River Valley Academy News

Teachers have professional development in the afternoon of Wednesday, April 28. We will be following an abbreviated schedule, as follows:

1st hour: 7:45-8:30 AM

2nd hour: 8:33-9:18 AM

3rd hour: 9:21-10:06 AM

4th hour: 10:09-10:54 AM

5th hour: 10:57-11:45 AM

Students will be dismissed at 11:45.

Juniors and sophomores did a great job of getting through state testing week!

NWEA MAP Growth tests will be administered in May.

The $1,000 Deb Chamberlin Scholarship has been available to two RVA graduates since 2007.

You can find the application for the Deb Chamberlain Scholarship below.

Plans are underway for an additional scholarship to honor long time RVA Secretary, Amy Himmelspach. Details will be forthcoming.

To help students complete credits for graduation, RVA is offering a Zero Hour this trimester. Students will have the ability to work on six classes, instead of five. Zero Hour will begin at 6:45 AM, every day! Students can sign up for Zero Hour here.

Co-op is also an option for seniors. This opportunity to earn credit for working part-time, is for students who already have a job. If you think you might qualify, stop down to the office to check!

Attendance will be taken in person and for students working from home for medical reasons, via Google Meet. Attendance rates should be above 90%. Schools are required to track attendance and report to the truancy office. Please check in with your student to make sure they attend over 90% of their scheduled classes! Education still needs to happen, and diplomas still have to be earned! Diplomas are a product of time and effort! Let's make it happen!

In an effort to provide a supportive academic environment to help students reach their goals:

• students without a documented medical excuse who aren't present in school, will be marked absent.

• Students with a documented medical reason to work from home will need to keep their screens on for the entire class period. This will allow teachers to monitor student work.

Thank you for putting your best effort into completing classes and graduating!!

RVA courses are run through either Schoology or Edgenuity. Schoology courses are RPS teacher created and directed. If you want to know how your student is doing in these classes, log in to Schoology. If you need help getting in to Schoology, use this How to Cheat Sheet. Using a parent log in, parents can see messages and course information. However, if you want to see what your student has completed and what grades they have earned so far in classes, the best way to do that is to log in as your student. Students have access to the course gradebook which includes a list of assignments that need to be completed, showing scores earned on work that has been turned in.

Edgenuity courses offer parent updates. If you would like to be signed up to receive these, please complete this form. When the form has been processed, you will receive directions for signing up for the Parent Portal along with an access code. You will receive daily updates. If you want specific information on how your student is doing in Edgenuity, ask your student for their login information. If you log in as the student, you can see a more detailed report.

Good questions to ask your student include:

1. Are you attending all class sessions, whether school is in person or remote?

2. Are you completing at least one assignment in each class session?

3. About how far in each course are you?

4. What are you doing well?

5. What can you do better?

Parents and schools are partners in educating students!

RVA is excited to plan for Graduation 2021! We have reserved Ram's Stadium, behind Parkside Elementary, for our outdoor ceremony. As with all events this year, circumstances and weather may affect our plans, but please mark it on your calendar, as we hope for the best!

Jenny will be meeting with seniors in the next weeks, to make a realistic plan for graduation. It will be important for students to buckle down and get the work done, to make graduation happen!

All seniors are invited to participate in this terrific opportunity! In partnership with Project Northstar and Kent ISD, students can learn about money management, job search and interview skills, and career path navigation.

In addition to the ability to learn these important life skills, students can earn gift cards ranging from $25 to $150 in stackable gift cards! They may even be eligible for up to $10,000 in grant funds to pursue post-secondary/training school expenses!!

Classes will meet right at RVA, during third hour on Tuesdays!

Come find out how Project Northstar can help you transition from high school to college, trade school, or career!

Many students have been struggling due to Covid. Depression and anxiety are prevalent. In partnership with Arbor Circle, students are invited to join groups of students to support one another. Topics will be initiated by students and facilitated by health professionals. Topics may include healthy coping skills, 'adulting', and positive choices.

If you feel your student would benefit from this support, please contact the office! You can find out more about Arbor Circle and their counseling services here.

Our Talk and Tours provide a virtual panel of professionals in select industries that share their own career path, the inside scoop on what their jobs are really like, along with their perspective on what you can do to prepare for a career that interests you.

Upcoming Dates:
Health Science Careers: Orthopaedic Associates of Michigan (register here)
Tuesday, May 4: 5:30pm - 6:30pm

Virtual
Career Chats are designed to provide 7-12 grade students a virtual opportunity to meet real professionals employed in real jobs. This series of 30-40 minute sessions will highlight professions from a variety of career pathways, giving students the opportunity to learn more about a career of interest, or to explore new options. Click here for the full line-up and to register!

Upcoming Sessions:

Tuesday, April 27, 2021: 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Rosemary Kolderman - Assistant to the Executive Office
The Right Place, Inc.

May 12th, 2021 - 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Help young women discover high-wage, in-demand careers they might otherwise not consider! During this virtual career exploration experience, just for girls, students will take a virtual tour of Kent Career Tech Center’s Welding, IT, Construction and Engineering-related
programs to explore careers in these fields.

While traditionally male-dominated, many women excel in these fields – if they know about them.
Make sure your students do!

Contact Dollineller Michelle Large for more information

Summer camps are BACK! We’ve assembled a comprehensive list of academic camps to help your student explore an area of interest, or try a have fun learning about a new one. Camps serving PreK – 12th grade in a wide variety of subject areas is available. Check out our list of local summer programs here!

NEW CAREER EXPLORATION OPPORTUNITY FOR 7-12 GRADE STUDENTS

Students have told us “How am I supposed to choose a career when I don’t even know what is out there?” Career Explorers can help!

As a Career Explorer, students will participate in 12 live virtual Career Chats (career conversations) with local professionals, complete self-assessment inventories, and conduct an Informational Interview. Students will earn a Certificate of Completion to enhance scholarship/college applications and resumes. This is a great way for students to take active steps on their career exploration journey. Athletes and working students can also participate by watching recorded content.

Careers in Business will be the first pathway focus. Additional pathways will be offered in the 2021/2022 school year
April 13 - May 20, 2021 (Tuesdays/Thursdays), 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM

Registration is now open through April 9. Sign up today!

Full information at kentisd.org/careerexplorers

Contact kristaharmon@kentisd.org with questions.

Each month we'll share with you a different resources to assist you with career readiness.

Supporting A Job Seeker: A Plan for Parents of Early Careerists
https://www.earlystagecareers.com/esc-articles

Hand 2 Hand can help with food and toiletry needs.

RVA has an amazing staff, social worker, and mental health liaison who can listen and connect you to resources!

Ele's Place is a community based organization with the mission to create awareness of and support for grieving children and their families. Please find a very helpful guide for parents - how to support teens, as well as a handout titled, How to Help Yourself: For Teens below.

North Kent CONNECT: (adjusted hours due to COVID-19 precautions)

Mondays and Wednesday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Community Calendar of Services

Mobile Food Pantries: https://www.feedwm.org/findfood/

Assistance with housing, food, utilities:

contact 211 by phone or text (800-877-1107), text your zip code to 898211

Youth in need of shelter: The Bridge 616-451-3001 or 877-275-7792

April 27: JMG 3rd hour

April 28: Group 3rd hour/Early Release day

May 20: RVA Graduation 2021

RVA Team - A caring group of educators dedicated to meeting students where they are and helping students grow and succeed!

Email: jthompson@rockfordschools.org
Website: http://www.rockfordschools.org
Location: 350 North Main Street, Rockford, MI, USA
Phone: 616-863-6324
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rivervalleyacademy
Twitter: @academy_river