Riverstone International School Newsletter
March 12, 2015
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Hi All,
It's hard to believe that Spring Break is just around the corner. I wanted to take a minute to talk about parent, teacher, and student conferences. No matter what grade your student is in, conferences are always very important. As a school, we commit two days each semester to ensure that parents have plenty of opportunities to attend.
We ask that everyone reflects on this semester in advance, so that these conferences are as valuable as possible. It is important to leave with your questions answered and to have a good understanding of where your student is doing well and where and how they can improve. The key to all of this is communication and a trust in each other. It is important to enter conferences with a belief that everyone involved with Riverstone wants each student to reach their full potential - in fact, it is our life work and yours.
Please also know that while we are on a tight schedule during conferences, we want every parent to be satisfied that they received the information they needed. That is why we have an open door policy; we want you to know that you can always schedule individual follow-ups with any teacher after these conferences are over. While we ask that you help us to stay on time during conference days, your satisfaction in being able to chart a successful path forward for your child is our top priority.
As always, we will do our best, learn, reflect, and improve each and every year.
On another note, a wonderful and heartfelt thank you to our Parents' Association for their generous gifts to Riverstone! Please see below for more info.
Call for anything,
Bob Carignan Head of School bcarignan@riverstoneschool.org |
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
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Parent Teacher Conferences are an important opportunity to learn about your child's progress. Elementary conferences will be held Thursday & Friday, March 19 & 20; Middle & High School conferences will be held Wednesday (afternoon only), Thursday, and Friday, March 18-20.
Sign up for Elementary School conferences here.
Sign up for Middle & High School conferences here.
As a convenience, we will offer childcare for siblings during your conference times in the Multi-purpose Room.
If you need additional childcare, please email James Hamilton-Vail, Director of Elementary Education by Monday, March 16. We will be offering all-day care from 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM on Thursday and Friday, March 19 and 20 for $30/child. Your student will need to bring to school a lunch and snack.
As a reminder, Gr 10 families may sign up for conferences with Diploma Programme teachers if they would like to know more about the subject area that particular person teaches.
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Join us for Friday Morning Music! Students who study music privately would love to share their hard work and dedication with you. Lasts approximately 30 minutes -- it's a wonderful way to start your day!
Friday Morning Music on Friday, Mar 13 at 8:00 AM in the atriumPlease contact Laura DeLaney with questions. |
Students in Grades 6 - 8 are invited to enjoy an evening together with a blast from the past!
Join us at the Time Machine Dance on Friday, Mar 13! Students in Gr 6 should represent the 60's, Gr 7 should represent the 70's, and Grade 8 should represent the 80's.
Or...come dressed as any era that you like!
Contact a Middle School Student Council member or Tarrah Elam with questions.
Middle School Dance for Gr 6-8 on Friday, Mar 13 from 6:30 - 9:00 PM.
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Riverstone's favorite bands -- Jam Fabrik and The Lone Tree River Band -- are back!
Head down to the District Coffee House for live music featuring Riverstone high school students! Perfect venue for families.
Check out the event invite on Facebook.
Riverstone Live! at The District Coffee House at 219 N 10th St on Saturday, March 14 at 7:30 PMPictured at right are Jack J, Cat C, Sam L, and Rebecca T of Lone Tree River
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We are thrilled to share the news that the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation has given a $250,000 gift to our endowment campaign that will be used to establish the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Scholarship Fund. The scholarship will expand school choice for Idaho's youth by enabling more students with financial need to attend Riverstone International School. Their gift and commitment to education in Idaho is much appreciated.
Our next Parent Mixer will be held on April 15 at 6:30 PM at the home of Alexander and Nicole Toeldte. Please save the date on your calendar!
If you have a conflict on the date that your class is invited and would like to attend another evening, please feel free to do so.
Contact Kurt and Treacy Liebich to learn more about this important endeavor!
Evening mixer date
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Parents in the following grades are invited*
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April 15
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Gr 2, 6, 10
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May 6
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Gr 3, 7, 11
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Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Parents' Association meeting this morning; we value your time and were able to get through a lot of material.
We Spent Our Money!
Last month we shared the results of our survey in which we asked for your input on how to spend the remaining balance from a previous monetary gift. You prioritized the items below:
- Water Bottle Filling Stations
- Chairs - to alleviate the need for the school to rent chairs for various school functions
- School Mascot Logo for the Gymnasium
 Drum roll please...and after further analysis of our funds -- in addition to the previous items -- the PA approved the purchase of 20 new iPads to be used by Riverstone students, replacing the outdated and non-upgradable first generation iPads the school currently uses.
A HUGE "Thank You" to Kevin Richmond who was successful in ordering all of the above items before 2:00 PM this afternoon! The goal is to install the water filling stations before school resumes in April. The new iPads and chairs will arrive next week! And the school will install the Otter logo for the gymnasium this summer.
And Now Onto Next Year...
It's time for nominations for next year's PA Board and Event Chair positions! As always, all positions are open for nomination. Nominees will be voted on and approved at the PA meeting on May 14th.
Turn in your nomination forms in person to Lisa Armstrong at the Elementary School, Robyn Olnes at the Middle School OR submit it electronically to Kim Liebich at kimliebich@cableone.net. Additional forms can be found on the counter at Lisa Armstrong's desk.
Link to the PA Nomination form here.
Link to the PA Meeting Minutes here.
The next Parents' Association Meeting will be Thursday, April 9 at 8:40 AM in the library.
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please contact PA President, Michelle Nenov via email or (415) 990-4138.
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The Parents' Association has started planning for the second Annual Riverstone Family Photo Directory!
Please take a few family photos of everyone happy and relaxed during spring break! And then email them to riverstonepa@riverstoneschool.org. The next edition of the photo directory will be released in the fall when school starts.
Please contact Treacy Liebich with questions.
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 How Can I Help?
Our students in Gr 6-12 will be asking that very question to various organizations in the community next Thursday, March 19.
If you would like to lend a hand, please contact Tarrah Elam. We have comitted our student volunteers, but we would love to have more adults as well.
Engage Your Child's Brain on Mar 20
We have partnered with two organizations to provide stimulating opportunities on Friday, Mar 20 for students in Gr 6 - 12.
- Students in Gr 6-9 may attend a writing workshop designed by The Cabin for Riverstone students. The class will take place from 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM and cost is $50.
- Students in Gr 9 - 12 may take a practice PSAT, SAT, or ACT at Huntington Learning Center at no cost with results analyzed and shared with families. Testing will begin at 9:00 AM and finish around 1:00 PM
Please email Tarrah Elam to confirm participation.
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To help with planning, here are a few important events you will want to include in your calendar.
The first day of school, vacations, etc for 2015-16 are on the school calendar!
Monday, April 6
| School closed for Teacher In-Service
| Monday - Thursday, April 6-9
| Senior trip
| Tuesday, April 14
| Meet the Seniors at 8:45 AM
| Wednesday, April 15
| Endowment Parent Mixer
| Friday, April 17
| Senior Art Show at the Crux
| Saturday, April 18
| Gr 9-12 Prom
| Thursday, April 30
| Gr 10 MYP Personal Project Exhibition
| Monday, May 4
| Diploma Programme Exams Begin
| Wednesday, May 6
| Spring Arts Festival Endowment Parent Mixer
| Monday - Friday, May 11-15
| Gr 8 and 10 Spring Trips
| Monday - Sunday, May 11-17
| Gr 9 Spring Trip
| Tuesday - Friday, May 12-15
| Gr 3 Spring Trip
| Wednesday - Friday, May 13-15
| Gr 2 Spring Trip
| Thursday - Friday, May 14-15
| Kindergarten and Gr 1 Spring Trips
| Tuesday, May 26
| Gr 5 Exhibition Evening
| Wednesday, May 27
| Honor the Seniors Dessert
| Thursday, May 28
| Commencement
| Tuesday, June 2
| Gr 5 Move Up Ceremony Middle & High School Awards Ceremony
| Thursday, June 4
| Last Day of School with Field Day and All School BBQ
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The following is an update from our school counseling team:
In the Elementary School Character Development Program, we have discussed the decision-making process, stressors and coping skills, and the difference between teasing and taunting. We have also continued to discuss the traits and values that we appreciate in our friends and family. We also created praise capes that displayed compliments from classmates. In our weekly Middle School Wellness classes, we have discussed the topic of respect and tolerance. We have explored the constructs of personal and emotional safety in the Riverstone community and discussed ways that we can individually increase safety. Tuckie Shaver from the Boise Police Department was a guest speaker on the topic of crime prevention, as well as personal and Internet safety.
In all grade levels, we have hit on the idea of giving positive affirmations everyday.
Parents you can give this a try as well! Give three positive affirmations or praise everyday to your child. Please feel free to email Shirley O'Neil, School Counselor, or Andrea Kuenzli, Counseling Intern, with any questions.
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BIG BREAK BIRDING CONTEST
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Join in Riverstone's 4th Annual Big Break Birding "Competition" that really is just about fun. Turn in a list of birds that you identified over spring break to Ben Brock by Friday, April 11.
Raffle tickets will be given for every list submitted, the longest list, oldest birder, every bird not on someone else's list, and best bird photograph! Everyone has a chance to win!
Need a little help getting started? Join Ben Brock, Kerry Fitzharris and Kim Liebich for a couple pre-break birding excursions.
Ben, Kerry, and Kim will be leading a birding walk through the Shakespeare Festival Grounds on Tuesday, March 17 from 3:30 - 5:00 PM and then around the Barber Bridge Ponds on Wednesday, March 18 from 7:30 - 8:15 AM.
Download a flyer with more information here.
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Riverstone International School is proud to partner with the American Heart Association through Jump Rope for Heart! Last year our school raised $4,596 and our goal is to raise $5,000 for lifesaving research this year.
Donations are due April 10 to classroom teachers.
This community service project teaches our students the importance of heart health (exercise, nutrition and living tobacco free), while having a great time jumping rope! Students also have the opportunity to raise funds for the American Heart Association to provide education in our community, and fund research & development, all in an effort to lower the risks of America's #1 and #4 killers, heart disease and stroke.
Why participate? When your child talks about his/her reason for participating in Jump Rope For Heart (such as a lost loved one or a family history of heart disease), it helps them to connect the dots to a healthier life and might even inspire a few other family members to live heart healthy too!
The top 25 students who collect the most donations will have the opportunity to visit LifeFlight Boise!
Please contact Demi Dlouhy with questions.
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Thanks to Discover Technologies and the Micron Foundation, students in Kindergarten through Grade 12 attended an all-school assembly focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). We made a human number line with Celsius degrees, experimented with temperature and volume, and more.
Following the all-school assembly, classes took turns in a specially designed science on wheels bus for hands-on labs that included circuits, robotics, and 3-D printers to name just a few.
Many thanks to the Micron Foundation and staff of Discover Technologies for awarding us this grant. Our day was filled with a lot of smiles and discovery!
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Grades 8 and 10 were treated to cloudless skies and a full moon during this year's installments of the winter outdoor program. Although more snow would have been nice, 8th graders found enough of the white stuff to do snowpack analyses and tracking activities whereas 10th graders were able to construct rock-solid snow-shelters, which proved warmer than expected.
Some notable successes of the three-day trips included:
- Outdoor Leadership student Natalie P (Gr 11) giving the trailhead safety talks
- An innovative Gr 8 student using the debris from one snow cave as the foundation for her own
- A parent fly-over
- A wicked game of moonlight capture the flag and a couple of frenzied speed puzzle competitions
- Gr 8 yurt campers getting a sneak-peak of the Gr 10 snow camping sites that will be their "homes" in two years
- Willing and enthusiastic kids all around!

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RE-ENROLLMENT & CHECKLISTS
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Thank you to our families who submitted their re-enrollment contracts and deposits for 2015-16!
With the re-enrollment contracts are a checklist of forms that also need to be completed. This year, we are really trying to have all parent information and forms (including copies of immunization records) submitted and uploaded into SchoolAdmin no later than May 1, 2015.
Although deadline is May 1, we would really appreciate your help in completing these forms before spring break!At this time, we only have 31% of families with their forms complete. We will have kiosks available during parent teacher conferences for your convenience.
It is critically important for staff efficiency to complete the forms on the checklist as soon as possible so we can work over the summer months with the most up-to-date information. This makes a world of difference for us and we certainly appreciate your help.
Please contact Lisa Armstrong with any questions.
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We enjoy sharing news from our students' lives outside of school. Please contact Kathleen Gilton with your child's news.
Kelli W (Gr 7) achieved Superior Ratings for the third year in a row at the Boise Musicale String Festival recently held at the Morrison Center. Congratulations Kelli!
Kudos to Hailey W (Gr 5) who achieved a Superior Rating at the Boise Musicale Piano Festival held at Morrison Center. This was her second straight year with a Superior Rating.
Congratulations to Gwen D (Gr 11) for winning first place soprano in the District 3 solo and ensemble contest on February 23. There were over 400 competitors in the vocal competition. Gwen will go on to the state competition on May 2 in Pocatello, Idaho.
Darci DeA (Gr 5) and Gwen D (Gr 11) were a part of the American Choral Directors Association National Elementary and HS Honor Choirs, respectively. They each spent over 18 hours rehearsing music with students from all over the country and performed for over 20,000 choir directors and music lovers in Salt Lake City. Congratulations, Gwen and Darci.
Photos below: Kelli (left), Hailey (right), and Darci and Gwen performing at the National Choir concert (below)
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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, Mar 13
| Friday Morning Music Middle School dance Merci lunch hosted by Gr 5, 7, and 11
| Saturday, Mar 14
| High school soccer at 9:00 AM Riverstone Live! at the District Coffee House at 7:30 PM
| Tuesday, Mar 17
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Gr 3 How We Express Ourselves Dance at 3:00 PM
| Wednesday, Mar 18
| Preschool How We Express Ourselves Open House at 9:00 AM Gr 1 How We Express Ourselves Open House at 2:30 PM High school soccer at 6:00 PM
| Thursday, Mar 19
| Middle and High School Day of Service Parent Teacher Conferences
| Friday, Mar 20
| Parent Teacher Conferences
| Saturday, Mar 21 - April 7
| School closed for spring break and teacher in-service
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The week's Facebook photo of the week features RSFC, our High School Soccer team.
Keep an eye on Riverstone's Facebook page to keep up with what's happening at Riverstone!
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