Falcon Flyer
August 2017
Riverview Elementary
Website: http://re.usd232.org/pages/re
Location: 21550 West 47th Street, Shawnee, KS, United States
Phone: 913-441-0808
Twitter: @riverviewfalcon
Welcome to the 2017-18 School Year!
"We only get one chance to prepare our students for a future
that none of us can possibly predict.
What are we going to do with that one chance?"
~Stephen Covey
Summer greetings! …or should I say, “Ahoy, Mateys” since we are going Nautical! Riverview is going to be Sailing the 7 Seas of Student LeaderSHIP!
Summer is almost o-fish-ally over, and we have been carefully preparing for the arrival of our students and believe that this year will be a great educational experience where all students discover their treasures, map their journey, and follow their compass as they set out on a voyage to success. Why? Because all students possess leaderSHIP skills, and it's just a matter of putting some wind behind their sails!
If you were with us last year, you know we're beginning to teach and apply the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People within our school community. This summer, all teachers and several members of our parent community receiving training from the Covey Foundation on how the 7 Habits can lead to tremendous personal and professional growth, and we are excited to pass this along to our students and families throughout the year! Be on the lookout for more on how the principles of personal and interpersonal effectiveness, such as responsibility, vision, integrity, teamwork, collaboration and renewal, can make a lasting impact in all areas of our lives. By being open to positive change and having a growth mindset, we hope to help students see the importance of viewing every challenge as a learning opportunity. We will encourage our students to sail into uncharted waters to grow socially, emotionally and academically. (We might even encourage an "Arrrg!" or two along the way!)
School is quickly approaching and in order to keep you informed and prepared, I would like to communicate some information prior to the start of the year.
The Riverview staff will be happy to sea you at our Back-To-School Bash on Monday, August 14, 5:00-7:00 pm. There will also be a Kindergarten Open House immediately preceding the Back-to-School Bash from 3:30-5:00 on Aug. 14 (open for kindergartners and their parents). As was last year’s practice, we will be combining the Back-To-School Bash with important classroom parent information material. This information will be provided mainly via an online video tailored to each teacher/classroom that you may watch at your leisure. Teachers will email you a link to their video.
**NEW THIS YEAR: Before the end of August, the building will be sending out an email to sign up for fall Parent-Teacher Conferences, in an effort to alleviate some of the stress of the Back To School Bash. Parents will NOT be signing up for conferences at Back To School Bash.
In order to protect student privacy and to provide an opportunity to find out classroom teachers in advance of the Back-To-School Bash, parents will be emailed their students’ classroom teacher on the afternoon of Monday, August 14. If you would like to wait until you arrive that evening to find out who your student’s teacher is, you can continue the tradition. Upon your arrival, we will have staff members present with class rosters to share student/teacher information as requested for your students. If you ordered school supplies through the PTA in the spring, they will already be waiting for you in your child’s assigned classroom. Please be sure to stop by the cafeteria to see this year’s new spirit wear, join the PTA, purchase car hangers for use at dismissal, birthday signs, join extracurricular activities, and catch up with other families!
Riverview has a marvelous faculty that is prepared for the 2017-18 year, and I am very proud of our RE school family! You may see some new faces in the hallways, please welcome our new staff if you see them at the Back-to-School Bash!
On Monday Aug. 21, the continental US will observe a rare event - a solar eclipse will cross the entire US from coast to coast with Riverview near the path of totality (99.8%!). The last time the Kansas City area saw a total solar eclipse was in 1806 and the next time will be 2205. It is our hope that all students will be in attendance to participate in a safe viewing of the solar eclipse with their classmates and teachers with a pair of approved viewing glasses (CE and ISO certified), complimentary of our generous PTA! It goes without saying that students will be taught how to use the glasses and instructed to keep their glasses on the entire time they are watching the eclipse, and to NEVER look directly into the sun. If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s viewing participation, please contact me.
Thanks for taking the time to review this monthly newsletter when it arrives in your mailbox. As with this issue, it will generally contain some helpful logistics, links to upcoming events and opportunities, and hopefully a little something to support your journey as the parent of a Falcon. In addition to the school’s monthly newsletter, this year, parents will receive an “On Deck” email each Friday, outlining the upcoming week’s school-wide activities to keep informed and Be Proactive in planning ahead.
Enjoy these last few days of summer vacation, and get ready to set sail on this year's new adventures!
Smooth sailing,
Beth Mildren
Principal
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Setting Sail with The Leader In Me
Riverview educators have a true passion for instilling a sense of self-confidence, love of learning, and leadership qualities in all students, not just a few at the academic top. Our staff has read the book by Stephen Covey, The Leader In Me, which has been the springboard and inspiration for many of the positive initiatives in the building to do more to empower students.
The Leader In Me book describes a process for schools in which educators develop the capacity to help each child realize how their own unique strengths can be applied, and embodies the idea that every student can be a leader. It focuses strongly on teaching students 21st century leadership and life skills through incorporating Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective people into the school culture. The Leader in Me has been shown to produce results such as higher academic achievement, improved problem-solving/critical thinking skills, and increased engagement among teachers and parents. Here is a link with more information. Currently there are only two ‘Lighthouse’ schools in Kansas, but nearly 3,000 schools in the process across the globe. It’s definitely starting to gain attention because of its results, though. Olathe just went from its one lighthouse school to now helping to fund four more schools to get the process going, hoping to achieve similar results.
Our staff members have visited both lighthouse schools in Kansas, and have been impressed by the direct impact on the students and staff at the schools, and the high level of community involvement and support. We are interested in what opportunities this kind of program could bring to Riverview students and how it would strengthen our community and families. We started utilizing bits and pieces of this philosophy last year at school with no formal training, but this summer, we took our first step in 100% of teacher participating in the 7 Habits training here at Riverview!
We want to encourage families to "Set Sail on the 7 Seas of LeaderSHIP" with our staff and students in one of three opportunities to learn more.
1. Read the book. The Leader In Me (2nd Ed.) outlines the instructional and life-long gains from such a focus on student leadership through the 7 Habits lens.
2. Mark your calendar for an off-site event at The Other Place restaurant on Thursday, Sept. 7, 6:30-8:00 pm to learn more about The Leader In Me. We will gather off campus to enjoy a social hour with an overview, and insight provided by parents and teachers.
3. Come discuss "Leader In Me" Principles with the Principal! Depending on your availability, attend a 5-week "Coffee Cruise" or "Sunset Cruise" for an in-depth look at the book and its guiding principles. We will spend time reviewing how Covey's 7 Habits apply to the school and our families, and student leadership paradigms that really have an impact. The same conversation will be had in the morning and evening sessions each week. If you can't make a Monday morning one week, feel free to come Tuesday night instead! Attend all five weeks (preferred) or whatever works best with your schedule.
The Coffee Cruise will be each Monday 8:15-8:45 am in the school library - BYOCC (Bring Your Own Coffee & Children :). 5 Week Voyage: Sept. 11, 18, 25, Oct. 2, 9.
The "Sunset Cruise" will be on Tuesday evenings during the same 5 week voyage as the Coffee Cruise (Sept. 12, 19, 26, Oct. 3, 10). We want your input on what time works best, and once we receive feedback on our survey, we will set the time at 5:30-6:30 pm or 6:30-7:30 pm.
The first 5 families who sign up for a Cruise will get a FREE copy of The Leader In Me book for the Coffee Cruise and the Sunset Cruise!
Please take the building survey to indicate which option you want to participate in HERE: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/X6M33PH
Thank you for your support and for your involvement in this important process!
On Deck: Upcoming August Events
· Sunday, August 13 – Kindergarten “Playground & Popsicles” at the RE Playground, 5:00-6:00 pm. Kindergarten parents and students invited to meet and play on the school playground, Q & A with Mrs. Mildren, and make PTA purchases.
· Monday, August 14 – Kindergarten Open House, 3:30-5:00 pm at school (Kindergarten only) Meet the teacher!
· Monday, August 14 – Back-to-School Bash, 5:00-7:00 pm at school. K-5 Meet the teacher, check out PTA and sign up for extracurricular activities.
· Wednesday, August 16 – First Day of School for all students. HALF-DAY ONLY; School is out at 12:05 pm. Please make necessary arrangements for dismissal and after-school child care. Lunch will not be served, please send a snack.
· Friday, August 18 – Free PTA Ice Cream Social (RE Cafeteria) 6:30-7:30 pm. All RE families welcome! Come socialize, enjoy ice cream, and celebrate the start of a new school year!
· Monday, August 21 – The PTA is providing NASA-approved glasses to all students and staff to watch the Solar Eclipse, which will occur during the school day. Spirit Day: Wear Black! Please let the front office and your child’s classroom teacher know if you want to opt out of this event.
· Tuesday, August 22, Watch D.O.G.S. Kick-Off Dinner, 6:30-7:30 pm in the cafeteria. Calling all Dads Of Great Students! Dads and kids are welcome to attend an informational session of how to join Watch DOGS, learn about All Pro Dads, and enjoy Pizza West pizza, complimentary of the PTA.