This Was the Year of “Yes, We Can."

Dear Riverstone Community,

This was the year of “Yes, we can.”

• Can we handle the intense scrutiny of the PYP authorization team?
• Can we establish interdisciplinary, collaborative units with students and teachers on other continents?
• Can our seniors ace their IB exams and gain acceptance to top-notch schools?
• Can students successfully create, compose, and guide the production of a musical?
• Can we pack up not one, but two divisions of the school, move them both into new classrooms, and then unpack everything, all within a three-week period?
• Can we find new venues for our outdoor education program to better link our indoor classroom curricula to our outdoor classroom curricula?
• Can our students, from preschool through high school, find meaningful ways to offer their time and service to others?
• Can we continue to encourage our students to develop their own love for learning, respect for one another, and self-confidence to know that they can be proactive and solve any issue that comes their way?

The answer was always, “Yes, we can.”

There were many moments during the 2009-2010 school year when our staff members, families, and students were asked to rise to new challenges, to offer solutions, to give more than 100 percent, and to take risks. It was demanding. But true to form, the entire community stepped up. Thanks to all of you, your commitment and your dedication, Riverstone continues to set the standard for the best educational experience available for our children.

Please look through the following list of accomplishments from this past year. You may be surprised. And hopefully, pleased.

However, feedback from families through our R-Factor survey, as well as conversations with staff members and students, have reminded us that we still have improvements to make. Starting this summer, we will be working to improve communications with the community. We need information that is clear, concise, timely, and readily available. We will limit embarking upon new programs or initiatives in 2010-2011, and instead, focus on integrating feedback from this year’s initiatives, improve our planning, and to use a common phrase, “Return to basics.” Whether formal or casual, we look forward to hearing how well we are meeting those goals.

Our administrative staff will be working throughout the summer on a shortened daytime schedule, with exception of a two-week period in early July. Summer school programs will be taking place at the Warm Springs Campus as well. If you have a question, need help, or just want to wave as you are cycling by on the Greenbelt, we will be around. Of course, if you know someone who is interested in learning more about Riverstone, please encourage them to contact Rachel Pusch.

Look for registration information in the USPS mail in mid-July and newsletters via email throughout the summer.

Best wishes for a safe and healthy summer,

Here is an abbreviated list of our accomplishments:

Academic Excellence

Our 21 graduating seniors received in excess of $2,950,000 in non-loan scholarships and grants and were accepted at top universities and colleges around the nation.

Our Elementary students hosted their first “Elementary School Spring Arts Festival” and our Grade 12 students held their Senior Art Show downtown on a First Thursday.

Eleven students from Riverstone qualified for the National History Day State regional competition and four for the national competition. Riverstone was honored by Mayor Dave Bieter for having the largest number of winners of all Boise schools.

Our Middle School students became experts in using the “the design cycle.” Students revamped our Middle and High School yearbooks, created sundials, designed water jug crafts, and more.

Thanks to their commitment to excellence in teaching, our Elementary School faculty received Primary Years Programme authorization by the International Baccalaureate Organization. Riverstone is now only one of nine schools in the United States that offers the PYP, MYP and DP.

We offered two new transdisciplinary units of study in Middle School. Grade 8, “How can we share what we have?” (English, Humanities, Science, and Information Technology) and Grades 9 and 10, “How do communities define and transcend borders?” (Art, Humanities, English, Spanish/French).

Our youngest members of the Riverstone community, our preschoolers, paved the way for future bilingual preschool students.

Our IB test scores were the best in Riverstone history, and extremely competitive at an international level.

Bringing history to life, our Grade 10 students held a mock trial of Ghenghis Khan. The juries found him guilty in the civil case and acquitted him in the criminal case.

The Elementary School teachers introduced student-led conferences in the spring, encouraging our students to reflect on their progress.

Our new Middle School weekly homeroom letters kept parents informed of what was happening in the classroom.

One of our Grade 11 students wrote, just for fun, a 4000-word essay on obscure math topic. So obscure, Bob was not sure what he was talking about.

Kindergarten students kicked off their music careers by receiving weekly instruction in violin.

The Middle School implemented an entirely new Math program, from the linear approach in concepts (pre-algebra to algebra to geometry to algebra II, etc) to an Integrated Math scheme that incorporates all five branches of Math at each grade level. Yes, Grade 8 students graders were learning calculus and Grade 6 students were learning geometry.

Grade 10 Music students composed and recorded the first Riverstone-theme album. Didn’t think that Five Pillars could be hip? You’d be surprised.

Our art teachers, visual and performing, continued to motivate and encourage their students that they were capable and inspiring artists and musicians. Our auction art was some of the finest in Riverstone history.

The Middle School students are developing very strong academic portfolios that reflect annually on each assessment criterion in each subject. They are also learning how to develop depth in their personal/academic reflections and are using the portfolio to learn more about how they learn.

Elementary students, with help from teachers, created their first student portfolios that included a selection of their work throughout the academic year.

The Middle School faculty implemented a new assessment scheme in which grades are based entirely upon the MYP Assessment criteria for each subject. MYP Assessment criteria rubrics are used for everything that is assessed which is a huge paradigm shift for most students, parents, and teachers.

Grade 5 students had the opportunity to study French prior to committing to either Spanish or French in Grade 6. Riverstone students continue to graduate with incredible second (and third) language skills, thanks to their language teachers from preschool through high school.

Science teachers throughout the school continued work on creating an engaging, hands-on science curriculum, including building solar ovens, studying hydroponic plants and molecular composition, and designing lab tests on water quality and more.

Community & Service

Our Grade 6 “Haiti Benefit Concert” raised over $1,500 for Project Haiti. Elementary students collected $450+ towards Haiti Relief efforts as well.

Riverstone was honored as the Governor’s Brightest Star Award in the School Division

Thanks to our “It Takes a Village” crew of volunteers, and German precision, we moved two divisions into their new classrooms in record time.
The One Stone Foundation received the 2009 Make-A-Wish Infinite Wish Award for their production of “Star Waiters.” This community project continues to receive recognition.

Our One Stone program, throughout the school, continued our commitment to meaningful service to others. Projects included learning components, relationship building, and the gifts of time and service. An abbreviated list includes sharing books and improving literacy with others, raising funds for the Peregrine Center, assisting with Bald Eagle Days at Barber Park Education Center, Trunk or Treat with Special Education students at local school, visits to the Veteran’s Home, and more.

Elementary students celebrated 100 days of school by wearing 100 items of their choice. Paper clips, buttons, pins, ribbons, you name it, they wore it!

High school students remain actively involved in the community. Projects include, offering a six week music class for refugees, babysitting for refugee families, coaching soccer at the YMCA, working for two days in Wilder for BreakThrough, hosting a community radio show, and more.

A team of teachers, parents, and students Raked Up Boise!

Leadership by Example

The Strategic Plan Committee successfully guided the efforts to create the 2009-2014 Strategic Plan.

Five Riverstone students from grades 10 and 11 not only created an original Middle School musical production entitled “Of Nothing & Noble” that featured script, music, and lyrics, but, with guidance from teacher Alison Steven, brought their vision to life by working with the Middle School actors.

Our Parent Association aided us in the quest for a stronger, and better informed, community by hosting a Fall Carnival, our inaugural Quiz Bowl, a progressive Fabulous Feast, informational coffees, and lecture series.

Our Grade 10 students spent a day with preschoolers teaching them about microscopes.

Our parents donated $54,000 towards technology at the 2010 Annual Auction, “Fords, Flappers, and Fads.” The planning committee successfully created a special event that not only raised money, but also raised our community spirit.

Our High School clubs and student newspaper, The Riverstone Review, were initiated by and led by our high school students. The paper received the American Scholastic Press Association 2^nd place recognition for excellence in journalism.

Thanks to the diligence of our planning committee, over 100 students flawlessly participated in our Grand Opening Celebration.

Our parents continued the tradition of giving generously to our Annual Fund campaign, repeating our success of 100% participation of families and staff.

Caldwell Transportation, the caretaker of our children to and from school, as well as on many outdoor trips, received commendation for their Excellence in Safety.

International Understanding

Riverstone families hosted yearlong exchange students from Japan, China, Korea, and Germany, as well as grade 8 visitors from Colegio CIEDI in Bogotá, Colombia for three weeks and grade 11 visitors from Escola SESC in Rio de Janiero, Brazil for two weeks.

Middle school and elementary school teachers created our first interdisciplinary, collaborative units with schools in Colombia including video conferencing for virtual exchanges as well as traditional exchanges.

Preschoolers collaborated on “Colors and the Arts” featuring artist Keith Haring, while Grade 5 students collaborated Celebrating Holidays Around the World.” Both collaborations involved videoconferencing in Spanish!

Grade 9 and 10 students’ completed their interdisciplinary unit, “Transcending Borders.” Some of the students celebrated their projects by traveling en masse to Europe.

We celebrated International Education Week in collaboration with the College of Idaho.

Through recruitment efforts, Riverstone established more direct relationships with agents around the world.

Outdoor Education & Athletics

Thanks to our fearless faculty and older student leaders, over 320 students embarked on challenging outdoor trips to Idaho and Oregon rivers, Idaho and Utah canyons, and wet and snowy locales in Idaho and Wyoming.

Five classes in the Elementary School branched out to new destinations for their spring trips in an effort to better connect their indoor classroom experiences to their outdoor classroom experiences.

Middle School Volleyball and Basketball teams were introduced and coached by faculty

Elementary students held their first Field Day, including a Fun Run in which they ran the final leg of their “half marathon.”

Thanks to our improved field conditions, elementary soccer teams practiced on site.

Riverstone hosted its first ever soccer match on home turf!

A new after-school care program was implemented.

After school activities for all grades continued to flourish and involve record numbers of students.

Riverstone high school students continue to excel in sports beyond the school’s doorsteps. In addition to our soccer and basketball teams, students participated in the state competitions in lacrosse, golf, and swimming, junior nationals for skiing, and junior nationals for cycling. We have students who compete on a US team racing in Europe, on a western all-star softball team, an in Nordic skiing.

This was the year of “Yes, we can.”