Important Information About Rio’s Class Schedule for Next Year!
Career Day Needs Speakers
Baseball team needs your help
SIP Workshop 2002 planned
Library to Move for Renovations
Link to info on District Calendar issue
Intel Volunteer Matching Program
Photos available from Alumni Day 2001
Partners on Campus begins

Important Information About Rio’s Class Schedule for Next Year!

Rio is taking a close look at our class schedule and considering making a change for the 2002-2003 school year. We would like your input. Please take a few minutes to read the following information and then fill out an online survey (see link at end of article). If you are interested in discussing this issue further, please attend a joint Senate/PTSA meeting on April 10 at 7 pm in the Rio Band Room to discuss the schedule options.

Our Challenge
Our challenge is that there are different opinions about the effects of blocked classes on students’ educational experiences. Some teachers and classes (e.g., science and arts electives) benefit from having a two-hour block to accommodate labs and projects that take longer than an hour. Other teachers and classes (e.g., math and English) feel that instruction in their subject is more effective if delivered for an hour every day of the week.

Current Modified Block Schedule
Rio’s current modified block schedule was a compromise worked out by teachers some years ago. On Wednesday and Thursday, periods 1-4 are “blocked” and are held on just one of the two days for 2 hours instead of 1 hour. Periods 5 and 6 are currently not blocked because this year we have bus riders who leave after 5th period. Because some classes (periods 1-4) are blocked and others are not (periods 5-6), it is difficult for teachers to keep different sections of a subject on the same lesson plan. Next year the bus schedule will change and periods 5 and 6 could also be blocked.

Other Proposed Schedules
Two other compromise schedules were explored, but after careful review by our registrar, counselors, attendance staff, and District computer staff, these were determined to be infeasible with current staffing and computer capabilities. One schedule involved alternating block weeks with non-block weeks; the other (the “Westover Plan”) would have blocked some subjects and not others, but would have required students to schedule blocked classes back to back. We are still looking for other compromise schedules that would not increase staff workload or decrease student flexibility in class selection.

Options
1. Continue the current modified block schedule (periods 1-4 only, 2 days per week).
2. Also block periods 5 & 6 (block periods 1,3,5 on Wednesday & 2,4,6 on Thursday).
3. Eliminate all blocking and have all 6 periods every day for 1 hour each.
4. Come up with some other creative compromise schedule (ideas are welcome!).

Process
A committee is soliciting input from parents, students, and teachers, including the survey on the back of this form and the Senate/PTSA meeting on April 10. After studying all the options, considering school community input, and discussing what is best for the education of our students, the staff will make their decision about the 2002-2003 schedule by the end of this school year.

Online Survey
Click on this link to fill out a Block Schedule Survey and express your point of view:
http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?JMBYFYHT2MML48L9XAXGF961

Career Day Needs Speakers

Baseball Team Needs Help

The varsity baseball team has had two batting tunnel nets stolen this year. The cost of a net is about $800. This week vandals broke into the baseball shed and stole a Honda mower. Baseball does not have the money to replace these items and still be able to afford the balls and other equipment needed for the season. The cost falls under the insurance deductible and Rich Nichols, VP, Athletics, is looking for help from the community. He would also like to replace the baseball shed with a brick building and is looking for help from the community for that project. Anything you could do to help would be greatly appreciated! For more info, contact Mr. Nichols at 971-7495.

Library to Move for Renovations

Marlene Frankel will need parents to help move the library Jan. 21--Feb. 1 (the move is currently scheduled to occur Feb. 4.) She can use parent volunteers the week of Jan. 14 (finals week) to pack the magazine room. Also, although we didn't discuss it, some help might be needed the week of Feb. 4 to unpack those materials that will be placed in the portable for the approximately 2 months the library will be displaced. She will also need volunteers in early April to unpack everything.

Please call Marlene Frankel at 971-7498 or send an e-mail to mfrank@sanjuan.edu if you can help.

Link to info on the District Calendar issue

http://www.sanjuan.edu/do_info/meetings-calendar.htm

Intel Volunteer Matching Program

The VMGP begins with employees volunteering in schools and ends with a monetary donation from the Intel Foundation. For every 20 hours of volunteer time, the Intel Foundation matches the hours with a $200 donation to the school. The program was established in 1994 as a way to encourage volunteerism in K-12 schools and provide funds to those schools. Initially, schools were awarded $500 for every 100 hours of volunteer work by employees. Last year, the Intel Foundation upped the match through the “Twice as Nice” program, which doubled the dollar amount of the donation.

For more info about how Rio parents have earned money for Rio programs and how you can, too, follow this link.

Alumni Day 2001 Photos Available

Glen Alan is making photos taken at the Rio Alumni Day 2001 available to anyone who wishes reprints. These photos are available from one of the photo reprint service websites, which allow you to to view the photos and select only those you wish reprinted. The service is called Shutterfly, and the link is here. This is a great idea for the Rio community in general: whoever has photos merely uploads them to one of the photo service sites (free), and provides the link (we'll be glad to post it here). Those interested in prints select what they want and pay the service: the photographer doesn't incur any expense beyond the original photo. If you happen to have a digital camera, there is no expense at all.

Partners on Campus Begins

A new campus monitoring program, Partners on Campus, is now signing up volunteers. The new program brings parents, grandparents, guardians and community members to campus during the school day to provide assistance to students, teachers and administration by just being on campus and available. A brief orientation about the program is provided before volunteers can participate. The daily monitoring is conducted from 6:45 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. depending on the availability of volunteers. The priority hours for campus monitoring is before school and at lunch time. To sign up, to hear the schedule for the orientation sessions or to request additional information, please contact Charleen Ramey at 481-9817, CMilburn@cmanet.org or Susan Kieser at 483-0649, GNSKieser@aol.com

At a Glance…

Rio Americano High School, 4540 American River Dr., Sacramento, CA 95864

24 hr Absentee line
971-7522

Attendance
971-7500

Fax
971-7513

Main Office
971-7495

Registrar
971-7496

AB Office
971-7499

CD Office
971-7502

Financial Office
971-7497