Our organization is dedicated to creating a positive experience for all whom we serve. We are committed to listening and responding to your experiences with our organization to continuously improve our service to you.

Our partners at Studer Education are providing an opportunity for you to provide feedback anonymously, at the link below.

Please take a few minutes to complete the Parent/Caregiver Experience Survey linked below.

(Please note that on some phones, the survey appears best if you switch to “desktop site” in your mobile browser.)

The survey is scheduled to open from Monday, October 2, to Friday, October 13.

We had some really great things happening at River Mill this past week!

One of the highlights (pictured above) was when we had student delegates (a student from each class) join myself and Mr. Syring as we went to go work at the central office with Superintendent Carpenter to develop our school's Hopes and Dreams for the school year. Each classroom developed their classroom hopes and dreams. Then students synthesized them into grade level ones. Finally, this team of students developed what we will adopt for our school community and every child will get to sign off on their agreement to accomplish them. The agreements are:

• Go above and beyond in learning new things
• Use time wisely and include all classmates
• Try new things and never give up
• Show whole body listening
• Be willing to go out of your comfort zone to make new friends
• Be kind and respectful

These students engaged in thoughtful dialogue around what was important to them and why. We are so proud of the work they did to come to these agreements for the year.

Our jog a thon was a blast! Thank you so much to our fabulous volunteers who helped make this be a success. Thank you also to Mrs. Greene, Mr. Franks, and Mr. C. for their contributions in organizing the event and making it fun for our students!

We also had the privilege of honoring our students who exemplified the standard of excellence: responsibility. These students take responsibility for their actions and efforts each day, and we are so grateful for their positive impact on our school community.

Sincerely,

Corinne Johnsen

Principal, River Mill Elementary

johnsenc@estacada.k12.or.us

As our district continues to work to accommodate a rapidly growing student population, we will be installing a third portable building on the annex side of River Mill Elementary's campus to house students. Construction to prepare the site for the placement of the portable will begin next week, and this area (outlined "construction zone" in a photo below) will be closed for both pedestrian and vehicle traffic from 8:30-2:00 each day next week. The area will be open to accommodate traffic during student drop off and pick up times. Please support us in maintaining a safe and hazard-free construction site by avoiding this area at all times ​with the ​exceptions of drop off and pick up times.

The portable classrooms are expected to open shortly after winter break, following placement and renovation efforts. To learn more about the district's proposal to accommodate growth in a long-term and permanent way, please visit estacadaschoolbond.org.

In order to help you all know what the week looks like, we will list it out clearly for you each week. REID days for are invited students and will change each week. Students are invited to REID days for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it's to extend or challenge a student, and other times it might be to provide extra help on a particular skill. On those days, our doors open at 7:50 and dismissal is at 10:00am. If you have questions about this week's schedule, please let us know!

This Week:

• Oct. 9th: Regular School Day
• Oct. 10th: Regular School Day
• Oct. 11th: Regular School Day - 3rd & 4th Grade Family Breakfast!
• Oct. 12th: Regular School Day
• Oct. 13th: REID Day, by invite only - - Last day for Parent/Caregiver Surveys!

Upcoming Events:

• Oct. 18th: PTO Meeting, 6:00pm
• Oct. 20th: REID Day, by invitation only
• Oct. 23rd - 26th, Red Ribbon Week & 2nd Grade TAG Testing
• Oct. 26th: Harvest Festival, 5:00pm - 8:00pm
• Oct. 27th: REID Day, by invitation only
• Nov. 3rd: REID Day, by invitation only
• Nov. 6th - 10th: Book Fair
• Nov. 10th: No School, Veterans Day
• Nov. 17th: No School, Grading Day
• Nov. 20th: No School, Conferences
• Nov. 21st: No School, Conferences
• Nov. 22nd - Nov. 24th: No School, Holiday Break

Want to stay informed about what's happening at River Mill? Follow us on Facebook.

We will be continuing our annual tradition called One School, One Book. This year, our school will be reading the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio which takes us through a heartwarming story about a character named Auggie who looks a little different than his peers, and how those around him begin to understand and appreciate him for who he is, despite his differences.

This year, we will not be purchasing books for families, but we will be reading and sending you a video of a section of the story on weeknights. We want everyone to just enjoy this story as a family and as a school community. We hope this helps students to establish a routine of reading and enjoyment of books! If you want to explore checking the book out at your local library or purchase a copy yourself, we highly encourage you to do so.

All Smiles Community Oral Health will be providing free dental screenings, sealants, and fluoride at your child’s school in the week of October 30th. Healthy teeth are important to your child’s overall health. A dental screening is a quick look inside your child’s mouth to check the overall health of their teeth. Dental sealants are protective coatings put on the back teeth to prevent cavities and fluoride is a vitamin that is brushed on the teeth to make teeth stronger and prevent cavities. Click below to sign the permission form for your child online.

Our lost and found is already overflowing! Please make sure your child's name is written on as many of their layers of clothing and lunch boxes as possible. We know these items are costly and want to get them back to their rightful owners. If you recognize any of these, please let us know.

My School Bucks is an online payment service that provides parents the ability to securely pay for meals, monitor student cafeteria purchases, and receive email notifications for low account balances. Please note: currently, a convenience fee of $2.75 will be applied for each transaction. All transactions are processed and applied to students' accounts nightly. To enroll, please follow the link below and have your student's ID number handy.

We have noticed the last week that the weather is beginning to change. Please make sure your child has layers of clothes and a coat or jacket with a hood and long sleeves. If they do not, they will need to remain under the covered area during recess time when it is raining.

If your child gets super wet at recess or has a bathroom accident, we do not have extra clothes for them. For all students, Pre-K to 5th grade, please have a spare outfit (including socks) in your child's backpack. This will help make them more comfortable while they are at school.

If you wish to send snacks or gifts for your child’s birthday, the office will be happy to call your student out of class to see their surprise. To minimize classroom disruptions, our policy is to keep flowers, balloons, gifts, etc. in the office until the end of the day. When the student is released for the day, they can pick up their gift and take it home. Please contact your child’s teacher to make necessary arrangements for celebrations that can be scheduled at a time that is compatible with the day’s learning schedule. State law requires that snacks fit the healthy criteria for the Oregon Smart Snack law.

Every Student. Every Day. Whatever It Takes!

Principal Corinne Johnsen

Go Timbers!

Email: johnsenc@estacada.k12.or.us
Website: www.rmes.estacada.k12.or.us
Location: 850 North Broadway Street, Estacada, OR, USA
Phone: 503-630-8517
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RiverMillElem
Twitter: @RMTimbers