Hello All,

I hope you had a wonderful and safe Fourth of July! I was lucky enough to spend the holiday in Bend, Oregon where we really enjoyed our time in the outdoors. As I mentioned in my last letter, I thought I would share two reflections I had based on my adventures in the San Francisco area in June.

As I have been fortunate enough to do for the past three summers, I attended the Malone School's Summer Conference at Stanford University. This has proven to be an amazing opportunity to meet with experts in many fields and to spend time with fellow Heads from some of the best schools in the country. It always amazes me how much Riverstone is accomplishing and how our internal discussions reflect the discussions that are going on throughout this private school community.

Student wellness continues to be a key issue with everyone. During a lively discussion led by Dr. Larry Kutner, Executive Director of Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies, as a group, we were all worried about our students well being in a world that is changing tremendously - from lack of real life interactions due to the role of social media, to ridiculous college acceptance rates, to uncertainty about careers in the future, and all of the subtle pressure that ekes into their lives daily. It really hit home that all of our students are at-risk kids.

Systematically working towards student happiness and using the science behind it, finding a common language (our Learner Profile and Guiding Principles), understanding the unique needs of students dependent upon their age, and ensuring that they "are known and loved" - all present opportunities to make Riverstone a better place for students.

We continue to strive to improve in this difficult area. Next year, we will have a full-time counselor, we will be working on bringing more "happiness building activities" (five minutes per day can work) into our classrooms, and reengaging all staff at our August in-service to continue to build and reinforce our common language of student wellness.

At the Grateful Dead shows, I was reminded yet again how difficult it can be for even the most accomplished among us to "fit in" during a new situation. Trey Anastasio, one of his generations' best guitarists, replaced Jerry Garcia for these shows. You could see during the first show, every second visible in stadium Jumbovision, just how nervous and tentative he was - and he is amazing! So we need to work to integrate and engage everyone more quickly and comfortably.

This summer we are looking closely at how we welcome new students and families into this special community. We will enter the fall with a plan going forward that leads to our continual improvement in this area, and we will ask for everyone's help.

It is more obvious to me than ever that our approach to education is correct. Like the very best schools, we have small class sizes that enable our students to build mutually beneficial relationships and work together each day to apply their knowledge and discover and solve problems - this is the real world and it is complicated and difficult. We need to continue to give our students the tools that will allow this process to successfully unfold  - from the minute they walk in our doors.

Call for anything, 

Head of School 

We have a couple of students who would really like to attend Riverstone next year. Think about how exciting it must be for these students when they find out they have been accepted to the school of their choice in the U.S. Please consider hosting a student next year.

Alejandro is a boy from Spain who would be joining Grade 11. He is an outdoor enthusiast. His parents are both teachers and he has one sister. Alejandro would like to come to school at Riverstone.

Katharina is a girl from Germany who would be joining Grade 10. She loves the outdoors and looks forward to enjoying outdoor experiences both with school and with her host family. She is trilingual and would love to have the chance to practice her English while at Riverstone.

If you have an interest in a student from a specific country, please contact Jane Kaserman, our International Student Coordinator, and she will do her best to find the perfect student for your family.