Riverside Review
12.02.22
Principal Message
Happy Friday RSI Parents and Family Members,
We've had a tremendously calm week of learning and fun at RSI post Thanksgiving Break. Our students took the uPar assessment today and in the coming weeks will finish up the winter NWEA assessment in reading and mathematics. See the link below for more about NWEA. We've also noticed an uptick with the flu bug, so please keep an eye out for such symptoms. Please keep kiddos home with fevers for at least 24 hours and always call to let us know. I hope all of you are keeping healthy as well.
On December 16th, after school, the RSI PTO is hosting what will be an EPIC Hawk Party! If you need a few extra hours to get the holiday shopping started, this is your chance! Please sign your child/children up for the Hawk Party today! Details can be found below in the newsletter. This event is a huge support to the PTO budget, and remember every penny goes back to the teachers and students at RSI.
Have a wonderful and safe weekend.
Sincerely,
Dana Kaminski, Ph.D.
Principal RSI
Contact Information
Dr. Kaminski - Principal - dkaminski@hse.k12.in.us
Mr. Farrell - Assistant Principal - bfarrell@hse.k12.in.us
Mrs. Satterly - 5th Grade Counselor - ssatterly@hse.k12.in.us
Mrs. Anton - 6th Grade Counselor - banton@hse.k12.in.us
Mrs. Bohannon - IT Specialist - kbohannon@hse.k12.in.us
PTO Meetings
We are excited to be kicking off a new year! PTO meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 6pm in the Media Center. The dates are below:
January 10
March 14
April 11
May 9
Dine to Donate
Hawk Party - December 16th!
FPD will be directing traffic at pickup😊
Student Lunch Visitations
We know that many of our families have enjoyed the opportunity to eat lunch with their student(s). However, due to safety and space limitations in some of our schools, district administration has made the difficult decision to keep our student lunches closed to all outside guests at this time.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and encourage you to look for other opportunities to engage with your student(s), their class, and our schools. There are many ways to get involved! If you have any questions or concerns, contact Jimmie Lake, Chief Operations Officer, at 317-594-4100 or jlake@hse.k12.in.us
Important Information from the Transportation Department!
We have been notified by the Transportation Department there will NO LONGER be guest riders allowed on the bus this school year due to the lack of extra seating.
Notes from the Clinic - Back to School Forms!
Just a reminder ...... if you have not completed your students back to school forms in skyward- please complete them today!
Counselors Corner
Social Emotional Learning~
5th Grade Summary:
In this lesson, your child will choose a solution to a problem in their school community and explain how it meets the wants and needs of the people who are affected by the problem.
Try This at Home:
Point out a change that has happened in your neighborhood recently that was intended to solve a problem. Ask your child if that change was a good solution, and how they know.
6th Grade Summary:
In this week's lesson, your child will explore what it means to be optimistic and pessimistic. Then they will study how these two attitudes can affect our relationships and our ability to learn.
Try this at home: Ask your child what it means to be optimistic and what it means to be pessimistic. Discuss ways that those attitudes can affect them in different situations they encounter, such as before a test or a sporting event.
Holiday Help
We are also reaching out simultaneously to those who find themselves able to give. If you would like to donate to support these families, please send in $25 gift cards (gas, grocery, superstore, or other) to the counseling office at RSI by December 8th. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s counselor, Mrs. Satterly (5th grade) and Mrs. Anton (6th grade), or Mrs. Ruttan in the office.
Lost & Found
Parents -
Parents….please encourage your students to check the lost and found…it is very very full of a variety of items. Sweatshirts, jackets, coats, water bottles.
~Items not claimed by winter break will be donated~
Best Buddies Event
Our next Best Buddies event will be on Wednesday, December 14th from 4:00 – 5:00 in the RSI cafeteria! We will have games, crafts, snacks, and more! We encourage all students to bring a peanut free snack to share. All 5th/6th grade students need to turn in a permission slip to attend the event. Permission slips are due by Monday, December 12th. Late permission slips will not be accepted. Permission slips can be emailed to dljames@hse.k12.in.us or turned in to Miss James room, 537. Please contact Miss James with any questions!
Best Buddies T-Shirts
Best Buddies T-Shirts are for sale!
Shirts cost $20 cash or check made out to Riverside Best Buddies. Order forms (see below) and payment are due to Miss James in room 537 by Monday, December 5th. Please contact Miss James at dljames@hse.k12.in.us with any questions!
Preorder your copy of the RSI yearbook today!
Fishers Youth Assistance Program - Snack Attack
Fishers Youth Assistance Program (FYAP) is offering a free weekend snack program for any student attending Hamilton Southeastern Schools who qualifies for the reduced lunch program or has an increased need currently. Snacks will be delivered to schools each week and sent home with students.
To be part of this free program, you must sign up your family online. https://forms.gle/xrKNaxRaLypSqKvV8
If you have any questions about the registration, please email fyapfood@gmail.com
Cafeteria Updates
All students regardless of account balance can receive a breakfast and lunch meal deal. At breakfast we use a point system, a meal deal is 3 to 4 points. It MUST include a small juice. At lunch, a meal deal is an entree, fruit and/or vegetable, and milk which is optional. Any items beyond the meal deal are extras and have a cost. Checks and cash are accepted for payment. You can also make payments on Efunds as well. Remember to include your student’s ID number as well as their name on the checks or envelopes so our cashiers can add deposits to the correct account. We are still having supply chain issue. Please look for twitter updates daily for menu changes @RSICafeRJH
FOOD SERVICES IS HIRING!
COME HELP US PROVIDE THE IMPORTANT MEALS THE STUDENTS NEED TO MAKE FOR A GREAT SCHOOL DAY. Flexible hours, same schedule as your students and more. Support our schools and become involved in our district. We are a great team!
https://www.applitrack.com/hamiltonse/onlineapp/
Hamilton Southeastern Schools - Frontline Recruitment
Frontline Recruiting and Hiring, Applicant Tracking for Educators. Online Job Employment Applications, Web Based Employment Applications for School Districts and Educational Institutions.
Holiday Light Recycling Program
This Holiday Season, HSE is asking you to give a gift to the Earth by making the choice to be more sustainable. HSE Schools will be hosting a district wide Holiday Light Recycling Program. Starting December 5st and going until January 13th each school will be collecting old, broken, tangled, or unwanted holiday lights. Technology Recyclers will take these unwanted/unusable lights and break them down into useable components that will be used to make new products.
- This will be the third year for the holiday light recycling program!
- During the 2020/2021 season you helped collected and recycle 3,519 pounds of holiday lights!
- During the 2021/2022 season you helped collect and recycle 4,711 pounds of holiday lights.
- In two years of recycling holiday lights, you have helped recycle the equivalent weight of a Ford F250.
- Your small choices have helped prevent a total of 8,230 pounds of plastic, metal, and glass from ending up in a landfill.
- You helped make a HUGE impact.
- What can we collect in the 2022/2023 season?
I am asking that each school set up a collection center (large box, crate, trash can) and collect unwanted/unusable holiday lights in a central location in your building (front office, media center, science classroom, environment/eco club). You can help prevent e-waste from ending up in the dumpster this year. Please share this information with your families and help promote the event.
Why Should People Recycle Old Holiday Lights?
- Holiday Lights are not bio-degradable and will spend hundreds of years in a landfill if thrown away.
- Holiday lights are known to get into waterways and oceans. This can lead to animals becoming entangled and dying.
- New ENERGY STAR LED holiday lights are up to 75% more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs.
- LED holiday lights are not as fragile as the thin glass of incandescent bulbs.
- According to the National Fire Protection Association switching to LED holiday lights reduces the chance of Christmas tree fires.
- LED bulbs offer more colors and features while reducing the energy consumed.
- LED holiday lights have a longer lifespan than incandescent bulbs offering on average 25% longer life.
- Holiday lights are made from copper, glass, and plastic—valuable materials that can be recycled, reclaimed, and turned into new products helping preserve our environment!
Why should you recycle unwanted or unusable Holiday lights? Because you care about the environment! If you want to keep your lights from going to a landfill and do your part to look after the Earth, recycling your lights is a great way to do it!
No matter what the reason, resist the urge to throw old holiday lights in the trash. Please participate in HSE district wide Holiday Light Recycling Program this year!
PLEASE DO NOT:
- Please do not include any packing material.
- Please do not include any apparatus used to wind up or store the lights.
- Please do not include lights wrapped in garland.
PLEASE DO:
- Please place your lights in the recycling box (many will be stored in the front office, media centers, or science classrooms).
- Ask your friends, neighbors, social groups, and family members if they also have lights that need to be recycled.
- Do your part to be more sustainable this year.
Additional Information & Resources for Teachers.
- Duke Energy Holiday light calculator: https://www.duke-energy.com/energy-education/energy-savings-and-efficiency/holiday-lighting-calculator
- Energ.Gov – LED lighting Information: https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/save-electricity-and-fuel/lighting-choices-save-you-money/led-lighting#349182-tab-1
- Energy Star Decorative Light String: https://www.energystar.gov/products/lighting_fans/decorative_light_strings
YMCA Before School Care
Student Handbook
All HSE Schools student handbooks (K-12) are now online for easier access. The 5/6 handbook is available via this link: https://rsi.hseschools.org/MediaLibraries/RSI/RSI-Documents/5-6-Student-Handbook.pdf
We encourage you to review it at your earliest convenience. Should you have any questions, please contact the RSI main office at 317-594-4320. Our staff is available to assist you. Have a great school year!
Using Skyward
Skyward allows parents to access grades, report cards, bus information, immunization records, lunch account/food service information, student fees, schedules, and the BACK TO SCHOOL FORMS 2022-2023. All students are required to have an iPad to expand our HSE21 curriculum. Families have the choice of purchasing an iPad on their own or they may choose to rent the iPad through the school. Please visit our HSE21 website for more information.
ParentSquare
We have switched from Skylert to ParentSquare for our mass communication platform (Skyward is still being used for grades, attendance, etc.). We realize there are many methods for communication in HSE Schools, by moving to ParentSquare we will be able to reduce those some of those methods.
ParentSquare is a simple-to-use platform that provides a safe way for everyone at a school to connect. With ParentSquare, you'll be able to:
- Receive messages from the district and school via email, text or app notification
- Choose to receive information as it comes or all at once at 6 p.m. daily
- Communicate in your preferred language
- Comment on school postings to engage in your school community
- And more all from your phone or web portal!
We invite you to go to www.parentsqure.com to activate your account. Once on the site, put in your email address we have linked to your student in the Sign Up/Create Password section on the right side of the page. Then click “Go”. You will be receive a link to your email account to continue to setup process. Once signed in, if you have a phone number setup in Skyward you will be asked to confirm the number. Also, you will be asked to confirm your students.
After you create your account, we recommend downloading the ParentSquare app from the Apple or Google Play store. With the app, you can enable push notifications on your phone for alerts as well as set a language preference.
If you need to make any changes to your email or phone numbers, please log into Skyward and make those changes under the Student Info section.
Canvas
The following instructions are how to create and pair accounts in Canvas. Your HSE students will be using Canvas throughout virtual and in-person instructions. If you have a child or children that are new to the district, please use the following instructions to link your child's Canvas account to your parent account. Please note that if you have already created a Parent Canvas account and linked your child(ren)'s account(s), you will not need to do this.
You will need your child's school email address and ID#. This information can be found in Skyward. Please click here to access Skyward. If the link is not working, you can go to the HSE homepage and click on the Canvas tab located at the top right of the screen.
Once you are logged in, you will select your child's name from the drop down menu under Family Access at the top of the page. Next, you will click on the Student Info tab from the column on the left. Your child's school email can be found next to the word School in the middle of the screen (just to the right of their school picture) and their school ID # is located under their picture (their school ID # is labeled as Other ID).
Steps:
- Please click here to access Canvas. If the link is not working, you can go to the HSE homepage and click on the Canvas tab located at the top right of the screen. You will click on the Students/Staff Portal rectangle to login with your child's information, using your child's full school email address as the username. Enter "hse" in front of their 6 digit other ID number for the password. You will now be logged in under their name.
- While on their Canvas page, click on Account and then Settings. Look to the right and click Pair with Observer. You will need to write down the code so you can use it to link your accounts.
- Click Account and Logout. You are now logged out of your child's account.
- If you have multiple students in the district, you will need to complete steps 1-3 for each of your children. You will need a pairing code for each student in an HSE school.
- Once you have a pairing code for each of your children, you will click here to access the home page of Canvas. If the link is not working, you can go to the HSE homepage and click on the Canvas tab located at the top right of the screen. You will click on the Parent Canvas Portal rectangle to create your profile. You will need your name, email, create a password, and one student pairing code. Click on Start Participating.
- Check your email now to finalize your Canvas sign-up.
- To add other children, go back to the HSE homepage, click Canvas tab, click Parent Portal, and login. Click on Account, click on Observing, and add your next child's pairing code.
Riverside Info You Should Know
Our goal is to keep our parents/guardians informed of the events and policies at RSI. Please read the information below and call the school office with any questions. Thanks for being such a vital part of making Riverside Intermediate a special school.
Skyward allows parents to access students’ grades from teachers’ electronic grade books.
Health card and consent to treat forms must be completed each school year. This ensures the health and safety of your student, allows us to care for your student and allows your student to attend field trips. These forms are available to complete on your parent Skyward account by clicking on “Back to School Forms”. Fill out all forms online and click “Complete” at the end for the forms to be seen by the nurse.
ParentSquare will be used as the primary communication tool between the HSE school district and students, parents, and staff for emergency situations (for example: school delays or closings). It will also be used for attendance and general information as well throughout the year to notify parents about important information, upcoming events, or milestones.
iPads are required for all students in the 5th and 6th grade to expand our HSE21 curriculum. Families have the choice of purchasing an iPad on their own or they may choose to rent the iPad through the school. Please visit our HSE21 website at https://www.hseschools.org/academics/technology-classroom for more information.
The Riverside Review is our weekly newsletter that is sent out via ParentSquare. It is also posted on our website at https://rsi.hseschools.org/happenings/newsletters. It is full of important information and scheduled activities.
Our Calendar is on our website with the most up to date information. https://www.hsecalendars.org/public/genie/752/school/13/
School Attendance is extremely important. The school attendance line is 317-594-4328. Parents are requested to notify the school as soon as possible. See the student handbook for the detailed attendance policy.
The Tardy Bell rings at 9:15 am. If your student is going to be late to school or absent from school, please call our attendance line at 317-594-4328.
Change of Transportation/ Early Dismissal requires a note sent to school with your student. Be sure to include your student’s full name. Your student should give the note to their homeroom teacher first thing in the morning. This will advise the office of a change. The dismissal bell rings at 4:00 pm. Photo ID is required when signing out a student during the school day.
All Cell Phones are to be turned off and secured in student lockers during the school day. Their use during the school day is forbidden. Cell phones will be confiscated if visible during the school day. All confiscated cell phones must be picked up by a parent.
To be Excused from Participation in PE, students MUST have a doctor’s note stating why he/she cannot participate and for how long the student should be excused. A parental note may be used for one day only.
Safe Visitor Background Checks MUST be on file with the school before a parent is allowed to volunteer in the classroom, have lunch with a student, or go on a field trip. Background checks are valid for 3 years.
Address Changes must be reported to the main office and require proof of residency. Refer to the HSE website for acceptable documents.
Golden Hawk of the Month is the character education program at RSI. Students will be recognized for displaying any of HSE’s nine positive character traits throughout the year by earning a poster and a prize!
The Counselors at RSI loop with the students. Therefore, your student will have the same counselor for 5th and 6th grade. Individual counseling, group counseling, classroom guidance, and character education are all services provided by the counselors at RSI.
Breakfast and Lunch pricing is $1.40 per day(breakfast) and $2.80 per day(lunch). Checks may be made payable to RSI. Please include student ID number on the check. You may also use your debit or credit card to pay for lunch online through eFunds.
Canvas is a tool for teachers to use to distribute important information, submit assignments, and more. Students use the same credentials for Canvas as they use to log into the computers at school.
Students Fees will be assessed one-time per school year. The fees will cover the cost of textbook rental, consumable and material fees. The fee is based on a student’s schedule/courses taken. Fees are assigned in the fall near the end of August with payment due in October. These fees are in addition to the rental fee for an iPad.
Mudsock Youth Athletics
Pick Up & Play Girls Lacrosse Try It Day Opportunity:
On November 12th from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m., Mudsock Girls Lacrosse, in conjunction with USA Lacrosse, is hosting a free clinic to introduce girls to the sport! Meet members from the league, try a new sport and receive a pinnie. Register at no cost to attend here. Open to girls in 1st – 8th grade.
We’re Hiring:
We have a NEW part-time opportunity available for a League Service Coordinator (10-20 hours per week). We are looking for a passionate person in our community who has a knowledge of our programs and is interested in joining a fun and engaging team. Learn more and apply here. Questions? Please reach out to info@myathletics.com directly.
District News/Updates
R.A.V.E Reviews
Help us in recognizing and appreciating our talented, hard-working, and dedicated employees by submitting a R.A.V.E. (Recognizing All Valuable Employees) Review. All HSE staff members are eligible for nomination and may be recognized multiple times. To submit a R.A.V.E. Review, click here to fill out a quick and easy online form and share why the individual is a 5-Star employee. Recipients will receive a R.A.V.E. Review window cling to proudly display their nomination in their workspace, a certificate and letter of recognition with their review. Each month, one R.A.V.E. Review recipient will be selected at random by the Hamilton Southeastern Education Foundation for a $100 gift card. Thank you for your support!
HSE COMMUNITY INSIDER
Don't Forget to Sign up!
Contact information:
RIVERSIDE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL
11014 Eller Road ♦ Fishers, IN ♦ 46038
317.594.4320 (phone)
317.594.4328 (attendance line)
317.594.4329 (fax)
Follow Us on Twitter: @RSIHawks
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