News and Announcements
8 days ago
Did you know?
TEAM: As mentioned in previous communications, we are sticking with TEAM as our Word of the Year for the second year in a row. TEAM does a really good job of summarizing in one word the culture we are trying to create and sustain as a school district and community! The three B’s (belong, bond, believe) help describe what the best teams do - they create an environment where people feel they belong to something greater than themselves; they help people bond, moving from casual acquaintances to relationships of trust and vulnerability; they motivate people to believe in the mission of the team over their own self interests.
Branding: An anonymous community member designed and rented two billboards this summer with super positive messages about TEAM Riverside. The first billboard runs June 17-July 1 on Highway 395 north of Hawthorne Avenue and Wonderland. The second billboard runs August 5-18 on Newport Highway and Hawthorne Avenue. A big “thanks” to our community member! We appreciate positive public relations at no cost to the district!
Character Strong: For a number of years, our elementary schools have incorporated and intentionally taught character development through Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS), a framework that provides specific language and instruction to help our students grow socially and emotionally. I am excited to announce that Riverside Middle School and Riverside High School are partnering up on a similar approach at the secondary level - Character Strong. Principal Johnson, Principal Hull, thirteen staff members, and I plan to attend Character Strong training in August, and we plan to purchase curriculum to use in leadership classes and regular instruction. More information to follow!
- Congratulations CES: Please join me in congratulating Principal Juanita Murray (who retired last year) and the staff, students, and parents of Chattaroy Elementary for their selection as a 2017-2018 Washington State Recognized School for growth in student achievement, as well as closing gaps between the highest and lowest achieving students. Way to go, Stars!
- Budget updates: Please check out our Budget FAQ's. If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please contact Superintendent Ken Russell at (509) 370-1717.
Capital Levy Updates
8 days ago
Last February, our community approved two levies by nearly 70%, including the 4-year (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022) Levy for Security, Facilities, and Technology Improvements. Here are some specific updates:
-Roofing: We repaired warranty issues on the roof of the 6th grade wing at RMS, and this summer we will replace or restore the following roofs this summer: metal shop and wood shop at Riverside HS, CES and RES breezeways, wood floor gym at RES, east wing of RES, district office, and grounds shop.
-Security: We purchased a new phone system. This fall we will install additional cameras and automated door locks in each school. We will also purchase software for better tracking of students during emergency situations and for mobile notifications to staff/parents. We will also update certain intercom and paging systems.
-Study and Survey: We are working with Northwest Architectural Company (NAC) to complete our study and survey, a third-party independent audit of our facilities. The data gathered in the study will help us create our long-term facilities plan, as well as successfully complete our capital projects as part of our Levy for Security, Facilities, and Technology Improvements.
-1:1 Technology: We purchased Chromebooks for all students in grades 6-8 at the middle school. We also purchased Chromebooks for all incoming 9th graders. The 1-year old Chromebooks from our seniors who graduated now go to RES and CES, in addition to one cart of 30 Chromebooks at each elementary school. We are now fully 1:1 in grades 6-12. This fall we will upgrade our network and update our servers.