

The River Hawk
Rio Norte News - February 23, 2024
A Note From the Principal
Hello River Hawk Families,
Rio Norte students are definitely STRIVING for SUCCESS! This past weekend, Rio Norte was blessed to send TWO teams to the Regional Science Olympiad Competition and they were outstanding, with both teams placing in the Top 10! Rio Norte Team 1 placed 6th and Rio Norte Team 2 placed 2nd and moves on to the STATE competition on April 6th at Cal Tech.
We couldn't be more proud of our River Hawks who have worked very hard with the guidance and assistance of advisor, Mr. St. Peter, who opens his room almost every day after school, to allow our teams to work and prepare for these competitions! Thank you to Mr. St. Peter and our students, several of whom also participated in the recent Math Counts competition. I'm thrilled that Team 1 placed in the top 10 and they should be very proud of what they accomplished. We are all wishing Team 2 the best of luck as they prepare for the upcoming state competition, but in my book they are already winners for advancing! Take a look at more pictures, below important dates, and a list of our team members.
In this issue learn more about:
- Important Dates
- Science Olympiad Team Pictures
- CAASPP Testing Dates
- LCAP Link
- PTSA General Association Meeting & Elections for 24-25 PTSA Board
Repeat of:
- 8th grade Universal Studios Trip - Deadline this THURSDAY (see below)
- 8th Grade Valencia HS Information Dates
- Hart District Jr ARTrepreneurs Art Exhibit
- United States Youth Volleyball League Flyer
- Young Champions Karate Flyer
- Attendance - too sick for school?
Have a wonderful weekend,
Mrs. Bennett
Important Dates
February 29th:
- Last day to turn in 8th Grade Universal Field Trip Permission Slips and Payment
March 2nd:
- Hart District Honor Band Concert, 6:30 p.m., Hart High Auditorium
March 7th:
- PTSA General Association Meeting, 5 p.m. via Zoom
March 13th:
- PTSA Chipotle Fundraiser Night
- Valencia High School Parent Information Night for 8th grade families
March 15th:
- End of Quarter 3
CLICK HERE for a printable copy of the calendar pictured.
Science Olympiad Regional Competition, February 16th
Rio Norte Science Olympiad Team 2 Members heading to the California State competition are:
Aakash Ahuja - Captain
Brandon Vasserman - Co-Captain
Tarun Balasubramanian
Anika Bhattacharya
Kridhay Ganit
Pariya Kianijam
Hasandu Maddegoda
Nabeel Mehdi
Avinash Mehta
Lisshanth Ravikumar
Nathan Thomas
Bhavneesh Umashankar
Xiaohan Yang
Caden Guo -9th grader
Susmit Das - 9th grader
Rio Norte Science Olympiad Team 1 Members who placed 6th in the competition are:
Luke Saenz - Captain
Khloe Urquico - Co-Captain
Omkar Adduri
Chloe Gee
Laasya Gudimella
Siddhanth Kaul
Rayan Maraicar
Sriram Muthu Kumaran
Rudra Narkhede
Emma Rosales
Jaden Ruan
Vineeth Sharma
Azlan Wani
Sanjana Prabakar -9th grader
Diya Ravikumar - 9th grader
While many are not pictured in the team picture because they couldn't stay for awards, we congratulate ALL of our hard-working Science Olympians!
CAASPP (State) Testing Dates in April
Our CAASPP (California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress) testing dates have been set on our calendar all year for April 18th, 19th, & 22nd. We have made these minimum days this year in hopes that the rest will help re-focus students for the following day's testing, instead of continuing to have classes on days they test. We also intentionally structured the testing days around a weekend to break up the impact of testing fatigue before the final day on Monday, April 22nd. We are asking all of our Rio families to partner with us in doing everything you can to ensure your student is at school during these important dates. Please avoid pulling your student from school for appointments or travel wherever possible. We know the minimum days can be tempting for travel, but students perform best when testing on the set testing dates, in the original setting. Additionally, schools are now penalized if students do not complete state testing, which impacts our data and scores. We are a community that values education and we want our scores to continue to show the importance our parents and staff place on education! We appreciate your help!
LCAP Input
The William S. Hart union High School District is seeking parent input for our Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). Please see the google form link below to share your thoughts. For prior plans, including the current 2023-24 year, you can visit the district website, HERE.
PTSA General Association and Elections for 24-25 PTSA Executive Board
Mark your calendars and join us by Zoom - Mrs. Bennett will once again be at our meeting discussing upcoming CAASPP (state) Testing in April and 8th Grade Transition to High School.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://hartdistrict-org.zoom.us/j/82923964317?pwd=VFpob3cyVDJuVGFZK3lPeVc3VlVWQT09
Meeting ID: 829 2396 4317
Passcode: 948120
Thursday, Mar 7, 2024, 05:00 PM
on Zoom
8th Grade End of the Year Event - SALES END Thursday, February 29th!
If your 8th grader wants to attend the OPTIONAL 8th Grade end of the year Universal Studios trip you MUST turn in permission slips with payment by this Thursday, February 29th.
The trip will take place on THURSDAY, May 16th, and ticket sales have been taking place throughout the entire month of February. Permission slips were given to all 8th grade students in their advisory classes at the end of January.
Please be sure to read (both sides) very carefully for all details on the trip. Students must be at school the day of the trip to attend and parents please take note this is non-refundable due to Universal's refund policy. Once funds are turned over to them, we are unable to get funds back to families, even for illness. This is an OPTIONAL after school event to celebrate our 8th graders' accomplishments. Any family needing assistance should talk to your student's counselor.
SAVE THE DATE - March 13th at Chipotle Rio PTSA Fundraiser!
8th Graders - Important Dates for Valencia High School
Almost all Rio Norte Students automatically roll into Valencia High School. *Note exceptions at the bottom of this page.
Valencia High School Counselors, with the assistance of our counseling team, will be sharing important information with our students. Please see these important dates:
- DATE CHANGE March 13th - 8th Grade Parent Meeting for incoming freshmen at VHS Theater at 6 p.m. Counselors will present and have a Q&A. You can anticipate approximately 45 minutes for this session.
- March 18th - By this date, all Rio students attending VHS will be added to the VHS Counseling '28 Google classroom (some students might see they are added 3/14 or 3/15).
- March 18th or 19th - our Rio Counselors will present in 8th grade English classes about the HS course request/registration process.
- March 19th - 8th graders and their families are welcomed to VHS's Open House - sports and clubs are present in the VHS Quad prior to the start of the evening.
- At the conclusion of Open House, VHS will send a communication to 8th grade families about the course request process and deadlines. The Google Form Course Request link will be in this communication.
- March 20th thru April 7th - Rio 8th graders can submit their Google Course Request form (must be completed by 4/7/24).
- April 8th or 9th - Each 8th grade student headed to VHS in fall will have a 1 on 1 meeting with their VHS counselor to review course request selections and make adjustments as needed.
*Please note that only a few exceptions apply to the automatic rollover - Castaic Residents and a small group of students per their IEP placement. If you are uncertain if your student falls into these categories, please reach out to Mrs. Ferry at gferry@hartdistrict.org or your student's case manager (Spec. Ed.).
Student Artrepreneurs Exhibition
In a new piloted enrichment opportunity at a few district schools, Hart District Students will have the opportunity to showcase their art in a business format. Through Heroes of Color and our Department of Social Work and Wellness, "Jr. Artrepreneurs" alows students to sell their artwork and take customized orders for their creations. The exhibits will take place on March 18th and 20th at The Centre (address on pictured flyer and PDF below).
RIO NORTE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Thomas Flores, 8th grade Assistant Principal
Shonna August, 7th grade Assistant Principal
ATTENDANCE Needs: Email lmcdaniel@hartdistrict.org
Email: bjbennett@hartdistrict.org
Website: https://www.rionortejuniorhigh.org/
Location: 28771 Rio Norte Dr, Valencia, CA, USA
Phone: 661-295-3700
Nondiscrimination Statement / Declaración de no discriminación
The William S. Hart Union High School District prohibits discrimination, intimidation, harassment (including sexual harassment), or bullying based on a person’s actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, ancestry, religion, age, marital status, pregnancy, parental status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, military or veteran status, political affiliation, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, sexual orientation, or association with a person or a group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. For questions or complaints, contact Equity Compliance Officer and Section 504 Coordinator Erum Velek, and Title II / Title IX Coordinator, Mark Crawford. Both can be reached at the William S. Hart Union High School District, 21380 Centre Pointe Pkwy, Santa Clarita, CA 91350, (661) 259-0033, or by email: UCP@hartdistrict.org.
El Distrito de Escuelas Secundarias William S. Hart Union prohíbe la discriminación, la intimidación, acoso (incluido el acoso sexual) o intimidación basada en la realidad o percepción de una persona raza, color, etnia, origen nacional, estado migratorio, ascendencia, religión, edad, l estado civil, embarazo, estado parental, discapacidad física o mental, condición médica, estado militar o veterano, afiliación política, sexo, género, identidad de género, expresión de género, información genética, orientación sexual, o asociación con una persona o un grupo con uno o más de estos características percibidas. Para preguntas o quejas, comuníquese con el Oficial de Cumplimiento de Equidad y el coordinador de la Sección 504, Erum Velek, y el coordinador del Título II / Título IX, Mark Crawford. Ambos pueden ser contactado en William S. Hart Union High School District, 21380 Centre Pointe Pkwy, Santa Clarita, CA 91350, (661) 259-0033,
o por correo electrónico: UCP@hartdistrict.org.