The River Hawk
Rio Norte News - August 30, 2024
A Note From the Principal
Good Morning River Hawk Families,
What a busy week at Rio! We kicked off our direct donation fundraiser and because of our families and your supporters, we've already raised a little over $20,000 toward our $60,000 goal!!! We appreciate everyone supporting us!
Thank you to all our River Hawk families who joined us at our annual Back To School Night this past Thursday night! We were thrilled so many of you could attend and I loved hearing so much positive feedback from many families. If you weren't able to attend, please take a moment to watch my address to parents in the video below.
Finally, the week ended with our annual back to school dance, Riochella, put on by our incredible ASB under the direction of their truly amazing advisor, Mrs. Welch! Every student I spoke to said they had a blast and you can see more pictures at the bottom of the new newsletter items. Thank you to all the families who donated water and juice and an extra special thanks to the incredible parent volunteers and teacher chaperones who took time on their Friday night (headed into a holiday weekend) to help us supervise the 600+ students who attended!
In this issue learn more about:
- Pongo and Mr. Eric K-9 On-Campus
- Library News - Book Fair ends Thursday.
- PTSA General Association Meeting this Thursday
- Educational Lockdown DRILL
- Club Day Coming Soon
- Picture Packets and Make-up Pictures
- PTSA Reflections Contest
- Riochella Dance Pictures
Repeated in this issue:
- Fund it Forward Update
- Attendance Information
- PTSA Fun Burger Restaurant Fundraiser
- Back to School Merchandise Sale
- Karate and Volleyball Flyers
I hope you and your family have a lovely Labor Day Weekend!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Bennett
Important Dates
Now through Sept. 5th:
- Schoolastic Book Fair in the Rio Library
Now through Sept. 10th:
- Back to School Rio Merchandise Sale
Now through Sept. 13th:
- Fund It Forward Fundraiser
September 2nd:
- Labor Day - NO School
September 5th:
- First PTSA General Association Meeting, MPR 8:30 a.m.
September 10th:
- Educational Lockdown DRILL
- Club Day - Lunch in the Quad
- Make-up Picture Day
September 10th-12th
- PTSA Funburger Restaurant Night - 35% back!
September 13th:
- End of Quarter 1 (Q1) Progress Reporting period
- these grades show progress and do not go on the transcript
September 17th:
- Progress Report Grades post to Infinite Campus (IC) after 3 p.m.
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.
Pongo and Mr. Eric Our K-9 Unit On-Campus
Meet Pongo and his handler, Mr. Eric, who will randomly visit campuses in the Hart District every day. Pongo is not a drug dog. He is trained to detect firearms and gunpowder to help ensure our safety on-campus. When here, they will monitor student arrival at the front or back gate, check PE lockers, and check the general campus and perimeter. This is a proactive layer of safety to deter individuals from bringing firearms or explosives onto campuses and help everyone feel more secure. Pongo and Mr. Eric will visit us throughout the entire school year. Students cannot pet Pongo when he's working, but at brunch, Mr. Eric allows them to approach and ask to pet Pongo if they'd like. Students can be assured that while Pongo is serious when he's working, he's gentle and friendly.
Library News
- The Scholastic Book Fair finishes this week so have your student get over to the library by Thursday, 3 p.m.
- If your student already lost their ID Card they can go to the library before and after school or at brunch and lunch and purchase a new one for $5
How to Check Out Books On-Line
When students visit the RN Library Catalog link below, students should sign-in using their hartdistrict student Google account. They can then find a book (or books) and place them on hold using the HOLD button next to the title.
- RN Library Catalog: bit.ly/DestinyRN
Once books are placed on hold, they can stop by the library and we will pull the title aside for them.
Holds are good for ONE WEEK, then we release the book back on the shelf if it is not picked up by the student.
- Below is a short video walkthrough.
PTSA General Association Meeting
Come hear about our exciting plans for the year at our first PTSA meeting on Thursday, September 5th in the MPR at 8:30 am. Here is the agenda. At this meeting we will meet our two Assistant Principals, our Principals and then listen to a mini presentation from our amazing Rio Norte school counselors. Join us for some light refreshments and great conversations! We look forward to seeing you there!
PTSA General Association Meeting
Thursday, Sep 5, 2024, 08:30 AM
Rio Norte Junior High School, Rio Norte Drive, Valencia, CA, USA
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
DRILL on September 10th
On September 10th we will have our first lockdown drill. This is an educational scripted drill during the advisory period. Students watch a video where Mrs. Bennett and our School Resource Office (SRO), Deputy Hellewell, will educate students about our safety protocols and the importance of these drills. The video will periodically pause for teachers to have short scripted conversations. For safety purposes, this video will NOT be on RioTV. We will NEVER do a random lockdown drill. All drills will be announced in the newsletter before they happen and parents will receive email reminders the day before and the morning of. If you have concerns about your child participating in this drill, please reach out to your child's counselor by this Friday, September 6th so their counselor has time to get back to you prior to the drill.
Club Day on September 10th
Is your student interested in starting a club at Rio Norte? Club signups are up and running! Please go to the ASB website to fill out the google form and read the directions on when and how to get your club up and running. The google form is due by Tuesday Sept 3rd and there is a mandatory meeting on Sept 4th. This has been announced in RioTV for multiple days. Here is a link to the website You can also access the google form on the Rio TV website.
Picture Packets and Make-up Day
If you ordered pictures at Summer Check-in or on-line, picture packets will arrive toward the end of this week. By Friday your student will come home with your packet if one was delivered. Make-up pictures for all students who have not taken a picture will be on Tuesday, September 10th. If you receive your picture packet and need a re-take of the photos, your student MUST bring the picture packet back on Tuesday, September 10th to have their picture re-taken.
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.
RIOCHELLA
Thank you to all our River Hawk families and supporters that are helping us get to our goal of $60,000. We are already 1/3 of the way toward our goal! Please remember that no amount is too small, because every dollar helps! Your student can access their account at: http://pledgestar.com/rio to see updates. If you still need to create an account, here is the email with the directions.
Attendance Information
Our Attendance Technician, Ms. McDaniel RNattendance@hartdistrict.org, is constantly working to make things easier on our families, while still complying with state laws and district policies. For all of your attendance needs, please look at the ATTENDANCE PAGE on our website. A new addition this year, is the Early Release Request Form, on the right side of the page. Please note this form cannot be utilized on days before holiday weekends or school breaks due to the sheer volume of requests.
Join us for the Rio Norte PTSA Restaurant Fundraiser at Fun Burger who is generously allowing Rio Norte three dates on September 10th, 11th, and 12th! Enjoy delicious food while supporting our school. 35% of ALL purchases will be donated back to Rio Norte PTSA. Don’t miss out on this tasty way to give back!
RIO NORTE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Shonna August, 8th grade Assistant Principal
Thomas Flores, 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 / Declaración de no discriminación
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.