Riverstone International School Newsletter
October 23, 2014
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 Hi All,
Thank you so much to all of you who attended the State of the School Address last night to hear an overview of the 2014-19 Strategic Plan and kick off the Annual Fund. Copies of the new Strategic Plan are being mailed to all families.
This is a perfect week to talk about our Community and Service Pillar. We have had a wonderful community event already, as the Carnival was a great success. Last night, the parents and staff who attended the State of the School learned more about where we are headed together over the next five years. The Variety Show, another unique to Riverstone event, will be held December 6. Save the date - this show is not to be missed - and read below for important information about auditions.
Our community of Middle and High School students gave back to seven non-profit local organizations last Thursday in our first of two school days of service - please see the pictures below and read the Idaho Statesman article featuring one of our seniors, Karoline W. Our students contribute almost 700 hours of service per year. And that is just the beginning. Our Middle School students complete curriculum-based service activities as well as many individual student projects. In the High School, each student participates in service as part of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme's Creativity, Action, and Service requirement. In the Elementary School, service is part of the grade level units of inquiry. For example, last year Gr 4 worked with the Learning Lab to help new immigrants learn English and Gr 2 presented their Shakespeare play at the Idaho Veteran's Home.
Our entire community can work together at the annual Rake Up Boise event on Saturday November 15. Please sign up on the Community Opportunities sheet.
At this point in our history, service to the community is just part of who we are. Students don't need to be pushed; they complete and seek out amazing projects on their own and on their own time.
Next week, I will share with you some of the projects our seniors have been involved with recently. The range and breadth of these projects is wonderful and reflects Riverstone's desire for our students to find ways to engage purposefully.
Call for anything, 
Bob Carignan Head of School bcarignan@riverstoneschool.org |
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FRIDAY MORNING MUSIC **TOMORROW**
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 Join us for Friday Morning Music tomorrow morning! Students who study music privately would love to share their love of music with you.
If your child is interested in performing in the future, please contact Laura DeLaney, Music teacher.
Friday Morning Music: Friday, Oct 24 from 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM in the Elementary School Atrium |
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ANNUAL FUND KICKOFF COFFEE
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 Matt & Suzanne Long kicked off the Annual Fund Campaign last evening and would love to treat everyone to a cup of coffee tomorrow morning to celebrate! Please plan a couple of extra minutes to stop and say hello.
Annual Fund Kickoff Coffee: Friday, Oct 24 from 8:00 AM - 8:45 AM in the Elementary School Atrium
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 Just a reminder that all visitors to the school must sign in and pick up a visitor badge at the Elementary and Middle School front desks.
Whether you are helping in a classroom or dropping off a forgotten lunch, we appreciate everyone signing in. Knowing who is in the school is a vital element of our school safety procedures.
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The Executive Director of the Northwest Association of Independent Schools (NWAIS), Siri Akal Khalsa, will be visiting Riverstone on November 17. Besides touring the school and meeting with staff, he has happily agreed to present a short talk to parents on trends in independent education.
All parents are invited. Feel free to bring a friend!
Parent discussion with Siri Akal Khalsa, NWAIS Executive Director: Monday, November 17 at 2:45 PM in the Library |
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HOST FAMILY FOR SPRING SEMESTER NEEDED
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 We are currently seeking a host family for the spring semester. As you may have heard, hosting international students can be a wonderful experience for families and the hosted student. As an international school, we greatly appreciate our host families!
The following is an excerpt from a letter that was written from a German student who would like to attend Riverstone International School this spring. Please contact Jane Kaserman, International Student Coordinator, if you are interested in hosting or have questions.
Dear Host Family,
My name is Jana. I am a German girl and I'm 15 years old. I live in a small, beautiful town in the southern part of Hessen (near Heidelberg). It is surrounded by wine yards and in our region we have many small lakes.
I live here in a house with my parents, my older sister, and my cat called Lilly. I go to a Christian girl's school in the neighboring city. Now I'm in 9th grade. My favorite subjects are German and PE. In summer I drive to school by bike. Our school is in the city centre so it's great when you have a free lesson and can go in the city centre with your friends.
Sometimes when my mother comes back from work we sit together, talking about the day or playing a game. Our whole family likes to play games and usually we have dinner together.
I really enjoy traveling and I like to get to know a new country with its culture, its treasures, its sights, the people and their food. I think it's really interesting and you can learn a lot by traveling. Last year I was in India with my family. I never was in America and I'm really looking forward to being there and getting to know you, your way of living, the school, and new people. America is my dream country.
Best Wishes,
Jana
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VARIETY SHOW AUDITIONS: SIGN UP NOW
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 Get your act together! It is officially time to sign up to audition for the Variety Show!
Get your friends together and create a beautiful, fun, outrageous, dramatic, and totally unique performance. Parents, students, faculty... all are encouraged to participate!
All acts should be group performances of 2 or more people and no more than 5 minutes in length.
Sign up here to audition the week of November 3. The Variety Show is Friday, Dec 6 following the Book Fair Preview and Parents' Association Pizza Dinner.
Once audition slots are gone, they are gone until next year. So make your plans, start practicing, and sign up fast. Sign ups are online only and may be done on the Community Opportunities sheet.
Please contact Damon Brown, Music Teacher, if you have questions. |
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STUDENT ACTIVITIES SESSION TWO
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 Why let all the fun come to an end of a school day?
Students from Kindergarten through high school are invited to join our student activities in Session 2 for continued fun and learning. We have something for everyone and would love to have your child participate.
Take a look at our new offerings and sign up today! Session 2 begins the week of November 3.
Please contact Tarrah Elam, Student Life Coordinator, with questions.
Download Elementary School Activities Session Two here.
Download Middle & High School Activities Session Two here. |
 Come and enjoy one of Riverstone favorite traditions: The Elementary School Halloween Parade! The Parade is on Friday, October 31 and starts at 2:30 PM.
The Parade starts with our youngest students in Preschool and winds through the Elementary School, picking up students in the next grade until they have all the kids from Preschool through Gr 5 in a long line. The parade then winds through the Middle School and then the High School Quad.
Following the parade, Elementary classes will hold their annual Halloween parties. Costumes should not include weapons, toy or otherwise.
Elementary School Halloween Parade: Friday, Oct 31 at 2:30 PM in the Elementary School
**There are a few costumes in the Elementary School atrium on a rack that are available to a good home. Check them out! |
 Last call! If you would like your family photo to be included in the PA Photo Directory, please send an email to to RiverstonePA@riverstoneschool.org with the following:- A family photo (1MB digital file) that is clear
- If your child lives in two households, please feel free to send two photos
We are excited about this new project and we look forward to seeing all of the beautiful (or entertaining) pictures of you and your families! If you have any questions, please contact Treacy Liebich.
Please submit photos by Friday, October 24!
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A note from our PA President, Michelle Nenov: 
Thank you to the our Riverstone Community for your continued support of our Parents' Association! Our Carnival this year was a BIG success and raised approximately $6000.
Thank you to our co-chairs, Julie Worthington and Kim Fall, for making the Carnival such a success!
Many hands played a role in this year's Carnival and we would like to extend special thanks to the following people:
- The Geffros Family for sponsoring the Orbitor
- Panaton Software for donating the GoPro for the big raffle prize
- Todd Predovich for filling in ALL the blanks and helping us when ever help was needed
A huge THANK YOU to our Chili Crew! Kudos to parents Cindy Linder, Nimi Sandhu and Mary Eidson for making such delicious chili! Additionally, our Set Up and Clean Up Crews were awesome!
And last, but not least, thank you to all of the Riverstone students who volunteered their time working the event. You are all amazing and we cannot thank you enough for your time and effort.
Carnival Lost & Found: We are trying to locate two commercial grade aluminum baking sheets with high edges. Name on the back is Amy Bava. If you happen to have taken the sheets home to wash or know where they might be, please email Amy Bava. |
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JOIN OUR FESTIVAL OF TREES TEAM
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 Join the Festival of Trees Team! No experience necessary! Children and parents with any sort of craftiness are welcome to participate and be involved in the planning and decor of our annual Festival of Trees creation.
This year, Riverstone's tree is inspired by our Pillar of Leadership by Example: "See the Leader in You!" Our Festival of Tree leaders, Kim Liebich and Ceci Bennett, would love for you and your children to help us create our tree!
Join us in the Elementary School Art Room on Monday's from 3:30 PM - 4:45 PM Tree set up will be Sunday, Nov 23 from 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM.
The tree pictured at right was our 2012 Riverstone Novel Tree, which was one of 10 trees selected to be included in the Live Auction portion of the Gala event at the Festival of Trees! Please email Kim Liebich if you can come play or have questions. |
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RIVERSTONE LIVE AT THE CRUX: NOV 1
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LIBRARY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
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 We are looking for Very Important Parents/Grandparents (VIPs) to volunteer once a month for an hour during the Preschool through Grade 3 Library Classes.
Volunteers will work with the librarian to help children select books and with the smaller ones read in small groups. Students come once a week for a 45 minute class and hear a story tied to their unit of inquiry, learn something about the unit or library, and check out books/read. Help is always appreciated at other times.
Sign up to volunteer in the library on the Community Opportunities sheet.
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 Please read the following note from Andrea Kuenzli, School Counseling Intern:
Grade 6-8 students have been working their way through the wellness program. In previous weeks, we have discussed how to live a balanced life, coping strategies to deal with life stressors, and how to live and work in a team where everyone is involved and appreciated.
In the next few weeks, we will begin to cover the topics of healthy friendships, study skills, future planning, and how to utilize and build upon on character strengths.
In every lesson, we include team building exercises that will relate learned skills to the IB learner profile ideals and foster healthy relationships among peers and our community.
If you have any questions please feel free to email Andrea Kuenzli, School Counseling Intern.
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HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL TRYOUTS
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 All interested Gr 9-12 girls are welcome to tryout for Riverstone's High School Basketball team on Monday, November 3 .
**All players who will be Freshman and Juniors next year MUST have a physical completed prior to tryouts. If students do not bring a completed physical form, she will not be allowed to tryout and will therefore not be able to make a team. Please do not forget this form! Download the physical examination form here.
High School Girls Basketball Tryouts: Monday, Nov 3 from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM in Kennedy Gymnasium.
Contact Demi Dlouhy, PE teacher and Athletic Coordinator, with any questions. |
 An update from Coach Raymond:
This week is tournament week for RSFC, where we will have a chance to play again against other strong teams. We won our first game of the tournament last Tuesday against a team which defeated us during the regular season. With more teamwork and determination, we are looking forward to having a good tournament and will try to win as many games as possible.
I am so proud to be part of the Riverstone soccer team and very proud of each player. We have two more games to go and we are looking forward to finishing at the top!
Check the Riverstone Facebook page for photos from Senior Day last Saturday.
Come and cheer on the team! Next games are Friday, Oct 24 at 5:30 AM; Simplot Field #15 and Saturday, Oct 25 at 1:30 PM: Simplot Field #20
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 Create Common Good is our lunch provider. Have you checked out the lunch options lately?
The link to order online is always include in the Important Links section below.
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Last Friday, Grade 9 - 12 students packed the Riverstone Bus and Sprinter for an evening of fun at Linder Farms. Forty-five students challenged the corn mazes, raced man powered go carts, enjoyed a bon fire, and went on a moon lit hay ride.
Thank you to the High School Student Council for organizing the activity and all who participated in this community event.
Special thanks to staff members Damon Brown, John Blossom, Eric Pedersen, Andy Johnson, and Tarrah Elam for making this adventure possible!
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 Join Riverstone's Rake-Up-Boise Team!
Fall has finally arrived and so have many of the leaves that fall into our yards. Raking up the yards of those who are not able is one of many ways that Riverstone gives back to our community.
Please contact Tarrah Elam, Student Life Coordinator, if you have questions.
Rake Up Boise: Saturday, Nov 15 Meet at Riverstone at 9:00 AM |
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SHARE YOUR TALENTS WITH STUDENT ACTIVITIES
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Are you interested in getting more involved in our school community? Do you have a talent or passion you are interested in sharing with our students? Do you love making your own cards or jewelry? Perhaps you an expert in karate or woodcrafts?
Consider teaching in our after school programs! We would love to have more parents offering classes after school. Commitments for after school activities are 1 hour per week from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM during a six week session. We will pay you for your time!
We are currently coordinating activities for the session that begins the first week in February and continues until the week of March 9th. Consider sharing your passion!
Please contact Tarrah Elam, Student Life Coordinator, to discuss the possibilities. |
 Riverstone LIVE is the name of our performance series in downtown Boise. Join us to support Riverstone students as they perform live in family-friendly venues.
Riverstone-grown bands Jam Fabrik, Lone Tree River (pictured at right), and solo performer Tiara W will be first up and performing on Saturday, November 1 at The Crux.
Come down, have a beverage, and support our musicians in their first live show in a public venue. The Crux has graciously invited us to play. Let's show them that Riverstone can bring a supportive and enthusiastic audience.
Riverstone LIVE at The Crux: Saturday, Nov 1 at 6:30 PM (1022 W Main )
Please contact Damon Brown, Music Teacher, if you have more detailed questions. |
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MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL DAY OF SERVICE: OCT 16
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Last Thursday, Middle & High School students volunteered at the following organization for their Day of Service. Thanks to our parent volunteers who accompanied our students!
- Boise Parks & Recreation
- Boys and Girls Club
- Create Common Good
- Discovery Center
- Head Start
- Idaho Food Bank
- Idaho Youth Ranch
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 Our High School Basketball Coaches are hosting open gym sessions for High School players to get some extra practice before basketball season starts. No fee!
High School Boys Basketball Open Gym: Every Sunday from 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM.
High School Girls Basketball Open Gym: Every Saturday from 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM.
Attending open gyms is not mandatory for playing on a school team. Please contact Boys Coach Eric Chapman at echappy@aol.com with questions!
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There is a lot going on next week at Riverstone! Although not a complete list of all things happening, here are some highlights for the week.
View the school calendar here.
| Friday, Oct 24 | Friday Morning Music from 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM in the ES Atrium
Annual Fund Kickoff Coffee from 8:00 AM - 8:45 AM in the ES Atrium
Variety Show Sign Ups (first come, first serve!)
High School Soccer at 5:30 PM on Simplot #15
| | Saturday, Oct 25 | High School Soccer at 1:30 PM on Simplot #20
Open Gym Girls Basketball froml 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
| | Sunday, Oct 26 | Open Gym Boys Basketball from 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
| | Monday, Oct 27 | Festival of Trees Crafting from 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM in the Elementary School Art Room
| | Friday, Oct 31 | Elementary School Halloween Parade Starts at 2:30 PM |
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FACEBOOK PHOTO OF THE WEEK
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This week's Facebook photo of the week features our Middle & High School students after their Day of Service celebrating the impending arrival of Tarrah E's baby.
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