Riverstone International School Newsletter
April 30, 2015
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 Hi All,
Although we have only a little more than a month left until the end of the school year, we have many opportunities to spend time with our students and share their successes.
For example, I spent the afternoon at the Grade 10 Personal Project Exhibition; I have been meeting with my mentoring team for the Grade 5 Exhibition; and I recently submitted my advisee's Grade 12 Extended Essay paper. It is startling to me how curious our students are and how vast is the range of their interests. It is also fascinating to me how differently students approach similar topics throughout the years. I can see each student's unique mark and scholarship.
What is it that makes these capstone projects so special? I would point to two main things. First, because of our small classes, students can get help in so many ways. Adult mentors are always looking for ways to guide students so they may form real and meaningful relationships with adults. This continues to reinforce how important it is to engage in conversation, listen to opinions, and ask for help - no easy task.
Secondly, it also confirms that Riverstone is a school where students have to get their hands dirty - memorizing isn't the end goal. Students have to find something that interests them, make a plan, jump in, try, and do it. Failure can sometimes be the result, growth always will.
To be a Riverstone student, you need a spark of life, you need to be curious, you have to be able to say, "Oh wow, that's pretty cool," and know that your community of mentors will be there when you want to know more.
As always, I am so proud of our students. They all work hard, they commit their time, and they say, "Oh wow."
Call for anything,
Bob Carignan
Head of School
bcarignan@riverstoneschool.org |
Additional note from Bob Carignan: Since my previous newsletter note about staffing, we have learned that we will be saying farewell to Jane Pierie, our Kindergarten teacher, at the end of the school year. Jane has been teaching at Riverstone for eight years and has left her mark on many a young student, parents, and staff. We will miss her and wish her all the best. We asked Jane about her next adventure, and here is what she wrote:
I've wanted to live in Bend since first visiting nearly 30 years ago. I find myself with the opportunity to help my niece and her husband with their infant daughter, and feel the time is right to make the move. My hope is to secure a teaching position in Bend, but if not, I'm open to other possibilities. The decision to leave Riverstone and Boise is both difficult and bittersweet. I leave behind some wonderful friendships and an amazing community here at Riverstone. I've been honored to work with the most dedicated teachers I've ever had the privilege to work alongside. Likewise, it has been an honor to spend my days with the most delightful children. Parents, many, many thanks for all your support.
With gratitude, sadness, and just a bit of excitement,
Jane
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 Aloha! Students in Grades 6 - 8 are invited to the Middle School Hawaiian Dance. Tropical attire, leis, and grass skirts encouraged!.
Cost is $3 if tickets are purchased in advance and $5 at the door.
Middle School Hawaiian Dance: Friday, May 1 from 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM in the Kennedy Gymnasium
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 Current and prospective parents are invited to join us at our final open houses of the school year! Please invite a friend to learn more about our school and students.
Elementary School Open House (Preschool - Grade 5)
Tuesday, May 5 starting at 9:30 AM
Middle & High School Open House (Grades 6-12)
Thursday, May 7 starting at 9:30 AM
All open houses meet in the Elementary School Atrium. Please RSVP to Rachel Pusch if you are planning on attending or have questions.
Thank you for referring family and friends to Riverstone.
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ONLY ONE MORE ENDOWMENT MIXER
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 All parents and staff are invited to join us next Wednesday for our Endowment Mixer to discuss the school's endowment campaign, Navigating Forward!
This will be the last mixer we are hosting. Come and learn about the campaign's progress and why this initiative will make a difference to our students and school.
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. Please RSVP to Rachel Pusch
**Thank you for understanding that this is a parents-only evening.**
Mixer for the Endowment Campaign: Wednesday, May 6 starting at 6:30 PM at 1901 Claremont Dr, Boise, ID 83702 (home of the Toeldte's)
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 Celebrate the wonderful arts programs at Riverstone International School during the Spring Arts Festival.
Music concerts will take place on Wednesday, May 6 starting at 1:00 PM in the Kennedy Gymnasium.
- Middle & High School concert 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
- Elementary School concert 2:15 PM - 3:15 PM
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.
Don't miss the opportunity to admire our students' fabulous art!
- Elementary School art will be on display in the Elementary School Building during the week
- Middle & High School art will be available to view from noon to 3:30 PM on Wednesday, May 6. The art will be displayed in Ms. Corbin's room and in the High School hallways.
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 As one of Idaho's non-profit organizations, Riverstone International School has joined in a special day of giving, Idaho Gives! Celebrate Riverstone and the good work of Idaho's non-profits on Thursday, May 7 in a 24 hour blitz!
To learn more about Idaho Gives, please watch this video. Check out the Idaho Gives website here.
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 Please watch your inboxes for more information about the slate of nominees for next year's Parents' Association leadership positions. We are still in need of a volunteer to coordinate our Merci program. If you would like to learn more, please contact Michelle. The next PA meeting is Thursday, May 7 at 8:45 AM in the library. We hope you can make it!
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END OF YEAR CHOIR CONCERT
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 Parents are invited to the End of School Year Choir concert on Friday, May 8 at 3:45 PM.
The concert will feature the Elementary and Middle/High School choirs and take place in the atrium.
All welcome! If you have any questions, contact Laura DeLaney.
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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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 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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YOU MADE A DIFFERENCE DURING EARTH WEEK
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 Thanks to the nearly 120 people who participated in the Earth Week Pledge Drive! With 50% of all participants focusing their efforts on water reduction, from the Student Body to Faculty/Admin/Maintenance to Parents, the Riverstone community should feel confident that we're making Riverstone "water-wise," which is fitting since we live in a desert! Other notables from the week: More bike riders! More recycling! More composting! Special thanks to the High School Social Change Leadership Program and the Outdoor Leadership Program who, with the help of Blake Schnebly at SustainingUS, help mobilize our efforts. Thanks also to the High School community who lead the charge with 36 student pledges and to the Grade 3 students all of whom pledged as part of their current Water Unit. With our general awareness growing, look for bigger and better Earth Weeks in the years to come! Click here to see what others have pledged and make your own pledge! |
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PERSONAL PROJECT EXHIBITION
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 Congratulations to our Grade 10 students for completing the capstone project of the Middle Years Programme, the Personal Project!
This year, we expanded the Exhibition to two sessions to include one session to present their projects and work to their fellow students and a second session to their parents and other interested community members.
You may download a brochure with our students' project descriptions and reflections here.
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
Contact Andy Johnson if you have questions.
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 Thank you to the parents who volunteered to proctor our IB Diploma Programme exams! 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.
Contact Andy Johnson with questions. |
 Thanks to our Riverstone community - we placed our student, Sky with a wonderful family. We truly appreciate all of you who welcome these students into your homes.
This is the time if year when we are finalizing new students for next year and we have a few more hosting opportunities.
Colin is a terrific young man from China who we just accepted. Colin has been living with the Carr family, Israel Catz's parents, and has been attending school in Idaho City. He will be entering Gr 11 next year with the plan of graduating with an IB Diploma. His dream school is MIT. Colin is a fascinating boy, not only does he love science and has his own laboratory at home in China, since he has been with the Carr family he has learned to love the outdoors, he has helped build an addition on a church, he has taken over the management of the sound equipment for the Idaho City High School and he composes music. If you would like to consider hosting Colin, you would be able to meet him before he goes home for the summer.
Marta is a girl entering Gr 11 from Spain. She has two brothers and a sister, and loves her energetic and funny family. They hike, cycle, and play table tennis together. She enjoys drawing, painting, and reading. She is looking forward to her new American family and learning their daily routine, culture and traditions.
Alejandro is a boy entering Gr 11 from Spain who loves sports, being outside, and going to soccer games. His parents are both teachers and he has one sister. He would like to try American sports like football or baseball. He is looking forward to his year as an exchange student in the United States with a a host family.
Katharina is a girl entering Gr 10 from Germany who enjoys volleyball, being outdoors, and cooking. Her German family is very active and likes to go to ice hockey and basketball games. Katharina speaks German, French, and English. She would like to go rafting and looks forward to experiencing school spirit.
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. |
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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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We enjoy sharing what our students are up to outside of school! If you have news to share, please email Kathleen Gilton.
Nathan M (Gr 10) completed his first marathon in Bend, OR this weekend. He ran a 3:38:43 and placed first in his age group (under 19). Nathan placed 30th overall! Additionally, running a marathon was Nathan's personal project goal. An impressive first showing!
Jan E (Gr 10) from Germany ran the Race to Robie Creek with his host dad, Marshall Simmonds, and finished 3rd in his 14-18 age group with a time of 1:51. It was his first half-marathon ever and it just happened to be the hardest half in the Pacific Northwest! Way to go Jan!
Laurel C (Gr 8) passed both her Moves in the Field Test and Freeskate Test at the Boise Ice Classic Figure Skating Competition at Idaho Ice World this past Friday. Congratulations!
  
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 The following are some of the highlights of the coming week. For more events and additional information, view the school calendar here
Friday, May 1
| Middle School Dance
| Sunday, May 3
| Athletic Banquet
| Tuesday, May 5
| Elementary School Open House
| Wednesday, May 6
| Spring Arts Festival
Endowment Mixer
| Thursday, May 7
| PA Meeting
Middle & High School Open House
Idaho Gives
| Friday, May 8
| Choir Concert
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The week's Facebook photo of the week features Gr 2 on a recent field trip to Dry Creek!
Keep an eye on Riverstone's Facebook page to keep up with what's happening at Riverstone!
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