Riverstone International School Newsletter
April 23, 2015
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 Hi All,
I hope you are enjoying the spring weather and getting outside, as our students will be doing shortly on their Spring Trips. Building mature and leading edge programs, like our Outdoor Program, has taken years of investment and continual improvement. That is true for our facilities and it is also true for our staff.
We believe that continually improving our academic programs takes continual investment in our most important asset: our staff. We are proud of the steps we have taken over the last four years, and we continue to hold ambitious goals into the future.
We have ensured that our teachers were up-to-date on their International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme trainings. Teachers have taken on-line courses and have traveled to many locations for on-site training. We also have several teachers who have turned their knowledge and skill into becoming trainers for the IB - no easy task.
We have also hosted on-site trainings during in-service days, both hiring outside experts and using our own in-house experts to lead these seminars. We will continue to look for ways in which our investments in staff not only make one teacher better, but also their expertise makes all of our staff better.
Our Directors have benefited as well from conferences that focus on their area of responsibility and we continue to seek out opportunities for them. In fact, we have hired Roger Bass, who works with the leadership of many schools in our association and across the country. He will specifically work with me and our Academic Division Directors to look at how we can improve how we run each Division and our school, both on a day-to-day basis and into the future as we work towards our Strategic Plan goals.
Thanks to your generosity during our Fund-A-Need, we have enrolled four staff members in a three-day Project Lead the Way training this summer. They will be our leaders as we begin rolling out this world-class STEM program next fall.
I am also excited to announce that our investment is growing outside of our community as well. Our Grade 5 teachers, Stacey and Trevor, have been selected to present at this summer's IB North America Conference in Chicago. They were selected from a very large pool of proposals from across North America. They will be talking about one of their innovative inquiry-based lesson plans that they conducted earlier this year. This is a truly great honor as the competition for these spots is fierce. We are proud of them and proud to see our school continue to expand outwards in our academic expertise and reputation. Make no doubt about it; we deliver the IB Programmes as well, if not better, than anyone.
It is imperative that we invest in our people, and that we continue to find news ways to engage and empower the people that make our school what it is. This has been and will continue to be one of our top priorities.
Call for anything,
Bob Carignan
Head of School
bcarignan@riverstoneschool.org |
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FRIDAY MORNING MUSIC & ENDOWMENT COFFEE
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 Join us tomorrow morning in the Elementary School atrium for Friday Morning Music, followed by a Parent Coffee to discuss the school's endowment campaign, Navigating Forward!
Delightful music performed by our students, a cup of coffee, and conversation!
Friday Morning Music: Friday, Apr 24 starting at 8:00 AM followed immediately by Endowment Coffee in the atrium
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 The Riverstone LIVE series continues featuring Riverstone students showcasing their talents in downtown, family friendly settings.
Our Middle School Contemporary Ensemble, High School Ensemble a.k.a The Regulars and friends, Jam Fabrik, and Lone Tree River will present an exciting evening family friendly and popular music. Rumor has it that the Senior Band will also perform. Free to all! Join us!
Riverstone LIVE! on Friday, April 24 from 6:30 - 7:45 PM at The Hub at 1408 W State St
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 It's district track meet season at East Junior High which can cause traffic congestion in entering and exiting our parking lot. We appreciate that the school district has moved the start times for the meets to decrease the impact on our school. The district has also provided a traffic guard to direct traffic.
To make it easier for the traffic guard to identify Riverstone parents who need to enter our parking lot, we have passes to display on your dashboard on track meet days. Please stop in the Elementary School front desk to pick up your pass.
There are three meets remaining on the following dates/times if you want to plan ahead for potential delays.
- Monday, April 27 @ 5:00 PM
- Tuesday, April 28 @ 5:00 PM
- Wednesday, April 29 @ 2:00 PM
Contact Todd Predovich at 353-6324 with any questions. |
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PLEDGE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE DURING EARTH WEEK
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 Pledge to Make a Difference
Thanks to everyone in the Riverstone community who participated in the Earth Week Pledge Drive! With over 100 pledges, we've made a sizeable impact on our water consumption, energy use, waste stream reduction, and more. But most importantly we've raised the level of awareness within our community about how little actions add up! And if you haven't yet participated, we're extending the Pledge Drive one more week. But feel free to continue your pledges as long as you'd like; if your pledge becomes a habit we can truly make a difference! Special thanks to Social Change and Outdoor Leadership students who have helped educate our community by tabling in the Elementary, Middle and High School.
Click here to see what others have pledged and make your own pledge! Water Bottle Filling Station
Thanks to the Parents' Association for their generous donation of water-bottle filling stations in the Elementary, Middle, and High Schools and in the Kennedy Gymnasium. By encouraging the use of refillable water bottles, they are helping our community be less dependent on disposable plastic bottles and making Riverstone a more sustainable place!
Native Plant Display Garden
If you haven't noticed it (it's still in it's early stages) come check out the Native Plant Display Garden in between the strip of land between the High School Quad and the Parking lot. Intended as an educational resource, it was funded in part by SustainingUs and planted with Riverstone kid-power. The native plants, which are currently individually watered with slow-drip irrigation, will eventually thrive in their native habitat without any additional water and will provide food and structure for birds in the area, and will need minimal maintenance and chemical treatment. |
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RIVERSTONE GOLF TOURNEY & CADDYSHACK PARTY
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 Be part of history by playing in Riverstone's first golf tournament! And don't miss a great party! Proceeds benefit Riverstone and our students. **Last day to register is May 12**
Riverstone's First Annual Golf Tournament (Saturday, May 16 at 1:30 PM)
Golf scramble at Warm Springs Golf Course! Form a team of four or sign up solo and we'll place you on a team! Teams can consist of male, female, co-ed, student/teacher, etc. $100 per player includes round of golf, cart, and light refreshments midway through the course. Kindly organized by Gr 2 teacher, Pete Burton. Sign up here.
Caddyshack Cocktail Party (Saturday, May 16 at 5:30 PM)
Head to the home of Kurt & Treacy Liebich for a festive Caddyshack themed cocktail party! Whether you finish your round of golf in the scramble or meet the players afterward, all are invited! Don't forget to pop your collar and sport your best plaid pants! Kindly donated by Kurt & Treacy Liebich. Sign up here.
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 The next Passport Club test is Tuesday, April 28. The final test of the school year will be Tuesday, May 26.
If you have any questions, please contact Passport Club Coordinator, Julia Davis. |
Riverstone students jumped rope and rounded up sponsors so that collectively, we were able to donate $5,259.75 to the American Heart Association.
Thank you to all of those who participated in these amazing event. We exceeded our goal by $259.75!!
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JOIN US: PERSONAL PROJECT EXHIBITION
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The Personal Project Exhibition will be held April 30 at 2:00 PM and 6:30 PM. The afternoon exhibition is aimed towards students. The evening exhibition is aimed towards parents. All are welcome at one or both!
The exhibition is the time during which our Grade 10 students present their projects and work to their fellow students, their parents, and other interested community members.
The Personal Project is a key element of each student's Middle Years Programme experience. Each student works on an individual project over the course of the year. The project is intended to be a capstone experience in the MYP that enables our students to demonstrate and extend skills they have developed over the preceding five years.
Please come and share in this important event in our students' lives.
Gr 10 Personal Project Exhibition on Thursday, April 30 at 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM in the Kennedy Gymnasium
Contact Andy Johnson if you have questions.
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NEED YOUR HELP WITH EXAM PROCTORING
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 Every year during May, our Seniors and over 100,000 other students around the world, take their end of Diploma Programme examinations.
These examinations begin on May 4 and continue until May 22. During that time our Seniors will take between 10-12 examinations across subjects. These examinations last from 45 minutes to three hours. They are very challenging.
Each examination requires a dedicated proctor. In year's past the school has relied on its faculty and staff to proctor each examination. This frequently pulls them away from their other classes and impacts instruction.
Over the last two years we have reached out to our parents asking them to volunteer to help proctor the examinations. Parents have supported this effort magnificently!
There are pre-examination information sessions for proctors on Tuesday, April 28 at 8:30 AM in the Library.
Contact Andy Johnson with questions.
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 Celebrate the wonderful and unique arts programs at Riverstone International School.
This year's Spring Arts Festival will take place on Wednesday, May 6 starting at 1:00 PM.
- Middle & High School concert 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
- Elementary School concert 2:15 PM - 3:15 PM
- Art will be on display in the Elementary School Building
Concerts will take place in the Kennedy Gymnasium. Hope to see you there! Please have Elementary School students wear a white shirt and dark pants or skirt on the day of the concert. They may choose to wear a tie or scarf or blazer on the day of the performance as well.
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 In next week's newsletter, there will be a link for parents to view and vote on the Parents' Association budget for the 2014-2015 school year. Also, if more than one person has been nominated for one of our leadership positions, we will also include the opportunity to vote on those positions. If you would like to nominate someone for a PA officer role for next year, please nominate him or her by Wednesday, April 29.
Voting for both the budget and nominations will conclude on Wednesday, May 6. The new board and budget will be announced at the general PA meeting on May 7.
Turn in your nomination forms in person to Lisa Armstrong at the Elementary School, Robyn Olnes at the Middle School OR submit them electronically to Kim Liebich. Additional forms can be found on the counter at Lisa Armstrong's desk. Link to the PA Nomination form here.
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 Have you considered hosting an international student?
We are looking for a host family for one of our senior boys. Tianrun, Sky, has been at Riverstone for one year and he has demonstrated a very strong academic commitment. He has strong interest in math and science and he plays soccer. Sky has an aunt and uncle who live in Idaho Falls and he spends the school breaks with them. He is looking forward to returning to Riverstone for his senior year to complete the IB Diploma Programme.
If you would like to know more about hosting, or if you know someone you think might be interested in hosting this student, please contact Jane Kaserman. |
 Susan Tabb, our librarian, is looking for "Like-New" hardback copies of specific books to supplement our library.
Please click here to see a listing of the books. Thank you for your support of reading!
Contact Susan with any questions.
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ORIENTEERING MEET AT RIVERSTONE
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 Last week Riverstone hosted the monthly City of Trees Orienteering Club meet. Riverstone students helped set the course, directed registration, starts and finishes, scored participants maps and then helped with course take down.
Thanks to them, the nearly 40 people who showed up were treated to a fun and well-run event. They also did well out on the course; Levi S (Gr 12) and Brian B (Gr 12) both finished in the top 5!
To see how the other 9 Riverstone students (and 5 parents!) fared, check out the results on the City of Trees Orienteering Club's website.
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 The following is an update from Coach Kylie Mascol:Over the last couple of weeks the Riverstone soccer team has been battling their way through their 90 minute games. Our focus has been to build comaraderie and to play like the team that we know how to be. Since the beginning of season there has been awesome improvement amongst the players. Throughout each game our players are combining well and applying the techniques that we learn in practice to overcome the obstacles we are faced with. The Otters have been adapting well to the new coach and are committed to moving in a positive direction. They have also been adapting to learning new positions and creating a fun yet competitive environment. Our last game of the season is this Saturday against the Renegades at 9:00 AM! Come out to Optimist Field #14 and support your Otters!
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SUMMER ACTIVITIES & CAMPS
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 Ornithology was just added as a summer activity! Be sure to download a new listing as of April 23!
Elementary Activities include plein air painting, basketball, volleyball, fencing, cooking, Spanish language learning, cycling, science, contemporary dance, and more!
Middle & High School Activities include writing courses, contemporary dance, SAT Prep with Hunting Learning Center, art and more! Riverstone camps and activities are open to families and friends. Invite your neighbors or kids' friends to join us!
Download an updated listing of Summer Activities & Camps here.
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Middle School Science teacher, John Pedersen, is renovating his room and freshening things up. If you have any of the following items and might be interested in donating them to John's room, please contact him.
- Area rugs that are larger than 8' x 10'
- Television armoire that is no taller than 63 inches
- Wooden 55 gallon aquarium stand with canopy
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 Wednesday, April 29 at noon is the deadline to join the school's Riverstone for the Cure team in the Race for the Cure 5K run on Saturday, May 9.
This run funds research towards prevention, early detection and improved treatment for breast cancer, which affects 1 in 8 women.
This run is FUN! Click here to register now.
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Grab a partner and sign up for our second Ladies F.I.R.S.T Self Defense Class taking place on May 7 from 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM.
The topic is Violence in Relationships with reality-based and street-proven principles, strategies and tactics to convince an attacker that he has picked on the wrong victim. Because of the topic of conversation, this class is most appropriate for ladies in Gr 9 through adulthood.
Please inquire or sign-up with Tarrah Elam.
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NAVIGATING FORWARD PARENT MIXER
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The final mixer of the spring for our Endowment Campaign will be Wednesday, May 6. All parents and staff are invited! (Please note change in date from previous newsletter)
Kindly hosted by parents Alexander Toeldte and Nicole Lagacé Toeldte and Campaign Co-Chairs, Treacy and Kurt Liebich
Join us for an hour to socialize with parents and
enjoy light appetizers and beverages. As promised, you will not be asked for contributions.
This event is simply an opportunity to celebrate and share the importance of this next step in our school's journey. Please RSVP to Rachel Pusch.
Endowment Mixer for All Parents & Staff on Wednesday, May 6 at 6:30 PM at the Toeldte's home at 1901 Claremont Drive
Contact Kurt and Treacy Liebich to learn more about this important endeavor!
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We enjoy sharing what our students are up to outside of school! If you have news to share, please email Kathleen Gilton.
Gwen D (Gr 11) is presenting a junior recital featuring works by Schubert, Barber, and Donaudy and Cole Porter on Saturday, April 25 at the Opera Idaho Building at 7:00 PM. All invited! |
 The following are some of the highlights of the coming week. For more events and additional information, view the school calendar here
Friday, April 24
| Friday Morning Music at 8:00 AM followed by Coffee for Navigating Forward, our Endowment Campaign
Riverstone LIVE at the Hub at 6:30 PM
| Saturday, April 15
| High School Soccer at 9:00 AM on Optimist 14
| Tuesday, April 28
| Passport Club Testing
DP Exam Proctor Info Session at 8:30 AM
| Wednesday, April 29
| PA Nominations due
Race for the Cure team registration due by noon
| Thursday, April 30
| MYP Personal Project Exhibition at 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM in the Kennedy Gymnasium
| Friday, May 1
| Middle School Dance from 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
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The week's Facebook photo of the week features the Classes of 2016 and 2017 celebrating together before the prom last weekend. Really wonderful to see all the students having a great time!
Keep an eye on Riverstone's Facebook page to keep up with what's happening at Riverstone!
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