The Riverview Reader

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Riverview Families,

Thank you to the amazing RVES PTP for putting on a terrific Family Fun Night! It took a tremendous amount of planning and effort, but it was clear that it was a fun event for everyone. I always love the events that bring our school community together, and last week's Fun Night did not disappoint. I know the parking situation at the start was definitely challenging, but I deeply appreciated everyone's help in making sure that we got everyone where they needed to be safely. We shared some pictures below and on our Facebook page. Click here to see some of those pictures.

Also, it is time to sign up for a time to meet with your child's teacher during parent/teacher conferences. You can use this link to sign up for a time that works best for your family. While it feels like the school year has only just started, the conversations that happen during conferences are a great chance for the school/family partnership to grow. We are grateful for your partnership and the effort you make to be a part of your child's education.

Best wishes for a great week!

Shawn Peck

Principal

• Tuesday, October 1 - PTP meeting, 5:30-6:30pm in the Multipurpose room
• Wednesday, October 2 - National School Custodian Appreciation Day
• Thursday, October 3 - Referendum Information Meeting at FES 7:00
• Friday, October 4 - CARES Student of the Month Celebration
• Friday, October 4 - Fun Run Kick Off Event
• Tuesday, October 8 - Fall Conferences
• Thursday, October 10 - Early Release From School (12:10); Fall Conferences
• Friday, October 11 - NO SCHOOL; Staff Development Day

Each year learners in grades 3, 4 & 5 across the state are asked to participate in the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs) in the areas of math, reading, and science. These assessments are an important way for schools to get feedback on the progress we are making, whether our instruction is having a significant impact, and help us identify areas where we may need to adjust our course. We never want to "overreact" to the results of any singular assessment, as anyone can have a good or bad day. However, the data we get back from the state on MCA results does provide us with a barometer of how things are trending.

It takes a while for the results to come in and be made public by the state. Learners take the assessments in the spring but the results are "embargoed", meaning they are not shared until several months after. They have now been released and we were able to see that we had a very successful 23-24 school year at Riverview.

• Riverview saw a 5 point increase in the area of reading proficiency while the state average remained flat.
• Riverview saw a 4 point increase in the area of math proficiency while the state average remained flat.
• Riverview saw an 11 point increase in the area of science proficiency while the state average declined 3.4%

The credit for these increases goes to our brilliant learners, the Riverview teachers and staff, and the families that take care of and support our learners. No test score could ever tell the entire story of the greatness that lives inside of each of our students. We get to see it on full display every day! But we also recognize that growth in these areas are an important part of our mission of setting our learners up for a love of learning and a lifetime of success. While we are pleased with the results, we are not satisfied! We will continue to strive to create a safe and welcoming school environment for every learner and utilize high-impact instructional strategies in every classroom. They sky is the limit if we continue to work together!

Fall parent/teacher conferences will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 8 and Thursday, Oct. 10. Click the orange button below to sign up for a time that works best for you and your family. Conferences are an important part of the school/family partnership and we hope that all families are able to attend.

We rely on our building custodians for SO MUCH each day. Mr. Tom, Mr. Scotty, Mr. Mike, and Ms. Heather work hard to keep our building clean and running smoothly. We are grateful for their contributions and for all they do for our learners and staff!

Our paraprofessionals are a vital part of our team and they do so much every day for our students. Like everyone, they have to miss work from time to time due to illness, family matters, etc. When that happens, it leaves our learners with less support. And unfortunately, often times these absences go "unfilled" due to a shortage of capable and willing subs. That is why we are asking for people in our Riverview community to consider being a para sub. The pay is $15 per hour and you can work as much (or as little) as you want. Whether you sub one day or every day, each time you enter a classroom, you are responsible for the helping the most important resource we have in our school -- our children.

If you would like to sign up to sub as a teacher or paraprofessional for the Farmington Schools you will have to apply through Teachers on Call (TOC). Please email or call TOC directly at 1800-713-4439 or apply online at teachersoncall.com.

The purpose of PIE (Parents in Education) is for volunteer parents to be an extra set of hands for Riverview staff to hopefully alleviate some of their busy work and allow them more time to focus on teaching and their students. Some PIE tasks that are common include cutting, laminating, sharpening pencils, dye cutting, book binding, and organization. This group of parent volunteers meets every Wednesday morning in the PTP room at Riverview and are typically there from 9-11:30. It's a little bit of work but a lot of fun with a great group of people. Come when you can. If you’d like to give PIE a try, feel free to reach out to Lynn Heidbrink at lynnheidbrink@gmail.com.

In order to report a student absence, parents/guardians have the option to use this online form. The information you enter will be received by the main office the same way a phone call or email would be. This link will be included in future Riverview Reader newsletters and is also always available on the Riverview Elementary website (see image below).

All ordering of school pictures will take place directly through Jostens. Use this link to set up your Jostens account and get your pictures ordered. You will need to use the access code FE2824 to complete your order.

If you missed pictures during assessments, our school picture retake day will be this Thursday, September 26.

Join us for our next PTP meeting! It will be at Riverview at 5:30 on Tuesday, October 1 in the multipurpose room. We will discuss a number of topics including the upcoming Fun Run and the many ways our PTP supports our students and staff. We hope you can make it!

Regular attendance is an integral part of your child’s education and school success. The following guidelines should help you decide when and how long to keep your child home due to illness.

• When a child has a fever of 100 degrees or more, the child should stay home for 24 hours after the temperature returns to normal (without needing medication to keep the temperature down).

• When a child has vomited or had diarrhea, the child should stay home until 24 hours after the last episode.

• When a child has an unexplained rash, please check with your family physician before sending the child to school.

• When your child is not running a fever, but is having excessive secretions, continual coughing or is excessively tired it may also be good to keep him/her at home. Extra sleep, fluids, and possibly medication can be effective in resolving these symptoms and preventing a relapse.

• Building nurses will assess students and determine if your child needs to go home if they become ill/exhibit signs or symptoms of illness during the school day. If you hear from your child directly, instruct them to go to the health office for assessment.

Please have an “emergency plan” for the care of your child should he/she need to go home from school due to illness. Students who are ill should be picked up as soon as possible and within 30 minutes to help prevent the spread of illness. It is a parental responsibility to have this plan in place and updated contacts available at all times.

We look forward to a healthy, productive time in school. Please contact the nurse at your child’s school if you have any questions.

Sayra Maberry, RN, LSN

Health Services Coordinator

• Frequent handwashing by everyone in the family
• Adequate sleep
• Elementary: 10-11 hours per night
• Secondary: 8-10 hours per night
• Good nutrition including a balanced diet and hydration
• Elementary: 5-6 cups of water daily
• Secondary: 6-8 cups of water daily
• Regular physical activity and outdoor activity
• No exposure to smoking
• Follow the recommended immunization schedule

Looking for something fun for your child(ren) to do? Babysitter Training, Drama Lab, Drawing Palooza, ASL Club, Robotics: Nature ‘Bots, Basketball, Flag Football, and Golf Squad are all starting soon! Also check out our non-school day camps – Horse, Volleyball, Outdoor Survival, Comic Strip Design, and Basketball! Register your youth today through Community Education at: https://bit.ly/3YDI57k or call 651-460-3200.

In need of fee assistance to participate? Youth on free and reduced lunch or who have extenuating circumstances are eligible to apply for fee assistance. Apply here: https://bit.ly/CE192FeeAssistance.

Dear Farmington Area Public Schools Parents and Families:

It has been a fantastic week welcoming learners back into our spaces for the 2024-25 school year. I am excited for the opportunities and possibilities for our learners that come with a new school year.

At the end of the last school year, I shared important information regarding a decision made by the Farmington Area School Board at its May 13, 2024 meeting. Along with having a significant impact on our learners and the future of our district, it is a decision that is important for staff, parents and community members to be aware of and learn more about.

As a district we have realigned $4+ million dollars to balance our budget. The board also made a decision to use assigned fund balance dollars to balance the $2.7 million deficit for the 2024-25 school year. However, the district still faces a budget deficit in 2025-26 of $4-5 million. In addition, the current operating levy that was passed in 2015 will expire after the 2025-26 school year. Expiration of this levy would result in a loss of approximately $5 million per year.

To address our financial challenges, the board voted unanimously to schedule an operating levy referendum election for November 5, 2024. The proposal on the ballot will ask voters to revoke the district’s existing operating levy of $696.15 per pupil and replace it with a new levy of $1,556.15 per pupil. The new levy will provide approximately $11 million ($5 million from the previous levy and $6 million from the new levy) per year for 10 years.

If the operating levy is approved the additional levy dollars will bolster the district’s financial stability, maintain programs and experiences, and allow us to invest in:

• Decrease learner to staff ratio (lower class size)

• Learner Achievement

• Literacy

• Math

• Elementary Enrichment

If the operating levy is not approved significant budget reductions will be needed to offset the projected deficit for the 2025-26 school year. These reductions are likely to include, but not limited to:

• Reduce non-classroom support

• Increase learner/staff ratio resulting in larger class sizes

• Eliminate FHS MNCAPS experiences

• Eliminate FHS DCTC/917 CTE experiences

• Reduce middle school elective opportunities and team planning through a schedule change

• Eliminate 5th grade band experience

• Increase athletics/activities fees and reduce non-conference travel

• Limit user group rental of ISD 192 spaces and increase rental fee

More information specific to the referendum and past budget realignments can be found on our website.

There are three community information sessions scheduled this fall:

• September 18 at North Trail Elementary School, 7 p.m.

• October 3 at Farmington Elementary School, 7 p.m.

• October 21 at Farmington High School, 7 p.m.

Please take the time to learn how the proposed levy will affect our school district. It is essential that every voter learn about the district’s needs and then participate in the election.

Sincerely,
Jason Berg
Superintendent of Schools

Farmington Area Public Schools, ISD 192
20655 Flagstaff Avenue, Farmington, MN 55024
Referendum Info: https://www.farmington.k12.mn.us/referendum
Email: referendum@farmington.k12.mn.us.

If a student will be absent, a parent/guardian must call Riverview’s attendance line at 651-460-1605 prior to 8:45 AM each day of the absence. You can call 24/7 and if no one answers, please leave a message. We ask that parents/guardians provide the reason for the absence at the time they call. If the school does not receive a call from the parent/guardian the day of the absence, the student’s absence is automatically marked as unexcused. You can also click on this link to fill out online when your child will be gone.

September 23

September 16

September 9

September 2

August 26

August 19

August 12

The mission of Riverview Elementary School, a learner-centered community that transforms the future of learning, is to ensure each individual continuously grows emotionally, socially, and academically to have a positive impact in their communities through:

• Honoring the diverseness of our communities
  
• Learning experiences driven by passions, sparks, and interests
  
• Reflection on the learning process and real-life experiences
  
• Collaborative relationships, trust, and open communication

Our Objectives:

• Each learner continuously demonstrates academic and personal growth.
  
• Each learner develops the skills to understand how they learn best.
  
• Each learner possesses the skills to advocate for themselves and others.
  
• Each learner continuously explores personal interests and passions to drive their learning.

Read more about our Strategic Framework here.

Email: speck@farmington.k12.mn.us
Website: https://rves.farmington.k12.mn.us/
Location: 4100 208th Street West, Farmington, MN 55024, USA
Phone: 651-460-1600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rve192