Friday, March 4, 2011

Sports, Physics and More...


PARKING PLEA – Help Reduce Our Carbon Footprint
Districts around the county are striving to get students to school in the safest most economical way possible. Riverdale is no exception; therefore, we are encouraging your participation.  We ask that in-district students carpool or ride the neighborhood bus to school. This will reduce our carbon footprint, reduce congestion in our parking lot, and increase safety.  Additionally, when an out-of-district parent drives a student to school they make four (4) trips in the car, rather than two (2); this dramatically increases Riverdale’s carbon footprint.  We would value the opportunity to provide a parking space to drivers who travel several miles.

Riverdale is a community and we need to take care of each other as such.  We have already had a family volunteer their spot, and appreciate the effort.  We extend our sincere thanks for your help with this matter.
FIELD STUDIES 2011 

Teachers and students spent (collectively) over 30 hours this week to put together information for each Field studies experience. A team of students organized paperwork, stuffed envelopes (contents specific for each trip) and sent them through the stamp machine. When your letter arrives, please look over the contents carefully.

There are itineraries for all trips along with permission slips, packing lists and a baggage check sheet to sign for all overnight trips.  There is also a medication form for students needing any medication.
Some of you will have a payment request enclosed as well. 

If you did not receive a mailing by Monday, please contact the school.

(With special thanks to my mail team headed by my dedicated TA, JM!  Laurie LePore)

Food Service Update
A Food Service Task Force (made up of students, parents, teachers, and district staff) began the painstaking search to find a lunch solution when Four Seasons Flavor leaves after Spring break.  It has been amazing and inspiring to see the ideas flow in order to find a tasty, healthy and cost effective lunch solution.  The bottom line is that there will be lunch served, and it will be affordable and healthy. We are asking your patience during the transition period, as we look for a more permanent solution for next school year and beyond. This is an exciting time as the Healthy Active Schools Program at Riverdale (a grant funded project) will help to ensure that regionally grown food and Farm-to-School programs are included in the permanent food service program solution.
The dedicated task force has many ideas and possibilities on the table.  The next meeting is Monday, March 7th.  You will be informed as soon as the solution is determined.

RIVERDALE HIGH SCHOOL IN THE NEWS -  SENIOR EXHIBITION - CLICK HERE

GIRLS BASKETBALL
SATURDAY, MARCH 5TH AT 9:00 AM
RIVERDALE HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM WILL PLAY RIDDLE, TOMORROW AT THE PENDLETON CONVENTION CENTER
Riverdale came back after a loss to East Linn Christian yesterday to beat Enterprise today 46 to 29, and will play Riddle, Saturday March 5th at 9:00 am.

Just in case you can’t make the trip, you can listen to the game on the live on the radio!  Yes, live coverage of the games.  In addition they will be recorded so you can fit them into your schedule.  So, if you have to stay here in Portland, Please tune it to hear the game!

SNOWBOARDING
Snowboarders are heading to State Competition at Mt. Hood Meadows

Wed, 3/9--courses are open for qualifiers to practice all day
Thurs, 3/10--Banked Slalom and Snowboard Cross
Fri, 3/11--Slopestyle
Sat, 3/12--Halfpipe and Awards ceremony
State Qualifiers:
Individual Banked Slalom: Quinn F, Chase F, Will F, Taylor P-A, Tiffany P, Evy B, Lucy P, and Jennie H.
Slopestyle: Will F, Taylor P-A, TIffany P, and as an alternate, Evy B.
Halfpipe: Evy B and Taylor P-A.

Congratulations to all of our qualifiers!!


RIVERDALE DOMINATES STATE BRIDGE BUILDING CONTEST FOR THE 
7th STRAIGHT YEAR!
 For the seventh year in a row, Riverdale High School students claimed the top team prize at the 42nd annual CH2M-Hill/Oregon State University's (OSU) College of Engineering model bridge contest.  Riverdale junior, Martha M and senior, Alex L F won first and second spots respectively, enabling them to travel to Chicago representing Oregon at the International Competition.  The contest takes place at the Illinois Institute of Technology on April 30th.
The contest requires students to apply specific, changing physics principles to a real-life construction project. Model bridges are constructed of basswood according to strict size, height and weight specifications and are tested to failure.  Winners are those whose bridges have the highest efficiency rating.  Efficiency is determined by taking the mass the bridge held, and dividing it by the mass of the bridge.  This year out of the over 180 bridge entries tested, Riverdale students placed 1st through 18th, and had 28 of the top 29 efficiencies.  Martha M broke the regional record with an efficiency of 4898.3, senior Alex L F was second with 4835.6, and Mitch S was third with 4476.3.
Other top ten finishers for Riverdale
Other Physics News:
In addition, Jessica M has qualified for the semifinals in the North American Computation Linguistics Olympiad, which will be held March 10. This Olympiad is a contest in which high-school students solve linguistic puzzles. In solving the problems, students learn about the diversity and consistency of language, while exercising logic skills.
Dan S is a semifinalist for the 2011 US Physics Olympics Team.  The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) announced the top students chosen to advance to the Semifinal round of U.S. Physics Team selection.  Approximately 3000 students participated in this first phase of the selection process.  From that phase, 300 top scorers on the first test advance to the Semifinal round of competition. 
Two teams from Riverdale have qualified for the semifinal round of the West Point Bridge Design competition (an online bridge design competition).  The top 40 teams in the country will compete in the semifinals.

RIVERDALE GRADE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL JAZZ NIGHT - MARCH 7TH




Please note:  The date has changed for the Parent Information Night for Prospective Parents -- March 30th.













PTC Job shadow sign-ups are on Sunday at 5 PM in the Maverick room. They are open to all freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors. It will be first come, first served. We have job shadows for a day in/with:
  • the hospitality industry
  • artist
  • photographers
  • stockbroker
  • engineer
  • lawyer
  • event planner
  • software designer
  • commercial construction
  • veterinary dermatologist
  • advertising
  • social media or marketing
  • molecular and medical genetics research
  • grade school teachers
  • principal

Don't miss out on this opportunity to get a glimpse at a job you may be interested in, and be sure to be there early! If you have any questions or if you are a parent interested in becoming a parent mentor, contact Rose Rooper at rmoneyrooper@comcast.net


For colleges, selecting a freshmen class is a lot like betting on horses. 
College Counseling
At the track, nobody really knows for sure which horse will ultimately win (we assume that's why it's called "gambling").  And no matter how successful you've been in high school, colleges know there are no guarantees you will keep being that same motivated, winning kid once you move into a dorm and experience life without your parents for the first time.  So colleges look a little deeper than grades and test scores before they decide where to place their bets, and here's one characteristic that always makes you a smart wager in their eyes. 
 "Passion"
Kids who have passion love what they do; they aren't just going through the motions to please colleges.  You can hear it in the poet's voice when she talks about how writing makes her feel and from the future scientist who took college classes over the summer because he had to know more about physics.  You can sense it from the student who volunteers at the vet because she loves animals, from the artist who loves to paint on the weekends, and from the water polo player who rides the bench but still loves being on the team.  
 These passionate students are the ones who are most likely to make an impact on their campuses in college.  They're good bets (Adapted from Kathy Wright Counselor).

No comments:

Post a Comment