Rio Reporter
Spring Edition 2019
Are Rio students ready for the next challenge?
Greetings Rio Norte Families and Students!
Welcome back from spring break! Most of our 8th grade students have registered for high school and are preparing to become high school students. We feel confident we have provided all of our students with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in 8th grade, high school and beyond. Many of the teachers and staff members at Rio Norte, myself included, had their own children attend Rio, and can confirm that students are prepared for the challenges they will face. Our math and English state CAASPP scores are some of the highest in Los Angeles County. Three of our substitute teachers attended Rio, and are working on their teaching credentials. We welcome them to the profession! High school, college and joining the work force will be challenging, but by learning to take on challenges one day at a time, students will find success.
Whether your student sees college in their future, or the military or other career opportunities, we know they will remember fondly their time at Rio, and they will be prepared for what lies ahead.
Thank you for the many ways you have supported Rio Norte, it's been an honor to care for and educate your students this year.
We look forward to seeing you at Open House this Thursday at 6pm. CAASPP testing is April 29-May 10. We are hoping for PERFECT attendance this year!
Thank you,
Audrey Asplund
Principal
Rio Norte Jr. High School
PTSA News
Thank you for your continued support with all of our requests for volunteers and donations! Together we support the staff and our students at Rio!
- Thank you for assisting with the Valentine's Day dance, River Hawk Walk and the Student of the Month Luncheons!
- May 2-PTSA meeting, @ 9am
- Congratulations to Nora Hagkull and Alivia Hardman who were both awarded the Award of Merit (2nd place) for the California State PTA Reflections competition. https://www.facebook.com/scvptareflections/
- May 16-All district JHS Track Meet at COC, please consider volunteering your time or donating water & snacks!
- Student of the Month luncheons (4/26, 5/23)
Thank you,
Elie Jetter, PTSA President and the Rio Norte PTSA E-board
Good Things!
Congratulations to Stephanie Sosa who has been awarded Teacher of the Year by her peers for the 2019-2020 school year! As English department chair and instructional coach, we appreciate Ms. Sosa's dedication and commitment to her students and her colleagues!
Important Dates-April and May
April 11-Open House @ 6pm and a Minimum day-11:35am release
April 15-16-Academic Awards assemblies
April 26-Progress Rpt. Qtr 4
April 29-May 10-CAASPP testing
May 7-National Day of the Teacher
May 9-Spring Band concert
May 16-All district JHS track meet
May 15-18-Spring Advanced Drama Production
May 22-Spring Choral Concert
May 31-Yearbook distribution (all textbooks must be returned)
June 6-Last Day of School and a Minimum day-11:35am release
8th grade end of the year activites
May 21-Holocaust survivor speaker
May 30- 8th grade Dance
June 5-8th grade all district Magic Mountain trip
June 6-8th grade donuts
FUTURE 8th grade students:
Current 7th grade students can sign up for semester electives here if they have not already done so:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfBZImsJKGXubLjV9Of8CQ8ZKL9PTd82ySJL8AGam1RnNbNBw/viewform
Congratulations to our Advanced Art students!
Check out the Signal Article
Almost finished!
Open for business at Team Rubicon Math Market!
Time for book reports
RIver Hawk Walk fun
Valentine's Day Dance!
Breakout EDU fun!
We love our students!
PE News
Intramurals
Our 3 on 3 basketball intramural will be starting soon after spring break. This will be our final intramural of the year.
Track Team
We have concluded our tryouts for our track team. The team will be posted in early April. The date of the track meet is May 16th at College of the Canyons. Permission slips and information packets will be passed out to all team members.
Riverhawk Walk
Our PE fundraiser has just concluded. Thank you for supporting Rio Norte PE!
Team Amazon
Team Amazon will be going on a field trip on May 23 to the Grammy Museum. The permission slips will be sent out in the next few week. We are hoping for all students to be able to join us on this great adventure. Please contact Miss Grandbois if you are interested in going on the field trip.
In English we are studying the essential question about what defines adulthood. As we study this, we will be reading The Diary of Anne Frank and compare how Anne had to approach adulthood to today.
Currently in Amazon history, we are wrapping up our study of Manifest Destiny and westward expansion. Next, we will study the difference between the development of two distinct cultures: the industrial North and the agrarian South in pre-Civil War America, along with the rise of slavery. This will all culminate with an in-depth study of the causes and consequences of the American Civil War.
Math 8 is currently doing exponents and scientific notation. Algebra will be finishing the year with quadratics. The placement test will be given sometime at the beginning of May. We do not have a date yet.
Team Columbia
Team Columbia English students are working on tightening their writing skills and reflecting on their growth this year. Be sure to check out the “winners” of The Great Columbia Book Challenge! They will be posted in Mrs. Fitzpatrick’s classroom for Open House.
In Quarter 4, both Math 7 and Accelerated Math 7 will include lots of Geometry…Mrs. James’ favorite!
The World History students on Team Columbia have been learning about Europe in the Middle Ages. Our next adventure will take us across the seas to investigate the period of European Exploration! Ms Kratofil says a big “THANK YOU” to all the families who have been helping their children learn the “100 Terms”—keep up the hard work! An exam on all of the words will be given during the last week of school.
The Columbia Games continue! The Quarter 3 Quell winner will be announced on April 15. Please wear your Columbia t-shirt that day for our next competition! Lastly, Team Columbia is collecting books for our annual Book Drive this week. Please bring any and all types of books (for District tickets!) throughout April 12. Thank you for your continued generosity, Team Columbia!
Team Nile
Each student should have selected a fourth quarter Accelerated Reader novel. Check in with your child to see what novel was chosen and ask for a plot update. In science, students are finishing the year with an activity filled chemistry unit, and in history, students are studying Westward Expansion. During CAASPP testing, each student will take a high school math placement test. High school counselors will use the placement test results to place students in the appropriate 9th grade math class. Team Nile is looking forward to its second team event, an end of the year team celebration on Friday, May 31.
Team Rio Verde
English-Team Rio Verde English students are currently finishing research projects on social justice topics before heading into the Diary of Anne Frank upon return from Spring Break. Students will apply knowledge of their contextual knowledge of social justice research to this particular time period in history. We will end the year the unit with a visiting speaker and Holocaust survivor. Students have been highly engaged and reflective with their chosen topics and are making connections to the essential question for Quarter 4.
Science-As we approach the end of the school year in science, we start to move into studying chemistry topics. As we study chemistry, it is very important that students follow safety guidelines diligently. We are revising an elementary school classic by reading Goldilocks and the Three Bears and then performing an experiment to figure out if the author of the story was scientifically correct when they wrote that "Baby Bear's porridge was just right". We will finish off the year by diving into molecular composition, physical and chemical properties, and conservation of matter.
Math- Students are learning about Pythagorean Theorem. Students are using real life examples, drawing pictures and creating equations where they are able to apply the converse of the Pythagorean theorem to solve problems.
History- We are heading West!!!!!! Students will be learning how the nation achieved Manifest Destiny before we head into the looking at the differences in the regions of our country. We will end the year with the Civil War and putting our country back together again!
Team Rubicon
In English class, students will review the three major writing genres covered throughout the school year before finishing the year analyzing poetry. Students will take their turn writing their own poems for our first ever Rubicon Poetry Slam in June. Rubicon science classes will be finishing our genetics unit and then discussing natural selection and also revisiting ecosystems. After spring break, the 7th grade science teachers will cover the Healthy Choice Curriculum with all of the 7th graders. We hope all of our students have enjoyed their time so far in 7th grade--it has definitely been a fun and enriching year!
Team Shenandoah
The last quarter is here already! In English we will be reading a class novel, prepping for the CAASPP Test, and reviewing for the final exam in readiness for eighth grade. It is important for students to foster good work and study habits to end the year well! In history, we are finishing our study on West Africa and moving on to the Renaissance with a focus on proficiency in evidence and elaboration. Students will have an opportunity to analyze primary source materials from notable figures including Machiavelli, Shakespeare, and Leonardo da Vinci. In Shenandoah science, we are studying genetics and inheritance. Students will develop a model that explains how cells store and use their genetic code. They extend the model so that it can explain variation in traits caused by reproduction and mutation. In math class, we recently celebrated Pi Day with plenty of circular treats! Thank you for the donations. If you haven't asked your son or daughter about the activity, it's never too late to recreate it at home with a pie for dessert. Both Accelerated and Math 7 have completed units on solving equations, the basis of Algebra. As we head into the fourth quarter of 7th grade, let's keep up the good study habits and end on a strong note. Please check Infinite Campus often parents, if you have concerns about work
Team Yukon
Yukon's English class wrapped up quarter 3 with argumentative essays and book report presentations. Our classes attended a "book tasting" in the library where they could sample genres of novels and choose with a partner what book enticed them. They later presented the literature with media support to the class, allowing all students to preview over a dozen books!
In History, we are heading West!!!!!! Students are packing their wagons and hitting the Oregon Trail. Students will be learning how the nation achieved Manifest Destiny before we head into the looking at the differences in the regions of our country and how those difference led to division. We will end the year with the Civil War and putting our country back together again!
Algebra is studying Quadratic Functions. We are studying their paths around us and solving for their solutions. We were able to describe parabolas by tossing eggs in our school quad...it was very mathematical.
Math 8 studied the Pythagorean Theorem and right triangles. We designed zip lines for Barbie that would be a thrilling, yet safe ride.
Algebra is studying Quadratic Functions. We are studying their paths around us and solving for their solutions. We were able to describe parabolas by tossing eggs in our school quad...it was very mathematical.
Math 8 studied the Pythagorean Theorem and right triangles. We designed zip lines for Barbie that would be a thrilling, yet safe ride.
Yukon Science has put the lid on the first segment of Thermal energy and heat transfer. This is the first unit of our chemistry segment. Students have been engaged almost daily in activities/mini labs/ and full blown investigations that demonstrate how heat transfers from one medium to another. Skill sets are high on team Yukon and students have been demonstrating how well they can apply their knowledge to solving problems. After break, we will begin a new unit on "Changes in Energy at the Molecular Level". You can expect to see writing integrated in the assignments in the form of C.E.R. or Claim Evidence Reasoning essays. We will end Quarter 4 with our unit exploring chemical reactions. It's exciting in lab class!!!
See you at Open House!
Team Zambezi
Rio Norte Junior High School
Rio Norte Mission Statement
The Rio Norte Junior High School community is dedicated to providing a safe, flexible, positive, and nurturing learning environment, in which all its members have the opportunity to experience a sense of belonging and personal growth, and all students have the opportunity to develop academic excellence.
Website: www.rionortejuniorhigh.com
Phone: 6612953700