Riverstone International School

March 16, 2016

Hi All,

This morning, I watched the Preschool and Grade 4 students perform during their open house for their "How We Express Ourselves" unit. It was delightful!

Open houses and the performance/presentation culture at Riverstone teaches our students that what happens here and what they learn is valued by our entire community - it doesn't happen in a vacuum. They learn (and it is constantly reinforced) that they are known and loved and they see that their parents are involved inside the classroom and out.

Parent teacher conferences begin this afternoon; conferences are important opportunities for parents to understand what is happening in the classroom, academically and emotionally, with their student. The fact that our conferences are so well attended illustrates a vibrant partnership between school and home that is a hallmark of a united and student-centered community. As always, I am grateful to be a part of this culture.

Finally, as I am about to take my last spring break vacation with my graduating daughter, I wish you a wonderful and relaxing break that gives you ample time to sit close to your children!

Call for anything,

Bob Carignan
Head of School

bcarignan@riverstoneschool.org

HAPPY SPRING BREAK!

We hope everyone enjoys a wonderful Spring Break and we cannot wait to hear about everyone's adventures when we return to school on Tuesday, Apr 5. See you all in two weeks!

LOST AND FOUND

All of the current Lost and Found items throughout the Elementary, Middle, and High Schools will be on display through Thursday, Mar 17 in the Elementary School Atrium.

Please come and make sure none of your student's clothing items are here as we will be taking any leftovers to the Idaho Youth Ranch. If you have any questions please contact Sarah Taylor.

MORNING DAY OF SERVICE: TOMORROW!

Grade 6-12 students will go out in their Riverstone Advisory Rivercamps into the community from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM tomorrow, Thursday, Mar 17.

Advisories will be helping a variety of organizations such as The Cabin, The Botanical Gardens, Boise City Parks Department, Idaho Youth Ranch and more.

Please advise that there will be no bus service for students tomorrow. All participating students should arrive by 8:20 AM and meet in the Kennedy Gym Foyer. Please contact Tarrah Elam with questions.

PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCE

Student-led Elementary conferences will be held this Thursday and Friday, March 17 and 18. Please find the Elementary School conference schedule here.

Middle and High School conferences will be held this afternoon and all-day on Thursday and Friday, Mar 17 and 18. Please find the Middle and High School conference schedule here.

As a convenience, we will offer childcare for siblings during your conference times in the Multi-purpose Room.

RIVERSTONE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OPPORTUNITY

Each year, the Riverstone Board of Trustees elects generally two to four new members to replace trustees whose terms are expiring. New trustees typically assume their office immediately following the Board's annual meeting in May and serve one or two consecutive terms of three years each. The Board welcomes suggestions from the Riverstone community for individuals who might make a positive contribution to the Board for a term commencing in May 2016.

The Board's primary responsibilities are to determine and guide the character, mission, and culture of the School, to establish overall policies for the School, to assure financial sustainability for the school, and to cause the policies that the Board adopts to be effectively implemented. The Board is particularly interested in candidates with experiences and skills that will enable it to discharge those responsibilities most effectively. At this time, we are particularly seeking individuals with development, human resources, or construction management expertise.

We are interested in hearing from you if you believe you are an appropriate candidate or know of someone else who might be, regardless of whether they are presently a member of the Riverstone community.

Applicants should submit a brief summary of their qualifications (preferably no more than a page in length) by Friday, Apr 8, 2016 to the attention of Board Nominations at the Elementary School front desk. The Board will then reach out for further discussions with applicants who it believes are an appropriate fit the Board at this time.

SPRING TRIPS REMINDER

With Spring Break upon us, Spring Trips are just around the corner! Elementary School classroom teachers will be in touch about any trip details. Middle and High School parents should be on the lookout for trip announcements and begin checking Equipment Lists on our website's Resources page. Trip dates are included below for your reference. Please email Ben Brock with any questions.

Date	Grade	Trip
May 12 - May 13	K	Overnight trip to Montour Wildlife Refuge
May 12 - May 13	1	Overnight trip to Bruneau Dunes State Park
May 11 - May 13	2	Three-day trip based out of Miracle Hot Springs
May 17 - May 20	3	Four-day camp-based trip at Horsethief Reservoir
May 10 - May 13	7	Four-day biking trip along the Weiser River Trail
May 9 - May 13	8	Five-day backpacking trip to Hell's Canyon, ID
May 9 - May 15	9	Five-day backpacking trip to Grand Gulch, UT
May 9 - May 13	10	Five-day southern Idaho backpacking trip to Sheep Creek, ID

AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES SESSION 4 SIGN-UPS

After School Activities Begin on Monday, Apr 11!

Looking for a way that your child can meet new students? Looking for activities that will engage your child in a fun way after school? We have a wide variety of new offerings for students of all ages in Session 4. Sign your child up today!

Elementary School Activities & Clubs 2015-16 Session 4

Middle & High School Activities & Clubs 2015-16 Session 4

Please email Tarrah Elam if you have any questions.

YEARBOOK COVER ART CONTEST

We are so excited to announce that Gr 6-12 will have the opportunity to purchase a school yearbook for the 2015-2016 year!

Currently, a small group of Gr 9 students are working together with their staff advisor, Melinda Quick (Riverstone Marketing Assistant), on creating the design and layout of the Yearbook.

The Yearbook Staff has invited any students in Gr 6-12 to submit artwork that will be used for the cover. This is great Spring Break activity for any students!

Entries must be standard printer paper size (8 1/2" x 11"), school appropriate, and submitted in their highest resolution PDF or .jpg format to Melinda via email by end-of-day on Tuesday, Apr 5, 2016. If you have a student interested in art and design, please encourage them to enter and possibly have their artwork saved forever in Riverstone history!

Yearbook Cover Art Contest Submissions: due by end-of-day on Tuesday, Apr 5!

MEET THE SENIORS - SAVE THE DATE!

All parents are encouraged to join us to Meet the Seniors on Tuesday, Apr 12!

This is your chance to hear directly from the seniors. What did they feel they gained by attending Riverstone? Where are they going to college (or still considering)? What was their most memorable experience at our school? Why is Riverstone unlike other schools?

These students and their personal stories will re-affirm for you why you have chosen Riverstone! Please mark you calendars and join us! This special event usually lasts 60 - 90 minutes.

This event is kindly hosted by the Parents' Association.

Meet the Seniors on Tuesday, April 12 at 8:45 AM - 10:15 AM in the Kennedy Gymnasium

MERCI LUNCH THANK YOU!

Thank you to everyone who assisted with Merci Lunch today! The teachers and staff were incredibly grateful for the delicious Shepherd's Pie, variety of salads, beef and vegetable stew and all of the other amazing dishes!

Our next Merci Lunch will be on Wednesday, Apr 13. Please email Anne-Claire Depuydt with any questions.

PARENTS' ASSOCIATION

Parents' Association Meeting

Please join us at our next PA Meeting during the evening of Thursday, Apr 7 at 6:30 PM at the Liebich home (1650 E Holly St, Boise, ID 83702). See you there!

Volunteers Needed
Calling all volunteers! The PA is looking for willing hands to help support PA activities and events. Please read more here about positions that are available (second page) and about the process of getting involved.

There are jobs that take no more than a couple of hours per month, some that are seasonal and a few that require a routine commitment. If you have any questions, please contact Natalie Geffros.

International Committee Meeting

Thank you to everyone who joined us at today's meeting! All parents are invited to join the International Committee at our next meeting on Wednesday, Apr 20 at 8:45 AM at Full Steam Bistro (920 E Park Blvd, Boise, ID 83716). If you would like more information or you would like to be involved, please contact Sumiko Gomi.

MODEL UN CLUB WASHINGTON CONFERENCE

The Riverstone Model UN Club recently participated in a two-day Model United Nations conference in Seattle, Washington.

They worked with approximately 250 other students from 10 different Seattle area schools debating solutions for a range of international issues, including the disarmament of mines in conflict zones, the economic and social impacts of climate change, and children's rights in the age of a global refugee crisis.

Students worked hard to prepare themselves for this conference, conducting research and writing position papers in advance, and organizing their information to engage in diplomatic discussions and debates. It was a very successful weekend for all of our MUN students and they represented Riverstone very well! Next month the club is off to the Oregon Model UN conference in Eugene, OR. Wish them luck!

Congratulations to our Model UN Club Members: Katarina S (Gr 12), Nina E (Gr 11), Katie O (Gr 11), Aggie M (Gr 11), Alex M (Gr 11), Lan L (Gr 11), Bea T (Gr 11), Jasmin X (Gr 11), and Owen Z (Gr 11).

NATIONAL HISTORY REGIONAL RESULTS

Out of 26 participating Riverstone students in the Regional National History Day Competition, 14 qualified for the upcoming State Competition on Saturday, Apr 23 at the College of Idaho. Congratulations to all of our 2016 participants!

Junior Individual Exhibit