Congratulations to Hunter Purvis

Hunter Purvis has been chosen from among thousands of applicants to participate in the 38th Annual Summer Leaders Experience (SLE) at West Point.  It is a direct result of his hard work and accomplishments.  Way to go Hunter!

Congratulations to Our CATE Students of the Quarter

Click here to view

SVEF Scholarships & TAK Foundation Scholarships


Seniors, scholarships offered by the SV Education Foundation are due Monday, April 8.  Nominate a Senior for a $1,000 TAK Scholarship Award - due Friday, April 12.  Do you know a student who is exceptionally kind; helps others but usually flies under the radar; may struggle with school but perseveres; would really get a boost from a little recognition and will attend college or technical school to continue his/her education?  Please take a few minutes to nominate him/her for a $1,000 TAK Foundation Scholarship using the attached application.  Three to five awards are available.  Awards are made by the Kowick family in honor of  their son Alex, a 2006 SVHS graduate, who died in 2008 after battling leukemia.  Anyone may nominate a Senior for this award.  Please complete the attached nomination form and return it the SV Education Foundation office (C 161) in the Atrium or mail to: 

Spring Valley Education Foundation
120 Sparkleberry Lane
Columbia, SC  29229

Click here to get a nomination form.

Pinwheels for Prevention

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time to recognize that we each can play a part in promoting the social and emotional well-being of children and families in communities.  Pinwheels for Prevention raises awareness of the plight of 12,000 children per year that are reported as abused in South Carolina and how we may prevent abuse in our community.  Donations are asked of $.50 per pinwheel to be planted in our “Pinwheel Garden” in the front of our school during the month of April.  

Congratulations to SV Football Player Christian Miller

Spring Valley High School football player, Christian Miller,  was selected as the 21st person chosen to the 2013 Nike "The Opening" Football Camp.  The best of the best will attend this elite football event.  The top 150 high school football players in the nation as selected by Student Sports after film evaluation plus in-person evaluation at an event.  The Opening presented by Nike Football is four days of dynamic training, coaching and competition for many of the country’s most elite high school football players. Every position and every aspect of the game will be highlighted over the course of the four-day program. Past events have featured NFL stars like Jerry Rice, Larry Fitzgerald, Ndamukong Suh, Patrick Peterson, Ray Rice and Darrelle Revis coach participants in a variety of drills and competitions.  The event runs for four days in early July at the Nike World Headquarters in Oregon.   Click here for more details.   Way to go Christian!

Spring Valley Receives Palmetto Gold Award

The South Carolina Department of Education announced  the recipients of the Palmetto Gold and Silver Awards for the 2012-2013 school year.  The South Carolina Department of Education recognized 662 schools and career centers for general performance, closing the achievement gap, or qualifying in both categories.   Click here for more detail.

Congratulations Spring Valley Orchestras


Congratulations to the orchestra students at Spring Valley! Each orchestra performed at the SCMEA Region III Orchestra Concert Festival on Saturday, March 23rd, at Kenan High School. This is an adjudicated event. The orchestras received the following ratings based on their performances:  
String Orchestra -      EXCELLENT (II)  
Concert Orchestra -   SUPERIOR (I)  
Chamber Orchestra - SUPERIOR (I)
The orchestra students really worked hard to prepare for this event! They represented Spring Valley very well!  Thank you for your support of the Spring Valley High School orchestras!

Congratulations to Douglas Guthrie


Douglas Guthrie has being awarded $4,000.00 from the South Carolina Automobile Dealers Association (SCADA).  This grant award is to assist with the process of increasing automotive awareness activities, to host specialized training seminars for instructors as incentive awards for NATEF accreditation and re-accreditation, end of course testing through Today's Class, and for equipment purchases including computers, copiers, and tools.  Way to go Doug!

Spring Valley Band Students Receive Superior Ratings

Top:  Concert Band,  Bottom:  Symphonic Band

Congratulations to our Symphonic Band students. On Wednesday night they performed at the SCBDA State Concert Performance Assessment held at Lexington High School's Performing Arts Complex. This group of students accomplished straight Superior Ratings from all three adjudicators in the concert portion of the assessment, as they performed Grade VI (Professional Level) literature. They also earned straight Superior Ratings in the Sight Reading Portion of the assessment from each adjudicator. Spring Valley Symphonic Band is one of few bands in the southeast who perform grade VI literature for assessment. Bravo to our students, and their parents who encourage their musical development.

Congratulations Recipients of the Innovative Teacher Award


Congratulations to the following teachers for receiving the Innovative Teacher Award. Weslynn Hutto, Matt Owens, Kelley Lacey, and Denise Stiffler.  

Subway's W8 2 TXT Campaign


The SC Department of Public Safety and Subway restaurants kicked off the W8 2 TXT (Wait to Text) campaign that runs through April 26th. Our goal is to prevent teen deaths and serious inquiries on our roadways.   On Wednesday March 27, 2013 from 4:00pm to 7:00pm at the Subway Restaurant, 4611 Hardscrabble Rd. Module 117, Rice Creek Village, Columbia SC 29229. Take a  safe driving demo with a Trooper,  learn the dangers of distracted driving,  pick up free W8 2 TXT wristband, free 6-inch subs provided for the first 25 people, and participate in W8 2 TXT Pledge High School Competition underway at www.subwayw82txt.com.


High School Pledge Competition Prizes:
School with highest percentage of student pledges in the area will win a $500 grant for safety programs.  High schools with student pledge percentage of 70% or higher will be entered in a drawing for free Subway lunch for the school.

South Carolina Region II Science and Engineering Fair


Spring Valley High School Discovery students participated in the South Carolina Region II Science and Engineering Fair on March 15, 2013.   Spring Valley students did very well earning 44 awards.  Please congratulate these students and their research teachers, Mrs. Theresa Bailey, Mr. Dale Soblo, and Mrs. Michelle Spigner.  We are very proud of how well all of our students represented Spring Valley, regardless of whether they received an award.  Congratulations Discovery students!  Click here to see list of award winners.

Coach Dave Clark Honored at a Special Presentation



Coach Dave Clark was honored Friday night at a special presentation for his 300th win as Spring Valley's Head Boy's Soccer Coach.  Members from his state championship team and current team were present.  

Congratulations Spring Valley Gospel Choir


Spring Valley Gospel Choir was name the 2013  #1 Gospel Choir at the 12th Annual Stir Up The Gifts Youth Gospel Choir Competition & Talent Showcase. This was the choirs first time competing in this event and we should be very proud of the students and all their hard work. Please take some time today and congratulate them on their accomplishment.  Way to go Spring Valley Gospel Choir!

Health Fair



Spring Valley's Health Science II class is hosting our first ever Health Fair which will be held on April 29th from 6pm to 8pm in the main gym and auxiliary gym at Spring Valley High School. The fair is focusing on fitness, health, nutrition, diagnostic assessments, prevention of disease, and wellness.  It is our goal to increase awareness in our community as well as educate people about their well-being.  It is also beneficial for people to know where to go when the need arises. At the fair, we will have a section for fitness games and other hands on activities, as well as educational booths where health professionals will educate and increase awareness regarding wellness, disease, and prevention. Snacks and beverages that promote a healthy diet and lifestyle will be included.  Wellness education will benefit our community but we need your help in doing so. Spring Valley is asking you to be a part of our health fair by providing personnel to perform either educational or screening services.  Feel welcome to bring anything such as equipment, business cards, pamphlets, or anything else that will increase your ability to educate others or perform screening services. Spring Valley will be extremely appreciative and thankful for your time and effort in joining us to benefit our community at the Health Fair.  We hope we can count on you to be a part of this exciting day.  For additional information, please contact Lorie McDuffie, Spring Valley's Health Science II lead teacher at 803.699.3500 ext. 69306 or lmcduffi@richland2.org.

Exchange Students Say Their Goodbyes


They say that saying goodbye is hard to do.  This may be especially true for host families and foreign exchange students.  As this year's twelve exchange students prepare to part with their American families, friends and teachers, they have mixed feeling.  One of wanting to see their families and friends back in Cali, Colombia, and another of  not wanting to leave their host families and friends here.  These students not only leave a lasting impression on their host families and friends, but they take their memories home with them.

Ex Antiquis Nova: From Old Comes New


Spring Valley will hold a Trashion Show or the recycled art competition on April 18, 2013 at 5:30 at Spring Valley High School Auditorium.  The art show will exhibit artwork made using 100% recycled materials.  Click here for more details or here for registration form.

HOSA Students Shine at State Conference

Twenty three HOSA students placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd in their competitive event and are eligible to compete at the National Conference in June. Conference Results are listed below:

First Place:  Lance Murphy: Biotechnology; Linda Thomas: Dental Terminology; Keyshawn Butler: Life Support Skills; Justine Flora: Bomedical Debate; Aakash Shingala: Biomedical Debate; Victor Phillips: Biomedical Debate; Hussain Mirza: Biomedical Debate; Kenya Byas: Career Health Display; Krishna Thakker: Career Health Display; Lydia Kwon: Community Awareness; Summer Nguyen: Community Awareness; Martin Li: Community Awareness; Priscilla Li: Community Awareness

Second Place:  Karen Lee: Dental Terminology; Julie Kang: Medical Spelling; Jazmin Green: Medical Law and Ethics; Jane Hyun: Community Emergency Response Team; William Stubbs: Community Emergency Response Team; Sara Wallam: Public Service Announcement; Sarah Lee: Public Service Announcement; Leila Yazdi: Public Service Announcement

Third Place: Crystal Lee: Prepared Speaking; Liqi Zhao: Dental Science

JROTC Wins at 2013 Air Force National JROTC Drill Championships


Sports Network Internationals honored Spring Valley’s Viking Air Force JROTC award winning drill team at the U. S. Air Force Nationals held at The University of Maryland, Cole Field House, College Park, Maryland, Saturday, March 16, 2013.
The Vikings were one of fifty-three (53) top AF-JROTC high schools selected to compete.  Over 424 outstanding events were performed.  Results: The Viking Drill Team placed 4th nationally among competing high schools.  National trophies were awarded in Armed Division Exhibition Fight and Armed Regulation Flight.

South Carolina Assistive Technology Expo 2013


Marian Michael, school physical therapist and Kathleen O'Brien, special education teacher, will be presenting a session entitled:  "Therapeutic Positioning:  Promoting Function and Improved Quality of Life" on March 27th at the SC Assistive Technology Expo at Brookland Baptist Church in West Columbia.  Click here for more details.

Columbia College Announces Momentum Scholarship Recipients


Columbia College has named Peggy Smith and Julia Smith to the inaugural class of Momentum Scholars, an innovative program for academically-minded high school students with big ideas about their futures.  Peggy and Julia both received full tuition scholarships (equivalent to $26,800) to Columbia College.
Nominations were received from throughout the country and 50 finalists were selected to be interviewed by teams of community leaders. On Saturday, March 16, the recipients were recognized at a special celebration at Columbia College.  Congratulations Peggy and Julia Smith.  Click here for more details.

Parent Surveys Going Home for School Report Card

During Advisory tomorrow (Thursday, March 21st), third year students will be given a Scantron survey that they are to complete for our state-issued school report card.  The survey should take students approximately 10-15 minutes to complete.  Additionally, students will be given a survey to take home to their parents.  Students should return their parents' completed surveys no later than March 27th.  All completed surveys must be shipped by the school to the State Department of Education no later than March 28th.  A collection box for completed parent surveys will be place on the front desk in the Atrium (Mrs. Carpenter's desk).  Students can drop their parent surveys off there.  Parents do have the option of mailing the survey directly to the SDoE.  That option is explained in the instructions that come with the survey.  Please take the time to share your thoughts about the school.  We appreciate you doing the surveys.

Harry Parone Stadium Wins National Award


The Harry Parone Stadium has been selected as a winner of the Pioneer Athletics 2012 Fields of Excellence Award.  Click here for more details.

Congratulations Spring Valley's Math Team


Spring Valley's Math Team ranked 2nd Place among all Division 1 schools at the Furman Wylie Math Tournament.  There were 9 students who competed from Spring Valley.  Pictured are (Bottom L to R) Mohammad Arammash, Miheer Bavare, David Qu, Nitya Kamdar, and Grace Smith.  (Top L to R)  Gregory Rassolov, Sadman Sakib, Guillermo Pineda, and Clayton Brandenburg. 
David Qu ranked 6th place of all competitors on the written exam and received a plaque.  Sadman Sakib and Gregory Rassolov received Honorable Mention  for written exam score performance.  Congratulations on an outstanding job!

Need Help Paying For College - FAFSA Clinic



Need help with the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) application? Come by the CIC in Guidance and sign-up for free help.  Parents can also sign up through email:  astaten@richland2.org.  Get your FAFSA completed in about 30 minutes.

What: FAFSA Clinic
Date: 3/25/13
Time: 9:30am-2:30pm
Location: Computer LAB B @ Spring Valley High School

What to bring:
1.   2012 taxes
2.   Student pin:  Click here to get student pin and parent pin.
3.   Parent pin

Scholastic Gold Medal Award Recipient



Spring Valley senior, Colton Rabon,  had his untitled photograph selected as a Scholastic Gold Medal Award recipient. South Carolina had a total of 8 pieces receiving National medals with only five of those receiving a gold medal. Colton's piece will be included in a national exhibit held in New York with a reception at Carnegie Hall on May 31st. 
The piece was completed under former Spring Valley photography teacher, Bill Hicks. In addition, Bill had two of his current students' photographs receive national silver medals. Congratulations Colton on this distinguished recognition and award.

Spring Valley Students Receive Presidential Scholarship


A representative from the College of Charleston presented five Spring Valley students with a presidential scholarship.  The five students that received the scholarship are: Florence Needle, Abby Rausch,  Alicia Beebe, Sydney Watts and Jasmin Graham. Congratulations!

ASVAB Test


Any junior or senior interested in taking the ASVAB should register with  the CIC in Guidance. The test will be administered on April 25 in the Auditorium.

Student Council Recognized at SCASC Conference



Spring Valley Student Council received the following recognitions at the South Carolina Association of Student Council Conference:  2012-2013 Honor Gold Council Award, student body president, Aubrey Cain was awarded the Terry McCoy Leadership Award, Mrs. Olisa Ashford was awarded the Advisor Award for 5 years of dedicated service to student council.

ELDA Announcement

The English Language Development Assessment (ELDA) will be administered during the month of March to all English Language Learners. This test is required by the State of South Carolina for all English Language Learners. ELDA consists of four test designed to measure academic and social language proficiency in the domains of speaking, listening, reading, and writing, and is given to students  who have Limited English Proficiency.  Is it important that students taking the test get a good breakfast, get to school on time, and report to class on time each testing day.  Parents, please try not to schedule any appointments on your child's test dates as this is a very important test and we would like for students to do their best.  Your child has been provided information regarding the specific dates, times, and locations of his or her test.

For more information about the ELDA Exam please contact April Shell, School Testing Coordinator at (803) 699-3500, ext. 69074.

Scholarship Opportunity for Seniors


Santee Cooper is offering this scholarship for candidates interested in obtaining an Electrical Line Worker Certification.  Santee Cooper will award scholarships to four deserving candidates who have an aptitude for success academically and in a hands-on technical work environment.  These students will pursue the Electrical Line Worker program at York Technical College in York, SC.  100% of tuition and other expenses are paid for by Santee Cooper.  Additionally, they earn $10/hour working part time.

Additional information including the application will be completed and submitted online by the students at www.santeecooper.com/elw.  Application deadline is May 3, 2013.


Viking Update Now on Google+

Use Google+?  You can now follow Viking Update on Google+.  Click the icon to link to our account.  You'll find the same information there as on Facebook or Twitter.  We just want to make it as easy as possible for you to follow Spring Valley High School and know about the many wonderful things going on here.

Congratulations to Dave Clark

Congratulations to Dave Clark for his 300th win as Spring Valley's Head Boy's Soccer Coach. He accomplished this last Wednesday when our team defeated #3 Chapin. 
All 300 of his wins have been at Spring Valley.  This is a tremendous honor not only for Coach Clark, but for all of Spring Valley.  Way to go Dave!!!  Click here for link to article.

Viking 5K Run/Walk for Education


Thank you to all participants in the Viking 5K Run/Walk for Education.   

Congratulations Spring Valley All-State Band Students



The All-State Band Clinic was held this past weekend, March 8-10 at Furman University. These students who were selected through the Region 3 and All-State rounds of auditions, performed a fantastic and difficult concert on Sunday March 10th. They performed music, which they saw for the first time on Friday March 8th. Our students were conducted by world renowned composers and conductors Anthony Maiello (Senior Band 11-12), David Shaffer (Clinic Band 9-10), and Quincey Hilliard (Junior Band 7-8).
From left to right, Spring Valley All-State Band Students- Jonathan Lee (Senior Band), Troy Herrmann (Senior Band), Sean English ( Senior Band), Mimi Harding (Senior Band), and William Edwards (Clinic Band). Not pictured, Arianna Lee, and Nicolas Threatt (Clinic Band Alternates), who also attended the clinic, and participated in master classes, and sight reading sessions.

2013 South Carolina All State Choir Festival



This past weekend six of the Viking Singers attended the 2013 South Carolina All State Choir Festival at Winthrop University: Spencer Green, Brennan Booker, Hannah Davis, Hannah Jessup, Anna "Greer" Hendricks, and Himabindu Vinnakota.  Brennan Booker, a Junior, was selected to sing in a small ensemble based upon his solo audition, and Hannah Jessup, a Senior, was selected as the soprano soloist for the SATB Choir out of all schools represented from the state of South Carolina. A huge congratulations to all of these students for their hard work and amazing talent. 

Congratulations to Richard Chen


Richard Chen, a 2012 piano lab pupil under the guidance of Dr. Hawkins, won the Senior Division Prize at the Afternoon Music Club's annual piano competition this past weekend. His award was a $300 scholarship. He will perform the third movement of a Beethoven piano sonata at an upcoming concert at Columbia College. A big congratulations to Richard!

Find the Math in Karaoke


Ms. Glover’s Statistics class will be hosting a karaoke contest as a part of an observational study.  The event will be held Friday, March 22 from 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM in the auditorium.   Please come and show your support.   Tickets are on sale for $2.  

Guest Performers: SVHS Gospel Choir 

Please see Ms. Lucretia Glover in room C325, Mr. Abram Staten in the guidance office or Mr. Duce Harris in room D118 for tickets.

Students Get Information on Careers at the Richland 2 Career Fair


This event gives area businesses the opportunity to provide students with information on careers, salaries, work environments, education requirements and valuable in-person interaction.

Opportunity for Graduating High School Seniors

Pearson is conducting a national study that requires recruiting graduating high school seniors to participate in a paid testing program that tries out new test questions.  Graduates will have the opportunity to earn up to $200 this summer simply by completing a series of tests that cover content in English language arts, mathematics, social studies and science.  Click here for more information.

Anthony Frederick Receives President's Volunteer Service Award


Anthony Frederick has been honored for his exemplary volunteer service with a President's Volunteer Service Award.
The award, which recognizes Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of their time to serve their communities and their country, was presented by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program on behalf of President Barack Obama.  Anthony participated in the Spirit of Community program this year as a representative of Spring Valley High School where he is a student.  Congratulations Anthony!

Proof of Residency Needed for 2013-2014 School Year


For the 2013-2014 school year, Richland School District Two (RSD2) will continue with its proof-of-residence procedures that will require all students to provide updated proof-of-residence documentation prior to their enrollment in a RSD2 school, and yearly thereafter.   Families are encouraged to begin bringing in proofs to the Guidance Office for the upcoming school year.  Click here for more information.

Student Athletic Leadership Team at Spring Valley


Click here to learn more about SALT.

The SALT program is designed to target junior athletes from each sport to further their leadership potential. Through the SALT program these students develop into leaders and role models for their school and respective sports.   Coaches nominate up to three players from their team that are rising juniors. Each session lasts approximately an hour and the whole program goes for 8 weeks. We have about 40 student athletes in the program at Spring Valley. We focus on developing their leadership qualities through a variety of topics.  Thank you Paul Dobyns for heading up this team.

Spring Valley Grad ACC Rookie of the Year


University of North Carolina forward Xylina McDaniel was named Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year by both the Blue Ribbon Panel and a vote of the league's head coaches, ACC Commissioner John Swofford announced Tuesday. McDaniel, who led all ACC freshmen in scoring, rebounding and steals, is the seventh Tar Heel to win the award and the first since Camille Little in 2004.
A native of Columbia, SC and a 2012 graduate of Spring Valley High School, McDaniel led all ACC rookies with 12.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game. McDaniel earned ACC Rookie of the Week honors a league-leading six times, while helping the Tar Heels to a 26-5 overall mark and a second place finish in the ACC. McDaniel was also the only freshman named to the All-ACC first team as selected by the head coaches.  Way to go Xylina.

Awesome Spring Valley Student Artwork all Over Columbia



Kamilah Keeton - 11th Grade
Spring Valley student art work is in several exhibits all over Columbia right now!

Columbia Museum of Art: Impressions of Youth - featuring Spring Valley student artwork, on view through March 31st.

Tapps Building on Main St: SCAEA Youth Art Month Exhibit - featuring over 50 Spring Valley student artists. The opening is this Thursday, March 7th from 6-8 in conjunction with Main St. 1st Thursday art exhibits. They are always fun. The exhibit will be on view from March 7- 31st. 




Keondre Jones - 12th Grade




Tapp’s Arts Center is also hosting an opening event on Saturday, March 9th.  Click Here for more details.

Richland School District II Art Show - at Columbia Mall - The exhibit will be on view from March 5 - 18th.

Please support these great students!







RSD2 App Now Available for iPhone and iPad

A free app for Richland School District Two is now available in the Apple App Store.  Click the image at the left to download the app.

African American History Projects


Students from Ms. Schooler's class present their African American History Projects.

Ed Foundation 5K is This Weekend


Saturday, March 9, 2013

Registration Information and Brochure