
The River Hawk
Rio Norte News - March 22, 2024
A Note From the Principal
Hello River Hawk Families,
It's hard to believe this past Monday was the start of our 4th and final quarter for the 23-24 school year. Valencia High School came to put on a lunch time rally for our students and showcased their band, choir, and cheer programs. Additionally, students from ASB and Dance Team joined them, passing out informational flyers for their application and/or audition process for 8th graders. The ROTC program also visited all 8th grade PE classes Wednesday and Thursday to promote their program.
7th grade families received an email from us on Wednesday evening reminding you about the Healthy Choices Curriculum starting in Science classes this coming Tuesday and announcing the Specialty Elective application process which opened up this past Thursday for next school year. Please refer to that email for details.
This coming week is our PE department's River Hawk Walk! Below you will see a sign-up genius link where PTSA and PE are asking for donations of water and oranges as well as volunteers on Thursday and Friday to help make this fundraiser a success. Please take a moment to see if you can help us out!
In this issue learn more about:
- Important Dates
- Hart Games Recap
- Parent Volunteers and donations NEEDED for the River Hawk Walk
Repeat of:
- River Hawk Walk - PE Fundraiser - this Thursday/Friday 3/28 & 29
- Spirit Wear Sale ends this Tuesday, 3/26
- 8th Grade Valencia HS Remaining Informational Dates
- CAASPP Testing Dates
- Attendance and 24-25 School Calendar
Have a wonderful weekend,
Mrs. Bennett
Important Dates
March 26/27 & 28/29:
- Healthy Choices Curriculum in Science classes for 7th grade only (part 1)
March 28/29:
- River Hawk Run in PE Classes
April 1st-5th:
- Spring Break
April 8th:
- School Resumes
April 8/9 & 10/11:
- Healthy Choices Curriculum in PE classes for 7th grade only (part 2)
April 18th:
- Open House and 6th Grade Family Night
- 6th grade families 5-6:15 p.m.
- Current Families 5:45-7:30 p.m.
April 18th, 19th, & 22nd:
- CAASPP (state) Testing - please have students present for these important testing days
- Minimum Days to focus on testing only
CLICK HERE for a printable copy of the calendar pictured.
River Hawks Excel at Annual Hart Games!
Our River Hawks had an amazing day at the annual Hart Games this past Monday! Students competed in events such as the shot-put, javelin, hurdles, long jump, high jump and the 50 & 100 yard dash. Pictured below are the banners from all of our Functional and Living Skills classes who walked the track in the opening ceremonies. Students were able to compete in a variety of events along with support and encouragement from their fellow peer mentors, our adult support staff, and our teachers. An incredible shoutout to Ms. Kakonde and Mrs. Cruz, who organized this trip for our school, and to all of the teachers and their support staff for the time and energy put into making this a successful day for our students. It was a beautiful day to be out cheering our athletes on! To read the article in The Signal, click here.
We NEED You - for the River Hawk Walk!
Annual River Hawk Walk
Our PE department's annual River Hawk Walk Fundraiser is happening this week! The funds raised give our PE department the ability to purchase necessary equipment to run a fantastic program. The yearly wear and tear requires much to be replaced each summer. Our families' donations have been critical in helping us ensure our students have a high quality PE program. We greatly appreciate your support! The River Hawk Walk will take place in PE classes on March 28th and 29th and is sure to be a fun day! A pdf copy of the picture is below it.
Rio Norte Spring Spiritwear Sale
Our annual Spring Sale is on! Everything will be discounted 25% sitewide, including exciting new product lines and designs!
- Sale runs through March 26th
- 25% off all merchandise + 5% with code LUCKY5
- Free shipping on orders over $60
- $5 shipping on orders under $60
- No code is needed!
Choose from hundreds of designs and garments that are delivered to your home in days! You'll save 25% off the entire site! New product lines include Nike and Adidas! SHOP HERE
Additionally, see the image below for a $10 voucher, good for all students, faculty and staff! Valid once per household. To redeem, enter the code: BONUS10-SVM at checkout.
8th Graders - Important Dates for Valencia High School
Almost all Rio Norte Students automatically roll into Valencia High School. *Note exceptions at the bottom of this page.
Valencia High School Counselors, with the assistance of our counseling team, will be sharing important information with our students. Please see these important dates:
- March 20th thru April 7th - Rio 8th graders can submit their Google Course Request form (must be completed by 4/7/24).
- April 8th or 9th - Each 8th grade student headed to VHS in fall will have a 1 on 1 meeting with their VHS counselor to review course request selections and make adjustments as needed.
*Please note that only a few exceptions apply to the automatic rollover - Castaic Residents and a small group of students per their IEP placement. If you are uncertain if your student falls into these categories, please reach out to Mrs. Ferry at gferry@hartdistrict.org or your student's case manager (Spec. Ed.).
CAASPP (State) Testing Dates in April
Our CAASPP (California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress) testing dates have been set on our calendar all year for April 18th, 19th, & 22nd. We have made these minimum days this year in hopes that the rest will help re-focus students for the following day's testing, instead of continuing to have classes on days they test. We also intentionally structured the testing days around a weekend to break up the impact of testing fatigue before the final day on Monday, April 22nd. We are asking all of our Rio families to partner with us in doing everything you can to ensure your student is at school during these important dates. Please avoid pulling your student from school for appointments or travel wherever possible. We know the minimum days can be tempting for travel, but students perform best when testing on the set testing dates, in the original setting. Additionally, schools are now penalized if students do not complete state testing, which impacts our data and scores. We are a community that values education and we want our scores to continue to show the importance our parents and staff place on education! We appreciate your help!
2024-25 Hart District Calendar: Attendance Matters
The Hart District has the preliminary calendar out for the 2024-25 school year, which shows all holidays and breaks (those won't change). Additionally, it shows the Back to School Night dates for all Junior Highs and High Schools. Check back frequently as this calendar will be continually updated throughout the spring semester as more dates (such as Open House) are added. Click this link for the LIVE 24-25 district calendar or you can go to our website and click on the 24-25 Calendar quick link.
Attendance is so important because California schools are funded through student attendance. As of 1998, school districts no longer receive funding from the State of California for pupils who are absent from school. This includes ALL absences, even those relating to illness, such as medical or doctors’ appointments. That's right an excused absence doesn't make a difference. If the child is not present for at least some part of the day, we do not get the daily allotment for that child. We ask that you use the calendar above to plan appointments and vacations as much as possible around our holidays, pupil free days, and breaks. We understand that some things are out of your control, but anything you can do to minimize absences is appreciated. Of course, if your student is too sick (running a fever, vomiting, etc.) that they are contagious to others, they should remain at home. Studies continue to show a direct correlation between good school attendance and student achievement; we need your help to reinforce the importance of school attendance and to make every effort to send your child to school on a regular basis. We appreciate your support in maximizing our student attendance rate!
RIO NORTE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Thomas Flores, 8th grade Assistant Principal
Shonna August, 7th grade Assistant Principal
ATTENDANCE Needs: Email lmcdaniel@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
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, l 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.