January 2014 - Riverside Community School District

Oakland, IA 51560
PO Box 428
Postal Patron
PERMIT #4
US POSTAGE PAID
Striving to Provide the
Highest Quality Education
for the Communities of
Carson, Macedonia, and
Non-Profit
Oakland.
Riverside Community
School Mission
Riverside
Statement
The mission of the Riverside
Community School District is
to prepare students to meet
the challenges of the future as
responsible citizens in a global
society.
January 2014 Newsletter
Volume 20, Issue 5
WELCOME BACK! SCHOOL RESUMES ON MONDAY, JANUARY 6. 2014 SEE YOU THERE!
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
School/Community
2014-2015 Calendar
Activities Calendar
Sports Schedules
* Dr. James Sutton, Superintendent
712-484-2212 Central Office
*Mr. Jamie Meek, Pre-K-6Principal
712-484-2212 Intermediate School
712-482-6296
Elementary School
* Mr. David Gute Jr.-Sr. HS Principal
712-482-6465
Jr.-Sr. High School
* Don Graham
Transportation
712-482-6215
Bus Garage
Movies
Yearbook Sales
Sports Info
Special board meetings will be
scheduled, usually on the
first Thursday of the month, to
expedite progress on the new
building.
The Riverside Community School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, national origin, sexual
orientation, gender identity, marital status, socioeconomic status, or disability in its educational programs and activities and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, socioeconomic
status or disability in its employment practices, or as otherwise prohibited by statute or regulation. For more information or concerns regarding educational programs or activities, employment practices or information regarding the grievance procedure, contact Dr. James Sutton,
Equity Coordinator, Riverside Community School District, 330 Pleasant Street, PO Box 218, Carson, IA 51525, 712-484-2212.
AFTER PROM News:
.
Riverside After Prom is selling Rally Towels for $10 each! Contact Kristie
Tomford, Jill Feigenbutz, or Jennifer Housman to get one & we are trying to
be all events to get these sold for our after prom fundraiser!
Don’t Forget to Join the Booster Club!!!
Single Membership is $10 ( Lanyard & Koozie)
Couple Membership is $15 (Lanyard & 2 Koozies)
Blue Membership is $25 ( Lanyard, Koozie, Seat Cushion)
Gold Membership is $50 (2 Lanyards, 2 Koozies, 2 Seat Cushions)
Help Support Riverside Students!!
Following is a definition of homeless children and youth. If you know of any of
our students who fit within this definition please contact Vicki Palmer RN at any
of the Riverside School Buildings. Homeless children and youth will be assisted
to continue their education without interruption.
The McKinney-Vento Definition of Homeless
Subtitle B of Title VII of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (Title X, Part C, of the No Child Left Behind Act) defines "homeless" as follows: The term "homeless children and youths"-(A) means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence
(within the meaning of section 103(a)(1)); and (B) includes-(i) children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of
housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer
parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations;
are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; or are
awaiting foster care placement;
(ii) children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or
private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation
for human beings (within the meaning of section 103(a)(2)(C));
(iii) children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and
(iv) migratory children (as such term is defined in section 1309 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965) who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this
subtitle because the children are living in circumstances described in clauses (i)
through (iii).
Thanks to John Thomas, Tami Skank, Holly Hinkhouse, Julie Ravlin, Lisa Hummel, Lauri Drake, and Lisa Putnam for sharing
their photos. We also want to take the time to thank all those staff whose contributions make this newsletter possible. Remember that a color version is available on the school website: www.riversideschools.org . Thank you to any others for pictures
that I may have forgotten.
Page 2
Page 3
WE NEED YOUR HELP! WE NEED YOUR HELP! WE NEED YOUR HELP!
ATTENTION: PARENTS AND/OR GUARDIANS OF RIVERSIDE STUDENTS,
If you have changed your home phone number, cell phone number, work phone number, email address or any other
contact information since you registered your child for school in August, WE NEED THE NEW INFORMATION.
Please email or call any school secretary to pass this information along to keep your student's information current.
Traffic at the Intermediate School
Here is a word of caution for our parents that are picking up or dropping
off students at the Intermediate School in Carson. Notice the sign that is
outside the Intermediate School Bus Loading Zone. We have asked parents
in cars to stay out of the bus loading and unloading zone between 7:30 to
8:30 am and 3:00 to 4:00 pm. The reason is a safety one. Our buses pull in
to pick up and drop off students and need to do this without the worry of
other vehicles. Perhaps more importantly, this is the busiest time for traffic--more students coming or going and more vehicles dropping off or picking
up students. The potential for an accident between a car and a student is at
its peak. That is why I am asking parents to drop your students off and pick
them up outside of the loading zone during the above mentioned hours. It
may mean a bit longer walk for your child, but it is safer for everyone in the
end. Thank you.
December Top Dawgs (left to right) Jill Blakely, Bailey McCready, Braeton Moore
Jill Blakely, Bailey McCready, and Braeton Moore were chosen Top Dawgs for the month of December
at Riverside High School. Students are nominated by teachers as students who are respectful and responsible leaders.
All three students were described as being mature, hard-working students who lead by example. They
are dedicated to their extra-curricular activities as well as their work in the classroom. Congratulations,
Jill, Bailey, and Braeton.
Local Geography Bee Held at Jr.-Sr. High School (Mandie Reynolds)
The 7th and 8th graders competed in this year's school level National Geographic Geography Bee during the week of December 20th. All 7th and 8th graders got to participate in the
qualifying round, which narrowed the field down to 10 finalists.
Finalists were: Haley Faga, Riley Raney, Eli Peterson, Andrew Rolley, Seth Loring, Sydney Swope, Jordan Hayes, Zach Lauria, Jamie Hackett, Adrian Dillon
During the Final Round, Sydney Swope emerged as the winner. She will now complete a qualifying test to be sent in to the state level. If she qualifies, the state level competition will be
in April. Great job to all who participated!
Far left: JH students listen to the
questions during the competition.
Left: Sydney Swope is the Riverside
winner with teacher, Mrs. Reynolds.
Thank You To Riverside Community Members and Schools (Chip Stanczak & Jana Hensley)
Once again, we are overwhelmed by the generosity of the people in the Riverside Communities. Several groups, families, and individuals came forward and asked what they could do for
a family in need this holiday season. Thanksgiving meals were provided for several families, and 75 Riverside kids were adopted for Christmas this year. A BIG thank you to the following for their thoughtful and generous donations:
Carson United Methodist Church, Oakland United Methodist Church, Fellowship of Faith Church, Sharon & Carson Presbyterian Church, Knights of Pythias, Oakland Foods, Clover
Commanders 4-H Club, Dr. & Mrs. Charles Pigneri, Mark and Rhonda Crumley, Riverside Wrestling Club, Riverside Jr High School Student Council, Riverside Intro to Education Class,
and Riverside FCCLA. THANK YOU!!
Below are some pictures of the students at the Jr.-Sr. High School getting their presents ready.
Junior High Student Council Members with gifts for the families they adopted.
Mrs. Putnam’s Intro to Education Class are ready with their gifts. Left to right: Hannah Henderson, Hannah Schroder, Ellen Johnson, Garrett Graves, Brad McGinnis
Local Students Finalists in Iowa State Bar Association Competition
Sheyenne Smith, Payton Housman
News From the English Department (Kristina Sturm)
Traditionally in language arts classrooms, students read a book and then write a paper, read a book and then write a paper.
I have always given students the opportunity to revise their essays after the grading is done, but rarely does anyone ever take advantage of this. Consequently, I feel strongly that the read a book, write a paper cycle is broken and does not produce life long writers.
This year I have decide to do much of my direct teaching in writing first semester, while letting the freshmen loose in writing portfolios
second semester. Over the course of second semester the English 9 students will be reading Anthem by Ayn Rand, Romeo and Juliet,
excerpts of the Odyssey and maybe a few other things. The majority of reading will be done in class with different activities. But then,
the new twist will be that over the course of the semester students will also be completing a writing portfolio. At the beginning of the
semester students will receive a list of required essays to write - including research, persuasive, personal narratives, creative, poetry,
short stories etc. Students will get time to work on this in class, plus extra RTI time for direct instruction. Students will be taking
home a more specific sheet in the beginning of January to be signed. This portfolio will be due at the end of fourth quarter. There will
be check-ins several times a quarter and at the end of 3rd quarter, but the final majority of points will not be in the gradebook until
the end of the fourth quarter. Please keep in contact with me, and your student regarding progress during this semester.
The Harvest is IN! (Sherm Rhoten)
The FFA finished harvesting the school farm last month. Yields
were up from last year as the farm averaged 160 bushels/acre.
The FFA would like to thank Perry Beedle III and Todd Williams
of Pioneer for the seed; Brad Forristall of Riverside Custom Ag
for providing equipment for harvest; Eric and Cala Hough for
coming out and helping and providing lunch. We would also like
to thank the Pilling Family (Dave, Dean and Rocky) for trucking,
drying and storing the corn. A special thanks to A & M Greenpower and Jake Kvaal for helping with planting, harvesting and
helping to organize the whole enterprise. Without these sponsors none of this would be possible. Thank you!
Bringing in the harvest
Art Students Visit Art Studios in Omaha (Kim Piro)
Three students went on an art field trip to the Hot Shops in Omaha, NE on Saturday December 7th. The Hot Shops building is a giant 3 story warehouse that has been converted to
art studios. Twice a year the Hot Shops hosts an Open House where the artists showcase
their work and demonstrate the more industrial arts such as Glass Blowing, Blacksmith Creating and Bronze Casting. If you missed the Winter Open House, there will be another one
the first weekend in May. http://www.hotshopsartcenter.com/
Great Riverside Students (Lisa Putnam)
In Advisory recently, the junior high and senior high school students talked about the
importance of helping others. As part of this lesson, the students were asked to list all
of the volunteer and community service they have performed in recent years. There
were too many to mention, but here is a sample of what the students have done to
help others. As you can see from the list, Riverside has very generous students who
are willing to help others!
Habitat for Humanity
Scooped sidewalks for neighbors
Blood Drive
Adopted a family at Christmas
Highway Clean-Up
Collected coats for Care and Share
Volunteered at nursing home
Volunteered a Mohm’s Place
Shoebox Angels
Helped with community gardens
Food Drive
Community Service Day
Made blankets for hospitals
Helped at local benefits
Mowed neighbor’s yard
Volunteered at Ronald McDonald House
Riverside teacher
and Cross Country
Coach Alex Oliver
received his award
for being named
one of the Class 1A
Cross Country
Coaches by the
Iowa Association of
Track Coaches.
Parents/Guardians –PLEASE NOTE
We will NOT be hosting a FAFSA day at Riverside this year. Since
they now have an office located at Iowa Western, they will not be
coming out to Riverside because we are within 30 miles of their office
location.
Please read the following information to learn more about
how you can access these services in Council Bluffs. Chris Conover.
Financial aid season is fast approaching for your seniors and ICAN is prepared to
help. For the first time ICAN has eight locations across the state ready to help
your students complete their FAFSA form for the 2014-2015 academic year and
we are beginning to schedule appointments today!
Our appointment times in January and February fill up quickly. To ensure your
students get their FAFSA completed on time, have them call ICAN at (515-4024202) and schedule an appointment with an ICAN expert. Appointments typically take between 30-45 minutes and ICAN will have extended hours at each
Student Success Center to assist customers.
Remember that ICAN now has Student Success Centers in Ankeny, Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Orange City, Ottumwa, Sioux City and Waterloo, staffed with Student Success Advisors ready to help your students.
The 2014-2015 FAFSA will be available beginning January 1, 2014, and your
student's FAFSA needs to be completed BEFORE the school's financial aid
priority deadline. Each school has their own deadline.
ICAN’s first priority will be to help students planning to attend a school with an
early financial aid deadline, such as the University of Iowa and the University of
Northern Iowa. Both of these universities have an ASAP after January 1 deadline,
meaning students planning to attend these institutions should use 2012 tax information and complete the FAFSA right away. If your students plan to attend a
school with a March 1 deadline or later, families typically have time to complete
2013 taxes BEFORE they complete the FAFSA.
If you have any questions, or to help students schedule an appointment, please
call (515-402-4202) Jennifer Coffman [email protected]
THE COUNSELOR’S OFFICE CONTINUALLY SENDS OUT NOTIFICATIONS ABOUT SCHOLARSHIPS TO SENIORS.
SENIORS, BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR SCHOOL EMAIL.
ACT TESTING
Test Date
DATES
Registration Deadline
(Late Fee Required)
February 8, 2014*
January 10, 2014
January 11–24, 2014
April 12, 2014
March 7, 2014
March 8–21, 2014
June 14, 2014
May 9, 2014
May 10–23, 2014
News From Mr. Gute
Jr. High Students Read to Elementary Students
We have completed our first semester as a 7-12 building. As whole it has gone well. We will be
implementing some changed regarding our grading system for some of our high school classes.
Please read the following information carefully and feel free to contact me or Chris Conover if
you have any questions.
Students in Mrs. Putnam’s
junior high reading classes
and some students from Mrs.
Kallsen’s classes went to the
elementary last month to
read to preschoolers and
kindergarteners. A good
time was had by all, and we
hope to get to the elementary again soon to read to
other students!
High School Begins Move to Semester-based Grading
There has been a conversation among high school teachers, administrators, and concerned parents about semester-based grading versus the current system of quarterly
grading. The conversation has moved from the talking phase to a testing phase that will
begin with this school year’s 2nd semester.
All dual enrollment classes (Iowa Western classes, online college colleges, etc), in addition to one class per subject level (Finite math, Chemistry of Weather, World Cultures, Diversified Ag., Memoir), will report only 2nd semester grades rather than 3rd
and 4th quarterly grades. A mid-term progress report will still go out at the same time
as quarterly grade reports for these classes. Please note that these previously mentioned classes will NOT be included in the 3rd and 4th quarter honor rolls. They will
be included in the 2nd semester honor roll and GPA. However, grades will continue
to compound throughout the semester instead of averaging the separate 3rd and 4th
quarter grades.. Doing so, teachers and administrators agree, will eliminate grade distortion that occurs when assignments are not weighted evenly across the whole semester. It also allows students the time to adjust to a new curriculum and standardsbased grading. Students as well as parents should be able to know academically where
the student stands in a class at all times.
Although quarterly reporting for these classes will not be included on the quarter honor rolls, these classes will be included in the 2nd semester honor roll which will still be
published at the end of the 2nd semester. Keep in mind that high school transcripts
only show semester grades and GPA’s and that for the past 4 years, our students taking college on-line courses have been accustomed to this grading system.
Riverside wants to see more of our students succeeding; we believe semester-based
grading is one of the measures that will help students achieve that vision. Please remember this is in the testing phase and we will continue to monitor its progress
throughout the current semester. Should this prove successful, we anticipate adopting
this for all grades 7-12 for the 2014-2015 school year. If you have any questions or
concerns, please contact either Mr. Gute or Mr. Chris Conover.
Yearbook News
The 2014 yearbook staff continues to finish its ad sales and is gearing up for book sales. We have
a tentative design for the cover. The 2014 book is emphasizing that this book is a 20th anniversary edition. We plan to feature photos from the past 20 years of Riverside as well as the current events at Riverside Jr.-Sr. High School. The junior high students and their activities will be
included in this book.
Books will go on sale February 1st. Books may be purchased through the staff at school or
online at www.yearbooksforever.com. We have decided to keep the cost at $45. Stay tuned for
more details. If we missed any business that would still like to purchase an ad in the yearbook,
please contact Mrs. Stempel at Riverside Jr.-Sr. Riverside High School or email her at
[email protected]. Mrs. Stempel is the yearbook sponsor.
School Resumes Monday, January 6, 2014
Wrestling on Monday, January 6, 2014
Basketball on Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Basketball on Friday, January 10, 2014 @ home
Wrestling & Basketball on Saturday, January 11
Essay Winners Honored
In October, several Riverside students wrote essays for the Voice of Democracy Speech Contest which is sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).
The local winners were announced recently at a pep rally. The first place winner was Kyra Martens. Kyra won a $500 scholarship and the chance to compete at
the next level. Grant Keast placed second and will also advanced to the next level of competition while Caitlin Hughes placed third. The students received their
awards from Mr. Terry Hummel and Mr. John Copenhaver. Congrats.
Grant Keast, Kyra Martens, Caitlin Hughes
Elementary News
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE GRADUATE!!!
Pam Mass graduated from Iowa
Western Community College with
an Associate’s Degree in Pre Elementary Education. She will continue her studies at Buena Vista
University in Council Bluffs to
obtain her Bachelor’s Degree in
Elementary Education. She is well
on her way to achieving her lifelong goal of becoming a teacher.
Much love from your friends in
Preschool, Miss Pam!
Congrats, Pam!
Right::
Also donating to the Locks of Love
from the Intermediate School was
MacKenzie Britain.
2nd Grade Performs at Oakland Manor
(Lisa Hummel, Julie Ravlin)
The second grade went to spread some Christmas cheer to the residents. They sang the songs from their Christmas program under the
direction of Mrs. Kramer. The 3 second grade teachers are Mrs.
Hummel, Mrs. Ravlin, and Ms. Vanderhorst
Page 8
Riverside Child Care
(Cami Larison)
Riverside Child Care had our Christmas Celebration today. Santa visited and passed out gifts
and candy canes to all the kids. We frosted and decorated Christmas trees, pinned the heart
on the Grinch, made magic reindeer food and watch The Polar Express.
Riverside Elementary Winter Program (Bonnie Kramer)
Riverside Elementary students presented their annual winter program December 3 in the RHS gym.
Preschool students opened the program with favorites “Twinkle, Twinkle, Christmas Star,” “Chubby
Little Snowman,” and “Mittens and Gloves.” Kindergarten through third grade students then dazzled
the standing-room-only audience with “Jingle Bell Jukebox….The Flip Side.” This fully-choreographed
show included many holiday favorites including “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Santa Claus Is
Coming to Town,” “Winter Wonderland,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” and “Welcome
Christmas” from the Dr. Seuss favorite, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” The second grade students sang a song called “All I Want Is Nuttin,” which combined the seasonal favorites about missing
teeth and getting “nuttin’” for Christmas. The third grade added some Hawaiian flair with “Mele
Kalikimaka.” Seven third grade soloists also sang “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” These
soloists included Madisen Baldwin, Pierce Johnson, Macy Woods, Jadynn Price, Cassidy Feigenbutz,
Paige Long, and Kiara Meek. The storyline of the program was about a group of students who traveled to the North Pole to Ruby’s Diner hoping to find some Christmas spirit from the famous Jingle
Bell Jukebox. All third graders had speaking parts, and the part of Ruby was divided into Ruby, Goldie
and Pearl, played by Bowe Branan, Madisen Baldwin and Kiara Meek. The life-like jukebox was created
by Jim and Monica Eckert.
Getting some reading done
Left: Students at RCC enjoy some party treats.
CHECK THIS OUT:
Riverside Optimists are collecting used band instruments. Maybe you
have one in your closet that needs a new home. The Optimists will
give them to the Middle School Band Director who will check them and
get them refurbished if necessary and they may go home with students
interested in band. You may drop off your instrument at Arbor Bank
or Oakland Christian Church.
Thank you,
Optimist President
Earlin Shanno
News From the Intermediate School
Mrs. Plagman’s Class Completes Community Service Project
Mrs. Plagman’s 6th grade class made gift bags to send overseas to our men and women service personnel.
Riverside Students Help at Carson Christmas (Mandie Reynolds)
On Wednesday, December
4th, Riverside students
helped in many ways at the
Carson Christmas celebration. In the afternoon, the
Middle School Student council members braved the cold
and helped to set up the
luminaries along Broadway
and Commercial Street,
which looked beautiful!
At the soup supper by the
Carson Park Board, the Riverside Boys Basketball team
helped out by serving the
meal and helping to clean up.
Intermediate School student council members did fun pictures with the kids, and Riverside Wrestling Cheerleaders
painted faces.
Kids just want to have fun.
Elks “Hoop Shoot” Free Throw Contest results (Mrs. Wax)
The Intermediate School physical education classes participated in the
Elks “Hoop Shoot” free throw shooting contest. All students grades
4-6 shot 25 free throws to see who could make the most. The students were put in three age groups 8-9 year old, 10-11 year old and
12-13 year old groups. One boy and one girl from each age group will
represent Riverside at the area shoot off on January 11 at Wilson Jr.
High in Council Bluffs. The following students who won the local
competition and will advance are:
8-9 Girls MaKenna Rose
8-9 Boys Austin Kremkoski
10-11 Girls Abigail Petersen
10-11 Boys Sammy Wilber
12-13 Girls Courtney Hering
12-13 Boys Kristian Martens
Congratulations and Good Luck at the area Shoot off in Council
Bluffs!
Photo Booth Fun at Intermediate School
Intermediate School band performs at their winter concert.
Mrs. Skank brought in some odds and ends to the Intermediate
School for a little holiday “photo” fun. See photos below
Mrs. Stott’s 5th Grade Class
Intermediate School Choir at their winter concert.
Wrestling News (Casey Conover)
Riverside wrestling started the year out really well. The first day of practice 34 kids showed up and as the 2013 year is winding
down; the wrestling team still has 34 wrestlers. The team has 10 seniors, 7 juniors, 7 sophomores, and 10 freshmen. Riverside
won its first two duals of the year. They beat Southwest Iowa 51-22 and Underwood 49-30. On December 7, 9 varsity wrestlers
went to the Harlan invitational and 7 wrestlers placed. The meet was highlighted by 2nd place finishes by Tucker Bluml (132) and
Payton Housman (170). On the same day the Riverside JV went to Audubon and wrestled quite well. Wrestlers that placed 1st
were; Zach McLaughlin (152), Brad McGinnis (160), Adam Hartman (170), and Jon Gehrmann (195). On December 12, the Riverside wrestling team went to Lenox and came away with three varsity dual wins. The scores were: Riverside 48 Bedford/Lenox
36, Riverside 50 Coon Rapids-Bayard 23, Riverside 52 Guthrie Center 30. On Saturday, December 14, Riverside Varsity and JV
teams wrestled at the Riverside Invitational. 11 Riverside wrestlers placed. Jacob Vogel placed first at 120. Payton Housman
(170) and Zane Loring (138) placed 2nd. On Dec 17 the Riverside wrestling team hosted its only home dual of the season. They
came away with two dual wins. The scores were: Riverside 78 Clarinda Academy 0, Riverside 38 Red Oak 36. The Riverside
wrestling finishes the month of December with a 7-0 dual record and placing 3rd at the WIC conference meet. Tatem Bluml
(106) and Payton Housman (170) won their weight classes. The wrestling team would like to thank the fans for supporting them
at their home meet and away meets. The large crowd and the Riverside cheers really get the wrestlers excited to wrestle in
their matches.
Upper Right:
Jacob Vogel
Far Right:
Payton Housman
Right:
Tatem Bluml
Riverside Food Drive Results Are In!
Thank you to everyone who helped with the annual Riverside Food Drive! Our schools and community businesses came together to donate 3,660 items and over $5,660 for our local food pantry in the Oakland Christian
Church. The food pantry shelves are now overflowing with food and the money will be used to buy perishable
food and other items in demand. Thank you to all of the families, students, teachers, and businesses for their
generosity! Also, special thanks to the Oakland Methodist Youth Fellowship for collecting items door-to-door, to
J.P. Lumber for mailing postcards to businesses, to the RHS Student Council for calling businesses and sorting the
food, and to Steve Feauto for providing
a trailer to haul the items to the food
pantry.
Above: Choir performs at their winter concert.
Above: Kyra Martens, Sydney Raney, Baylee White, Bailey McCready
School Resumes on Monday, January 6, 2014.
Yearbooks go on sale February 1, 2014
Thank you for your continued support!!
Above: Riverside Senior High Band at winter concert.
It’s Halftime
By James Sutton, Ed.D.
This kind of reminds me of a football game at halftime when both teams go somewhere and take stock in the first half and decide what they will change to make the second half more
successful. Our opponent seems to be time in this game. We’re thinking about all of those things we said we wanted to see get done this school year and, all of a sudden, the school
year’s half over. At the board meeting in December, however, it was less like halftime and more like preparing for the next game --- the 2014-15 school year.
We started with a visit from DLR, the architectural firm for the new building. Plans are getting closer and closer to completion. They expect to have them ready to be mailed out in
early February and have a builder selected in early March. We’re down to details like specifics on heating systems, the kinds of locks on doors, how many different alternate bids we
want to include, etc. We’re also preparing to sell the next round of bonds. That’s a process as well, and we’ll keep our eyes on the interest rates, hoping they continue to stay fairly low
a little while longer.
The board also had its hearing for an early start school year in 2014-15, though the calendar they officially accepted has a later start than we’ve had for the past several years. The board
voted to go to an “hours” calendar instead of the traditional “days” calendar, so we will be able to start after the State Fair is done and still get out before Memorial Day. The district
will have fewer days off at odd times for teacher in-services, and, instead use “early outs” (student dismissals at 2:30 pm) on an almost weekly basis to keep on track with the many new
school improvement initiatives that have to be addressed. A copy of the 2014-15 calendar is a part of this edition.
The board of education also talked about several different scenarios that we may have to prepare for if our enrollment continues to grow. We had a net increase of 27 students, preK12, in this school year. Our kindergarten class has been in the 60’s all year, as high as 65 on “count day”. It could just be a one-year thing, but with the numbers in preschool looking
strong again, we need to be prepared to face a second class in the 60’s and talk about what that would mean. We’ve tried to keep class sizes in the primary grades under 20 students in
each classroom. It makes a much better learning environment, but it’s hard to predict the future. Meanwhile, next year’s fourth grade class is in the 50’s, and with only two sections of
that grade level, we need to be prepared if that grade gets too big. These are some of the year-to-year challenges of small rural schools, and paying attention to these challenges is what
makes small schools important in rural states. It’s part of the reason that our graduation rates are so impressive as well as the other advantages of rural America. We are doing all that
we can to have accurate enrollment data as early as possible.
Iowa seems to be bursting with new educational programs. I will bring you more information in 2014 about new processes for teacher improvement, new literacy requirements at the
elementary level, and new assessment programs that will help Riverside stay on top of student achievement at a district level. Thank you all for your help in a great first semester at
Riverside. Next year will be even better.
2014-2015 Riverside School Calendar
January/enero
Sunday/domingo
Monday/lunes
Tuesday/martes
Breakfast Menu
Wednesday/
miercoles
Choice of cereal
Offered daily
Milk offered daily
5
6
Cereal
One slice toast
Fruit choices
12
13
19
26
1
7
Breakfast bites
With syrup
Fruit choices
Pancakes
With syrup
Fruit choices
14 Cereal
One slice toast
Juice
Fruit choices
20 NO
SCHOOL
27
Cereal
Muffin
Fruit choices
21
28
Waffle with
Syrup
Fruit choices
Scrambled eggs
Sausage patty
One slice toast
Fruit choice
8
Thursday/jueves
NO
SCHOOL
2
Grilled cheese
Fruit choice
Juice
Friday/viernes
NO
SCHOOL
9 Sausage and cheese
On English muffin
Fruit choices
Juice
15 Cinnamon tastry
Fruit choices
Juice
16 Cheese omelet
One slice toast
Juice
Fruit choices
22 Breakfast pizza
Fruit choices
Juice
23 Cereal
One slice toast
Fruit choices
29 Egg and Cheese
Breakfast sandwich
Fruit choice
Juice
30
Grilled cheese
Juice
Fruit choice
17
3
NO
SCHOOL
10
Donut
Yogurt
Fruit choices
Saturday/sabado
Breakfast burrito
Fruit choices
Juice
24 Long john
Yogurt
Fruit choices
31 French toast
With syrup
Fruit choices
Juice
January/enero Lunch Menu
Sunday/domingo
Monday/lunes
Tuesday/martes
Fruit & Vegetable bar
Offered at least three
Times weekly
5
12
19
26
6
Pizza
Green Beans
Fruit Choice
Fruit crisp
13 Chicken noodle or
Tomato soup
Grilled cheese
Fruit choice
Crackers
20 NO
SCHOOL
27 Sloppy Joe on WG
bun– Pickles
Baked beans
Fruit choice
Wednesday/
1
7 Mr Rib on WG bun
Potato wedges
Fruit choice
14
Beef gravy over
Mashed potatoes
Fruit choice
Muffin
Fresh veggies
21 Chicken Patty on
WG bun
Potato rounds
Fresh veggies
Fruit choice
28 Pork wrap with
salsa– shred cheese
Lettuce
Cooked carrots
Fruit choice & cookie
Thursday/jueves
NO
SCHOOL
8 Chili w/crackers
Fresh veggies
Fruit choice
Cinnamon twist
2
9
NO
SCHOOL
Chicken Nuggets
Calf. Blend veggies
Fruit choice
Bread & Butter sand
Friday/viernes
3
NO
SCHOOL
Saturday/sabado
4
10 Hamburger on wg
bun –cheese– pickles
French fries
Fresh veggies
Fruit choice
11
15 Soft shelled taco
Lettuce, cheese, salsa
Corn
Fruit choice
Cookie
16 Spaghetti w/meat
sauce
Fresh veggies/lettuce
Applesauce
WG Garlic bread
17Tenderloin on WG
bun
Cooked broccoli
Fruit choice
Fresh veggies
18
22 Crispito
Romaine salad mix
Corn
Fruit choice
Fruit crisp
23 Pork Gravy
Mashed potatoes
Romaine salad mix
Fruit choice
Bread & butter sand.
24 Corn dog on stick
Cooked cauliflower
Fresh veggies
Apple wedges
25
29Hot dog on WG
bun
Macaroni & cheese
Fresh veggies
Fruit choice
30 Chicken fried steak
Mashed Potatoes/gravy
Lettuce– fruit choice
WG dinner roll
31 Pizza
Romaine salad mix
Green beans
Fruit choice