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HEADlines
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RIVERMONT COLLEGIATE
Where there are no spectators, only participants!
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September 23, 2011
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Mission Statement
Rivermont Collegiate is dedicated to academic
excellence and maximizing the potential of each student through a nurturing,
stimulating, and structured environment that advances the individual's
intellect, character and creativity while guiding the student on a path of
life-long learning, prepared to engage fully in his or her local, national, and
global communities.
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Dear Rivermont Community,
The setting is Camp Manito-wish in northern Wisconsin. Imagine two girls, a senior and a junior, looking up at the Giant's Ladder, attempting to figure out how to get to the top. One strategy is to power through with sheer strength - unfortunately, Hercules was not a member of the group. How would these two make it onto the first rung, not to mention the top of the ladder? Impossible! Can't do it! But wait! If you stepped on my knee, you could grab the rung and kick your leg up. But then how will you get up? Doesn't matter, you are more flexible and once you are up there you can do it. No, we both have to get up there, besides I can't reach the rung by myself. You stand on my knee and once you are up there you can help me get up. Again, kick harder. You got it! Both girls on the first rung in 20 minutes, only 6 more to go. Ugh! But the group on the ground cheered them on! You guys are doing great! Everyone's eyes were fixed on the pair. Cheers, encouragement, and whoops of joy as the girls made it up another rung and still another. Arms were starting to ache and legs were wobbly. It had been about forty minutes since the challenge began and they were only halfway. The ground crew strained their necks upward to keep their eyes on our climbers. The only distractions were occasional sidebars evaluating the progress and glances of excitement and pride as the girls made their way to the top. And there it was, the top rung! Working together and digging deep for strength and determination, our climbers were gazing on the group below, who had risen to their feet in applause and cheers. Everyone shared in the girls' pride! Everyone was invested in the task! The two students, an accomplished cellist and a remarkable scientist, were lowered to the ground to hugs, high fives, and fist bumps. Another student, always on the honor roll, announced that she had baked a cake over a campfire and it actually tasted good. Mom will never believe it! And yet another usually quiet student was making his idea heard as the group strategized how to build the tower. And people listened. But what about the students who didn't succeed at their tasks? One, an athlete, wasn't able to make it to the top of the climbing wall. And yet another motivated art and drama student missed ringing the bell after struggling to the the top of Pamper Pole. Failures? Or an opportunity to stretch a whole new group of "muscles"?
Calculus, biology, history, literary analysis, persuasive writing and fluency in a world language all prepare students for the challenges of college. Rivermont's top placement on the Iowa AP Index demonstrates the accessibility of rigorous college-level classes and our students' enrollment in them. Yet success in college and in the professional world is not only determined by intellectual achievement. Character plays an essential role. Character involves the essential habits of mind and habit. We often think of moral character that guides one to be a good person. Performance character, however, can lead one to a life that is happy, meaningful and fulfilling. Recognizing the importance of character and leadership in college and professional success, Rivermont is exploring ways to build these essential traits. In early September, the Upper School participated in a weeklong outdoor leadership experience that provided opportunities for practical applications of classroom learning but, more importantly, led students to dig deep within themselves to find and nurture these traits. The Giant's Ladder was but one such experience the breadth and depth of which will only be realized as students are able to reflect on those five days.
The capacity to handle failure is directly proportional to one's optimism, persistence, and social intelligence. Learning is hard. Learning is fun, exhilarating, gratifying - but often daunting, exhausting, and sometimes discouraging. Students must develop traits that will keep them focused, maintain their self-control, and show true grit.
Sometimes we need to fail in order to succeed. Are we preparing our students for that inevitable moment?
Sincerely,
Rick St. Laurent Headmaster |
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Rivermont's Talented Student "Staff"
As promised in last week's edition of HEADlines, we are proud to showcase photos of second grader Enzo Panozzo serving as P.E. Teacher for a Day and first grader Miley Ashby serving as Chef for a Day! Our new "staff" was thanks to Rivermont's 2011 Auction and the fearlessness of Mr. Pillow and Mrs. McWilliams! P.E. Teacher for a Day and Chef for a Day are only a few exciting items available at Rivermont's Annual Auction! Be sure to mark your calendar for this year's event, which will be held Saturday, April 21, 2012 at the Hotel Blackhawk in Davenport.
 Miley Ashby proudly whips up and serves her delicious "walking" tacos alongside Chef McWilliams!
 Enzo Panozzo poses in his official "P.E. Teacher" attire alongside Mr. Pillow!
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Grads Who Do Amazing Things?
You Bet!
Rock Island native Matt Roberts won a 2011 Creative Arts Emmy for co-writing last year's Tony Awards broadcast!
Matt is a 1989 graduate of St. Katharine's/St. Mark's (now Rivermont Collegiate). He shared the award with two others for outstanding writing for a music, comedy, or variety special. The Creative Arts portion of the Emmys, handed out September 10, honored behind-the-scenes aspects of TV production such as casting, makeup, and choreography. Matt is a writer and executive producer of The Late Show with David Letterman.
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Juniors Making A Difference
Junior Kelsey Qu was featured in the Sept. 23rd issue of the Bettendorf News. When asked what she would do if she had $1 million to donate, Kelsey said she would donate it to a panda reserve. Kelsey is, in fact, planning a trip to the panda reserve in China. Kelsey cites Rivermont as a great influence in shaping who she is today and named her teachers as "my coaches" and her friends as "teammates and cheerleaders."
Junior Pavane Gorrepati travels to Des Moines in October for the World Food Prize Foundation's Youth Institute International Symposium and Laureate Ceremony. Pavane spent a 2 month Borlaug-Ruan International Internship in Changsha, China at the China National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Center. Pavane kept an online journal of her internship at:
Pavane's Journal - Click Here!
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American Players Theatre Trip
Tuesday, Sept. 27th
Grades 9-12
Annually, Rivermont offers students in grades 9-12 the opportunity to attend a Shakespeare performance at American Players Theatre, a professional, classic theater located just outside Spring Green, WI. Students attending should arrive on campus no later than 6:45 a.m. - the charter bus will depart promptly at 7:00 a.m. and return around 5:00 p.m. Students will phone family thirty minutes prior to arriving on campus. Please be prompt for pick-up!
Please note that the theater is an outdoors venue and performances will take place even in the event of rain. Students are to dress appropriately for the weather. The walk uphill to the theater is steep and walking shoes or trainers are smart choices for footwear. Students will need to pack lunches.
Questions? Contact Mrs. Pokora!
pokora@rvmt.org
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Girl Scout Info Night
Tuesday, Sept. 27 - 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Come learn about the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, a girl-led leadership program where girls discover who they are, connect with others, and take action to make the world a better place!
Girl Scout Info Night will take place in Becherer Hall. If you choose to register for 2011-12 Girl Scouts, cost is $12.
Questions? Contact Theresa with the Girl Scouts at (309) 788-0833 or TheresaB@GSEIWI.org
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From the Student Hunger Drive Committee
The Student Hunger Drive kick-off will be Monday, Oct. 3 and the drive will last through Friday, Nov. 11. Last year, the Rivermont Community collected 13,011 lbs of canned food. The value of this donation is over $27,000! Since 1998, Rivermont has contributed 128,423 lbs of food!
On Monday, Oct. 3, we will hold an all-school assembly at 10:45 a.m. in the auditorium to kick-off the 2011 Student Hunger Drive. That evening, Rivermont students will be presenting a song/skit at the official Hunger Drive Kick-Off Party at the River Bend Foodbank, along with other Quad City schools. Students in grades 6-12 are encouraged to attend and all Rivermont students and families are invited! There will be pizza, music, and great performances! The event is from 6:00-7:30 p.m.
A supervised study hall will be offered after school on Monday, Oct. 3 for those students in grades 6-12 who wish to attend the Kick-Off Party at the River Bend Foodbank. The bus will depart from Rivermont at 5:30 p.m. and return around 7:45 p.m. Students must obtain a permission slip from Ms. Dao and return it with a parent/guardian's signature by Friday, Sept. 30.
There will be a variety of fundraising activities throughout the season to raise cans for the Student Hunger Drive. We ask all members of the Rivermont Community to help us make this a successful event - your generosity is deeply appreciated!
Questions? Contact Ms. Dao!
(563) 359-1366 ext. 313
dao@rvmt.org
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From the College Corner
Juniors and seniors will be taking advantage of visits from college representatives to learn about specific schools, as well as ask general questions about college admissions and programs. Kelsey Qu learned about Yale's "shopping period" that allows students to "taste" a class before signing up for it. Ramya Prabhu learned about Augustana's excellent admit rate into dental programs.
2011-2012 College Representative Visits
September 12 Mike Pettis - Augustana College, IL
October 24 Maria Filippone - Knox College, IL
November 3, 12:30 p.m. Mike Diamond - Buena Vista University, IA
November 7 Sean Whitten - St. Ambrose University, IA
TBA Yvette Rodriguez - Iowa State University
TBA University of Iowa
TBA Sarah Knechel - LeHigh University, PA
TBA Susan Hillman - Earlham College, IN
Local Visits
August 31 - Grace Kiang - Washington University in St. Louis
Radisson Quad City, Davenport - 7:00-8:00 PM
September 20 - Akina Younge of Yale University
Iowa City Public Library - 7:00-8:30 PM
September 22 - Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, U of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University
Clarion Hotel, Cedar Rapids - 7:30 PM
October 2 - Golden Circle College Fair - 150 Iowa Colleges
Iowa Events Center, Des Moines - 12:30-3:00 PM
Questions?
Contact Bonnie Campbell, College Counselor
(563) 359-1366 ext. 304 - campbell@rvmt.org
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Espana: You Should GO!!!
What: Trip to Spain!
When: Spring Break (March 11-19, 2012)
Who: Any Rivermont student in grades 7-12 and/or their parents
Deadline: November 11, 2011
See Senora Weeks - she will give you all the information you need!
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Don't Miss Out!
Imp-Tiger t-shirts featuring new Imp and Tiger graphics (drawn by Rivermont students!) are for sale through Monday! T-shirts are $15 each. Order forms must be turned in to Mr. Pillow by 3:30 p.m. on Monday!
T-Shirt Order Form: Click Here!
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Dana Fee is Bettendorf News
Person of the Week!
In Thursday's issue of the Bettendorf News, Dana Fee was featured! The following is an excerpt from her interview.
Occupation:
Foreign Languages teacher, Rivermont Collegiate
Education:
Bachelor's degree in French and linguistics, minor in Russian; master's degree in education; pursuing a master's degree in theological studies
Family:
Husband, Curtis; daughter, Ashlann; sons, Jaden and Kenton
What made you decide to pursue a career in education?
One of my first passions was foreign languages, and I love studying other cultures. So when I graduated, I just felt the best thing to do would be to pass that on. But instead of teaching high school, I was really passionate about teaching young children foreign languages because I feel the younger you start teaching a child, the easier it is for them.
How does learning a language benefit children?
There's a window of time when a child can accurately reproduce a sound or a word that is not in their natural vocabulary. The other advantage is culturally. When children realize there are other people in the world who speak other languages, have other cultures, and eat different foods, I think it helps dispel any myths of differences.
How many languages do you speak?
I speak a little of seven. I grew up in Europe, so I learned English in the home and Dutch on the streets, and I started studying French when I was in fifth grade. In college I added Russian and German, and here at Rivermont I added Spanish and Latin.
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Upcoming Events
September
23 Fall Mini Imp-Tiger Day, 2:00 - 3:30 PM
26 MS/Varsity Cross Country Meet (Away)
Hampton - 4:30 PM - NEW ADDITION to fall athletic schedule!
27 American Players Theatre Trip (9th-12th), depart 6:45 AM
Chess Class, 3:40 - 5:00 PM
MS Volleyball vs. Morning Star (Away)
5th/6th - 4:30 PM 7th/8th - 5:30 PM
Girl Scout Info Night (K-5), 5:00 - 6:00 PM
29 MS Volleyball vs. Silvis (Away)
5th/6th - 4:30 PM 7th/8th - 5:30 PM
October
3 All School Assembly for Food Drive Kick-Off, 10:45 AM
Food Drive Kick-Off Event @ River Bend Foodbank (6th-12th)
Bus departs Rivermont 5:30 PM, returns 7:45 PM
4 Admissions Event: Open Tours, 8:30 - 10:00 AM
Chess Class, 3:40 - 5:00 PM
MS Volleyball vs. Hampton (Home), 5th/6th Only, 4:30 PM
Varsity Volleyball vs. North Scott 9th (Home), 6:30 PM
5 PLAN Test (Grade 10)
MS/Varsity Cross Country Meet (Away), Hampton, 4:30 PM
MS Volleyball vs. Heritage (Home), 7th/8th Only, 4:30 PM
7 Jump Rope for Heart
Lee National Denim Day
Rivermont Calendar
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To submit items for HEADlines:
marietta@rvmt.org |
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