August 29, 2012 - Important Back-to-School Information

Greetings Families:

I am writing to provide updates regarding back to school.

Staffing Update 

Our new Special Education teacher is Mrs. Jill Huntington.  She comes to us from Beaverton School District and will be teaching elective classes as well.  Our Humanities teacher, Ms. Laura Pridmore-Brown (PB), comes to us via Clackamas High School and brings with her the ability to provide PSU credits through the PSU Challenge Program.  Ms. Heidi Welnick is serving as our Music teacher.  She is new to the Portland area. A highlight of her experience is the building (from scratch) the music program at Grand Canyon University.  I am pleased to provide your children the opportunity to work with such strong teachers.

Registrar Update

Unfortunately, we were unable to make our timeline in order to mail student schedules prior to the start of school.  The new student information system is going to be welcome, however, the transition is taking more time than anticipated.  Mrs. Teeter is proficient and student schedules will be complete for the first day of school.

We do understand that there will be need for students to make schedule changes and Mrs. Teeter is prepared for that.  Especially when you read further!

Curricular Opportunity Update

As mentioned above, Ms. Pridmore-Brown is positioned to provide a college credit course.  Below is the course description, benefits and how to access this new class offered this trimester.  Please contact Ms. Teeter immediately if your student would like to take advantage of this opportunity.  We need a full class in order to offer this course this trimester.   

Through the Challenge Program, a cooperative program between Portland State University and your school district, you have the opportunity to enroll in a first-year PSU course before you begin full-time college study.  By completing a Challenge course, you can earn PSU credits while you are still in high school.  Your teacher, Laura Pridmore-Brown, has an Adjunct Instructor appointment from the History Department at PSU and will teach your PSU course on the Riverdale High School campus. Currently, the following course is being offered through the Challenge Program at PSU: The History of Western Civilization:History 102 (Renaissance through the Enlightenment).

What is the tuition cost for this Challenge Program course?

Qualified students (PSU requires a 3.0 GPA) who wish to enroll in Challenge courses pay a reasonable Program Fee.  The fee is reviewed annually.  For the 2012-2013 year, students will pay $226 for History 102, a 4 credit class. If a student were to take this same class on the PSU campus, the cost would be $734.

Who can register to take this class through the PSU Challenge Program?

Course offerings are normally restricted to qualified high school seniors.  However, students in their junior year are sometimes permitted to enroll in Challenge Program PSU courses with approval from the University faculty coordinator and the Challenge Program administrator.

When I register for a course, what is my official status at PSU?

When you enroll through Challenge at the University, you are a part-time Portland State University student. You will have the privileges of any other part-time student: you may get a PSU ID card; you will be eligible for a computer account; you will have full access to the Library, including access to all the databases subscribed to by the University.

When you complete your Challenge Program course, you are entitled to an official Portland State University transcript.

Drama Club update

New this fall is an extra curricular activity, the dramatic production of All in the Timing. Students should look out for information right away regarding auditions.

Principals message

NOTICE: It was brought to our attention that the district calendar states the first day of school is 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.  This is not true.  School is 9:00 a.m. to 3:50 p.m.  Our apologizes for any confusion.

Students, I am anxious and excited to have you back in our halls!  We have a great year ahead of us.

August 21, 2012

Staffing News:

Ms. Horgan, our music teacher, has taken a one-year leave of absence and is planning to start afresh for the 2013-14 school year.  We wish Ms. Horgan the best as she explores, takes time for professional growth and rests.  Our search for the Music teacher is not concluded.

Our Special Education Department has a new teacher and case manager, Jill Huntington.  Ms. Huntington comes to us from Beaverton School District.  I am thrilled to bring Ms. Huntington on board, she is highly skilled, an exceptional colleague, enthusiastic and creative.  Ms. Huntington is a joy to work with and is anxious to meet our students. 

Additionally, Ms. Cassell has resigned her post at Riverdale High School.  We support and celebrate her adventure.  Currently we are reviewing applications for our Humanities position opening.  Following is a heartfelt message for you from Ms. Cassell.

Dear Riverdale Families:

My five years at Riverdale have been the most fun and professionally satisfying of my life. The students, parents and colleagues at the high school have made it an absolute pleasure to go to work every day. Despite this, an opportunity has come my way that I feel I must accept. I will be working at Madison High School as Instructional Specialist. This change is important for my professional growth and development as an educator, but I have truly loved working with Riverdale students. I know that I am leaving a wonderful job with great students and families. I will miss the Riverdale community, probably painfully, and in fact, I already do. The timing of this change is awkward and I will do my best to help create a smooth transition, including handing over curriculum and working with my replacement. Thank you to students and parents for your support and the joy it has been to work with you.

Sincerely,

Santha

Site Council Recruitment

Site Council is a committee based on 21st Century Schools Councils (OAR 329.704) requirement.  The school council is responsible to assist in the development of professional growth of the schools staff; improvement of the school’s instructional program; and, coordination of plans to implement the programs. In more direct terms, the Site Council works to develop, monitor and revise our School Improvement Plan.  The Site Council is comprised of parents, students, classified staff, administration and teachers.

At Riverdale High School we meet once a month at 4:00 for 1.5 hours.  If you are interested in being considered for service on the Site Council please contact your principal, Paula Robinson.

Writing 121 Benefits

An important note about Writing 121, your student can acquire a PCC college credit after completing the class.  For a small fee college credit will be earned and applied to high school transcript.  This is important for first year of college scheduling because the more college credit a student has the higher they will be in the college registration process.  There is a trick, students must maintain a college transcript and remember to submit official transcripts upon registration to their college of choice.  This is true of AP test/credits as well.

Lunch Program Access

Students may submit money ahead of time or purchase lunch with cash.  If you desire to place money in a student account mail checks to: Express Catering PO Box 20954 Keizer, Oregon 97303 or turn checks in to the high school office.  For menu information go to: xpresscatering.com (lunch menu will be available the first of September)

If you have any questions you can email us at: xpresscatering@gmail.com or call us at

503 487 3510

From the Registrar:

STUDENT SCHEDULES

RHS Student Schedules are in the final stages of completion and evaluation.  Hopefully students will receive their schedules in the mail prior to the beginning of school.

We along with other schools in the state are transitioning from ESIS to a new student information system.  I have input schedules prior to this transition. However, we are experiencing glitches in the system during the rollover.  That said we are doing our best.  If you do not receive a schedule in the mail, your student will have one greeting them on the first day of school.  Our apologizes!

STUDENT REGISTRATION/PAPERWORK/FEES

All student registration forms, signature pages, general paperwork and school fees are to be submitted to the office by August 24th.  Every student in the school must have a new registration form on file in the office each year for parent contact and emergency purposes.

Thank you.

Mrs. Teeter

Registrar/Admin. Assist

May 13, 2012

Collinsview Neighborhood Association Warning

Because of our land use agreement we are not allowed to drop off our students in the adjacent neighborhoods.  I have been warned that we are violating the terms of our land use agreement.  The neighborhood voices that some of us have been rude when approached by Collinsview Neighborhood Association members.  It is our responsibility to use the high school parking lot (as congested as it is) as our ONLY drop off/pick up site.  The land use agreement is a legal document that defines the terms that make us welcome to use the premise.  In order to avoid high-level issues of concern, DO NOT DROP YOUR CHILDREN OFF ON NEIGHBORING STREETS.  Your cooperation in this is greatly appreciated.

May 22^nd at 7:00 pm -  Parent Presentation - The Teeanage Brain -
Dr. Stevens - RHS - Maverick Room

You are welcome to participate in Dr. Steven’s presentation at the High School. 

The Teenage Brain: A User’s Guide

Alexander A. Stevens, Ph. D

Departments of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience (OHSU)

Below are some highlights of the presentation our students were provided. 

Dr. Stevens, a cognitive neuroscientist at OHSU focused his presentation on

attention and memory, and how brain changes in teens effects how they make

decisions. He discussed how the conscious and unconscious parts of our brains

effect decision-making. He presented information about the brain and decision-

making factually, not moralistically, which most of the audience, if not all,

appreciated.

The presentation began with a detailed description of brain function and

how the workings of the brain are discovered through the use of Magnetic

Resonance Imaging. It has been determined through MRIs that adolescents make

better decisions on their own than they do when they are with friends. This is due

to over-activity in the ventral straeum caused by stress and peer interaction.

Because the prefrontal cortex of the teen brain is underactive, the over-activity of

the reward pathways in the ventral straeum, which tell the brain when we’re doing

something right, takes over and determines behavior. So if a teen is doing

something pleasurable, the reward center of the brain (ventral straeum) responds to

the stimuli in a positive way, generating positive feelings, which can cause the teen

to repeat the behavior.

In terms of drug use, students were given a straightforward explanation of

how the brain acts like a thermostat on drugs. It works to return to “normal” when

under the influence of drugs or alcohol. As the rush goes away the craving for the

positive effect persists. This can lead to tolerance and eventually addiction. Over

time the negative effects of the drug become greater. When drugs or alcohol are no

longer being used, the body and brain experience withdrawal symptoms. These can

be moderate to intense depending on the drug. Alcohol withdrawal is the only kind of

withdrawal that can kill because it can produce seizures.

The factors that affect drug use are: behavior, biology/genes (having a

particular code of genes makes a person more susceptible to addiction), gender,

environment (home, peer attitude, parent attitude), brain mechanism (prefrontal

cortex, ventral straeum) and dependence. Of all of the available drugs the most

dangerous are alcohol and tobacco, and they’re legal.

The final message of the presentation was an invitation to students to do one

thing that scares them every day. The only caveat was the final note to students that

only they know the difference between risks that are dangerous, scary and stupid.

The leading causes of death in 15 – 19 year-olds are bad decisions.  The presenter was thoughtful, intelligent and informative without being “preachy”. He offered students information to make good decisions based on facts and information, not because they are being told what to do. The students and staff appreciated the straightforward message of Dr. Stevens.

Parking on campus

Many students have earned their license, but there are no more parking spots available.  Staff are not allowed to use the neighborhood streets to park, due to the Collinsview land use agreement and they need their parking spots.  Unless your student has an approved parking permit to park on campus they are not allowed to do so.

Attendance

If your student needs to leave early, is gone, or absent for any reason we need to be informed early in the day.  Please call Sam to report attendance.  This is for safety and to nip spring fever in the bud.

Scheduling

During the month of April and into May a team of ten (parents, staff and a student) worked to analyze our current schedule as well as several other potential schedules for cost effectiveness, rich transcript opportunities and student to teacher face- to-face time.  Through much research and analysis it was determined that through our current five-period trimester block schedule we are able to provide the best opportunities for our students with our current resources (thank you by-the-way for your contributions we are able to continue with current staffing next year!).  If you have specific questions regarding the process or the research please call me for further clarification.

Senior check out!

Spring has arrived and the school end is fast approaching. In order to release your student’s grades, transcript, and diploma, each student must check out.  They must demonstrate the following are current:

• All late student fees of $60.00 due last September are paid.
• Outstanding field studies fees due in March are paid.
• All textbooks are turned in and/or paid for if lost.
• All library books are turned in and/or paid for if lost.
• Sports uniforms turned into the coach or Athletic Dept.
• Any outstanding school Tuition paid in full.

In addition, all 12th graders must request a final transcript to be sent to the college/university by submitting a request to Sam, Ms. Teeter or Mr. Murray.

Senior Exhibitions - Senior Exhibitions begin May 21 -- This culminating work of our senior class includes a public presentation.  Please click here to view the schedule.

Amy W's Award

In April 2012, Amy W was awarded national winner for National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) Aspirations in Computing in Charlotte, NC.  This award honors young women at the high school level for their computing related achievements and interests.  Amy was selected for her computing and IT aptitude, leadership ability, academic history and plans for post-secondary education.

RHS Library Book Swap

Wednesday-Friday, May 30, 31 & June 1, 2012

You Can Help NOW:

It is not too early to help the RHS Library Book Swap.  This sale is the official kick-off for Summer Reading, and we need your used books.

How It Works:

1. Clean out your bookshelves with the bookswap in mind: appropriate adult and YA fiction, mysteries, historical fiction, sci-fi, graphic novels, non-fiction such as history, current events, cookbooks, travel, art, pets, psychology, sports, essays, philosophy, biography, CDs, & DVDs.
2. Bag it!  Bring in your donations (starting now) in a bag or box that is clearly marked with your name. 
3. 3 =1:  We give you one book credit for every three items you donate.  So, if you donate 12 items, you earn enough points to “buy” 4 books/cds/dvds at the sale.  The more you bring in, the better the choices for everyone.
4. On the first day of the sale, only those who donated items are allowed to select items.  If you run out of points, you may purchase a title for $.50 for paperback, $1 for hardback/cd/dvd.  On the second and third days, everyone is welcome and all titles will for available for sale at these great prices.

This sale is not designed to raise money, but we sometimes make enough to purchase a nice assortment of popular paperbacks to loan for Summer Reading.

Questions or comments to Kate Loggan, kloggan@riverdale.k12.or.us or 503.2624844

Student Opportunities

Parents of ninth graders:  if your student has interest in studying abroad through Rotary Youth Exchange, now is the time to contact the Rotary chapter near you.   Applications are due in November of the sophomore year; students study abroad their junior year.   Scholarships are available.   For more information: http://www.rotarypdx.org/youth_exchange.html

April 27th - Important Information

Prom is Saturday 8-11 Saturday April 28, 2012

Rachael’s Challenge:

Dear Parents and Community Members,

The Riverdale School District is bringing one of the most inspirational and life altering

Programs in the nation to our students next week. It’s called Rachel’s Challenge.

Rachel Scott was the first person killed at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999.

Her acts of kindness and compassion coupled with the contents of her six diaries have

Become the foundation for one of the most life-changing school programs in America.

Powerful AND age-appropriate video/audio footage of Rachel’s life and the Columbine

Tragedy holds students spell-bound during a one-hour school presentation that

Motivates them to positive change in the way they treat others.

The assembly creates the “want to” or desire to make positive changes. The

Assembly is followed by a separate interactive 90-minute training session with adults

And student leaders to sustain the momentum created by this assembly.

The evening speaker conducts a powerful session with parents and community leaders.

It is similar to the day program and challenges all of us to help reinforce positive

Decisions our youth are making.

Positive words, attitudes, and actions.

It’s that simple.

Please go to: http://www.rachelschallenge.org/LearnMore/WhatIsRC.php for more

information.

Please be sure to attend this highly acclaimed, impactful program

Wednesday, May 2nd at  7:00 pm 

at the Riverdale Grade School Gym

Friends of Rachael (FOR) Clubs Training:

Some of you may have heard about the students who will be provided the opportunity to be Advisory leaders for the Friends of Rachael (FOR) clubs.  A group of 100 students will be receiving training on May 2nd.  I am writing to share that the process of selection was a lottery.  Included in the training are Riverdale Grade School students as well.   Everyone could not be included.  Our intent was not to exclude anyone.

Senior Parents:

As we are fast approaching the end of the school year, this is a message and reminder from the registrar:

Your senior very soon will be walking across the graduation stage and the RHS staff will be sad to see them leave, but also very happy for the new ventures that will be coming their way.

Before graduation can happen for each senior, the following must be completed:

1.  Complete and send in the order form for rental of caps and gowns. (ASAP)

2.  Have all service learning hours documented (total of 90 hours before graduation).

3.  All work turned into teachers and graded.

4.  All textbooks, and library books turned in by Friday, June 8th.  If the books are not turned in, the cost of the book must be paid in full.

5.  All other outstanding fees including transcript fees, sports fees, field studies fees, replacement costs for sports uniforms, and Xpress Catering

     Outstanding lunch monies.   (Transcript fee totals can be found in your Naviance account.) 

6.  Tuition (if applicable) paid in full.

Seniors will be given a senior check list next week.  Please help your student to complete this form so they may participate in the graduation ceremony.

Thank you for your prompt attention so that you and your student may enjoy the graduation events.

Sue Teeter

Junior Parent Night - Drug and Alcohol Use

At the Junior Parent Night the subject of drug and alcohol use was raised.  There is an impression, among students and some parents, that there is a "significant" amount of marijuana use at the school right now, as well as drinking.  Michael Murray cautioned us to not overreact, citing research that suggests how students can overestimate the amount of use in their school.  At the same time, he encouraged parents to be cautious and observant.   The school's role is to keep a clean environment in the building and to report any health related concerns to parents.  

DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE IN HIGH SCHOOL PRESENTATION – STUDENTS AND PARENTS with Dr. Alexander Stevens, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the Oregon Health Sciences University

STUDENT PRESENTATION – May 4^th – 10:00 – 11:00 am

PARENT GATHERING – Tuesday, May 8^th at 7:00pm

The Parent gathering will include helpful strategies about discussing the topic with students at home.

Students report that they don't know enough about the physical and psychological impact of drugs (especially marijuana) and alcohol.  Since the consequences of drug and alcohol use are not immediate and dramatic, it is easy for students to be in denial about their seriousness.  To address this set of problems, we have invited Dr. Alexander Stevens to speak with students and with parents.  He is an Assistant Professor in the departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the Oregon Health Sciences University, and will be speaking with students on Friday, May 4th from 10-11am, and with parents on Tuesday, May 8 at 7am. 

Sophomore and Junior Parent Nights Recap, April 17 & 18, 2012:

The evenings began with an update about the work District staff are accomplishing.  The following is a brief description of what was shared.

The High School has a team working together to analyze our current schedule and several other possibilities.  We are considering the following, what schedule is best for our students (weighing benefit), what schedule is the most cost effective and efficient, and what schedule provides optimum teacher to student instructional time.  Serving on the team are four parents, three teachers, a student, the registrar and myself.  Updates are forthcoming.

The State has provided schools with adjustments and changes in laws and instructional requirements.  In order to be ahead of the game, we are in discussion about ways to improve opportunities for students.  Conversations have included brief discussions about implementing International Baccalaureate, Advanced placement and dual credit (high school/college) courses.  No decisions have been made, we are in the research phase, your input is welcomed.

Our District has completed a required project --  development of the Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP).  All districts in Oregon are required to annually develop CIP; our CIP was completed and the School Board approved the plan.  Schools are required to build a School Improvement Plan (SIP).  This plan is to be drafted using the CIP as a springboard.  Through the Site Council (a team of four students, four parents, two teachers, one classified and one administrator) our SIP had been drafted and presented to the School Board.  Our SIP focuses on improving student achievement for all students.

The District is in the final stages of drafting the District Literacy Plan; this K-12 plan focuses on reading across the district.  You will hear more as the plan will be posted publicly.

Student messages:

The Congo Rescue Mission is an organization committed to helping the people of the Congo, starting with the youth, to build better lives for themselves using the game of soccer as the foundation for the teaching of basic life skills and lessons.  The founder is Riverdale High School JV soccer coach, Marcel Mubikayi, a native Congolese motivated to create change in a poverty struck country. Soccer is the most popular game in the world and it offers many life lessons that help shape not only soccer players but good individuals. Simply stated, our goal is to improve the quality of lives of the people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo...one soccer player at a time!  Right now, the organization is gathering old soccer equipment to send to the Congo.  We plan to host tournaments, donate equipment such as balls, cleats, clothing, etc, and bring the love of the game across the world to the Congolese youth.  If you would like to donate equipment or money to help raise funds to help this organization the please visithttp://www.congorescuemission.org/.
Thank You,
Sevan D and Ben F

District Art Show

The show included over 864 pieces of art, and featured 47 performers.  In addition, 20 seniors showcased their visual and performing arts (one-third of the class!).  Thank you to our students, parents and Riverdale Teachers - David Schell (RHS), Nancy Helmsworth (RGS), Michelle Horgen (RHS), and Molly Scholz (RGS).

Spring is Here - April 11, 2012

Highlights from Freshman Parent Night

Ninth graders were asked to write down what their personal issues were; they are concerned about:

• How to navigate "cliques"

• Michael has worked with the class on the topic of "cliques", what they have learned at Wildhorse and the anxiety they experience about the social ladder. Our goal is to break down this way of thinking. It is good for you to have a conversation at home about "inclusion/exclusion of others".

• How to navigate "partying"

• How to navigate the "pressure to be super student"

• Our students are worried about, "am I going to please my parents"?

• It is not too soon to plan college resume so-to-speak. Summer opportunities are really an extension of school. They can add to student credentials. It is important to thoughtfully design in collaboration with your child a meaningful summer opportunity. Mr. Murray has plenty of suggestions if you need assistance. It is the resume building they need and a way to be engaged during summer in a fruitful manner.

Field Studies Highlights -- RHS week-long field studies gives students and teachers the chance to use their knowledge in real-world, experiential settings.  This year field studies experiences included Wildhorse, Drama at Wildhorse, Wildhorse Kitchen Crew, Facilities Crew, Movie making, Summer lake, Cadet Teaching and Ashland.  Here are a few personal insights...

Cadet Teaching --During the week prior to Spring Break seven RHS students descended upon the grade school to find out what it means to be a teacher.  They assisted with everything from working with small groups of students in literacy to teaching Spanish lessons to giving break-dancing instruction.  Rumor has it that even Mr. Patterson gave the break-dancing a shot!

My experience was amazing! I was at the grade school teaching dance to all grades all week long and each class was unique. Not once did I encounter the same thing twice. They all learned at different paces and they all learned different levels. I had to learn to adapt to each age and class so that they could be challenged but not get overwhelmed. It was such a great and fun experience! Chad N

Wildhorse - Before Wildhorse, a social hierarchy was present in the freshman class.  We were so afraid to escape the comfort of our friend circles and learn about others in our grade, so instead, we judged those we didn't know on the basis or rumor and gossip.  Wildhorse left our social hierarchy in ruins, and pushed everyone to explore friendships in the most unlikely of places, and appreciate old friendships with new gratitude and genuineness.  Sophie H

Summer Lake
One of the many perks of going to a small school like Riverdale, is having the opportunity each year to leave the classroom setting for a week and learn in the most natural environment of them all, nature. Since second grade I have been on field studies all over the Northwest. I have hiked the Ape Caves on Mount St. Helens, explored vacant Rajneeshee Villages in Antelope, Oregon, and most recently spent a week camping and hiking in Summer Lake. Field Studies are not only a great time to learn outside the traditional classroom setting, but they are the time when the community, that Riverdale thrives to have, develops. There is some inevitable bonding that happens when 28 students, teachers, parents, and a bus driver spend a week in a small ranch house with only each other as our source of entertainment. Whether we were soaking in the hot springs, playing a card game, or making music, building a sense of community was apparent.

Along with the student-student community that builds during Field Studies, the teacher-student dynamic changes. I have been at Riverdale for the past 12 years, because of that, my expectations in education are that teachers have more than just a teaching role in students lives. While in Summer Lake, Mr. Preacher nerded out and shared his love of rocks and geology and Ms. Cassell shared her passion for cooking. As students we have always heard that they liked rocks and food but getting to see this in action was mind-blowing. We have phenomenal teachers at Riverdale and Field Studies is another opportunity for us to see that.

Field studies is a vital week in the overall Riverdale experience. The inevitable community building and application of classroom learned knowledge is what makes this week so important. Jessica H

While at Summer Lake you are conquering windswept mountains, visiting a part of Oregon you've never seen before, playing music with classmates, eating great food, observing the Milky Way, talkin' geology with Papa Bear Preacher, enduring the elements with your best friend, and having one of the best weeks of your life . And after all of that you get to soak in the hot springs. What's not to like? Evan M

Ashland - I had a really great time in Ashland.  We saw two great plays:  The White Snake and Animal Crackers.  Both of them kept my interest until the end.  The other part that was really fun was hanging out with my friends – without them it would have been no fun at all.

Josh I

RHS 11th Grade Parents - ACT - Tuesday, April 24th

The test will take place during the school day at Riverdale High School beginning promptly at 9:00.  We will ask that students arrive between 8:30 and 8:45 on that day so that they can be seated and ready to begin on time.  We will register the students here at school.  I will be going into classrooms to talk to the students about the exam and at that time I will give them an information booklet.  In the meantime, I strongly encourage you to have your child go to the ACT website and look at some of the Test Prep information provided.  They should try some of the sample questions to get a feel for what the test will be like:

http://www.actstudent.org/testprep/index.html

They should bring Number 2 pencils and an approved calculator.  http://www.actstudent.org/faq/answers/calculator.html

Donors Resource Project - New Riverdale Interns Make their Appearance on the Blog - Check it Out

Riverdale High School students to take on leadership roles from marketing and development to social media and program coordination. They operate our nonprofit, gain real time experience, while serving an unmet need, making a positive change in our community in a way that only youth can.

"Starry Starry Night" Prom - Wednesday, April 28th:

Prom is coming up! This year, Mrs. LePore’s H2O class is hosting prom, and

all funds made by the dance will be used to revamp the water systems at the

Ithithanam Higher Secondary School in Kerala, India and to bring water to the

Oldonyo Orasha community in Kenya. The dance will be held on April 28th at the

Ecotrust Building in the Pearl District. Tickets are being pre-sold for $25, and $30

at the door. We encourage all students to come and participate, whether they have

a date or not. Students are welcome to bring a guest from another school, but must

have a dance pass for their guest in to Sam Ziff at the front desk by Wednesday April

25th. It will be a fun “Starry Starry Night” for all, and we hope to see you there!

District Arts Show - April 25th

Rachel's Challenge - May 2nd

All Riverdale students, staff and administration will participate in a dynamic anti-bullying program on May 2nd with three assemblies (K-5th, 6th-8th, and High School), each specifically designed with age appropriate messages to motive students to take initiative to be caring and thoughtful in their interactions. The program also includes an interactive training session involving both adult and 100 student leaders. The training demonstrates ways to sustain the positive momentum created by the student assemblies.

During the evening event, the certified Rachel’s Challenge speaker will conduct a powerful session with parents and community members. The dynamic evening presentation ends with a specific challenge to parents and to community members showing them how they can reinforce the decisions our youth make daily. All Riverdale staff, students, parents and community members are invited to learn how they can help contribute to a healthier, safe neighborhood and school climate for all our children.

Please join us — it will change the way you think of community and bullying forever!

If you would like to learn more, click here the for Rachel's Challenge Intro Video

Parent/Teacher Conferences – April 26th and 27th
Call Now to Sign Up. 503-262-4844
April 26th: 8:30am – 12:30pm, 1:00pm – 5:00pm, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
April 27th: 8:30am – 12:30pm

Important Dates to Remember

April 16 - Regular School Board Meeting - Grade School Library - 6-8pm

April 17 - Sophomore Parent Info Night - High School Library - 7-8:30 pm

April 18 - Junior Parent Info Night - High School Library - 7-8:30 pm

April 24 - ACT Testing at RHS

April 25 - District Arts Night - Riverdale High School - 6:00 - 8:00 pm
April 28 - "Starry Starry Night" Prom - Ecotrust Building 7:00 - 10:00 pm

May 2 - Rachel's Challenge - Riverdale Grade School Gym - 7:00 pm

May 17 - New Student Forecasting Night - Maverick Room - 7:00 pm


High School Accolades (just to name a few)
Chess 3rd Place overall team finish at Regionals - Dmitri M and John N
Chess 1st Place Finish High School Division - Dmitri M
Bridge Building top 2 state finishers will travel to Las Vegas on May 5th - Mitch S, and Bret L
Basketball Top 8 Finish State Girls Basketball
Skiing State Qualifiers - Sam S and Anna E
Swimming State Qualifers - Meghan G, Andrew P, Garen M, Wila H

Snowboarding

Riverdale High School girls snowboarding team captured the 2012 Oregon Interscholastic Snowboarding Association (OISA) State Snowboard Championship — the Sato Cup — March 17. This is Riverdale’s first state championship and the first time (in memorable history) that a Metro League team has won this trophy. Riverdale High School, a 2A school competed against mostly 6A teams from across the State.

This was a great season for Riverdale’s snowboarding team with nine students qualifying for the State Championships at Mt. Bachelor this year. The nine qualifiers were Chase F, Will F, Colton S, Henry L, Tiffany P, Evy B, Lucy P, Taylor P-A and Ellie B.

Chad N (RHS student and cadet teacher) won the "Who's That Guy" award which is given to a male dancer at the ADA (American Dance Awards) Competition that stood out to the Special Awards Judge. To stand out you need to be a good performer and get the crowd into it. As well as never losing energy in your performance. Essentially it is the "Male Dancer of the Year".