Riverstone International School  
August 6, 2015  

Dear Families,

 

I hope you've all found a little time to slip away for some relaxing (or maybe ambitious!) time in the outdoors this summer. Aside from a few impressive heat waves, we've been treated to remarkably pleasant temps and clear skies. I'm proud to say that a major benchmark for my family this summer was teaching my daughter how to roast a marshmallow on a campfire!

 

Of course, if you weren't able to work outdoor adventures into your schedule this summer, the beginning of school is chock full of great outdoor activities for Riverstone students of all ages! Outdoor Education is one of the 5 Pillars at Riverstone; between providing opportunities for students to get to know their teachers and classmates better, presenting students with challenges that help foster self-confidence and leadership abilities, and having some good old fashioned fun, we feel that time outside plays a critical role in developing happy, well-rounded kids...of all ages!

 

For Elementary School students, the Back to School Rafting Trips are a fun community-building event; family members are encouraged to come out and meet new Riverstone families and to start the year off with a bang! Shortly thereafter Grade 4 will spend a week at the McCall Outdoor Science School and Grade 5 will spend a night camping out at the Intermountain Bird Observatory.

Middle and High School students will venture a little farther from home; Grade 6 treks to Yellowstone, Grade 7 floats the Main Salmon, and Grades 8-12 backpack into the glorious mountains of central Idaho. Each of these trips serves an important role in developing an appreciation of time spent in the outdoors and important skills are acquired at each step of the way. In just a few short weeks, the 2015-16 Riverstone community will have made important steps toward being a tighter-knit community that is ready to make a difference!

As the beginning of the year approaches, please keep Outdoor Education details close at hand and help do your part to ensure everything runs smoothly by:
  1. Referring to the Outdoor Education Calendar on the school website for dates.
  2. Referring to the Forms and Supply Lists on the school website for individual trip letters, equipment lists and permission slips. (Right under the school supply lists.)
    • Trip Letters will provide nuts and bolts information about each trip.
    • Equipment Lists can be printed off and used as checklists as you're packing.
    • Permission Slips help the school gather the most up-to-date health information about your children so that we can provide the best care possible. 

Please make every effort to return signed Permission Slips for outdoor activities/trips by the first day of school.

 

While many families at Riverstone have become very comfortable sending their children out into the woods (for a day or for six days!), I understand that it can a bit of an intimidating unknown for others. Regardless of where you fall in that spectrum, please email me or call me if you have any questions about any of the trips.  

I'm looking forward to seeing you all soon!  And I encourage you all to take advantage of the next few weeks to enjoy the rest of summer...outside!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ben Brock

Outdoor Education Director   

bbrock@riverstoneschool.org
(208) 867-1046
STAFFING UPDATE 
RIS Logo Charissa Rausch is joining Riverstone's Middle School as the Grade 6 and 7 English teacher. Charissa relocated to Boise from Michigan recently and was eager to rejoin an International Baccalaureate school. Not only does she have many years of experience teaching English at the Middle and High School levels in Michigan, but she also has extensive Middle Years Programme experience. 

We are excited to have her in the Riverstone community and look forward to you getting to know her.
LIBRARY HELP NEEDED  
Library Help Needed
Our librarian, Susan Tabb, would greatly appreciate your help getting the library ready for the new school year.

If you are available to help next Tuesday, August 11 from 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM, please come by the Riverstone library in the Middle School!

Summer Reading Challenge
Don't forget to document the books online that you have read this summer! To learn more about the Summer Reading Challenge, log your books, or look for a book suggestion, visit the Otter Library Opportunities tab on our shared online document, Riverstone Community Opportunities.

Student Review
If your student in Gr 4-7 is looking for a good book, Annie L (Gr 5) has a suggestion. She wrote the following review of The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Boy: The Hero Revealed by William Boniface

A story about an ordinary boy and his group of friends who come together to find "Original" superhero trading cards. The book was full of excitement and mysteries. Everyone should read it."OB" is just a normal boy, but he saves the day when the junior leaguers want to find all of the trading pack cards. All they need to do is find three more cards and their set will be complete. But, someone keeps stealing them. Want to know who is stealing the cards? Read Ordinary Boy! - Annie L.

Contact Susan Tabb with questions about the library or to volunteer!
LAST CALL FOR SUMMER ACTIVITIES  
outdoor-painting-easel.jpg There is one more week of Summer Camps at Riverstone! We encourage you to register your children to join in the fun before it is too late. Sign up today!

Let's Make Art: Art Camp (Ages 3-6)  August 10 - 14  from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
A week of art exploration with daily projects focusing on the process of creating art, unique to each student.  Students will enjoy expressing who they are through their own creativity, while exploring colors, textures and mediums. Instructor: Kathie Stilinovich

Cocinando for Fun (Ages 6-10) August 10 - 14  from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Students will learn Spanish while cooking authentic Ecuadorian food. As students are exploring the world of cooking, they will learn new vocabulary, improve pronunciation and gain confidence with the language.  Every day will feature a 'Dish of the Day.' Instructor: Anita Waggoner

SAT Prep with Huntington Learning Center (Ages 14-18)
August 8, August 10 - 14 and August 15  from 9:00AM - 1:00 PM
Huntington Learning Center is offering an SAT Prep Course aimed to develop exam knowledge and skills.  Two full-length exams will be administered analyzing the areas for continued development both during the week of camp and after the week of instruction. The course is designed to include test-taking strategies, time-management skills and to help students gain confidence in their academic knowledge tested the 10 part exam.  
Instructor: Huntington Learning Center

All camps at Riverstone are open to the community, so invite a friend or family member to join the fun. Contact Tarrah Elam with questions.
NEW LUNCH PROGRAM 
We are excited to announce that Life's Kitchen will be our school lunch provider for 2015-2016! Life's Kitchen is a nonprofit social enterprise providing job and life skills training to young adults with barriers to employment.

Life's Kitchen will be offering a hot entrée with sides each day, or alternatively, a turkey wrap combo. The online ordering system is the same as last year. Meals are priced for regular or small portion sizes, and the entrees and sides are both included. Nearly everything is scratch made, and it's all nutritious and kid tested. Meals will be served at Riverstone by Life's Kitchen. Parents who purchase meals from Life's Kitchen are eligible for a $5 lunch at the Life's Kitchen Café, or 5% off any Life's Kitchen catering (simply present your most recent school lunch invoice.)
 
You may access the school lunch site, review the menu, and order online. (Riverstone's School Code: 211-930)

Take a sneak peak at the menu here.

View more information on the school lunch program, including ordering instructions, here.
 
Where's CCG? Create Common Good, our lunch provider for the past two years, is expanding their training and production program in new and exciting directions, and they've asked Life's Kitchen, their partner organization, to step in and keep the school lunch program cooking. Check out CCG's farm, new retail products at Albertsons, and more at www.createcommongood.org
BUS SERVICE 
back-school-bus.jpg If you need help with transportation to school, the school currently provides morning-only bus service originating in Boise's north end. The fee is $75 per month and the pickup 

schedule and locations are as follows:

7:35 AM  16th & State (near US Bank building)
7:39 AM  15th & Dewey
7:44 AM  10th & Brumback
7:52 AM  Dona Larsen Park Entrance on Warm Springs Ave

 

The bus arrives at Riverstone at approximately 8:10 AM. 

 

To sign up for bus service, please contact Sarah Taylor, our Elementary School Administrative Assistant. 

 

ValleyRide also provides bus service to the area via Route 18 Harris Ranch. There are three morning round trips and three afternoon round trips between the Harris Ranch area and downtown Boise. View the Route 18 Schedule here.

LAST MINUTE HOSTING OPPORTUNITY 

graphic-globe-people-sm.gif

We just received an application from a young man from Germany named Jonas. He really wants to come to Riverstone and we are hoping to find him a family as soon as possible. He is very interested in learning more about the United States and about Idaho. If you have considered hosting, this might be the boy for you.   

Please contact Jane Kaserman if you are interested in learning more about Jonas or about hosting.

 

Jonas is 14 years old and speaks German, English, and Latin. His interests include soccer, video editing, listening to the music, and meeting with friends  

 

Jonas writes, "Going abroad for one year has been one of my biggest dreams since I was almost two years old. I am friendly, empathic, and humorous as well as clever, helpful, and charming. Well at least this is how the mother of my friend described me. My positive attitude helps me to meet new people and become friends with them. I am able to learn really fast and to understand complex things easily. This is why I skipped the 2nd grade and went straight from 1st to 3rd. My family gets along really well, although we do have some disagreements occasionally but we have great relationship. My parents work a lot during the week, therefore the weekend is our special time together. We start with long breakfast, where we talk about everything that happened during the week. We usually go to the movies all together, play games, visit my grandparents, or go to fairs and Christmas markets. My wish to come to the US and live with a host family was inspired by the experience of my sister. I am deeply impressed by the American way of life and the hospitality. I am looking forward to spending a great year and sharing my memories with you!"

SCHOOL CALENDAR 
Calendar Outdoor activities, holidays, and other events can be found on Riverstone's school calendar on our website.

The first day of school is Monday, August 31 with an 8:20 AM start for Gr 6-12 and 8:30 AM start for Preschool - Gr 5.

We find it useful to use the "agenda" view. Please click on the small arrow to the top right of the calendar to make sure that all the calendars that you are interested in are able to be viewed.

Please note that there are separate calendars (with unique color coding) for all-school events, outdoor program activities, and athletics. By clicking on the small arrow to the right of the calendar, you can ensure you are seeing all the calendars you are interested in.
DRIVING 
Crossing Sign Just a reminder that there are two new roundabouts and a reduced speed limit for the Parkcenter/Warm Springs Ave area leading from Bown Crossing to Harris Ranch and Riverstone.

There are also lots of pedestrians crossing the road around Lucky 13 and the new Ranch Market. Please plan a few extra minutes to reach Riverstone and drive carefully. Thank you!
SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND BOOKS   
pencils.jpg School supply lists are ready for you to download from the Riverstone website.

Link here to supply lists for all grades -- scroll two-thirds down the page and choose the list(s) you need.

If you have questions about Elementary School supply lists (Preschool - Gr 5), please contact James Hamilton-Vail.

If you have questions about the Middle and High School supply lists (Gr 6-12), please contact Andy Johnson.
PARENTS' ASSOCIATION HANDBOOK UPDATED  
PA Look The Parents' Association Handbook has been updated in the past week for the 2015-16 school year. Be sure to check it out!

Click here to review the Parents' Association handbook where you will find answers to everything PA-related. A link to the PA Handbook can also be found at the bottom of the weekly newsletter. 
RIVERSTONE ATHLETICS 
Demi Dlouhy is our Elementary School PE teacher and school Athletic Director. She wanted to share information about Riverstone's growing athletic program.

If your student is interested in joining a Riverstone athletic team, please:
  • Review the required forms that your child will need to participate prior to attending their first practice (see below)
  • Contact the appropriate coach to express an interest in getting involved
If you have questions regarding Riverstone's athletic program, please email Demi Dlouhy. Go Otters!

Riverstone International School offers the following athletic opportunities:

Grade 9-12 CO-ED Soccer
September- October. Practices three days a week. Games Saturdays. Contact Head Coach, Kylie Mascol at kylie.mascol@gmail.com. Register at IDAHORUSH.com under Select High School - Fall 2015 - PLAYERS.

Grade 6-8 Girls Volleyball
Aug 31-Oct 15. Practices 3:30-5:00 PM, Monday-Thursday. Games two days a week. Contact Head Coach, Eric Pedersen at epedersen@riverstoneschool.org.

Grade 9-12 Girls Volleyball
Aug 14-Oct 31. Practices 5:00-7:00 PM Monday- Friday. Games two days a week. Contact Head Coach, Nevena Dragovic at nevenadragovic@u.boisestate.edu.

Grade 6-8 Girls Basketball
Oct. 26 - Dec. 16. Practices 3:30-5:00 PM. Games two days a week. Contact Demi Dlouhy at ddlouhy@riverstoneschool.org.

Grade 9-12 Girls Basketball
Nov. 2 - Feb 20. Practice times TBA Monday - Friday. Games two days a week. Contact Head Coach, Wally Bashaw at wbashaw@cableone.net.

Grade 9-12 Boys Basketball
Nov 13 - Mar 5. Practice times TBA Monday- Friday. Games two days a week. Contact Head Coach, Eric Chapman at echappy@aol.com.

Grade 6-8 Boys Basketball
Jan 11 - Mar 3. Practices 3:30-5:00 PM. Games two days a week. Contact Head Coach, Jacob Sanders at jacob.sanders@iconschool.org.

The following athletic forms are mandatory and must be completed and turned in to the coach prior to the first athletic practice:

Information about Riverstone's Orienteering team and Ski and Snowboard teams will be shared later. 

FACEBOOK
This week's Facebook photo of the week features Gr 2 teacher, Pete Burton, teaching CPR to staff members last Friday!

Pete B

Keep an eye on Riverstone's Facebook page and Instagam to keep up with what's happening at Riverstone!
IMPORTANT LINKS

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Managebac  (Parent & student portal)

SchoolAdmin (Enrollment & contact info management)
 




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5521 Warm Springs Avenue  Boise, ID 83716   USA
www.riverstoneschool.org 
(208) 424-5000