On behalf of Cassandra Pryzner, Josie Paddock, and Ross and Jacquie Acree, I would like to thank the Town of Rivers and the surrounding communities for the amazing support we have received in our fundraising drive.
As you all know, Cassandra and Josie were selected to attend the 2009 Harry Messell International Science School in Sydney, Australia. The amazing opportunity came with a significant cost in terms of transportation expenses. The planning committee set a budget of $10,000 to cover the plane tickets and additional expenses once in Australia. I am happy to report that with the contributions of individuals, businesses, organizations, and various levels of government, we have met our goal!
For me personally, it is an amazing feat considering the state of the economy, and the fact that such a sizable financial goal was met by a “small” town. It really shows the ability of a rural community to band together to provide an incredible opportunity for its young people. Rivers and area should be proud of our accomplishment.
The contributors are too many to list at this time. A listing of the financial contributors is being maintained and updated as regularly as possible on our school website, which you can access at: http://www.rrsd.mb.ca/schools/rivers_collegiate/index.html. Many more individuals and organizations provided prizes for our fundraiser which was held in conjunction with our June 2nd band concert. I’d like to thank Ms. Roberts and the Rivers Band Parents Association for allowing us to “piggyback” on their event.
As the school year winds down, I am looking forward to hearing from Mr. Acree, Josie, and Cassandra about their adventures at the Science School down under. I am sure they will be inspired by Mr. Messell, a former Rivers resident himself. I really feel that Rivers Collegiate’s “Pay it Forward” motto has been adopted by the community as a whole – we have worked together to provide a once-in-a-lifetime educational opportunity for our students and teachers.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Principal’s Message
It is already June! While “summer” has yet to make an appearance, holidays are around the corner. It’s been a weird month of warm days followed by snow flurries followed by more warmth, and of course the constant wind. My admiration goes to those parents who have braved the chilly weather to watch their children participate in the warm weather outdoor sports such as track and baseball. It has to warm up for good eventually.
In short order final exams will be upon us. Parents, keep an eye out for exam schedules and sign-out sheets. Students, be sure to keep up with the final projects assigned by your teachers, and prepare yourself well for the year-end evaluations. For those students who will earn exemptions, congrats! Your hard work over the course of the semester has paid off.
As this is the final newsletter of the 2008-09 school year, we need to bid a fond farewell to Mrs. O’Brien, who did an amazing job as part of our resource team this year. Tara Stark, who comes to us from Elton Collegiate, will be taking over the student services role for next year. As well, Ms. Peters is leaving us and heading north to Erickson Collegiate, where she will work as the Vice-Principal. I will still get to see Ms. Peters at various meetings and functions throughout the years to come, but I for one will certainly miss working with her at RCI. She was a co-worker and friend to all of us on staff at RCI; Rivers’ loss is ECI’s gain. I wish her all the best in the future.
Have a productive final month of school and a relaxing summer. Remember school starts again on September 9, 2009!
Mr. Sheppard
It is already June! While “summer” has yet to make an appearance, holidays are around the corner. It’s been a weird month of warm days followed by snow flurries followed by more warmth, and of course the constant wind. My admiration goes to those parents who have braved the chilly weather to watch their children participate in the warm weather outdoor sports such as track and baseball. It has to warm up for good eventually.
In short order final exams will be upon us. Parents, keep an eye out for exam schedules and sign-out sheets. Students, be sure to keep up with the final projects assigned by your teachers, and prepare yourself well for the year-end evaluations. For those students who will earn exemptions, congrats! Your hard work over the course of the semester has paid off.
As this is the final newsletter of the 2008-09 school year, we need to bid a fond farewell to Mrs. O’Brien, who did an amazing job as part of our resource team this year. Tara Stark, who comes to us from Elton Collegiate, will be taking over the student services role for next year. As well, Ms. Peters is leaving us and heading north to Erickson Collegiate, where she will work as the Vice-Principal. I will still get to see Ms. Peters at various meetings and functions throughout the years to come, but I for one will certainly miss working with her at RCI. She was a co-worker and friend to all of us on staff at RCI; Rivers’ loss is ECI’s gain. I wish her all the best in the future.
Have a productive final month of school and a relaxing summer. Remember school starts again on September 9, 2009!
Mr. Sheppard
Monday, April 20, 2009
Spring has “officially” sprung, as I spent last weekend in the garage switching my snow tires for my summer tires. With my luck, we’ll get another blizzard or something – I still remember the nasty blizzard of ’02 (as in May of 2002), if I recollect, we closed school for two days on May 4th and 5th… but I digress (and I’m starting to sound like an old person).
Mid-term exams are complete, and by the time you read this, parent-teacher interview will have come and gone. Hopefully all will have had a chance to come into the school and meet with their student’s teachers. Of course, as thing wind up (not wind down) in late May and June, be sure to contact the school if you have any questions about your child’s progress.
I’d like to again thank the community for their support with the fundraising efforts to send staff and students to ISS 2009. Mr. Acree, Cassandra Pryzner, and Josie Paddock are the first students from Canada ever to attend the prestigious school in Sydney, Australia, and we are approximately half-way towards our fundraising goal. An additional fundraising activity has been scheduled to coincide with the June 2nd band concert. A number of prizes have been donated to the cause, and these items will be raffled off via silent auction and ticket auction at the band concert. Please make a point of attending the concert, hearing some great music, and buying some tickets! You just may leave with the “gift of music”, and another gift for yourself.
And remember, time seems to speed up in May and June – year end and grad will be here before you know it. Students will have to balance schoolwork, perhaps their own employment, extra-curricular activities, and their own family time in the busy months to come. Be sure to keep everything in balance, and if you do need some help with school, talk to your teachers!
James Sheppard
Principal
Mid-term exams are complete, and by the time you read this, parent-teacher interview will have come and gone. Hopefully all will have had a chance to come into the school and meet with their student’s teachers. Of course, as thing wind up (not wind down) in late May and June, be sure to contact the school if you have any questions about your child’s progress.
I’d like to again thank the community for their support with the fundraising efforts to send staff and students to ISS 2009. Mr. Acree, Cassandra Pryzner, and Josie Paddock are the first students from Canada ever to attend the prestigious school in Sydney, Australia, and we are approximately half-way towards our fundraising goal. An additional fundraising activity has been scheduled to coincide with the June 2nd band concert. A number of prizes have been donated to the cause, and these items will be raffled off via silent auction and ticket auction at the band concert. Please make a point of attending the concert, hearing some great music, and buying some tickets! You just may leave with the “gift of music”, and another gift for yourself.
And remember, time seems to speed up in May and June – year end and grad will be here before you know it. Students will have to balance schoolwork, perhaps their own employment, extra-curricular activities, and their own family time in the busy months to come. Be sure to keep everything in balance, and if you do need some help with school, talk to your teachers!
James Sheppard
Principal
Thursday, March 26, 2009
I’m writing this on the last day of our Balanced School Day experiment. While the surveys have not been tabulated, like any schedule or structure to the school day, it has its advantages and disadvantages. I’d like to thank the students, staff, and parents for their consideration in allowing us to explore other options. The results of the student and staff surveys will be available shortly; during the week of March 16 – 20, parent surveys will also be sent home with students.
I say this every year, but I can’t believe how fast the second semester is going – only 2 short weeks until spring break, and we are already into April!
Please keep an eye out for various activities in support of our two students who are attending the International Science School in Sydney this July. Cassandra Pryzner, Josie Paddock, and supervisor Mr. Acree still have a considerable amount of money to raise to pay for their plane tickets. Some fundraisers have been planned, so please try to participate if you can. As well, a representative from the University of Sydney is tentatively scheduled to present the scholarships in May – we will be planning some school activities around that as well.
I hope everyone has a restful and enjoyable spring break… the cold weather will go away eventually!
Mr. Sheppard
Principal
I say this every year, but I can’t believe how fast the second semester is going – only 2 short weeks until spring break, and we are already into April!
Please keep an eye out for various activities in support of our two students who are attending the International Science School in Sydney this July. Cassandra Pryzner, Josie Paddock, and supervisor Mr. Acree still have a considerable amount of money to raise to pay for their plane tickets. Some fundraisers have been planned, so please try to participate if you can. As well, a representative from the University of Sydney is tentatively scheduled to present the scholarships in May – we will be planning some school activities around that as well.
I hope everyone has a restful and enjoyable spring break… the cold weather will go away eventually!
Mr. Sheppard
Principal
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
This is a reminder that Rivers Collegiate will be experimenting with a Balanced School Day (BSD) for the week of March 9 to 13, 2009. The goal of this temporary change in schedule is to explore an alternative timetable that allows students more time to participate in intramurals, and it corresponds with recent studies in brain research and nutrition. Surveys will be conducted in the week following to get student, staff, and parent input.
A bright PINK 2-sided sheet was sent home, stapled to all students’ report cards. This information was sent home to inform parents and students of the change in schedule for that week. If you did not receive this sheet (or your child’s report card) please contact the school as soon as possible. During the week of Feb. 17-20, a 4-page brochure to help families plan for the two 28-minute nutrition breaks was sent home. Again, if you did not receive this information, please contact the school for another copy.
Parents, please be sure to complete the survey when it is sent home following the BSD week. There will be room for both limited answer responses, as well as room for anecdotal comments. We want to hear from you!
A bright PINK 2-sided sheet was sent home, stapled to all students’ report cards. This information was sent home to inform parents and students of the change in schedule for that week. If you did not receive this sheet (or your child’s report card) please contact the school as soon as possible. During the week of Feb. 17-20, a 4-page brochure to help families plan for the two 28-minute nutrition breaks was sent home. Again, if you did not receive this information, please contact the school for another copy.
Parents, please be sure to complete the survey when it is sent home following the BSD week. There will be room for both limited answer responses, as well as room for anecdotal comments. We want to hear from you!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Semester I is drawing to a close. On January 23rd, exemptions will be posted, and the following week of January 26-29 will see our grade 9 to grade 11 students write final exams. The grade 12 students will be out on work experience, while the Junior High students have a variety of curling and skiing activities planned. Both sign-out sheets for students writing exams, and permission forms for our grade 7 and 8 students have been sent home. Parents should keep an eye out for either form if they have not seen them yet.
It won’t take place until March 5th, but RCI had been invited to participate in the 2008-09 Youth Smoking Survey (YSS). This is the only survey conducted nationally to monitor smoking behaviours of Canadian youth and will be conducted in over 300 schools across Canada this school year. The YSS is funded by Health Canada and in Manitoba will be implemented by CancerCare Manitoba in partnership with the University of Waterloo. In addition to studying smoking behaviour, the YSS looks at purchasing behaviour, smoking cessation, perceptions of peer smoking and exposure to environmental tobacco. The information provided by students may be used by schools and health officials to plan programs and interventions and to provide information on effective tobacco control policies. Students in grades 7 to 12 with parental permission will be asked to take part in the survey. Rivers Collegiate will receive a $100 honorarium in appreciation of the time and effort of school personnel to administer the survey and will be entered into a draw to win an additional award of $250, $500, or $750. Parents and interested public can visit the project website www.yss.uwaterloo.ca for more information about the project.
It won’t take place until March 5th, but RCI had been invited to participate in the 2008-09 Youth Smoking Survey (YSS). This is the only survey conducted nationally to monitor smoking behaviours of Canadian youth and will be conducted in over 300 schools across Canada this school year. The YSS is funded by Health Canada and in Manitoba will be implemented by CancerCare Manitoba in partnership with the University of Waterloo. In addition to studying smoking behaviour, the YSS looks at purchasing behaviour, smoking cessation, perceptions of peer smoking and exposure to environmental tobacco. The information provided by students may be used by schools and health officials to plan programs and interventions and to provide information on effective tobacco control policies. Students in grades 7 to 12 with parental permission will be asked to take part in the survey. Rivers Collegiate will receive a $100 honorarium in appreciation of the time and effort of school personnel to administer the survey and will be entered into a draw to win an additional award of $250, $500, or $750. Parents and interested public can visit the project website www.yss.uwaterloo.ca for more information about the project.
Monday, January 5, 2009
RCI RAMBLINGS
Happy New Year! We are onto the home stretch for Semester I courses at the high school level. An exam schedule will be sent home shortly, and students are reminded to prepare early for their final assessments, rather than leave studying to the last minute. Remember to seek out help from your classroom teachers during class, or over lunch. A number of teachers are available to help students before and after school – you just need to ask!
Our grade 12 students do write exams earlier in January, to allow them a chance to complete their Career Preparation activities. The ELA 40 exam begins on January 6, and concludes on the 9th. Physics 40 is on January 16, and Biology and World Issues 40 is on January 23. Exemption lists for those students over 80% (in grade 9 – 11) will also be posted on the 23rd. Career Prep for Grade 12 students is from January 26 – 30 inclusive.
Additional Activities for January are as follows:
Jan 13: RRSD Trustee Tour
Jan 20: Parent Advisory Council Meeting, 7 p.m. in the RCI library
Jan 26: Junior High Curling (am)
Jan 27: Junior High Curling (am)
Jan 28: Junior High Ski Trip
Jan 29: Junior High Funspeil (all day)
Jan 30: no school
Semester II begins on Feb. 2, 2009.
As a final note, a big THANKS! goes out to the Town of Rivers who have donated funds towards the International Science School 2009. As reported earlier, Josie Paddock and Cassandra Pryzner have been chosen to attend ISS 2009 in Sydney, Australia in July.
Our grade 12 students do write exams earlier in January, to allow them a chance to complete their Career Preparation activities. The ELA 40 exam begins on January 6, and concludes on the 9th. Physics 40 is on January 16, and Biology and World Issues 40 is on January 23. Exemption lists for those students over 80% (in grade 9 – 11) will also be posted on the 23rd. Career Prep for Grade 12 students is from January 26 – 30 inclusive.
Additional Activities for January are as follows:
Jan 13: RRSD Trustee Tour
Jan 20: Parent Advisory Council Meeting, 7 p.m. in the RCI library
Jan 26: Junior High Curling (am)
Jan 27: Junior High Curling (am)
Jan 28: Junior High Ski Trip
Jan 29: Junior High Funspeil (all day)
Jan 30: no school
Semester II begins on Feb. 2, 2009.
As a final note, a big THANKS! goes out to the Town of Rivers who have donated funds towards the International Science School 2009. As reported earlier, Josie Paddock and Cassandra Pryzner have been chosen to attend ISS 2009 in Sydney, Australia in July.
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