Rattler News

September 6th

During your child's lunch time

*Does not have to be grandparents ...Any caring and loving figure is welcome!

*Come by on Thursday to get your Visitor's badge so you can skip the line. If you can't make it Thursday make sure you come really early on Friday so you don't miss the lunch time!

We are thrilled to introduce Genius Hour every Friday! This initiative will empower every student to be innovative as they embark on a cycle of creating their own passion projects. It’s a fantastic opportunity for our students to identify a problem, ask questions, conduct research, develop a physical product, and present their findings.

This initiative, which is similar to the Quest experience, will be available to the entire school every Friday. We even have exciting "Shark Tank" events planned where students can showcase their ideas and creations.

In the first semester, students will learn this cycle within their classrooms and with their teacher as the guide. By the second semester, they will apply the skills they've gained to produce something independently or in small groups. We will soon invite parents to support and participate in their child's research and design journey. This will be both innovative and exciting!

Mark your calendars! Our first Genius Hour is this Friday, September 6th, where our students will dive into step one of the process: WONDER!

Below there is a video that your child will watch in class on Friday. We kindly ask that you do not show it to your child beforehand 👀 ❌, as we want them to lead this learning experience and share their thoughts with you afterward. Let’s keep the enthusiasm high!

We are excited to see our students Thinking Big, Dreaming Big, Believing Big, and Achieving Big!

We know that our kiddos in Quest are having amazing experiences, and we recognize how meaningful and beneficial this learning is for their development.

We also understand the importance of providing focused intervention when needed. In some cases, students may require additional support in specific content areas to ensure their success across the board. Unfortunately, we face scheduling conflicts when students needing intervention (whether short term or long term) are also enrolled in Quest, as both support and programs occur simultaneously.

If we observe that a student in Quest is falling behind and requires intervention, we will promptly reach out to schedule a meeting with you to discuss a plan of action. Our priority is to ensure your child is making appropriate growth and progress.

Thank you for your understanding and partnership. Please email me if you have any questions.

Now that we are open for lunch visitors our teachers might be reaching out for volunteers to help with duty. We are changing this just a bit.

We will continue accepting and being so grateful for lunch volunteers but will no longer need recess volunteers. :)

Thank you for being willing to help our teachers out in this way! We really appreciate your time and love for our kiddos and teachers. Yall are the best! 🫶

Our sister Steiner Ranch schools are tightening their policies regarding smartphones and smart watches.

Currently, River Ridge guidelines are as follows:

• Phones must remain in backpacks for the entire school day.
• Students may wear smart watches; however, texting and calling during school hours (7:30 AM - 2:45 PM) is not permitted. We kindly ask that parents refrain from texting or calling their child during this time (if it alerts to the child's watch), as it can be distracting to the learning environment. We will encourage students to put their smart watch on "Do not Disturb" mode. Please help us by reminding your child to do this as well.

If we observe that smart watches are causing disruptions (students are texting, calling from them, or using them to record others), we will follow other campuses in prohibiting wearing them during the school day. We encourage students and parents to utilize school phones for communication with parents during the school day.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in maintaining a focused learning environment for all students.

Mr. Cook and his lovely wife are having a baby boy!!!! TODAY!! If you feel it in your heart to drop off gift cards or diapers that would be so amazing! 💙

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1BCYEWMMtmek6HQqMbCQluhqYPX2IfGOPmJhTYUg0HKY/edit?usp=sharing

For more information about her initiatives, please click below for Mrs. Woehl's newsletter.

Mrs. Woehl also coordinates Watch Dogs - getting our Dads and Father Figures on campus! Email her for more info!

Non- working mechanical items needed for 5th grade

If you have any old mechanical equipment that we can take apart and see how it works, please send it in! We will be needing these in Sept.

Items needed for "Take-Apart"

If you have an old, non-functioning or no-longer-used machine with moving mechanical parts, we would love to take it off your hands for a 5th grade QUEST take-apart project. Those especially of interest are DVD players, VHS players, cassette tape players, boom boxes, old sewing machines, old desk-top computers, or anything with speakers or motors or moving mechanical parts but no glass. We will be reverse-engineering to see how they work, and then creating new devices with the old parts. You will not get your machine back.

Drop-off will begin Sept. 3 - you can leave items in the front office vestibule in the labeled wagons.

If you would like to join us to lend a (much-appreciated) pair of hands and/or some mechanical expertise, we would welcome that!

Please email Myra.Harold@leanderisd.org or Keni.Renner@leanderisd.org if you are interested.

Time 8:00am-8:45am M/T/W/Th; Date TBD

Destination Imagination (DI) is an International Creative Problem-Solving organization where students hone their imagination skills, learn team-work, practice time management, and solve whacky challenges in unique ways. Teams of 5-7 students work together for several months to solve a STEAM challenge then bring their solution to the spring regional competition. Research shows that students participating in the Destination Imagination Challenge Experience outperform their peers in creativity, critical thinking, and collaborative problem-solving. River Ridge sponsors several DI teams each year which are forming now. For more information email keni.renner@leanderisd.org or send in your DI application to her today! Application deadline is Sept 27th

Note: Spots on teams are assigned on a first come, first served basis. Exception: A Team Manager’s child is guaranteed a spot.

Students will be recognized at the Vandy Volleyball "PINK OUT" match on October 1st!! Let's support our Viper volleyball team!!

Registration link here!! Registration Link

https://sites.google.com/leanderisd.org/katiehaedgescurriculumcorner

Use this link to register: https://sites.google.com/leanderisd.org/leander-isd/home

Don’t miss all the exciting updates and opportunities unfolding at our school! 🎉🐍

• PTA NEWSLETTER

• Click here PTA Memberships to join our school’s PTA! Your membership goes toward the events, classrooms enhancements, clubs, and more. By joining, you will receive the PTA newsletter, be able to attend meetings, share ideas, and help your child's school in so many ways. You do not have to volunteer in order to be a member- BUT we will always take a volunteer!
  

• PTA Website
• PTA Store

Get your amazing spirit gear at https://1stplace.sale/94803.

Come run with us! Running Rattlers kickoff party on Monday Sept 9 with snow cones and relay races! Please sign up ASAP via QR code.

Sept 5th (Thursday)

Kinder 5-6pm

1st 3rd 6-7pm

September 6th

During your child's lunch time

*Does not have to be grandparents ...Any caring and loving figure is welcome!

*Come by early to get your Visitor's badge so you can skip the line. If not, make sure you come really early so you don't miss the lunch time!