Riverstone International School
August 25, 2016
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Hi All,
I hope you are ready for Monday, I can say that the campus has never looked better. And looming over the parking lot is a completely walled in "Phase 1" Middle and High School building!
Today, we took our newly arrived residential students to tour the "Riverstone House" downtown, and while not completely ready, the students were able to see where they will soon call home. As we had hoped, they were all very excited. They also went paddle-boarding at Quinn's Pond yesterday. Several of our High School day students joined in on the fun; everyone was happy to meet their new peers. Please say hello to our residential students and to their parents, some of whom are still here, as well as any new faces you may see at the Meet the Teachers event tomorrow.
I would like to invite students in grades 9-12 to join us tomorrow -- Friday, August 26 -- for a small, casual gathering at Municipal Park (500 S Walnut Street) from 1:15 PM - 3:00 PM for another chance to meet the "Riverstone House" students. Look for the Riverstone banners. No need to bring anything -- just an enthusiasm for meeting other students. We want everyone to enjoy the international atmosphere of the residential program, as well as build lasting friendships and a shared appreciation for our guiding principles!
And last but not least, please take a moment to read the information below carefully to ensure that the first day of school goes smoothly. Consider leaving home a little early on Monday so that no one has to rush in the parking lot. Once you arrive, please drive extra slowly as students and families will be heading into our front doors and towards their classrooms.
See you soon!
Bob Carignan
Head of School
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MEET THE TEACHERS - TOMORROW!
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Get a sneak peak into the next school year by joining us for Meet the Teachers TOMORROW, Friday, Aug 26. All students and parents are invited. Come and meet your child's teachers, reconnect with old friends, and meet our new families!
Meet the Teachers Schedule for Friday, Aug 26
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Grades
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Time & Location
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Preschool, Pre-Kindergarten
& Kindergarten
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10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Elementary School
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Grades 1-5
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11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Elementary School
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Grades 6-12
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12:00 PM - 1:00 PM*
Kennedy Gym
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*Please arrive by 12:15 PM for introductions and announcements.
Supplies and Books Elementary School students are welcome to bring their school supplies to Meet the Teachers tomorrow or on the first day of school.
Middle and High School students should plan to bring their supplies on Tuesday, Aug 30.
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NO MICROWAVES IN ELEMENTARY LUNCHROOM
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 This year, we will not have microwaves available for Elementary School students to use during lunch. Unfortunately, the microwaves were overloading the circuits in the multi-purpose room on a regular basis.
Please send your Elementary School student with lunches that do not need to be heated. Thank you for your understanding. Please read more about the lunch program offered by Life's Kitchen below. |
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IMPORTANT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
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School Hours
Students should arrive at school by 8:25 AM with all the necessary supplies and be prepared to participate when class starts at 8:30 AM.
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Grades
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School Schedule
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Preschool - Grade 5
| 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
| Grades 6 - 9
| 8:30 AM - 3:20 PM
| Grades 10 - 12
| 8:30 AM - 3:05 PM
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Notify the school if you child will be absent
Our experience has shown that attending classes daily is one of the most important factors of being a successful student.
If your student will be absent, please notify the school as soon as possible. Middle and High School parents may submit attendance excusals by 9:00 AM the morning of absence via ManageBac at riverstone.managebac.com. If a student has repeated absences or tardies, the Division Director will work closely with the student and their parents to rectify the problem.
Checking In or Checking Out Students Parents must sign in students who are arriving late or sign out students who are leaving prior to the end of the school day. - Elementary parents should use the sign out sheets that are located by the Elementary School Director's office.
- Middle and High School students should be signed out on the clipboard by Kathleen Gilton's office in the Middle School or by Andy Johnson's office in the High School.
 Illness
For the protection of your child's classmates and staff, if any of the following signs or symptoms are present over the next school year, please keep your child at home for at least 24 hours after the last sign of symptom.
- Elevated temperature (100.0° or higher)
- Diarrhea
- Persistent headache
- Inflamed/sore throat
- Nausea/vomiting
- Unexplained rash
- Wheezing
- Earache
When a student has a communicable disease, it must be reported to the school at once. Communicable diseases include: Chicken Pox, Head Lice, Impetigo, Pink Eye/Conjunctivitis, Ringworm, Scabies, Scarlet Fever, Strep Throat or Fifth Disease.
When the school becomes aware of students having been exposed to a communicable disease, the school will make every effort to contact families of the exposed students. If a child becomes ill at school, or has any of the above symptoms, parents will be contacted in order to take their child home.
Administering Medications
While your child is at school, Riverstone faculty and staff are prohibited from giving your child medications - including acetominophen, ibuprofen and naproxen sodium - without express written permission accompanying the medication in its original container. The permission must describe the dose the parents approve the school to administer.
 Managebac
At Riverstone, we use ManageBac, an online tool specifically designed for planning, assessment, and reporting for International Baccalaureate programs.
In the Elementary School, teachers use ManageBac for curriculum planning and producing semester report cards. At the end of the first semester, new parents receive an email inviting them to create a ManageBac account so that they may view their child's report card when it is posted.
In the High School, teachers use ManageBac for curriculum planning, communicating with students, evaluating student work, and producing semester report cards.
In the next few weeks, new parents will receive an email invitation to create their own ManageBac login. We encourage parents to regularly view their student's attendance, assignments, and assessments. At the end of each semester, parents are notified when report cards are posted for viewing.
Visitor Sign In
All visitors to the school, including parents, guest speakers, alumni, and community members, must check-in and obtain a visitors badge at either the Elementary School or Middle School front desks.
Badges should be returned and visitors check out at the end of the visit. Thank you for your cooperation!
Preschool - Grade 5 Before and After Care Program
We will be offering Before and After Care again this year and have extended our hours for After Care! Our fee-based Before and After Care Program for Preschool - Grade 5 students will take place in Room 16 of the Elementary School (Mrs. Walker's Gr 5 classroom from last year) Monday through Friday.
Before Care begins at 7:30 AM and will be supervised by Ms. Whittington*
After Care is offered after school until 6:00 PM and supervised by Ms. Butler and Ms. Linville.
Parents will need to deliver and pick-up children directly to/from Room 16, rather than entering through the Elementary School. Doors to the Elementary School are locked until 8:00 AM and re-locked at 4:00 PM.
**There is no Before-Care on the first day of school. We will have After-Care however.
If you are planning on regularly utilizing Elementary School After-Care services, please email Kayla Butler so that we may plan accordingly.
Study Hall: After School Supervision for Grades 6 - 12
Riverstone will continue its supervised after school study hall for students in Gr 6-12. Between 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM, Monday - Thursday, students will be supervised in the gym foyer. Students on campus after 4:00 PM must be in Study Hall unless in the direct supervision of a faculty member during an after-school activity or athletic program. If you have any questions, please contact Kathleen Gilton. After School Activities We anticipate starting our After School Activities program in the next few weeks. Please watch the newsletter for details!
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DRIVING ON CAMPUS AND PARKING
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 Due to the construction of Phase One of the new Middle and High School, we have revised our drop off location for Middle and High School students to the Kennedy Gymnasium parking lot. Students who drive to work should also use this parking lot. If you are dropping off a Middle and High School student, please use the Kennedy Gym parking lot accessed from Lysted Road.Download a map with traffic patterns and parking here. As always, our students' safety is our primary concern. - Please drive slowly and carefully when on campus
- Refrain from cell phone use
- Watch for pedestrians and cyclists in the crosswalks or on Greenbelt
We have several reserved parking spaces -- we appreciate your cooperation in respecting the signs and the families for whom these spaces are reserved! |
 Riverstone's morning bus service is ready to start on the first day of school! Randy, our bus rider, is looking forward to meeting our students!
There are two pick up locations and the schedule will be:
- 7:50 AM Tennis courts at Camel's Back Park (1200 W Heron St)
- 8:05 AM Dona Larsen Park Entrance on Warm Springs Avenue (across from Pioneer Cemetery)
There is a $75/month/child fee for the bus service.
If you plan on utilizing Riverstone's bus service, please email Sarah Taylor.
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.
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 Join us for lots of great information and the opportunity to ask questions regarding the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), and the Diploma Programme (DP).
Elementary School Parent Coffees
Elementary School Director, James Hamilton-Vail will be hosting informational coffees for parents to talk about the upcoming school year for Elementary School students.These will be held in the Multi-Purpose Room at 8:45 AM on the following days:
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Grade
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Date
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Preschool and PreKindergarten
| Tue, Aug 30
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Kindergarten - Grade 1
| Wed, Aug 31
| Grades 2 - 3
| Thurs, Sept 1
| Grades 4 - 5
| Fri, Sept 2
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Middle and High School Parent Coffees
MYP Coordinator, Damon Brown, and DP Coordinator, Jami Whitmer, will also be hosting informational sessions for parents. These meetings will be held in the Library in the Middle School at 8:30 AM on the following days:
Grade
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| Middle Years Programme (Grades 6 - 10)
| Wed, Sept 7
| Diploma Programme
(Grades 11 - 12)
| Thurs, Sept 8
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FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL EVENTS
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Please join us for the following traditional welcome back events on the first day of school, Monday, Aug 29.
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Event
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Time & Location
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All-School Convocation
We start the school year celebrating what we know to be one of Riverstone's unique qualities and one of our Five Pillars, our strong sense of community. All parents are invited to join us!
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9:00 AM - 9:30 AM in the Kennedy Gymnasium | |
PA Boohoo Yahoo Coffee
Sad to see your little ones head to class for the first time OR are you ready to shout "Yahoo" towards the sky? No matter your preference -- we will have the tissues and high-fives ready! Join us immediately following the All-School Convocation in the Gym Foyer.
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Immediately following Convocation in the Kennedy Gymnasium Foyer | |
PA After-School Ice Cream Social
After the first day back at school, join us outside the Elementary School for our Ice Cream Social celebrating the start of the 2016-17 school year!
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3:30 PM at the Elementary School |
*Supplies: Elementary School students are welcome to bring their school supplies to the Meet the Teachers event tomorrow or on the first day of school.
Middle and High School students should plan to bring their supplies on Tuesday, Aug 30.
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 Middle School Girls Volleyball (Gr 6-8)
We would like to welcome Emma Wenger to our Riverstone community as the Assistant Coach for the Middle School Girls Volleyball team. Emma comes to us from Boise State University where she is enrolled in the education program; she played 4 years of high school volleyball. Welcome Emma!
The following is a note from Coach Moyett and Coach Emma: "The girls are getting ready for their first home game. Together we have developed a leadership-style volleyball team. Their positive attitude and enthusiasm is contagious. We are excited to see their overall growth and look forward to improving in all aspects of the game as a team." -Coach Moyett and Coach Emma
Please find the list of 2016 games here. We are in need of volunteers to help us run the scoreboard and judge lines as these are a requirement for the schools who host. Please contact Athletic Director Pete Burton as soon as possible if you are interested and available.  Soccer - High School Girls Needed for Co-Ed Team!Coach Stilinovich is in need of Grade 9 - 12 girls for our Co-Ed soccer team. If you are interested, please sign up through Idaho Rush and then meet the team on the Riverstone soccer field after school for practices on Monday and Wednesday from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM and Friday from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The first game will be on Saturday, Sept 10.
Please email Coach Mark Stilinovich and Athletic Director Pete Burton with any questions regarding soccer for students in grades 9-12. Athletic Handbook
The Athletic Handbook is being revised and will be made available shortly to all community members and athletes.
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FALL OUTDOOR TRIP INFORMATION
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 Thanks to everyone who has been downloading lists and permission forms in order to prepare for outdoor trips this fall!
Please visit our Resources page on the Riverstone website to access the informational letter, required permission form, and equipment list for your students' class.
Please return permission forms and waivers by the first day of school. You may bring them to Meet the Teachers next Friday.
Tip from Ben Brock: Take the outdoor equipment lists with you when you do your back to school shopping as outdoor stores start stocking for winter seasons and may remove fall gear soon!
Contact Ben Brock with any questions.
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 Book and Supply Lists for the 2016-17 academic year are ready for you to download from the Riverstone website. Please scroll two-thirds down the page and choose the list(s) you need under the "School Supplies and Book Lists" header.
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.
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This week's Facebook photo is of our second round of residential students and their families visiting the Riverstone campus for the first time! Welcome to the new students!
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