First Day & Beyond @ Riverside!

We here at the schoolhouse are excited to open our doors tomorrow, August 22 for our first day of school.

I do love how the county switched a few years back to the first week being a quick dip your toe in the water school week...Day 1 (Thursday) is an "A" Day (Periods 1-4)...Day 2 (Friday) is a "B" Day (Periods 5-8). This will allow all of us to get accustomed to our alarm going off and rolling through our back to school morning routine.

For the first 6 days of school we will begin each day in Advisory (listed under Period 9 and called Homeroom). Please open StudentVUE and follow that schedule, not a screen shot from when we first published. I know you are thinking..."Mr. Anderson, why would my schedule change from when I first saw it?" Excellent question...we use every day of the summer to create the most balanced schedule we can, we've added sections in some areas and so on. This is all in an effort to help all kids get what they need for the year.

The 2024-2025 schoolyear is about to roll, get yourself geared up and ready. Student Drivers...drive safely, follow traffic patterns (see map below), Bus Riders...ride responsibly and be respectful to the driver and each other, Walkers...be careful crossing streets (there will be a lot of traffic), Parent Drivers/Drop-offs...please follow traffic signs/patterns and drive safely--To ALL: be kind and be safe

PS: Riverside is a very walkable campus. Riverside also has a TON of students dropped off in the morning. You can drop your student off in many places on campus and it is an easy walk up to the front of the building. We often have students late because they wait in the car until they are brought to the very front of the line.

If you are a rising 9th grader (going into grade 9) and did not get a chance to exchange your Chromebook at Open House...here is the plan.

Over the first few days, we will send students to room L514 during their Study Hall to get their new device. So, if you have Study Hall on "A" Days, you'll go down to L514 on Thursday, if you have Study Hall on "B" Days you'll go during Study Hall on Friday.

A Lunch

• Science,
• World Languages
• H/PE
• Mr. Baldwin's Class
• SPED Programs
• Mr. Smith's Class

B Lunch

• English
• Large & Small Group Study Halls
• Campus
• SCA

C Lunch

• Social Sciences
• CTE
• Fine Arts

A Lunch

• Science
• CTE
• H/PE
• SPED Programs

B Lunch

• Math
• World Languages
• Fine Arts

C Lunch

• English
• Large & Small Study Halls
• PEER
• Sources of Strength
• Mr. Baldwin's Class
• Mrs. Castillo's Class
• Mr. Smith's Class

Good Morning Riverside,

I'm not sure how much you follow the news or watch LCPS/School Board meetings, but school systems in Virginia have been tasked with creating and implementing new policies centered around student personal devices. This will be a change for us and all of Virginia. While the policy is somewhat more directive, it is not drastically different from what we have done here at the schoolhouse in the past.

Please familiarize yourself with the policy (linked below) and speak with your students concerning this new structure, we will definitely do so here at the schoolhouse when we open our doors in August. I know that if we work together this initiative will be a success and create the best learning environment for our school.

In June 2024, the LCPS School Board passed Policy 8655: STUDENT PERSONAL DEVICE USE. Please familiarize yourself with the linked document. Prior to this policy, students had more discretion with using personal devices during instructional periods. Staff also had more discretion. The concerns brought forward with students being distracted by personal devices, concerns with learning loss, and inappropriate use of technology have resulted in our school board now requiring students and staff to adhere to county-wide expectations. Per policy, devices include cell phones, tablets, earbuds, personal gaming devices, and other technologies.

Key points to Policy 8655:

• Students may use their personal devices during non-instructional time, before and after school, during class changes, and during lunch time.

• Students may not use their devices during instructional time unless directed to use these devices for instruction.

• Upon arrival to class students must silence devices and store them in a designated classroom storage location or in their backpacks so they are not immediately accessible.

• Should the need arise to leave the classroom while students are scheduled in instructional time, devices must remain stowed (unless a student is leaving for the day).

• To align with AP, SAT, ACT, and SOL testing practices, we encourage all staff to have students remove, silence, and stow smart watches during assessments. This is a deterrent to academic dishonesty and a testing best practice.

Resource for Parents and Guardians:

• CommonSense Media: Cellphones and Devices: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers

• LCPS Mental Health and Community Resources

• Address: 19019 Upper Belmont Pl., Leesburg VA 20176
• Main Office: 703-554-8900
• Instagram: @Riverside_HS
• Twitter: @RiversideLCPS
• Website: https://www.lcps.org/riverside