Dear Rainier Families,

Back to School Night

Back to School Night is this Thursday, September 19 from 6:30-8:30pm. We will begin by introducing the faculty and giving a brief presentation. We are especially excited to show the Personalized Learning Plan tool so that students and parents can track academic progress in each class, check grades, set learning goals, and more. Parents will have an opportunity to meet with their students' teachers and mentors to learn more about classes and sign up for a Personalized Learning Plan meeting with their mentor. Back to School Night will be a great opportunity to connect with your student's teachers and learn how to be involved in your student's education this year. We look forward to seeing you there!

Personalized Learning Plan Meetings

Personalized Learning Plan meetings are coming soon! The PLP meeting is an individual meeting with each student, parent/guardian, and mentor. The purpose of the meeting is to work together to discuss goals and a plan for the student for the school year. This year we are excited to have systems in place to check in on these plans on a weekly basis, in addition to the yearly family meeting. We have set aside Friday, September 26 and Saturday, September 27 for these meetings, but you will schedule your meeting individually with your mentor. Sign ups will occur at Back to School Night, or you can contact your mentor directly. Note that school will be closed on Thursday, September 25 so that teachers can prepare for the meetings, and no classes will be held on Friday, September 26.

College Night

We are excited to launch our College Nights for this year with our first College Night for our junior class. The College Night is for all 11th grade students and families from both Rainier and Tahoma and will take place on Tuesday, September 24 at 6:30pm on the Rainier campus. At this night, you will receive information about what to expect from junior year, what steps juniors should be taking now to prepare for college, and what to expect from the Expeditions College Readiness course. There will be an informative presentation in English and Spanish, as well as a chance to ask questions of your mentor or school administrators. This is important information and we hope to see every junior student and family present!

Testing

Students will do their EPAS (Educational Planning and Assessment System) testing on Wednesday, September 18 during school hours. 9th graders will take the EXPLORE, 10th graders will take the PLAN, and 11th graders will take the ACT.

These tests are designed to measure students' educational progress and college readiness as they progress through high school. Each test contains English, Reading, Mathematics, and Science sections, and students' score reports will provide them with useful information for education and career planning. Students will complete their EPAS testing in the morning and participate in special College Day activities in the afternoon. The Rainier faculty is proud to provide opportunities like this for our college-bound students to consider life after high school and get excited for the future.  

Respectfully,

Pamela Lamcke, Principal

Lia Pinelli, Assistant Director