A Note From the Principal
Good Morning River Hawk Families,
Well it is absolutely reinforced that Rio Norte has the BEST families and River Hawk supporters!!! We cannot thank you enough for your support in our direct donation fundraiser. You really came through for us and now we're coming through for our students! As promised, today Mrs. Welch showed up in her pink hair and Mr. Burleson came as a clown, juggling and big clown shoes included! And because our families went even further, surpassing our goal and reaching just over $65,000, I will be "slimed," along with Mrs. Welch, on Monday at lunch! Great job River Hawks! We are so grateful to everyone who participated in any way they were able.
In addition to our fundraiser fun this week, we also had another great Rock the Band T-Shirt spirit day. Yearbook put out another amazing photo background to snap student and staff photos. Be sure you're following the Rio Norte ASB Instagram account (rioasb) to see what's happening on campus.
Also, be sure to check out the updated PE News section for NEW photos from the final dodgeball competition and pictures of our champions.
Finally, our lockdown this Friday is a fairly quick check of what students learned in our recent educational drill. While teachers have students practice a few quick things in the advisory classroom, we do a procedure check. This drill will take place once students are already in advisory class. A reminder will go out on Thursday evening.
In this issue learn more about:
- Science Olympiad Team Needs a Business Sponsor
- From the Hart Newsletter
- PE and Intramurals News UPDATE
Repeated in this issue:
- Valencia High School MSA Jump Program application - DUE SUNDAY
- E-bike & Scooter Spot Checks and Safety
- PTSA Reflections Contest
Sincerely,
Mrs. Bennett
Important Dates
September 27th:
- Lockdown DRILL in advisory
September 30th & October 1st:
- PTSA Reflections Submissions are Due
October 3rd:
- PTSA General Association Meeting - MPR 8:30 a.m.
October 7th:
- Fall Break - No School (only one day off in our district)
October 9th:
- PTSA Red Robin Fundraiser
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.
Our Science Olympiad Team is up and running, meeting regularly after school and already beginning their preparations for competition later in the year. Students are welcome to be part of the club and to become a member of the competition team if interested. Science Olympiad meets in room B-3 on Mondays and Tuesdays from 2:45 to 4 p.m.
We are looking for a business sponsor willing to help fund competition fees and costs of materials and activities. If you or someone you know is connected to a business that might be willing and able, please reach out to our advisor, Mr. St. Peter, at jstpeter@hartdistrict.org
PE Sweats - If you purchased PE Sweats at Summer Check-in or during the first two weeks of school, they were passed out to students in their PE class this past Thursday and Friday. For any issues, please reach out to your student's PE teacher.
PE Intramurals- Enjoy some pictures below from the end of our dodgeball tournament. Mrs. Welch’s Sons were our ultimate victors and as the champions, played against our staff mid-week. While Mrs. Welch's Sons will always be our 2024 Dodgeball Champs, they were defeated by our incredible River Hawk Staff Team, joined by the new principal at Valencia High School, Mr. Welch.
Cross Country Team - Soon Rio will form our team for the All-District Cross Country Meet. Tryouts to be part of our team will be on 9/25 and 9/26 in PE class. To prepare for tryouts we are offering after school practices from 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. on the following dates: 9/16, 9/17, 9/19, 9/20 and 9/23. Optional practices will resume once the team is formed. The annual Cross Country Meet will be held on November 13th at Central Park.
Attention 8th Graders - Valencia High School's JUMP Program and Application
Calling all 8th graders interested in Valencia's Medical Science Academy (MSA). Click on the PDF below (same as the image) to get further information about the application process and a clickable link for the application. For more information, see the MSA WEBSITE.
Please note: STUDENTS must apply using their hartdistrict email account. If the form tells you to sign-in, check that you're in your hartdistrict account. Applications are due this Sunday, September 22nd - absolutely no exceptions, so apply early to avoid last minute issues!
With an increase in electric bikes on campuses across the nation, complaints are rising from parents and community members who are witnessing dangerous behaviors to and from school. We spoke to our SRO, Deputy Hellewell, due to calls about unsafe behaviors by our students and to better understand which bikes should or should not be allowed on a junior high campus. E-bikes/scooters should be purely electric with a rechargeable battery and NO MOTOR or throttle. Page 9 of our binder, clearly states: non-motorized bikes, skateboards, and scooters may be ridden... in a safe manner. As our students are under 16 years of age, we should only be seeing e-bikes with pedals fitting the guidelines listed above (picture). Next week, we will begin spot checking these vehicles with our deputy. Students will be informed if their vehicle cannot come back to campus and if it returns, parents will be contacted to pick it up. Please understand this is to comply with the law and ultimately for student and community safety.
If your student is riding a permissible E-bike/scooter, please take some time this weekend to discuss your expectations for their speed and behavior when passing by parents and little ones walking to elementary school, community members out walking, and while passing driveways & intersections where they are interacting with cars. We appreciate you stressing the importance of being safe, courteous, and respectful. Click here for an article on legal, appropriate E-scooters (we have no affiliation with the writer or site and share solely to help our parent community).
With some serious and life-threatening accidents occurring in our community, helmet safety is another important factor for any moving vehicle. All students riding bikes to school must have a helmet, but if your student is riding an E-bike or you're thinking of getting one, please consider the information shared by our local SCV Sheriff Department.
- Standard bicycle helmets (like what you would find at Walmart) are only rated at 14 MPH. These helmets are NOT safe for any class of electric bike. Electric bikes require helmets with a Mips or DOT rating.
- Mips rated helmets have several layers of foam, glass or gel, and styrofoam to cushion a rider's head on impact. The layers absorb energy upon impact to lessen the force on the head. Young riders will benefit from the full-faced version, as face trauma can cause just as much injury to the brain on impact.
- Here's a link for more info about Mips: https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/what-are-mips-helmets/
- DOT helmets are rated by the Department of Transportation, and are required for anyone operating a motorcycle. People purchasing these should only do so in person at a motorcycle or bicycle shop to assure proper fit. Additionally, there are a lot of counterfeit helmets on the internet which are NOT DOT rated, and offer no protection.
We thank Deputy Duxbury of the SCV Sheriff Department for this valuable safety information for the benefit of our students!
Reflections Contest by PTSA
The National PTA has a long-standing commitment to arts education, and the Reflections program is a key part of this mission. Each year, over 300,000 students from Pre-K through Grade 12 create original works of art based on a student-created theme. This year’s theme, Accepting Imperfection, encourages students to explore their thoughts, feelings, and ideas through various art forms.
For over 50 years, the Reflections program has helped students develop artistic literacy, build confidence, and discover a love for learning that supports their success in school and life.
Students can submit original works in any of the following categories:
Arts Categories
Film Production
Music Composition
Visual Arts
Dance Choreography
Literature
Photography
Submission Details:
Submission Dates: September 30th or October 1st
Time: 7:30 AM
Location: Front Gate at Rio Norte Junior High
Make sure your student fills out this form to participate in the Reflections program.
Please email rionorteptsa@gmail.com if you have any questions.
RIO NORTE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
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