Riverstone International School
July 29, 2016
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Hi All,
I'm hoping everyone is enjoying the summer and that your adventures will be memorable. Today I write the first newsletter piece that will be saved in my 2016-17 folder! As we head towards the first of August, it is important that you take the time to read the newsletters that will be heading your way. There will be critical information on the start of school, schedules, and the outdoor program trips that applies to all students. Here are a few reminders to keep in mind as we start the year. As we decided and put on the calendar last spring, we are moving all of our grade 6-12 outdoor trips to the week of September 12. This will enable us to start school on a more focused and less harried note. In the past, teachers and students have had to juggle schedules and trips over a three-week period, causing disruption to classes. It was also very difficult to have our first time Riverstone students jump into what was for many of them a new experience on the third day of school - this would have been even more difficult this year as we open our new residential facility. Another important reminder is safety related. While the new "Phase 1" of our Middle and High School is still on track (actually a day ahead of schedule!), construction will not be completed until later in the fall. This means we will have to be more attentive about driving on campus and parking. We will be sending out parking and drop-off instructions as we get closer to the first day and we have current construction machinery and materials locations. Thank you in advance for your patience in ensuring all of our students are safe.
Finally, as is our tradition, we will open the school year with our All-School Convocation; it starts off the year celebrating our entire community. All parents are invited and it will be held in the Kennedy Gymnasium at 8:45 on Monday, August 29.
As I mentioned, many more details will be coming in the next few weeks. I look forward to seeing your students again and am excited for what will be a great year! Call for anything,
Bob Carignan
Head of School
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 Dear Riverstone Families,
I've had a great summer in the outdoors; I completed my first ultra trail run (barely), my family spent some quality downtime along the banks of Marsh Creek in the Salmon River headwaters and we spent a week re-connecting with extended family in the Colorado high country.
However, one of the outdoorsy highlights from my summer happens to be....a phone call. A few weeks ago, Regan Z, Class of 2016, and a three year exchange student from China called me from 12,388 ft on the summit of Mt Fuji. He was calling to say thank you for the experiences that he'd had as a student at Riverstone; experiences that he told me helped develop in him a love of being outside with friends, of undertaking challenges, and pushing beyond what he thought were his limits. I could hear his grin through the phone. The picture that he sent to me immediately went on the "wall of fame" in my office.
Even if you haven't climbed any mountains, I hope you've all found at least a little time to get outside this summer. If not, the beginning of school is chock full of great outdoor activities for Riverstone students of all ages!
Elementary School For Elementary School students, the Back to School Rafting Trips during the second week of school 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 splash! 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
Middle and High School students who traditionally venture a little farther from home will want to pay close attention to the calendar at the beginning of the year as this fall's activities have seen a bit of restructuring and rescheduling.
Please note that Middle and High School students will be on campus for the first two weeks of school and ALL of the following trips will take place during the 3rd week of school: -
Grade 6 will spend four days writing and investigating in and around Yellowstone National Park,
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Grade 7 will ride 70+ miles of the Weiser River Bike Trail,
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Grade 8 will spend a week floating the Main Salmon River, and
- Grades 9-12 will spend three days backpacking in the mountains of central Idaho.
Action Needed!
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:
- Referring to the Outdoor Education Calendar on the school website for dates.
- Referring to the Resources page 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.
While many families at Riverstone have become very comfortable sending their children out into the woods (for one day or for six days!), I understand that it can intimidating 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 |
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OUTDOOR TRIP DATES, PERMISSION FORMS & EQUIPMENT LISTS
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Grade(s)
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Dates
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Information, Permission Slips & Equipment Lists
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Preschool and PreKindergarten
Raft Trip
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Tuesday, Sept 6
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Kindergarten - Gr 2 Raft Trip
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Friday, Sept 9
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Gr 3-5 Raft Trip
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Thursday, Sept 8
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| Gr 4 McCall Outdoor Science School
| Monday, Sept 19 - Friday, Sept 23
| Online Registration
(password: learning)
Equipment List
| Gr 5 Intermountain Bird Observatory Overnight Trip
| Thursday, Sept 29 - Friday, Sept 30
| Stay tuned for details!
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Gr 6 Yellowstone Trip
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Tuesday, Sept 13 - Friday, Sept 16
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Gr 7 Weiser Bike Trip
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Tuesday, Sept 13 - Friday, Sept 16
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Gr 8 Main Salmon River Trip
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Monday, Sept 12 - Saturday, Sept 17
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Gr 9-12 Fall Backpacking Trips
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Wednesday, Sept 14 - Friday, Sept 16
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RIVERSTONE FAMILY SUMMER GET-TOGETHER: WED, AUG 3
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 All families are invited to an informal gathering at Municipal Park! Meet other families and kids, and help ease the transition to a new school year.
Bring your own snacks and sunscreen. Municipal Park has a large playground, picnic tables, fish exhibit, and lots of shade. If you're new to town, you'll enjoy the chance to explore one of Boise's favorite parks.
Riverstone Family Summer Get Together
Wednesday, August 3
10:00 - 11:00 AM**
Municipal Park
500 S Walnut St
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**Note change in time from previous newsletter
Look for the Riverstone flags! No need to RSVP but feel free to contact Rachel Pusch
with questions.
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SUMMER CAMPS: HIGHLIGHT ON SAT PREP CLASS
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 Riverstone's one week of summer camps is just around the corner, August 8-12.
One of the classes is our SAT Preparation Class that is held at the Bown Crossing Huntington Learning Center.
The class will be held from Saturday, Aug 6*, Monday, Aug 8 - Friday, Aug 12 and Saturday, Aug 13* from 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM. Please not that the pre-test and post-test dates on Aug 6 and Aug 13 are flexible. Students may complete the tests individually at the center. Cost for the group class is $400; materials are provided.
ACT/SAT/PSAT test scores are critical components in colleges' acceptance decisions and in merit scholarship determination, including the National Merit Scholarship for juniors. In this course, students will learn to master the test-taking and time-management strategies of the PSAT/SAT. As a result, students will develop strategies for all test-taking, confidence in their ability to succeed during the exam process, and improved scores in order to be competitive in the college selection process.
The average score improvement for Riverstone students who have taken this group course is 175 points.
Two full-length exams will be administered; one at the beginning of the course (on Saturday, Aug 6 or at a time convenient for the student) to assess prior knowledge and one at the end (on Saturday, Aug 13 or by appointment after the course ends) to assess gains and analyze areas for continued development.
Email Sarah Taylor to register or view our full listing of summer camps newsletter here. |
Please help spread the word!
We are currently seeking a High School Girls Volleyball coach to join the Riverstone athletic program!
Please view the Employment page on the school website for more details. If you, or someone you know, would be interested in coaching, please contact Pete Burton as soon as possible. Go Otters! |
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RIVERSTONE CO-ED SOCCER SIGN UPS
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 Students in Gr 9-12 are invited to sign up for Riverstone's Co-Ed High School soccer team, coached by Mark Stilinovich. The season runs September - October and practice will be three days per week with games on Saturdays.
There will be one Varsity team and practice will begin in the new school year. Stay tuned for more information and sign up here!
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EMAIL ATHLETIC DIRECTOR REGARDING INTEREST IN ATHLETICS
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 Is your Middle or High School student interested in playing volleyball or basketball for Riverstone? Our athletic director, Pete Burton, needs to assess student interest in advance in order to plan for the season and hire coaching staff. If your student in grades 6-12 is interested in joining any of the following teams, please email our new athletic director, Pete Burton: Middle or High School girls volleyball team, Middle or High School girls basketball team, and Middle or High School boys basketball teams, Learn more about Middle School athletics here and High School athletics here. Please see information about registering for High School soccer below. |
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WE APPRECIATE YOUR REFERRALS
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 A note from Rachel Pusch, Director of Enrollment Management:
We still have openings in several grades available for enrollment this August and would appreciate your help in recommending Riverstone to friends and family.
We will be welcoming 68 new students (and likely more!) and their families to Riverstone this fall and still have considerable interest in our school. Your recommendations will keep us busy through the start of the school year and that's exactly what we want. Please keep those recommendations coming!
For the remainder of the summer, we will continue giving tours and working with families and students on their applications. We are also offering an incentive for families who are interested in enrolling for the fall.
As we announced in the last newsletter, we will waive the usual $75 application fee for families who start their applications* prior to August 15, 2016 for the 2016-2017 academic year. Please encourage friends to inquire online now; we will email them the appropriate code to use to waive the application fee.
We offer financial aid that does not need to be repaid and scholarships as well. We encourage prospective families to ask about financial aid. There are many factors that are considered; we do our best to work with families who are mission-appropriate.
Again, referrals from current families are always valued and much appreciated. Thank you for your help!
Looking forward to seeing you in a month!
*Day students only; not applicable for residential students
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 Book and Supply Lists are now uploaded to the Resources page of the website for the 2016-17 academic year. Please also find direct links for each grade below.
For any questions regarding the Elementary School supply lists, please email James Hamilton-Vail and for any questions regarding the Middle and High School supply lists, please email Andy Johnson.
*We apologize as the Grade 7 link was not working in the last newsletter. It is now properly linked.
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This week's Facebook photos feature Patty and our gleaming gym foyer floor, and the latest view of the construction site for Phase One of the new Middle and High School. Things are taking shape!
 
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