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Group of six young people wearing gold paper crowns posing indoors with a trophy held by the person in the center.

Rock Ridge Yearbook and Newspaper Recognized for Excellence

LCPS

June 4, 2026

Two Rock Ridge High School publications – Genesis, the Rock Ridge High School yearbook, and The Blaze, the student-run school newspaper – recently received awards to celebrate their commitment to student journalism. 

The Rock Ridge High School yearbook program earned national recognition from multiple sources this year. The Rock Ridge yearbook received Best in Show at the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) Fall Convention in November, a Gold Crown Award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) on March 20, and a prestigious Pacemaker Award from the NSPA on April 18. Rock Ridge is one of only seven high schools nationwide to earn both a Gold Crown and a Pacemaker this year and the only high school Virginia to receive both of these honors in 2026.

This recognition marks a historic milestone for the program, as it is the first time Rock Ridge has earned a Gold Crown or a Pacemaker Award. The achievement also builds on a strong tradition of excellence. Previous editions of the yearbook earned Silver Crown Awards in 2018, 2020, and 2024, while the 2020, 2021, and 2022 editions were recognized as Pacemaker Finalists.

“These honors reflect the dedication and talent of our student staff,” said yearbook adviser Michelle Prince. “They have worked incredibly hard to tell the story of our school in a meaningful and impactful way.”

The Blaze, Rock Ridge’s student-run newspaper, was recognized by School Newspapers Online as the 2025/26 SNO Distinguished Site, one of the highest honors a scholastic news website can achieve. SNO’s Distinguished Sites program awards digital badges in six key areas: story page design, writing, multimedia, continuous coverage and audience engagement. The Blaze earned all six badges, demonstrating a commitment to excellence. 

The students who create The Blaze are enrolled in Multimedia Journalism. Each student is responsible for drafting two news stories a month. In total, The Blaze uploads 15 to 20 stories a month and publishes two news magazines a year. 

Tyler Anderson, Rock Ridge English teacher and newspaper adviser, shared that the award is a “testament to the students’ collaboration, and it speaks to the student editors' abilities to establish goals, set standards and execute project plans that they entirely devised themselves...This award highlights our commitment to telling the stories of our community in an engaging and creative way.”