October Newsletter
October 1, 2020
Hello Roughrider Families,
It is hard to believe that we have already completed the first month of school; however, as we do, the Red River Student Council would like to thank everyone for all their help and enthusiasm as we return back to the halls of Red River High School! The 2020-2021 Student Council Cabinet consists of 8 wonderful students who are leaders for not just student council, but for the entire student body here at RRHS. This year our cabinet consists of the following students: Hayden Adair-President, Shri Patel-Vice President, Kylie Severson-Secretary, Om Panda-Treasurer, Maddy Sandberg and Campbell Dorsey -Junior Representatives, and Joy Onyeka and Hannah Holte - Sophomore Representatives.
The year has already been filled with a ton of events and opportunities to show that #togetherWEride! This year was kicked off once again by our Leadership Council welcoming the Freshmen on the 1st day of school. This was such a great way to kick off the year as it gives our Freshmen an energetic/positive start to the year, but it also gives our leaders an opportunity to lead! For Red River High, our busiest time of the year to this point typically is Homecoming Week, but under our current conditions and limitations, student council decided to postpone Homecoming Week to a date later to be determined. The thought behind this decision was to hopefully be able to do Homecoming the right way when we do it, including things such as a pep rally, powderpuff football, royalty, and the dance. Stay tuned for the rescheduled date and be prepared to be blown away by Rider Pride! In place of Homecoming Week we did however conduct our first ever Fall Kick Off Week! This week still consisted of dress up days such as Jersey Day & Tropical Day and also daily online challenges such as posting pictures and videos of you and your friends in the day’s theme. For the first time (to my knowledge) the junior class was crowned spirit champions!! A huge thank you to all staff and students that helped us kick off the year with school pride and a small taste of much needed normalcy.
Finally, we would like to thank the students, the parents, the staff, and everyone involved in helping us get this year underway. It has been a huge adjustment and I am sure a tad frustrating for everyone at times, but we are beyond thrilled to have students back and interacting with our staff. Even for those participating in distance learning, we want to thank you for your dedication and commitment to education. Although these are trying times for all, Red River High School wants to emphasize that NO ONE is in this alone and always remember that #togetherWEride.
Sincerely,
Tyler Nelson
Red River School Activities Director
Mark Your Calendars!!!
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Fall conferences will take place Thursday, October 1st for Cohort A (student last names A-K) and Tuesday, October 6th for Cohort B (student last names L-Z) from 4:00pm-7:00pm. As always, if these dates do not work for you, please contact the classroom teacher and schedule another time or sign up on the other night.
All conferences will be via Zoom. Information for Zoom links as well as sign ups were sent to families earlier this week. Any questions, please contact the main office.
Monthly Cohort Calendar
Hybrid A/B days rotate each day and the pattern is not skipped due to holiday breaks, snow days, etc. If a week ends on a Cohort A day, the next day school is in session will be a Cohort B day. For example, there is no school on Monday, September 7th due to the Labor Day holiday. Friday, September 4th is a Cohort B day, so when school resumes on Tuesday, September 8th, that day will be a Cohort A day. Likewise, on September 25th there is no school due to professional development. The day prior (Thursday, September 24th) is a Cohort A day, so the next day school is in session (Monday, September 28th) will be a Cohort B day.
If there is an unexpected school closure such as a snow day, the A/B schedule stays on the same rotation but is pushed back by the number of days the school is closed. For instance, if the last school day in session is a Cohort A day and the school is closed for a day due to weather, when the school reopens it will be a Cohort B day.
The Day 1/Day 2 schedule is only important for students that are enrolled in classes that meet EOD, every other day (Choir, Band, and/or Foundations of Fitness).
A Look Ahead
November 4- Early Release
November 11- No School
November 18- Early Release
November 26-27- No School
Red River Updates
Fine Arts Updates
Performances will be held October 15-17 at 7pm, and Oct 18th at 2pm. However, much like athletics, audience numbers will also be greatly reduced, with a limit of two-tickets given to each cast and crew member. A live stream is in the works for those unable to get a seat. Even with the unique limitations, students and staff agree that SOME form of live theater is better than NO form of live theater. The Covid-19 Show is directed by RRHS Theater teacher Rich McFarlane, and RRHS Choral teacher, Alex Barta.
HOSA Updates
HOSA is a national career and technical student organization that prepares students to enter the healthcare field. HOSA stands for Health Occupation Students of America and their mission is to enhance the delivery of compassionate, quality healthcare by providing opportunities for knowledge, skill, and leadership development of all health science technology education students, therefore, helping students to meet the needs of the healthcare community.
The Red River High School inaugurated HOSA officers for the 2020 year are: President: Sasha Anderson, Vice President: Madi Towers, Secretary: Logan Pruett, Reporter; Ellie Rustad , Treasurer: Isa Linder , Historians Maddie Stroh and Sydney Spivey, Sgt of Arms: Jett Weis and Amber McNamee and Student Representatives Hannah Peasland and Sudiksha Singhal.
The HOSA organization will be sponsoring several events throughout the 2020-21 school year. Their first membership meeting was Wednesday, Sept. 30th and Thursday, Oct. 1st and they are planning a Chalk Talk event to promote positivity in early October. The HOSA organization’s Advisor is Dani Rowekamp.District Updates
Parents Lead
Open Communication
"Talking openly and honestly with your kids is one of the most effective ways to support their
behavioral health. Whether it’s everyday topics like friends and school, or more serious topics like substance use, anxiety, or depression, it’s never too early to start the conversation. As your kids grow, your conversations may change, but they will always be centered on keeping them happy, healthy, and safe. Keep your conversations relaxed, friendly, non-judgmental,
and genuine. And most importantly, be a good listener.
What do I say? Visit www.parentslead.org
Parent Workshop Opportunity via Zoom
We will show the Hidden In Plain Sight video produced by the Grand Forks Police Department focusing on places youth could possibly hide alcohol, vapes and other drugs. Then, there will be an officer from the Grand Forks Police Department available to answer questions from parents.
Zoom Information:
The event will be held on Wednesday, October 14 from 7-7:30 pm.
Topic: Parent Workshop: Hidden In Plain Sight
Time: Oct 14, 2020 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/75056234452?pwd=N3dDTHcwM0pIS1VOOS9iWlRjWDBPUT09
Meeting ID: 750 5623 4452
Passcode: 1s5KQr
Reminders
Arrival & Departure Procedures
In effort to avoid crowding, Red River will have multiple doors open each morning. Breakfast will be served in the Commons at 7:30am.
Door 1 (facing Cushman) opens at 7:30 am daily- for those students eating breakfast
Door 11 (facing 17th Ave S) opens at 7:50 am daily
Door 22 (Performance Hall) opens at 7:50 am daily
Students must stay in the Commons area and sit physically distant until the 7:55am bell to go to class. There will be no congregating allowed in other areas of the building.
After the tardy bell at 8:05 am, only Door 1 will be open for student entry.
Departure
School day ends at 3:00pm. Students waiting for rides will be socially distanced and seated in the Commons Area until their rides arrive.
We ask that all students are picked up by 4:00pm at the very latest.
Students involved in after school activities should remain with those groups until the end of their meeting time and then be picked up within 15 minutes.
Building Entry & Mask Procedures
- Masks are requited as a soon as students enter the building. Masks may be removed once a teacher/staff member determines social distancing of 6 feet is achieved and indicated to the class they are allowed to remove their masks.
- Some teachers will require students to stay masked for the duration of the class.
- Hand sanitizer is available at all door entrances and in each classroom. Everyone should sanitize going in and out of classrooms/learning spaces.
- Students are not allowed to congregate in the hallways. As usual, we will all stay to the right during passing time in the hallways and stairwells.