Riverside Review

Dear RSI Parents and Family Members,

I want to extend a sincere thank you to our incredible RSI PTO for making Teacher Appreciation Week truly special. Our staff felt genuinely supported and celebrated through the delicious meals and snacks, gift cards, lotto tickets, and many thoughtful gestures. We’re fortunate to be part of such a generous and engaged school community.

A special thank you also goes to our talented music teachers, Wendy Holsman and Lisa Finn, for their outstanding work in directing last weekend’s performances of Willy Wonka. I’m continually impressed by the talents of our young Hawks and amazed at how Mrs. Holsman and Mrs. Finn guide them to such a high level of performance. It was a joy to see so many members of our community come together to enjoy the show—it was a true celebration of what makes RSI so special.

In this edition, we’re proud to recognize our Broad Ripple Sertoma Club Student Essay Contest winners. Please join me in congratulating these students on their impressive work!

Also, be sure to check out information on our new Riverside Raffle, a student incentive program designed to encourage and reward positive choices as we head into the final month of school. Take a look and help spread the word at home.

Thank you for your continued support of RSI!

Sincerely,

Dana Kaminski, Ph.D.

Riverside Intermediate Principal

· Broad Ripple Sertoma Club Honors Student Essay Winners

“What Freedom Means to Me” Inspires Powerful Reflections from Young Writers

The Broad Ripple Sertoma Club is proud to recognize the outstanding student winners of this year’s National Heritage Essay Contest, centered around the theme “What Freedom Means to Me.” The contest encourages sixth grade students to explore the importance of freedom in their lives, communities, and nation through thoughtful written expression.

This year’s competition showed exceptional talent across the state. Riverside Intermediate had five classrooms participate. Each classroom had a winner selected by the committee, with one overall school winner selected for their compelling essays and unique perspectives.

Classroom Winners:

• Grayson Burroughs – Mrs. Olson’s Block One
• Sabriya Rearick – Mrs. Stanley’s Block One
• Katie Gruesser – Mrs. Stout’s Block One
• Jayden Nguyen – Mrs. Toste’s Block One

School-Wide Winner:

• Harper Feeney – Mrs. Toste’s Block Two

Club representatives praised all participating students for their hard work and thoughtful responses. “These essays are a testament to the awareness and insight our students possess,” said a Sertoma Club spokesperson.

Each block winner received a certificate of achievement along with a cash prize. Congratulations to each student.

🎉 Riverside Raffle – Encouraging Great Choices!

We’re excited to launch the Riverside Raffle at school to celebrate students who are “caught doing the right thing”! Staff members are giving out raffle tickets when they see students demonstrating kindness, responsibility, leadership, and other positive behaviors. Students can place their tickets into a weekly drawing for fun prizes throughout the rest of the year!

🗓️ Raffle Dates: May 9, May 16, and May 23

💬 How You Can Help at Home:
Talk to your child about what it means to make positive choices at school—helping others, following directions, showing respect, and solving problems calmly. Encourage them to aim for a raffle ticket by being their best self each day! If you have community connections and can receive donations for raffle prizes, please send them in! The more prizes we have, the more students we can reward for positive behavior!

Let’s finish the year strong by celebrating all the good our students bring to school!

ACES is a proactive program sponsored by the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office. Its purpose is to promote good school attendance by enforcing the legal obligations of compulsory school attendance noted in Indiana Law. Students may be referred by HSE Schools to the Hamilton County Deputy Prosecutor for the City of Fishers for participation in the program for being truant from school or having unexcused absences. Students with absences without a doctor’s note that exceeds 10 days per school year are considered unexcused and may also result in a referral to the ACES program.

We Want Your Feedback!
Help us improve how we communicate with you! Take our HSE Schools Communication Survey now through March 31 to share your thoughts on emails, social media, newsletters, and more. Your feedback ensures our updates are clear, accessible, and relevant.

Click below to take the quick, anonymous survey!

https://hamiltonsoutheastern.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bl3Jy356VzNQFTM

HSE Intermediate students participated in the Journey of a Student Survey in Fall 2024 to help identify barriers they face while learning. Included in the following pdf are three of the most common barriers reported by our 5th and 6th grade students, along with practical ways families can support their children at home. Online resources are included as well which can be used as tools to help children learn to persevere through these challenges.

Consistent school attendance is essential for promoting student achievement. Research shows that regular attendance is linked to higher success rates in math and language arts, and students with lower chronic absence rates are more likely to excel.

Attendance Reminders:

1. Call-In Requirement: Parents/guardians must notify the school by 10:00 AM if a student will be absent or arriving late. A 24-hour voicemail is available for your convenience.

2. Excused Absences: A maximum of ten (10) absences per school year will be excused. Beyond this, absences require a doctor’s note to avoid being marked unexcused.

3. Half-Day Credit: Students must attend for at least 3 hours to be credited for a half day, which is necessary to participate in extracurricular activities.

Reward Opportunity: Students who maintain an attendance rate above 97% will soon be eligible for a special reward, so keep aiming for great attendance! Let’s work together to make this a successful year!

School Start: 9:15AM

School End: 4:00PM

Our goal is to keep our parents/guardians informed of the events and policies at RSI. Please read the information below and call the school office with any questions. Thanks for being such a vital part of making Riverside Intermediate a special school.

Skyward allows parents to access students’ grades from teachers’ electronic grade books.

ParentSquare will be used as the primary communication tool between the HSE school district and students, parents, and staff for emergency situations (for example: school delays or closings). It will also be used for attendance and general information as well throughout the year to notify parents about important information, upcoming events, or milestones.

iPads are required for all students in the 5th and 6th grade to expand our HSE21 curriculum. Please visit our website https://rsi.hseschools.org/academics/tech-in-the-classroom

The Riverside Review is our weekly newsletter that is sent out via ParentSquare. It is also posted on our website at https://rsi.hseschools.org/our-school/news-and-events

It is full of important information and scheduled activities.

Our Calendar is on our website with the most up to date information. https://www.hsecalendars.org/public/genie/752/school/13/

School Attendance is extremely important. The school attendance line is 317-594-4328. Parents are requested to notify the school as soon as possible. Automated letters will be sent out when your student reaches 5, 8 and 10 absences whether the absences are excused or unexcused. See the student handbook for the detailed attendance policy.

The Tardy Bell rings at 9:15 am. If your student is going to be late to school or absent from school, please call our attendance line at 317-594-4328.

Change of Transportation/ Early Dismissal requires a note sent to school with your student. Be sure to include your student’s full name. Your student should give the note to their homeroom teacher first thing in the morning. This will advise the office of a change. The dismissal bell rings at 4:00 pm. Our office does NOT use Dismissal Manager.

All Cell Phones are to be off and secured in student lockers during the school day. Their use during the school day is forbidden. Cell phones will be confiscated if visible during the school day. All confiscated cell phones must be picked up by a parent.

To be Excused from Participation in PE, students MUST have a doctor’s note stating why he/she cannot participate and for how long the student should be excused. A parental note may be used for one day only.

Safe Visitor Background Checks MUST be on file with the school to volunteer or go on a field trip. Background checks are valid for 3 years.

Address Changes must be reported to the main office and require proof of residency. Refer to the HSE website for acceptable documents.

Golden Hawk of the Month is the character education program at RSI. Students will be recognized for displaying any of HSE’s nine positive character traits throughout the year by earning a poster and a prize!

The Counselors at RSI loop with the students. Therefore, your student will have the same counselor for 5th and 6th grade. Individual counseling, group counseling, classroom guidance, and character education are all services provided by the counselors at RSI.

Breakfast and Lunch pricing for this school year: breakfast meal $1.50, student lunch K-6 meal is $2.80. Checks may be made payable to RSI. Please include student ID number on the check. You may also use your debit or credit card to pay for lunch online through eFunds.

Free and Reduced Application is available with a parent Skyward login. For complete instructions, click here.

Canvas is a tool for teachers to use to distribute important information, submit assignments, and more. Students use the same credentials for Canvas as they use to log into the computers at school.

All HSE Schools student handbooks (K-12) are now online for easier access. The 5/6 handbook is available via this link:https://rsi.hseschools.org/our-school/student-handbook

We encourage you to review it at your earliest convenience. Should you have any questions, please contact the RSI main office at 317-594-4320. Our staff is available to assist you. Have a great school year!

President - Christina Stenske

Vice President - Christine Gilchrist

Treasurer - Jenny Shoemaker

Secretary - Teresa Hunckler

Member at Large - Leslie Halcomb

Member at Large - Marissa Deckert

For any questions regarding PTO events, please email riversideintpto@gmail.com

New Executive Board members for 2025/2026:

President: Teresa Hunckler

Vice President: Marissa Deckert

Secretary: Brieann Saxhaug-Toste

Treasurer: Jenny Shoemaker

*May 11th PTO Meeting has been cancelled

We are grateful to all the parents and guardians who contributed to the resounding success of Teacher Appreciation Week. We would be unable to achieve this celebration without your assistance and donations.

We extend a warm welcome to the newest Executive Board Members for the 2025/2026 school year and anticipate that the upcoming year will be filled with more exciting adventures.

We would like to remind you that you can maintain your Kroger Rewards account with RSI during the summer and also keep an eye out for upcoming Dine to Donate events, which offer an additional method of raising funds while shopping.

We, the outgoing RSI PTO Executive Board, would like to extend our gratitude to all individuals for enabling us to SERVE the RSI community this school year. Thanks to the numerous handcrafted cards from children and the gratitude expressed by numerous RSI leaders and parents/guardians for their support throughout the school year, this year has been a refreshing beginning to shaping the growth of our RSI community. We anticipate seeing each other again at Riverside Jr. High and wish you a wonderful summer.

Thank you to all the companies that have donated, and we look forward to celebrating this week with the following items each day starting on May 5th through May 9th.

"Every 5th grade student in HSE had a classroom lesson this spring from their school counselor about the five common pathways after high school. The 5 common pathways discussed were community college, a job without additional training, trade/technical school, 4-year college, and military. Students learned about each option, some benefits of the pathways, and possible careers that the pathways lead to. Our Riverside Hawks had excellent engagement in this lesson, asking inquisitive and curious questions to spark informative discussion. Our 5th graders were encouraged to research jobs that they are interested in and discover which pathway would be the most helpful to get them to their dream jobs."

Please see the attached list if your student is in need of a tutor!

Fishers Youth Initiative Summer Meals Program: This program will provide grocery items for breakfast and lunch for five days during the weeks of June 10th through July 29th. The program will operate out of the permanent site at 8766 E 96th St, Fishers, IN 46037 (Old Marsh building). Weekly pick-up day will be on Tuesdays. We will notify registrants of details when it gets closer to distribution. To be part of this program you must sign up by May 25th, 2025. The program will be limited, so please register early. REGISTER HERE

Summer is a time to refresh and reconnect. While relaxing is important, we want to make sure you are doing so in ways that allow you to use healthy types of self-care. Create a summer bucket list of ways you would like to implement healthy self-care this summer. Whether that is spending time outside each day, engaging in healthy eating habits, or connecting with people who bring you happiness, strive to find your best possible self this summer.

Our next Best Buddies event will be on Wednesday, May 21st from 4:00 – 5:00 pm in the Riverside Intermediate Gym! All 5th/6th grade students will need a permission slip to attend. Late permission slips will not be accepted. Permission slips are due Monday, May 19th. Permission slips can be turned in to Miss James room 540 or emailed to dljames@hse.k12.in.us Please contact Miss James with any questions!

There were NO call-out meetings on Wednesday for incoming 7th graders. Students will receive information in the cafeteria during lunches next week.

Enrollment for the upcoming 2025-26 YMCA Before & After School program will open to all families on Tuesday, April 29 at 6 a.m.! Programs tend to fill quickly, so we encourage families to enroll early.

Visit our website to see if the YMCA is in your child's school and learn more about next year's programs. All YMCA Before School programs open at 6:30 a.m. and run until the school day begins. All YMCA After School programs begin at the end of the school day and run until 6 p.m.

Hello again from HSEF!

Please save-the-date and plan to join us for the 3rd annual Prairie Dash 5k Fun Run taking place throughout the grounds of Conner Prairie on Saturday, May 17th.

For the third year, the Hamilton Southeastern Education Foundation (HSEF) is partnering with the Lawrence Township Schools Foundation (LTSF) to offer this family fun run. This partnership was born out of inquiries from many of our “School Program” teams and coaches from both school districts, who traditionally have offered a spring running program which culminated in the past with the Geist Half Marathon each May. Participation will again be limited to 1,000 people maximum.

Starting next week, we will again be offering both INDIVIDUAL and SCHOOL TEAM registration options for all 22 HSE Schools, at a fee of $25/runner. Team registration is open to all students, parents, and staff who are looking for a unique 5k running opportunity. All participants will again receive a race tee, timing bib, and commemorative medal along with (new this year) a voucher for a complimentary ticket to see the new Fishers Freight football team this summer at the Fishers Event Center. For school team participants, HSEF will be delivering these materials to your school, for distribution, the week of the Prairie Dash.

Fall Early Bird Registration Is Open
Register now for football (including girls flag divisions), cheer, soccer, volleyball, cross country, field hockey, fall baseball, fall softball, high school rugby sevens, boys and girls lacrosse stick skills, and esports. Early bird registration runs through May 31st at myathletics.com. Learn everything you need to know here.

Knights Cheer Clinics and Tryouts May 14th, 16th, and 17th
Calling all rising 5th and 6th graders for fall 2025 - are you ready to bring the spirit? We will be hosting a parent-only information meeting on May 12th followed by cheer clinics on May 14th and 16th with tryouts on May 17th. Learn more and register here.

Girls Volleyball Rec+ Evaluations Continue on May 18th
Mudsock Youth Volleyball will continue Rec+ evaluations for incoming 5th through 8th graders (2025–26 school year) on Sunday, May 18th. Find all the details and sign-up information here. Participants must also be registered for the girls rec fall season to attend evaluations at myathletics.com.

Fall Registration Scholarships Available
Interested in scholarship opportunities for fall sports? Families may apply for one scholarship per season, per child. Applications must be submitted and approved during the open registration period, May 1st–31st. For more information, email [info@myathletics.com]info@myathletics.com.

This newsletter will assist you with all questions regarding Food Service - please click below.

Skyward allows parents to access grades, report cards, bus information, immunization records, lunch account/food service information, student fees, schedules, and the BACK TO SCHOOL FORMS 2024-2025. All students are required to have an iPad to expand our HSE21 curriculum. Please visit our HSE21 website for more information.

The following instructions are how to create and pair accounts in Canvas. Your HSE students will be using Canvas throughout virtual and in-person instructions. If you have a child or children that are new to the district, please use the following instructions to link your child's Canvas account to your parent account. Please note that if you have already created a Parent Canvas account and linked your child(ren)'s account(s), you will not need to do this.

You will need your child's school email address and ID#. This information can be found in Skyward. Please click here to access Skyward. If the link is not working, you can go to the HSE homepage and click on the Canvas tab located at the top right of the screen.

Once you are logged in, you will select your child's name from the drop down menu under Family Access at the top of the page. Next, you will click on the Student Info tab from the column on the left. Your child's school email can be found next to the word School in the middle of the screen (just to the right of their school picture) and their school ID # is located under their picture (their school ID # is labeled as Other ID).

Steps:

1. Please click here to access Canvas. If the link is not working, you can go to the HSE homepage and click on the Canvas tab located at the top right of the screen. You will click on the Students/Staff Portal rectangle to login with your child's information, using your child's full school email address as the username. Enter "hse" in front of their 6 digit other ID number for the password. You will now be logged in under their name.
2. While on their Canvas page, click on Account and then Settings. Look to the right and click Pair with Observer. You will need to write down the code so you can use it to link your accounts.
3. Click Account and Logout. You are now logged out of your child's account.
4. If you have multiple students in the district, you will need to complete steps 1-3 for each of your children. You will need a pairing code for each student in an HSE school.
5. Once you have a pairing code for each of your children, you will click here to access the home page of Canvas. If the link is not working, you can go to the HSE homepage and click on the Canvas tab located at the top right of the screen. You will click on the Parent Canvas Portal rectangle to create your profile. You will need your name, email, create a password, and one student pairing code. Click on Start Participating.
6. Check your email now to finalize your Canvas sign-up.
7. To add other children, go back to the HSE homepage, click Canvas tab, click Parent Portal, and login. Click on Account, click on Observing, and add your next child's pairing code.

This webpage below is intended to spotlight school and community activities of interest to students, staff, parents and those residing within the boundaries of HSE Schools.

Interested in finding out about things going on throughout our district - take a look at the Community Insider!

RIVERSIDE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL

11014 Eller Road ♦ Fishers, IN ♦ 46038

317.594.4320 (phone)

317.594.4328 (attendance line)

317.594.4329 (fax)

Follow Us on X: @RSIGoldenHawks