RHK8 Newsletter
August 16, 2019
Hello RHK8 Community,
I hope your summer was full of delightful adventures! I took a short vacation and saw some exciting Yankees games in New York City in July. I also got to visit with family in upstate New York. I so enjoyed watching the excitement on my own children’s faces as they got to fulfill their life-long dream of seeing the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. I got to meet with staff and the PTO as well. I’m finding out what a delightful, helpful and engaged community this really is. I watched as demo began on our track project. I’m looking forward to having that ready to go for Lap-a-thon this year!
There has been a slight change in the calendar for Kindergarten students. Kindergarteners will be attending school for only half an hour on September 3rd and 4th to take a short assessment. If you have not signed up for this assessment, please call the office. Kindergarteners will have a split start. Half will start on Thursday, September 5 and the other half will start on Friday, September 6. If your last name is between A-L, your child will come on Thursday, September 5th and if your last name is M-Z, your child will come on Friday, September 6th. All Kindergarteners will attend together starting on Monday, September 9th.
Elementary families will receive your student’s class placement information during the week of August 26 before supply drop off which is on THURSDAY, August 29th from 3 - 4PM. Schedules and class placements will start appearing in ParentVue on the 26th and teachers will email a welcome letter to elementary students on the 28th. Middle school students will see their schedule, but it may not be correct as there are other factors that go into the MS schedule. But don't worry middle schoolers! We have set aside lots of time on the first morning to get everyone situated with their schedules. Come directly to the library on that first day to get your official schedule. The school office is back to our regular hours of 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM. We are excited to welcome families for registration and/or to answer any questions.
We're gearing up for a new year and we couldn't be more excited. In the articles below you you find information about staffing changes that happened this summer, PTO Back to School Coffees and much more! We look forward to welcoming you back in September. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Warm Regards,
Jennifer
Supply Drop Off and Chromebook Check Out THURSDAY, August 29th!
7th and 8th grade students can check out chromebooks before school starts on the 29th from 3:30-4:30. See the invitation below!
7th and 8th Grade Families
August Chromebook Check-Out
When: Before school starts - Thursday, Aug. 29th, 3 - 4 p.m.
Where: Library
Who: Mrs. Shier and Mrs. Moore
What:
Come to check out your MS Chromebook and charge cord before the first day of school.
Receive your student Chromebook and cord to take home with you. (Don't forget to bring it back charged on the first day of school.)
Fill out the Damage/Loss Protection Program insurance form.
Make payment for insurance fee. Payment can be made by check, cash or with credit card through BSD Online Payment System.
- $20.00 standard student payment per school year
- Fee waived for students who qualify for the free/reduced meal program
(Want to pay the insurance fee online ahead of time starting Aug. 26th?
Contact Mrs. Shier for more info denise_shier@beaverton.k12.or.us)
Come by and get your Chromebook!!
Staffing Updates
Mr. Larsen and Mr. Smith pursued opportunities in other district positions for next year. Julie Huffman and Debbi Gubbins did as well, leaving an all new office staff. Mrs. Geddry-Pierce and Mrs. Case retired. Mrs. Muskat, Mrs. Al-Rashidi and Mr. Battison switched grade levels. Mrs. Muskat will be at 6th, Mrs. Al-Rashidi at 2nd, and Mr. Battison at 7th. We have added some new staff: Lindsay Wierdsma joins me as my assistant principal. Yvett Rojo and Vicki Traller are our new front office staff, and Laura Richter joins us at 3rd grade. Pamela Jacobsen will be part-time in our building supporting our English Learners and Laura Tomlinson with be a new student support person in the resource room.
As always, our staff stand ready to serve your children and the community!
A Message from Our Assistant Principal
I am honored to have been selected as the new assistant principal of Raleigh Hills K-8. I look forward to being a part of your outstanding community and getting to know each of you much better in the near future as you are what makes Raleigh Hills such a unique and welcoming school.
On a professional level, I have been an educator since 1994. In this time, I have been an elementary classroom teacher, special education teacher, high school special education coordinator and, most recently, a Student Success Coach at William Walker Elementary. Although I have been in several states, districts, and schools, at the heart of my experiences is the belief that all our students come to us with strengths and desires to do well, and our work is to create positive, inclusive learning communities for them.
On a personal level, I enjoy time with my family. Two out of three of my children will be in college next year, and I am increasingly aware of the rare, special moments when we get to be all together. I enjoy all forms of being outside: including hiking, walking, and gardening. I love to travel, even if it is just jumping in the car and going on a road trip.
In keeping with this idea of a traveling, I look forward to this journey with you all at Raleigh Hills as I get to know the students, families, and community.
This summer break has helped me to pause, reflect, and refuel, and I am so excited for the start of this 2019-2020 school year. If I can help with anything, please let me know.
Warmly,
Lindsay Wierdsma
PTO Coffees
There will be an opportunity for kindergarten families to have coffee with the PTO on September 9th at 8:30. We'd love to see you all there!
Sealant Information
Bucky's Block Party!
Dear Friends of Beaverton High School!
With the start of the school year comes some exciting opportunities to be a part of this great community!
You're Invited!
First, we would like to invite everyone out to enjoy an afternoon at Bucky's Block Party on Saturday, September 7 from 10am-4pm in the BHS Stadium. We will be celebrating the grand opening of the new concession stand and plaza with this fantastic community event that will include booths from over 50 local artisans, lots of food, performances and interactive games for all ages, many hosted by BHS teams, clubs and organizations. If you come at the right time, you may even catch Dr. Erwin or Coach Boyer hanging out in the dunk tank! This project was made 100% possible by private donations curated by the BHS Success Fund. This new addition will be a great source of pride for our community, enhance the fan and patron experience at events, and provide greater opportunity for the concessions program to bring in much needed resources for us to pass along to the kids! There will be an official ribbon cutting ceremony at 1pm that day- we hope to see you there!
Back to School Routines
This was a fantastic article with even more helpful tips for transitioning back to school. The whole article can be found here.
As the summer comes to a close and school is getting back into session, here are a couple quick reminders to help make the transition from the beach to the classroom easier for you and your child.
Validation: Let your child know that his nervous or apprehensive feelings about the start of school are normal. All kids (and adults!) have a hard time getting back into the routine of the school year. The knowledge that he is not alone in this experience will help your child feel he’s being heard and understood.
Morning Routines: A common change that occurs as we begin the school year is a new morning routine. To help your child be successful, discuss what her morning routine will look like during the school year. This way, your child knows what will be happening and has clear expectations that are valuable to her under the time pressure of getting ready for school. Provide your child with simple, well-defined, and easy steps for her routine so that she has a clear idea of what you expect and so that it’s easy to follow along with you! Having an easy-to-reference schedule, maybe with pictures, can engage your child and provide a wonderful visual guide for what she needs to do next. Giving specific praise when she completes each lets her know that you love what you’re seeing. This will increase your child’s chances of success in the future, and helps build her self-esteem.
Bedtime: Bedtime is one of the hardest transitions. Children may be accustomed to going to sleep later and/or waking up later during the summer, so the new school schedule can be difficult to get acclimated to. As with the morning routine, having a nighttime schedule can assist in creating a structure for your child. Set your child up for success with clear expectations, simple step-by-step instructions, and praise at the completion of each step. Additionally, visual reminders can help your child have something to refer to as she goes about her routine. Most kids want more time watching their favorite TV show or finishing that last level of a videogame, and setting time limits can be a great way to put a boundary around the winding down time that they need each evening.