The River Hawk

Good Morning River Hawk Families,

Oh what a week it was! Our River Hawks made news left and right, representing the incredibly positive spirit of our community and showed off just how amazing they are! Congratulations to our Robotics and Cross Country Teams on taking First Place in their competitions. So many members of both teams contributed to their successes! Be sure to read about their accomplishments in the articles below.

This week is sure to be festive as we prepare for the 8th grade Annual Turkey Rally and Turkey Bowl Game on Friday, November 22nd. Parents of performing 8th graders (cheer and football) are invited to attend. Please be sure to read the important details in that article so you are prepared and can gain access to our field.

In this issue learn more about:

• Rio Robotics Teams moving on - Hawkbots take 1st!
• 8th Grade District Speech Competition
• Rio Takes First in District Cross Country Meet!
• PTSA Reflections Gala - An Amazing Evening Celebrating the Arts!
• Turkey Bowl for 8th graders - This Friday 11/22!

• Due 11/22: Mathematical Association of America AMC 8 Math Test

Repeated in this issue:

• Healthy Choices Curriculum - 7th grade only.
• Spirit Wear Holiday Sale
• Food Service Newsletter and menus for November
• Hart District November No-Miss Attendance Challenge

Sincerely,

Mrs. Bennett

November 19th:

• Q2 Progress Report Grades Post to IC after 3 p.m.
• Rio Choir Concert, MPR, 7 p.m.

November 21st:

• Rio Band/Guitar Concert, MPR, 7 p.m.

November 22nd:

• Turkey Bowl for 8th Grade
• Deadline for AMC 8 Math Registration

November 25th-29th:

• Thanksgiving Break - No School

December 2nd:

• Return from Thanksgiving Break

December 5th:

• PTSA General Association Meeting, MPR 8:30 a.m.
• 7th Grade Healthy Choices Curriculum Parent Meeting (virtual)

December 12th & 13th:

• Drama Hawks Production of It's A Wonderful Life

CLICK HERE for a printable copy of the calendar pictured. Please use this calendar for our holidays, minimum days, and Early Release Schedule to plan as many appointments and trips during non-instructional times.

On Saturday, November 9th, Rio Norte sent two teams to the Regional Robotics Competition at Valencia High School. Out of 27 teams, both Rio teams did so well they qualified to move on to the next round of competition! However, our Hawkbots won the top prize of the day! They received the highest marks in ALL categories for the day and are the 2024 Valencia Regional Champions! For additional photos and a video of the first place announcement, click here. We are incredibly proud of both teams and are wishing them the best of luck!

Nine River Hawks entered our school's 8th grade speech competition, held on November 7th. Four of our students were lucky enough to move on to the District Speech Competition held this past Wednesday evening. While Arroyo Seco swept the competition, our students did an outstanding job and showed their bravery standing up in front of peers and parents to talk about, "What is my greatest strength and how do I share that gift with others?" We congratulate (as pictured above left to right), Nabeel Mehdi, Emma Danielsen, Sabrina Hurley, and Khloe Ciarra Tolentino. You represented us very well!

Rio Norte was blessed to bring 73 River Hawks to our district's annual All-Junior High Cross Country Meet at Central Park this past Wednesday. Our River Hawks rallied together, displayed incredible grit and took First Place overall, almost sweeping the competition. We are immensely proud of this group and how they encouraged, supported, and hyped up one another. Thank you for displaying River Hawk Pride and representing us and our community so well. Our coaches said their display of camaraderie and sportsmanship was absolutely outstanding and they felt privileged and honored to coach this team. Please click here to enjoy more pictures and some video.

We also took First Place in 7th and 8th Grade Girls, as well as 7th grade boys. Our 8th grade boys also did well, placing 3rd in their category.

Individuals Winners:

8th Grade Girls:

Reese Ray - 1st Place

Charlotte Colman - 2nd Place

7th Grade Girls:

Madison Ramos - 2nd Place

Tatum Dalley - 3rd Place

For more results, click here.

This past Thursday, November 14th, our students who entered the PTSA Reflections Competition attended the annual Reflections Gala to celebrate their artistic abilities and creations. The National PTA Reflections program has been encouraging students to participate in the arts for over 50 years. Through this incredible program, students are given an opportunity to develop and display their thoughts, ideas, and creativity through one or all of the arts categories. These students have amazed us once again as they interpreted this year’s theme of “Accepting Imperfection”. Please enjoy more photos here.

The Winners Are:

Music Composition

First Place Award of Excellence: Autumn Frost - Imperfectly Cool

Second Place Award of Merit: Packiyalakshmi Ramalingam - Melody of Imperfections

Film Production

First Place Award of Excellence : Mason Worden - Accepting Imperfections

Second Place Award of Merit: Jayden Helberg - Drawing Imperfect

Dance Choreography

First Place Award of Excellence : Makenna Luster - Voices In My Head

Photography

First Place Award of Excellence : Jayden Helberg - Imperfect Night

Second Place Award of Merit: Hasandu Maddegoda - Human Eclipse

Third Place Honorable Mention: Kalyani Nair - The Perfectly Imperfect Photo

Literature

First Place Award of Excellence : Emma Thornton - Glasses

Second Place Award of Merit: Emily Donovan - The Lies We Tell Ourselves

Third Place Honorable Mention: Yul Cho - Imperfect Sakura

Visual Arts

First Place Award of Excellence : Nathan Liu - Embrace Imperfection

Second Place Award of Merit: Lauren Freeman - Inherently Imperfect

Third Place Honorable Mention: Meera Ramesh - Eyes of the Beholder

Kudos to every artist who bravely entered their work into the competition and congratulations to all of our winners. The first place recipients in each category now move on to the Regional PTSA Reflections Competition and we are wishing them all the best of luck!

8th grade parents, whose students are participating in our annual Turkey Bowl, are invited to join us for the game this Friday, 11/22. Parents can enter from the back field gate off of Village Circle Drive (near the park) starting at 1:00 p.m., with our game starting at 1:30 p.m. Parents WILL need ID to check-in. Parents should bring their own lawn chairs or blankets, otherwise you can stand or sit on the grass like our students. We look forward to seeing if Blue or Red Team will be victorious.

If your student has a passion for problem-solving and is interested in taking the AMC 8 test, registration is happening now through Friday, November 22, 2024. The cost is $11 and needs to be paid at the ASB window or on the WEBSTORE. The test will be given afterschool on one of the following days: January 23, January 24, or January 27, 2025!!!! The specific date will be determined once we return from winter break.

The AMC 8 is a 25-question, 40-minute, multiple choice examination in middle school mathematics designed to promote the development of problem-solving skills. The AMC 8 provides an opportunity for middle school students to develop positive attitudes towards analytical thinking and mathematics that can assist in future careers. Students apply classroom skills to unique problem-solving challenges in a low-stress and friendly environment.

The material covered on the AMC 8 includes topics from a typical middle school mathematics curriculum. Possible topics include but are not limited to: counting and probability, estimation, proportional reasoning, elementary geometry including the Pythagorean Theorem, spatial visualization, everyday applications, and reading and interpreting graphs and tables. In addition some of the later questions may involve linear or quadratic functions and equations, coordinate geometry, and other topics traditionally covered in a beginning algebra course.

Students must be in 8th grade or below and also 14.5 years or younger on the date of the exam.

For more information, please contact Mrs. Groller (Rio Norte's MathCounts Advisor) at Lgroller@hartdistrict.org or have your student come to C4. We hold our MathCounts weekly meetings on Thursdays at lunch and all interested students are welcome!

Last Friday afternoon (11/8/24) at 4 p.m., all 7th grade families should have received an email from us with information about the Healthy Choices Curriculum, optional Parent Google Meets Virtual Meetings on Thursday, December 5th, and our curriculum presentation dates. For more information, see our website under the "Parents" tab and click on Healthy Choices or click HERE.

Holiday Sale Info

• Sale Dates: Now through 12/10/2024

• 25% off all merchandise

• Free shipping on orders over $75

• Guaranteed delivery by Dec. 23rd

Rio Norte Store Link: https://1stplace.sale/14738

Attendance Matters.

Regular attendance helps students keep up with the curriculum, build strong relationships with

their peers and teachers, and develop a routine that fosters responsibility and discipline. These

are essential skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.

No-Miss November:

If your student missed a day in October, they can start fresh in No-miss November. Students who

have perfect attendance (and no tardies) throughout the month of November will automatically

be entered into a drawing for a $150 Nike gift card (four winners districtwide).

Let's Work Together:

We ask for your continued support in encouraging your students to attend school every day.

Together, we can create a positive and engaging learning environment that motivates our

students to succeed.

Shonna August, 8th grade Assistant Principal

Lauren Dunn, 7th grade Assistant Principal

ATTENDANCE Needs: Email RNattendance@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

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, 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.