Welcome Back!

I've been putting off writing this note for a few days now, knowing that it means the inevitable has come to be -- summer's unofficial end is here.

In the last few weeks children have been spotted in our hallways, helping us all to remember just why it is we are here.

I would like to encourage you to consider attending the keynote speakers Dr. MacNamara has lined up for the first day of faculty orientation. You all know and love Sylvia Gaes who will be kicking off our year in the morning. Dr. Yong Zhao will be speaking at 3:30 this Tuesday afternoon in the Commons. His book, Catching Up or Leading the Way has been on my bedside table all summer.

I'll write next week with a more substantive theme in terms of where our focus will be for the school year, but today's post is mostly logistical updates. The following are updates on a number of key housekeeping items.

Registration Paperwork

We held the first ever Registration Fair last week in an effort to capture as much of the beginning-of-the-year paperwork as possible. It was a success, and will be better next year based on what we've learned. If you have not yet dropped off registration paperwork, and would like to do so prior to the first day, you can find everything on the website and can drop off with Betsy any day this week.

Warranty Work

We're at the one-year mark, and the building has been alive with sub-contractors working to tweak our systems and fix any errors we discovered through the first year. Some of that work will continue through the next week, including some additional shelving in the library.

Playground Closure

The playground will be closed this week, from Tuesday through Friday, as we are repairing some items and raising the height of others. New specialized chips will be blown in on Friday making it as safe as possible.

7-8 Elective Selections

7th and 8th graders will receive elective selection forms on the first day of school. They will bring them home to be signed before returning on Wednesday.

5-6 Back to School and St. Helens Field Study Info

The fifth grade field study to St. Helens will be on September 20-23 this year. This means we will have to hold the Back-to-School curriculum event on September 15 for 5th and 6th grade only, ahead of time. It will begin at 3:45 and go until about 4:30. Following, there will be an informational session for 5th grade parents regarding St. Helens trip details.

Athletics

Interested in playing soccer or volleyball this Fall? All the forms are available online here. Contact your coaches ASAP:

6-8 Boys: Gavin Morton and Chad McHenry
6-8 Girls Soccer: Leslie Charuhas and Denise Gooding
6-8 Girls Volleyball: Sara Brounstein

New Clubs at Riverdale

We have two new opportunities for Riverdale students beginning this Fall: Destination Imagination (contact Michelle Janke) and Lego Robotics Competition Team (contact Don Volonte at donvolonte@comcast.net).

Other Dates to Remember:

• PTC back to School Coffee will be at 8:30 in the Commons
• Ice Cream Social is September 8th on the playground.
• Pre-K and Kinder First Day is September 12!
• Jazz Under the Stars is September 14th at 6:00.
• Back to School Night (for all but 5-6) on September 20.
• Picture Day is Wednesday the 28th.

I'm sure I missed something, but that should cover most of what you need to know for the first days of school. Honestly, I had a wonderful summer but I can't wait to have the kids back!

Let the Countdown Begin

And then there were ten (days)...

It strikes me that it is time for another update.


Moving In

The fence is down (but for the field) and the playground has definitely been field-tested. Though it appears the work is winding down -- and it surely is -- there is still an enormous amount of last-minute-detail work to be done. I know the temptation is there to knock on the door and ask for a quick peek, but it would be very helpful if folks can refrain; we have asked for assistance moving the library on Tuesday and Wednesday (Nicole Grayson is organizing -- thank you Nicole!)

Here's a bit of info about what's being done currently:

• Striping will happen Sunday on the playground, including directional arrows on the parking lot. (Buses will enter the North lot -- corner of Military and Breyman -- from either direction, and will depart on the Breyman exit. Parent drop-off will be in the South lot -- by the field -- with traffic flowing in one direction.)
• Bus routes are posted here.
• Stop by the front entrance to pick up a back-to-school packet this week. They are in bins just outside.
  
• The named bricks will be installed just outside of the main back doors early in the week.
• The gym floor has been refinished (thanks to generous paddle raise donors!) and is curing.
  
• The job site trailer has been removed; Bremik now has a temporary office upstairs.
• The Giving Tree is installed and looking fantastic!
  
• Teachers are busy unpacking boxes, breaking them down, and arranging the rooms. The last of the furniture came in today and is being constructed as I write.
  
• We are being trained on the various systems integral to the operation of the physical plant and struggling to keep it all straight amidst the hubbub.

Above all, the energy level in the building has grown to a steady crescendo -- your teachers make this place come alive unlike anything short of the kids themselves. We are all so excited to see them at the Sneak Peek on the 6th, and on the first day of school on the 7th!


Sneak Peek

The Sneak Peek is turning out to be a wonderfully well-organized event. One recent development I am thrilled to announce is that, thanks to a thoughtful student, our celebratory event will be leveraged to help those less fortunate. I am grateful to Derek Song for his suggestion, as two major themes of this coming school year will be service leadership and culture. (Stay tuned for more details, but plan on bringing a few cans of food to the Sneak Peek on Labor Day!)


Soccer Practice Begins Monday

We are proud to announce that we have a new ladies' soccer coach. Coach Emma Triplett will be starting practice on Monday at Riverdale High School at 12:30-2:00. The boys, coached by Nels Paine and Gavin Morton, will practice from 2:00-4:00. (Yes, we are practicing this week on the RHS field during school.)


I can't wait to see you all. (Okay, I can, but only because of the finish work we need to complete so that the building is ready for our kids.) Enjoy the last week of summer.

Summer Update

This is one long and crazy ride we’ve been on together these last two years. And, now, with four short weeks until the first day of school, the crescendo is definitely building.

I’d like to take the opportunity to give some updates on the activities around the end of construction, plans for the opening of our school year, and some important dates for your calendar.

First, though, for those of you who have not yet had the pleasure of meeting Dr. MacNamara, our new Superintendent, you are in for a treat. She is a true CEO (Chief Educational Officer) and has truly refocused our leadership team with a steady emphasis on children first. We are very lucky to have her. On a personal level, I am thrilled to have such a dynamic mentor and guide.

In a similar vein, Paula Robinson, new RHS Principal, hit the ground running with remarkable ease. She is a brilliant problem solver, and has expertise in some critically important areas. Please join me in welcoming her to our family.

Construction Related:

The regular construction updates are extremely informative, but it’s a whole different experience to walk the grounds and see the place come to life day-by-day. We are in the process of “punch-listing” the building and grounds, meaning that we identify any defect or glitch for fixing up prior to the handover. It’s an exhaustive process, but critically important to the completion of the build-out. More than anything, seeing plants go in makes the biggest difference for me; the only thing more exciting is the notion of children and teachers in the space.

It is absolutely critical that we all stay off of the field -- any delay will impinge our Fall sports seasons dramatically. Please help remind our kids (and dogs!) that, even as the fences are slowly removed, it is still a construction site, complete with all the inherent dangers and risks.

School Opening Related:

In no particular order, here are a number of answers to this summer’s faq

• The wonderful new lunch program is up and running. (Our code is 213RGSOROR). You have until the 20th of the month to make an order, and lunch will be served on the first day of school, September 7th.
• PTC Back-to-School packets will be emailed directly; some "hard" copies will be available, both at the New Families Welcome and in the front office. (And if you see Minnie Cooper, hug her - she's done so much to get this ready.)
• RGS Back-to-School packets will be available, street-side, on August 25th. (We will be unpacking, but not allowed to have the public inside as of yet.) Betsy will set up a booth for distribution.
• Some folks have inquired about the size of our new lockers. They are standard-sized lockers, 34 1/2”(h); 8 3/8”(w); 16 7/8”(d). I found a good number of organizers and accessories here, at the Container Store website. In our experience, inserting a temporary shelf can make all the difference. Some items, like musical instruments, will not fit in the lockers; these can be stored in the homeroom teacher's classroom, or in the new music storage area (in the music house).
• Pick-up and drop-off locations will be as follows: the South parking lot will be for cars; the North lot will be for buses only. Both locations will be staffed in the morning and afternoons, as will a crossing location on Breyman. (More specific logistical details to follow nearer the start of the year.)
• We delayed the elective offerings for 7th and 8th grade students until now, in order to ensure that all incoming students had email addresses in our list-serve. Please see the attached (to the email) pdf version of the elective forms, and mail or email the forms to Betsy Biss at Smith (8935 SW 52nd Ave.; Portland, OR 97219). Electives are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, but there is no need to rush it too much -- we will hold them in blocks of forms returned (somewhat like Southwest Airlines -- "A," "B," & "C" groups, and assign electives accordingly.
• The new (again) bus routes are now posted online, here. For the most part, they are a return to prior routes, with some adjustments.
  
• As most know, because of an unusually wet spring, we will need to stay off the field well into September, and perhaps for the entire month. We have a contingency plan for athletics practices that includes (a) morning practices at RHS, and (b) practicing at RHS during the school day while the high school is in session the first week of September. More information will be forthcoming. We anticipated the field situation and scheduled accordingly, with soccer games away for most, or all, of September.
  

• Boys (6th-8th grade) interested in playing soccer should contact coach Nels Paine. There will once again be two teams.
• Girls (6th-8th grade) interested in playing soccer should contact coach Leslie Charuhas. It is likely that there will be one large team for the lady falcons this year. The schedule was set back in April around the assumption of one team. Athletic Director Lori Peterson submitted a request in May for a second team, and there remains an outside chance we will be able to assume a second team -- we just will not know until very late in August.
• Volleyball league game schedules have not been released yet. Any 6th-8th grade girl interested in playing volleyball should contact coach Sara Brounstein with that interest. There will be no conditioning camp or practice prior to the week of August 30^th.

• Of course, youth teams wishing to use the field will also need to wait until it is game-ready. Please make alternate arrangements, or use the fields provided by LO Youth Soccer.

Activities Calendar

• August 22nd -- New Family Welcome @ RHS 3:00-4:30 pm
• September 6 -- Sneak Peak @ RGS 4:00 pm
• September 7 -- 1st-8th, 1st Day of School
• September 7 -- RGS Back-to-School Coffee @ RGS 8:30-9:30 am
• September 13 -- Kinder/Pre-K 1st Day
• September 17 -- Newcomers' Coffee 9:00-11:00 am
• September 21 -- RGS Back-t0-School Night @ RGS 6:30-8:00 pm