Boys basketball coach Shawn Rogers and the varsity boy’s basketball team are off to a red hot 9-1 start (4-0 in district). Girls basketball coach Tony Dodson and the Lady Coyotes are off to a 12-10 start (2-4 in district). Varsity action continues this Tuesday against Eden at Richland Springs, and Friday against Rochelle at Rochelle. Games start at 6:30 p.m. Come out and support our young athletes in UIL competition.

A total of 18 Richland Springs’ students had a total of 32 animals qualified for the premium sale at the San Saba County Stock Show. These students received $23,975.00 in premiums from buyers. Gerald McKee expresses thanks for your support and encouragement of the students who qualified for the sale and for those that participated.

Richland Springs will sponsor a blood drive on campus on Friday, February 5 from 2:00 until 6:00 p.m. Contact any student or call the school if you want to donate the ‘gift of life’.

Richland Springs ISD is collaborating with the Texas Department of State Health Services to offer a free Vaccination Clinic for anyone who desires a vaccination for H1N1 influenza. The free clinic will be Thursday, January 28, 2010 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Richland Springs’ Cafetorium.

Many seniors are currently making plans for college or work after graduation. Here is some food for thought. Studies show that foregoing postsecondary training and education can mean a tremendous loss of income over a life-time. A student who earns an associate degree, for example, will earn an average of $340,000 more over a working lifetime than someone with just a high school diploma — and nearly $600,000 more than a worker with no diploma. Four years of college is not for everyone. More parents and students need to be aware of all post secondary educational options, including career and technical education (CTE), and the availability of financial assistance. The number of jobs requiring technical training, certifications or associate degrees is outpacing the number of people available to fill them despite the fact that many pay above-average salaries. Many high-paying and rapidly growing profes-sions in Texas are open to persons with technical training. Texas has a number of community and technical colleges that can offer our children affordable, state-of-the-art training for jobs with a future after just one or two years. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that about 80 percent of the fastest-growing job categories in the near future will require some postsecondary training, but not a bachelor’s degree. Employers in and near the cities of Corpus Christi, Port Arthur, Beaumont and Texas City report that they cannot find enough welders. One large petrochemical company repre-sentative said that they have needed more welders than they can hire for the past two years. Post-secondary education, whether at a two-year technical school or a four-year college, will give you more opportunities in Texas’ future workforce.

We have a great community, students, teachers and staff. It looks to be a great year at Richland Springs.

Community involvement is the key to our success!