Happy Friday, Lil Steamer Families!

From the Desk of: Principal Hoese

Lil Steamer Families --

Each year, we conduct academic screenings (fall, winter, & spring) for all of our K-5 students using our FastBridge platform. This helps us identify at-risk students, improve instructional practices, and create student groupings for tiered support.

Within the next week your children will be bringing home a FAST Family Report. This provides information on your child's academic skills and changes over time.

If you have any questions or concerns with the information on the report, please email your child's teacher. We want to ensure that we have a great partnership with all of our families.

Have a great weekend!

JAGH

From the Desk of: AP Marten

Creating a strong partnership between home and school is so important for your child's educational journey. When parents and teachers work together, students thrive both academically and emotionally. Open and consistent communication is the foundation of any strong partnership. Communication can be helpful for the following reasons:

Staying Informed - Read the school newsletters, check out the school website, keep up with classroom activities. There are many teachers who use communication apps such as Remind and CLassDojo to help keep parents informed.
Reach Out - Never hesitate to contact your child's teacher with questions or concerns. A quick email or a note in your child's agenda can make a big difference in keeping everyone on the same page.
Make Time to Attend School Events - Parent-Teacher conferences, open houses, school-wide events, music programs, and/or field day. Any school activity provides great opportunities to meet teachers, staff, and even make connections with other families.

Aside from open and consistent communication, your home is a powerful learning environment. Within your home, you can support your child's learning and education by:

Establishing a Routine - Set aside time that is consistent as well as a quiet space where your child can complete homework. This helps support your child in developing good study habits.
Encourage Reading - Read with your child every day, even for just 10-15 minutes. This is one of the most impactful things you can do to boost your child's literacy skills.
Show Interest - Your interest in your child's school day is very impactful. Ask your child abotu thier school day. Instead of a simple "What did you do today?", try questions like, "What's one thing you learned that was interesting?" or "What was the most challenging partof your day?"

The more involved and interested we are in our children's lives, the mosre supported they feel which leads to greater achievement!

From the Desk of: Counselor Meumann

When someone does something nice for you, do something nice for someone else. Doing this is a wonderful way to continue the cycle of gratitude. “Paying it forward” is a way of showing love and kindness to others. It could be something as simple as holding the door open for someone or buying coffee for a stranger. Once a week, share as a family one time you “paid it forward” during the week.

It is easy to learn about the teacher that your child/children have or have had. However, at FBP and FES, we are one large team. For this reason, we will introduce and give some fun information about each of our family members in our newsletter!

4th graders celebrated finishing their first novel of the year, Because of Winn Dixie. Our celebration wasn't complete without pickles, egg salad sandwiches, and juice just like the book!

While we are excited that our elementary and middle school students enjoy coming to home football games to support the Steamers, it is important that we have an understanding of the rules and expectations for student behavior. Our priority is to keep our students safe and to allow everyone to enjoy the football game.

Student Expectations:

all K-8 students must enter with an adult;
That designated adult is responsible for the student(s);
all students are expected to watch the event, either sitting with the adult they entered with or in the section identified for each building;
students will not be allowed to roam the hallway or campus without the supervision of the adult they entered the game or event with.

For home games, the set of bleachers (farthest north) will have a designated area for FES and RBMS students.

Students are to remain in the bleachers and behave appropriately. Students are there to watch the game. If a student misbehaves, he/she will be asked to go and sit with the adult that he/she arrived with.

No student is to bring any sort of sporting equipment to the game. Again, the expectation is that you are there to watch the game. To ensure that everyone is safe and able to watch the game, students will not be allowed to play any type of game. These games are distracting and could jeopardize student safety.

Students should not be in the HS building other than in the front commons by the concessions. Students caught in the building will be asked to sit with their designated adult and may not be allowed to return to home games for the remainder of the season.

Students will not be allowed to leave the game once they have entered the gate.

Again, we thank you for your cooperation with helping our students understand these rules and expectations. We are very proud of our Steamers and like to provide a safe and respectful environment for everyone to enjoy the game.

- River Bend Administration

Shirts can be ordered online from August 29 through September 14.

Homecoming Week starts September 29 with the theme GLOW BIG OR GO HOME!

River Bend Families,

Your input is needed as the Board of Education considers building a new gym at RBMS, adding a performing arts center at FHS, build a multi-purpose space at FHS to address needed wrestling room space, add classrooms to RBMS and FES, an additional gym at FHS to replace the converted performing arts space and add parking around the middle school.

The following link will take you to a Q&A document as well as provide a survey to give input. The Board would like to finalize a decision and move forward with planning for a referendum to pay for the additional spaces by the October meeting. Your feedback is valued.

Thank you,

Darryl Hogue & Kelli Parsons