12 years in education, I don’t remember a class coming as far as the Class of 2023. I’m very proud of them for their mature and growth. It has been a pleasure watching them grow up. I wish them the very best in the future. I’m excited to see where the future takes them. Congratulations seniors!”

Class of 2023!

Mr. Hill

“The class of 2023 will face an uncertain future, where jobs and career opportunities will be ever changing. But like the phone cameras they enjoy using they will focus on what is important, adapt and filter through the bad, like and share the good times, and if things don't come out the way they thought they will take another shot.”

Mrs. Holland

“My most memorable senior is my son. He has made the biggest impact on me by teaching me that sometimes thinking outside the box works better than following the norm. “

Goodbye Rocket Productions

An editorial from staff reporter Jessa Lee

And that’s all thanks to my time in Rocket Productions. I did not actually take News Mag until my sophomore year. I did have a class with Mr. Browning my freshman year when I took Photo Imaging, which is how I got to know him a little bit.

Writing is not something I ever really thought about doing for fun. I did not give it much thought before I joined News Mag. It was more of just doing it whenever I needed to for an assignment.

Now, I have more of an appreciation for writing and journalism as a whole, and I realize how much more goes into it than I originally thought.

That class was not my personal favorite, although I did really enjoy having Browning as a teacher.

So, when Rocket Productions Hall of Famer, Sydney LaKous, was trying to convince me to take news mag the following year, I thought it could be a pretty good time. And after being in the class for the last three years, I can confidently say that I was not let down.

Coming into the class my sophomore year, I was a little nervous and unsure when I

was assigned my first story, but Browning and the other writers made me feel welcome and gave me good advice along the way.

They helped me, and have continued to help me learn the skills needed to become a writer and contribute to the bigger picture, which in our case, is Rocket Productions.

Not only have I learned some of the aspects of journalism, but I have also gained some pretty great friendships with other students and also with Browning.

I think finding out we both shared a love for KU basketball might have had something to do with it.

In all seriousness though, I have definitely had a great time being in Browning’s class. He has always made it fun for me, even when I was first starting out and didn’t know that many people.

I honestly wish that I would have been a part of Rocket Productions all four of my high school years, but I am just happy that I joined it in the first place. I have been in and heard many hilarious conversations in his classroom, and there have also been some deep and sincere talks as well. I always looked forward to going because I never knew what we would talk about each day.

Looking back, I cannot believe how fast the time I spent in news mag has gone. Shout out to Sydney for convincing me to join and try something different, because it for sure became one of my favorite classes.

Mr. Browning, thank you for being a great teacher and for making the school day a little more bearable. And of course, thank you for the many, many KU talks and updates. It is looking good this year.