2014 Taco Bell Viking Cup

The 2014 Taco Bell Viking Cup will be held on March 6-9, 2014, hosted by Spring Valley High School in Columbia, South Carolina!  The 2014 Taco Bell Viking Cup will feature 32 of the top girls soccer teams in South Carolina. The inaugural event began in 1993 as a four-team round-robin tournament.  As the quantity and quality of girls soccer programs in South Carolina has grown, the tournament has kept pace.  The premier girls pre-season invitational in South Carolina (and one of the nation's largest high school soccer tournaments) annually attracts South Carolina's top girls programs.  Our goal is to bring together all of the teams atop the state rankings each year (AAAA-top 15, AAA-top 10, AA-A-top 5, rounded out with the best of the rest).  While there is some subjectivity and guesswork involved, the field always includes nearly all of the top in-state programs.  The result is a highly competitive event that serves as both a test of strength for the teams involved as well as a predictor of things to come during the upcoming high school season.  This great gathering of high school talent has also made the Taco Bell Viking Cup attractive to college coaches on the recruiting trail - we annually host between one and two dozen college coaches during the event (mostly from South Carolina, but sometimes from neighboring North Carolina and Georgia). Click here for more details.

2013 RSD2 High School Holiday Programs


Watch the full video on YouTube here.

"Thank You" to Taco Bell

The Spring Valley girls soccer program extends a huge "THANK YOU" to Fred Kotoske and Taco Bell for their continued title sponsorship of the Taco Bell Viking Cup. Taco Bell has been the title sponsor of the largest high school girls soccer tournament in South Carolina for an astounding 22 years, providing scholarships, feeding over 700 athletes, and defraying a great variety of costs incurred hosting South Carolina's premier preseason invitational soccer tournament. Please show your support and appreciation to Taco Bell!

Viking Sports Wrap

Wrestling Recap – Silver Fox Invitational
On Friday and Saturday, December 13-14, the Spring Valley varsity wrestling team competed in the Silver Fox Invitational.  The beginning of the tournament, on Friday, set the seeding for a 16 man single elimination tournament on Saturday.  The team has benefited from an early season challenge schedule. They have performed extremely well, gaining more invaluable experience, for the relatively young squad.  The team had three wrestlers advance to the finals, seniors Rene Rodriguez and Brandyn Thompson as well as Freshman Jordan Stiffler.  Jordan Stiffler, ending his impressive weekend of wrestling, fell to a River Bluff wrestler in the finals. Rene Rodriguez continued his winning status, until suffering his first loss of the season and falling by 1 point to an opponent from Socastee.  Brandyn Thompson finished the competition undefeated. He did not only claim the title of the 220 pound weight class champion, but also avenged his only loss of the season. He won convincingly over Lower Richland’s 220 pound challenger. Congratulations to the wrestling team, as they represent our school and program well!  The team heads into the holiday season with an extremely busy week. They travel to dual River Bluff on Tuesday night followed by two matches at Irmo on Wednesday before they head Durham North Carolina on Friday afternoon to wrestle at the prestigious Sonny Inksip Tournament.

Miracle on Sparkleberry Lane Door Decoration Winners

Congratulations to our door decoration winners.  1st place, Tiffany Broome; 2nd place, Maureen McKelvey; 3rd place, Wendy Stephens; honorable mention, Alsena Edwards and World Language Department.

Intern Opportunity for Students

The Lexington Anchor, an online communications medium and newsletter, is actively looking for high school students to intern with the organization. Click here for more details.

Winter Days 2013

Click here to view more photos.

SV Students Spotlighted in Cola Daily

Spring Valley students who earned perfect scores on the SAT or ACT exams are spotlighted in ColaDaily.com. Click here to read article.

Viking Sports Wrap

Varsity Girls Basketball
Saturday, December 14th, was a fun and exciting day for Viking Basketball as all of our teams hosted Westwood. The Lady Vikings defeated Westwood 68-20. Junior, Akia Dunlap led all scorers with 19 points, 3 rebounds, 4 steals & 4 deflections. Senior, Cierra Carter followed with 14 points. Junior, Megan Davis scored 10 points and collected 14 deflections with several leading to steals. Overall, it was a great team effort & victory. The Lady Vikings are 7-0 on the season. Go Vikings!

JV Girls Basketball
The JV Lady Vikings continue to improve their record by defeating Westwood Saturday 40-14. We were led on offense by Anaja Matthews and Breanna Martinez both with 13 points. Malayah Montgomery added 6 points, Sabrina Martinez 5 points, Denikwa Anderson 2 points and Cierra Wilson 1 point. Record 7-0. We will be back in action after the holidays on January 8 at home against Sumter at 5:30 p.m. 

Shop SV Education Foundation Office

Shop the SV Education Foundation office - proceeds go to academic needs at SVHS (not the case when you buy Viking logo gear elsewhere).

Stocking stuffers and teacher appreciation/recognition gifts.
  
Teacher Gold Star Educator pins to wear on laynard  - $10 tax deductible gift includes a card indicating student or parent who purchased it.  Click here for order form. 


Green & Gold check flannel PJ/Lounge pants $18.

Must have pullover hoodies -$25 in green, white, gray and gold.

Long sleeve t-shirts $15 Viking Sword logo same colors as above and Valley Girl logo in green, pink, and gray.

Short sleeve t-shirts $10 Viking Sword logo colors as above plus hot pink and lime green and Valley Girl logo in lots of colors.

Gray Unisex Sweatpants $25, a few zebra lounge pants left $25.

Spring Valley Students Perform at Ft. Jackson

Eleven Spring Valley students were guests of Fort Jackson’s 282nd Army Band and performed alongside them during their annual holiday concert yesterday. They performed for an audience of over 2,000 basic training Soldiers who will be traveling home next weekend to be with their families for the holidays.Pictured after the concert with Chief Warrant Officer William Brazier, Commander of the 282nd Army Band, are Spring Valley students Aaron Roach, Paul Curry, Troy Herrmann, Chris Juhn, Mimi Harding, Eli Dixon, Nick Threatt, Orializ Martinez, William Edwards, Arianna Lee, and Emily Whitlow.

Viking Sports Wrap

Varsity Girls Basketball
On Wednesday, December 11th, the Lady Vikings defeated Lancaster 49-39. This ups their season record to 6-0.  Some of the stats for the game are as follows: Akia Dunlap- 11 points, 3 rebounds; Cierra Carter- 11 points, 8 rebounds, 8 steals; Briana Hill- 11 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals; Megan Davis- 8 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals; Raven Fleming- 5 rebounds, 1 block, 1 assist, 1 steal; Bayleigh Ponds- 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal; Keisha Greene- 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 assists.

Spring Valley Gives "The Gift of Life"

Spring Valley, partnered with The American Red Cross, held a blood drive on Friday, December 13th in the auxiliary gym.  Throughout the day student workers assisted with the blood drive by helping with snacks, sign-in, and general support.  Thanks to faculty, staff, students and community members for their blood donations.

End-of-Course Exam Information

The End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP) provides tests in high school core courses and for courses taken in middle school for high school credit. All students who are enrolled in Algebra 1, Biology 1, English 1, and U.S. History must take the End-of-Course Exam for the course in which they are enrolled. The testing window for exams will be from December 13th-January 10th to include make-up testing.

Algebra I-December 13th
Biology I-December 17th & 19th
U.S. History-January 8th & 9th
English-Taken in Spring Only

Holiday Character Day

Along with the holiday spirit of giving, students and faculty joined in the dress up activities for Winter Days.  

Viking Sports Wrap

Varsity  Girls Basketball
On Tuesday, the Lady Vikings came away from Sumter with a 1 point victory and a final score of 43-42. Junior Akia Dunlap led the way with 14 points while hitting the game winning free throw after a hard drive to the basket. Cierra Carter scored 9 points , grabbed 7 rebounds and had a key steal with 4.4 seconds to go as Sumter attempted to inbound the basketball.  Senior Briana Hill contributed 8 points and 4 rebounds. She hit a very key 3 pointer with little time remaining after a drive and assist from Cierra Carter. Raven Fleming played tough on the boards as she grabbed 7 and Bayleigh Ponds added 5 points. The Lady Vikings are 5-0 on the season.

Tacky Holiday Sweater Day

One of the themed days for the Winter Days festivities, Tacky Holiday Sweater Day is always a big hit with our faculty and students, and seems to bring out the, um, "best" in seasonal fashions.  To see more regrettable wardrobe purchases, click on our Flickr feed. As for Winter Days, so far this year's service project has been a huge success. We have received thousands of donations, both monetary and actual items, and are starting to close in on our goals for the assembly next Wednesday. The Books, Homeless Outreach, and Children's Garden committees have all met their goals, but we are still in need of toys, denim, blankets, and coats. Any and all donations are much appreciated! Thank you.

Financial Aid 101

Click here to reserve your seat.

Students Earn Perfect Scores on Math SAT

Guillermo Pineda      James Brewer      Richard Chen
Manushi Patel       Benjamin Fechter
Five outstanding students earned the highest possible score of 800 on the math SAT in November. Richard Chen scored 800 on the math section, Guillermo Pineda scored 800 on the math section, James Brewer scored 800 on the math section, Manushi Patel scored 800 on the math 2 subject test and Benjamin Fechter scored 800 on the math 2 subject test. Congratulations to these remarkable students!

Google Glass Coming to Spring Valley

"I never thought they'd pick me" was Rob Wells' reaction when the email showed up in his Inbox, informing the Spring Valley science teacher that he had been selected to be a Google Glass Explorer. Wells read an article online about Google Glass and knew immediately that it could be a great instructional tool in a variety of courses. Glass is not yet available to the public, and Google is not saying how many people have been allowed to buy it. Thanks to the generosity of the Education Foundation, a pair will reside at Spring Valley for any teacher or student to use. Check back here at Viking Update to see the innovative ways our teachers and students are using Glass.  Not familiar with Google Glass? Check out the video below.


Senior Day at Midlands Technical College

Senior Day at Midlands Technical College is a great way to get started on the Midlands Technical College admissions process.  On Friday, December 6th, over 60 seniors attended Senior Day at MTC.  During the visit, the students toured the campus, learned about financial aid, placement testing, and other services MTC has to offer.  All attendees had the opportunity to apply to the college with their application fee waived. Click here to learn more about MTC.

Coastal Carolina Band Clinic

Dennis Patterson         Ethan Dilley
Dennis Patterson and Ethan Dilley were selected to perform in the top level Wind Ensemble at the Coastal Carolina Band Clinic. They were conducted in a Saturday concert by Dr. Rodney Winther. Dr. Winther is a world famous conductor and music educator who taught at Ithaca College, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music , and Eastman School of Music. Great job Ethan and Dennis!

Happy Birthday Viking Update

Viking Update turns one year old today! A Thank You to the Spring Valley Community for following the best high school in South Carolina here at Viking Update.  We appreciate your support.

SV Players Presented "Big Boys Don't Cry"

The Spring Valley Players performed Big Boys Don't Cry on December 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th.  The play followed the dramatic story of troubled fifteen year old, Lenny Barnes (Joong Hyun Pyo).  The play focuses on the effects of child and spousal abuse, and it shifts between chilling courtroom scenes and intense flashbacks of Lenny enduring recurring abuse from his stepfather. The play was directed by Allison McNeely.  Congratulations to Spring Valley Players for a job well done! 

Memorial Trees

Five snow goose cherry memorial trees were planted last year thanks to a gift from Spring Valley Education Foundation board member and past President Harry Dent. They replace memorial trees lost during the construction of the new Spring Valley High School building and are in memory of:

Congratulations to Mimi Harding

On Saturday, December 7th, Mimi was one of many talented musicians from all over the state who performed a full Concerto for a panel of judges. Mimi performed a very demanding flute concerto, and she was selected as the first place winner. Mimi will perform the Solo Concerto in concert at a later date with the South Carolina Youth Philharmonic, and receive a monetary scholarship. Hats off to Mimi!

Congratulations to Troy Herrmann

Troy Herrmann has been selected to play the french horn with the 2014 Honor Band of America! This is a a very elite ensemble, which is selected from a very difficult and highly scrutinized audition process. Troy will perform with the National Honor Band this Spring in Indianapolis. Way to go Troy!


2nd Annual Viking 5K Run/Walk for Education

A little rain did not stop  our 2nd Annual Viking 5K Run/Walk for Education from being a great event!  The turnout  doubled over last year. Two of our own won top female prizes: Dr. Michelle Wyatt was 1st and Alsena Edwards was 2nd.  Dr. Mike Wyatt was 2nd behind a high school cross country runner from Greenville.  Centipede team members from Student Council and Winter Days; Meredith McKenzie, Keertana Nair, Maggie Tolar, Hannah Beecraft, William Stubbs and Casey McNaboe, will receive 2013 Viking 5K Centipede winner t-shirts! Thanks to our faculty and staff, students and community for all your support.

Carolina Panthers Community Captain Class of 2013

During the 2013 season, the Carolina Panthers and United States Air Force have recognized ten high school student-athletes in the Carolinas through the Carolina Panthers Community Captain program.  The program recognizes outstanding high school student-athletes in North and South Carolina who excel in their sport, in the classroom, and in their community. The Panthers encourage their future development as role models while they continue their personal growth in college and in their professional careers.  Congratulations to Spring Valley Senior Alexis Rudnik who has been selected as a Carolina Panthers Community Captain. Click here for more details.

Coach Aldridge Named SC Football Coach of the Year

Miles Aldridge was named 2013 SC Football Coach of the Year by the SC Football Coaches Association. The award was announced at the Palmetto Football All-Star Banquet at Seawells last evening. Coach Aldridge's accomplishments over his four year tenure at Spring Valley have been amazing. He took over a program that had three wins in three years, and, in a brief time, led the team to its first undefeated regular season in school history. Congratulations Coach Aldridge for a job well done! Read more about Coach Aldridge's award at ColaDaily.com.

SVHS Google Hangout with Graphic Artist

Viking Sports Wrap

Varsity Boys Basketball
Great win for our boys basketball team against Lancaster Tuesday night, 64 to 63. Leading scorers were Chris Adams and Jordan Bruner, both with 18 points. Kendall Wall added 10. Kenneth "KJ" Legette added 7 points and KJ scored the winning basket at the buzzer.  We travel to Westwood Thursday at 7:30, right after the girls game at 6:00. Please come support our Vikings.

Varsity Girls Basketball
On Tuesday the Lady Vikings played at Lancaster and won 30-25. Statistics for the game are as follows: Cierra Carter- 22 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals, Akia Dunlap - 3 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals and 8 deflections, Raven Fleming - 8 rebounds 4 deflections, Brianna Hill - 2 rebounds, 1 steal and 4 deflections, Megan Davis- 3 points, 1 assist, 1 steal and 5 deflections, Brittany Joyner- 2 points, Next game is Thurs. Dec. 5th at Westwood. The Lady Vikings are 3-0 on the season.

Three Students Net Perfect Score on SAT Sections

Benjamin Fechter          Bushra Islam          Jedidiah Gist
Three outstanding seniors earned the highest possible score of 800 on at least one section of the SAT test.  Benjamin Fechter scored 800 on the critical reading section, Jedidiah Gist scored 800 on the subject test for physics and Bushra Islam scored 800 on the writing section. Congratulations to these outstanding seniors!

White House Student Film Festival Contest

The White House is super-excited to announce the first-ever White House Student Film Festival: a video contest created just for K-12 students, and whose finalists will have their short films shown at the White House. Finalist videos may also be featured on the White House website, YouTube channel, and social media pages.

Film should address at least one of the following themes:
1. How you currently use technology in your classroom or school.
2. The role technology will play in education in the future.

Click here to learn more and how to participate.

Job Oppotunities for Students

The McDonald's restaurant at 100 Clemson Road is now hiring for all shifts. Apply at the restaurant, ask to speak with Ravi to set up an interview.  If you have any questions, see Mrs. Morgan in E330.

SV Players Present "Big Boys Don't Cry"

The Spring Valley Players will present Big Boys Don't Cry; December 4th, 5th and 6th  at 7:00 pm and Saturday, December 7th at 3:00 pm in the Spring Valley Auditorium. This haunting court room drama portrays the devastation of child abuse and the often complex story behind it.  Lenny Barnes has been hospitalized and his parents are on trial for the crime. Simple flashbacks show the events leading up to the fateful night as Lenny struggles to be accepted at school, at home and in life. Come out and support our talented students.
General Admission $5.00
Student Admission $3.00

Gregory Rassolov Earns Perfect Scores on ACT and SAT

Many students dream of achieving the perfect score on their college entrance exams and having the ability to choose the college of their future. For Gregory Rassolov, it became his reality when he aced the ACT and SAT. Spring Valley senior Gregory Rassolov, took the ACT in September and earned a perfect composite score of 36, a feat in which less than one-tenth of one percent accomplish. With a perfect ACT score under his belt Gregory took the October SAT, earning the perfect score of 800 on the SAT math and writing sections. Hats off to Gregory!

2013 Winter Choir Concert

The Spring Valley High School Choirs have been asked to join forces with the choir at St. Joseph Catholic Church to perform Antonio Vivaldi's Gloria for chorus and orchestra. The concert will also feature other selections as well as traditional carols. The concert is Sunday, December 8th @ 4:00pm at St. Joseph Catholic Church on Devine Street, Columbia. Admission is free to the public, so come out and support our choirs.


SV Cheerleaders Competed at State Cheer Championships

Spring Valley cheerleaders competed at the State Cheer Championships on November 23rd at the Colonial Life Arena. Only 16 teams from the entire state were selected/qualified to compete. Click here to view pictures.

AVID Students Attend NBA AVID Day

On Friday, November 22, the Spring Valley AVID students attended the NBA AVID Day.  This event was hosted by the Charlotte Bobcats.  After arriving at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, the students met members of the Bobcats Executive Staff and listened as they gave information about career selection and education preparation.  Students were also able to visit with colleges from NC and SC in a college fair at the arena.  One student, Destiney Jones, was selected to shadow a Bobcats Executive as they made the pre-game preparations.  She attended mascot, cheerleader, and player warm-ups, was announced at mid-court (even appeared on the jumbo-tron) and was on the court to high-five the visiting Suns.  At 7:00p.m., students were invited to stay and watch the Charlotte Bobcats take on the Phoenix Suns. Although the Bobcats lost the game, the experience they gave the students was a win!

2013-2014 Impact Aid Program Survey Form

Richland School District Two schools are funded primarily by local taxes. However, due to the large federal presence in our area and the tax exemptions available to federally-connected personnel, businesses, and agencies; Richland School District Two is eligible to apply for Federal Impact Aid funds. Impact Aid is a federal program designed to assist local school districts that enroll federally connected students. Federally connected students are children of active duty uniformed services personnel, children who live on federal property, and children whose parents work on federal property. The Impact Aid Program funds become a part of Richland School District Two’s general operating budget and are critical to maintaining high standards for educational excellence. Last fiscal year, over $600,000 was added to our general operating budget. There are three categories of federally connected students:  

SV Band Students Perform at Winthrop Invitational

This past weekend, Spring Valley Band students participated in the 33rd annual Winthrop Invitational Band Clinic at Winthrop University in Rock Hill. 200 students from 50 high schools in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee, were invited to perform Saturday evening with 3 bands that were formed for the event. Spring Valley qualified 6 of its students for the top band and were led by Seniors Mimi Harding and Troy Herrmann, first chair flute and first chair french horn respectively. Other Spring Valley students participating were Senior Zonnie Harper, Juniors David Coulter and Aaron Roach, and Sophomores Arianna Lee and Emily Whitlow.

2013 SCMEA Region III Honor Orchestra

Congratulations to the following orchestra students who have been selected by audition to participate in the 2013 SCMEA Region III Honor Orchestra. They will perform on Saturday, November 23rd, at Lexington High School. The event is free and open to the public. Seungmee Kim, violin; Wenxin Fan, violin; Cassidy Johnson, violin; Dominique Kwon, violin; Karen Lee, violin; Katherine Peffen, violin; Martin Li, violin; Sarah Lee, violin; Briana Bell, violin; Gangyun Kim, violin; Sanghun Ju, violin; Lydia Kwon, violin; Priscilla Rhym, viola; Nicholas Brown, viola; Crystal Lee, cello; Priscilla Li, cello; Veronica McLean, cello; Ebony Patton, bass; Sean English, bass; Lance Murphy, bass; Ebony Bennett, alternate.  Way to go orchestra students!

Coach Aldridge and the Vikings in The State Today


Spring Valley School Board Presentation

Spring Valley Bands Fall Concert

The Spring Valley Concert Band and the Honors Symphonic Band will perform their Fall Concert on Thursday, November 21st at 6:30 p.m. in the Spring Valley Auditorium. We would love to have a full house as they perform several selections from the world's finest wind band literature. Admission is free, so bring your family and friends out to support our awesome bands under the direction of Mr. David Allison.

2013 Sparkleberry Country Fair Teacher Grant Winner


Congratulations to Theresa Formyduval, Spring Valley Culinary Arts instructor, who received a 2013 Sparkleberry Country Fair Teacher Grant  for her Cake Decorating in Baking and Pastry Course. The grant money was raised from the 2013 Sparkleberry Country Fair. After an application review process, teachers were selected to receive grants for various programs and projects for their students. The Sparkleberry Country Fair is held annually the last Saturday in April. Proceeds from the Fair benefit Richland Two students through scholarships and teachers with grants. Click here for a complete list.  Hats off to Theresa!

Congratulations to Mikel Trapp

Mr. Mikel Trapp, Spring Valley building construction teacher, has successfully fulfilled the industry certification requirements for the National Association of Home Builders in career technical education by completing the required academic program, and by providing evidence of expertise in the construction field.  Spring Valley High School is now recognized as a credentialed program teaching the Residential Construction Academy Series in the craft of Basic Principles for Construction. Way to go Mr. Trapp!