Riverdale Review - Spring 2016

Riverdale Review DISTRICT 51J

Spring 2016

Adventure found in the Puget Sound

By Marty Agrimis, class of 2016

The author, aboard the Schooner Zodiac.

RIVERDALE HIGH SCHOOL – Pausing while reading, I looked up to catch the sun as it rose over the North Cascades on the horizon. I was up before the 7 a.m. call for our full day of sailing to take in what was one of the most beautiful sunrises I have ever seen. Alone on the deck of the Schooner Zodiac, I could anticipate the 24 Riverdale students and eight Zodiac crewmembers raising the halyards and putting us under sail. Before I could dive back into reading, the breakfast bell sounded the start of yet another day in our weeklong San Juan Islands voyage.

Boarding the vessel just four days prior, a sense of nervous excitement filled the cabins as we descended the fore and aft scuttles. Excitement for a week free of English and math classes and, simultaneously, nervousness for our lack of sailing experience – and for many, an entirely new group of friends to experience it with. The uncertainties of the week ahead filled our thoughts as we went to bed in our bunks, but the excitement is what got us up early the next morning.

Continued on page 9.

Internships open up a world of opportunities

Can you imagine a teenager watching open-heart surgery as part of her curriculum?

That’s exactly what one Riverdale senior did during a weeklong internship at OHSU. RIVERDALE HIGH SCHOOL – Other student interns taught children with special needs, learned the ins and outs of machine part manufacturing and helped launch a major business program for a psychology clinic.

"We used Field Studies as a trial run for a Riverdale internship program," says parent Gina Bundy, who helped coordinate the effort.

"Our goal was to give students hands-on experiences in fields that interest them. College students often use internships to start a career.

Why not start with high school students?"

Even brief internships can help students get a glimpse of the working world, choose a major or career, and connect with experienced mentors.

"We started searching within our community," Mrs. Bundy says. "Several parents were willing to donate their time – in fascinating fields from medical to fashion design. Then, I discussed each student’s interests and what they hoped to gain from the opportunity. Did they want to know what scientific research was like or what a lawyer

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does all day? Did they love photography?

That helped me match them with the right professional." Then Mrs. Bundy and teacher Holly Finnerty prepared students with tips for a successful internship.

Senior Sasha Pansky came back glowing after four days in OHSU’s Pediatric Cardiology Lab, making the rounds and observing a fourhour surgery. "I was whisked around patient hallways, amazed by every step," says Sasha of her experience, which she calls "magical, eye-opening and influential while surveying nursing school choices for the fall."

Her OHSU internship advisor (and Riverdale parent), Dr. Erin Madriago, says, "Sasha was incredibly enthusiastic, curious, thoughtful and intelligent. She asked great questions, and connected with the children and their families in such a fun way. She really brought an energetic spark to the process that we perform day in and day out. It’s always so fun to see what the job looks like to a new set of eyes, and I would highly recommend hosting to everyone.

Continued on page 9.

Who gets the vote?

by Emily Fowler, class of 2017 RIVERDALE HIGH SCHOOL – In May, Riverdale High School held its first-ever mock caucus, led by students from the Young Democrats and Young Republicans clubs.

The "mockus" began with informational speeches by supporters of Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, intended to inform the student body about each candidate’s virtues and policies.

Afterwards, students went to their individual Advisory classes, and further divided into groups based on their candidate support. A small group of undecided voters in each class asked questions of the candidate representatives to help them choose a side. In the end, the candidate with the most support won the individual mockus.

This was an incredibly exciting experience, because it gave students an inside-look at how presidential candidates were chosen in some states. While Oregon holds a primary rather than a caucus, Riverdale’s mockus provided students a great opportunity to voice their support for candidates and learn more about the democratic process. www.riverdaleschool.com

Supporting Our Schools A message from your superintendent: Celebrating 20 years of our high school

In 1996, Riverdale passed a bond measure to build a high school. I’m pleased to share that this May, we made the final payment on that bond.

It all began in 1991, when Senate Bill 917 required all Oregon school districts to offer K-12 education. The Riverdale community responded by resisting consolidation with another district and instead created its own high school program (the only one of 98 K-8 districts to do so long-term).

When Riverdale High School officially opened in September 1996, there were 27 students, and only one senior who graduated. The 9-12 program was housed in Southwest Portland and then at Marylhurst University. Four years after it began, the student body grew to 100.

Finally, in August of 2002, the high school found a permanent home in a refurbished school (thanks to the bond passage and contributions from many generous school families and district residents) on Terwilliger Boulevard at the foot of Lewis and Clark College. By the 2003-2004 school year, there were 200 students attending. Today, our high school educates approximately 250 students, nearly all of whom go on to higher education.

It pleases me to see how our community has embraced our high school from the beginning. While it took several years to find a home for the school and fill its classrooms, it is now an integral part of our district and attracts students from across the Portland Metro area. What makes me even prouder, is the fact that over the past few years, the number of resident students continuing on from our grade school to our high school has reached 75 percent.

You’ll find a common thread in how graduates from some of our earlier classes and our current students speak about their satisfaction with our high school program, which continues to benefit our community’s children.

"Riverdale provided an environment in which I was able to explore and grow … Everything from the small class size at Riverdale to the unique approach of the curriculum meant that I was able to find my strengths instead of disappear." Audrey Coulthurst, class of 2000 "I am incredibly lucky to have graduated from a Coalition [of Essential Schools] school. The critical thinking and communications skills I developed at RHS served me well in college and continue to serve as the building block for how I approach challenges in graduate school."

Samara Haver, class of 2006 "Riverdale has given me so much in terms of support, appreciation, strong relationships, and careful feedback regarding my education."

David Fain, class of 2016

"The wide variety of opportunities at Riverdale, such as honors classes, clubs, and college credit, allows me to learn my limits and challenge myself. Riverdale has prepared me for life by teaching me how to express myself." Simon Chuang, class of 2017 Sincerely, Terry Brandon

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Honoring our donors

RIVERDALE SCHOOL FOUNDATION – This year’s Annual Campaign was a huge success, thanks to donors big and small, who contributed a total of $1,041,000. The foundation honored those donors with a party at Waverley Country Club in May. Organized

by Amber Hillman, the festivities gave parents, community members, alumni and staff a chance to come together to celebrate. Thank you so much to everyone who contributed!

In Memoriam: Sylvia Gates

Riverdale School District and our community mourn the loss of a dear friend.

Sylvia Gates and her family have been special friends of Riverdale for 50 years. She and her husband served in all areas of school leadership – including the school board, PTC and Riverdale School Foundation.

"During my first weeks at Riverdale, it quickly became clear to me the importance of Sylvia Gates’ role in our community. She has been a steward on committees and one of the school’s most sincere and dedicated cheerleaders, attending sporting events, drama productions and other community traditions. She has stepped in when needed as a “grandmother” to many. She leaves a long, lasting mark and has set the bar very high. We will miss her," says Principal Joanna Tobin.

Every year, Riverdale honors an exceptional 6th grader in memory of Sylvia's daughter, Celia. Teacher Jeff Robinson remembers Sylvia as "a woman of intelligence, kindness, and humility, she will be sorely missed."

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Academic Highlights India: A journey of exploration and self-discovery

Riverdale students embraced the Indian culture and countless adventures, which included rain-soaked treks, teaching English and digging septic tanks.

The gift of water

RIVERDALE GRADE SCHOOL – This year’s graduating 8th graders went the extra mile when it came to fundraising for a class gift.

In addition to $711 raised by operating the Fall Carnival concession stand, students also participated in a coffee fundraiser so they could leave a quality and enduring class gift – a water bottle refilling station for the 7th/8th grade wing. In addition to promoting health by providing students and teachers with filtered drinking water, the gift also demonstrates environmental stewardship, tracking how many plastic bottles are eliminated with each refill.

The class raised over $2,000, voting to donate the additional funds to the Oregon Food Bank, which will feed 56 people for a week.

We will remember this class for its generosity to the school and community.

The 8th grade class gift: a water bottle refilling station.

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RIVERDALE HIGH SCHOOL – Fourteen high school students learned a lot about themselves and others during a two-week service-learning trip to India.

The students, joined by two teachers and a parent, visited two Himalayan villages in March, living with homestay families, helping Tibetan refugees improve their English skills and tackling village construction projects. When not volunteering, they enjoyed cultural activities (yoga, hiking and various Tibetan and Bollywood-themed classes) and learning about current issues from political activists and guest speakers.

The trip was bookended by two days in New Delhi, exploring India’s vibrant capital – including a cultural scavenger hunt and Punjabi cuisine. They walked in the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi, visited a market of handmade goods from around the country and helped make chapati bread at the Sikh Temple.

Next, it was off to the town of Balla, in the Himalayan foothills, where they met their first homestay families and dug septic tanks for village toilets. Students were amazed at how few bathrooms there were in the whole town, some a 15-minute walk from the homes where they stayed.

"It was very eye opening seeing how people live and how different it is from the US, but also how much I feel like I take the small things for granted – like having a shower or a toilet," says senior Seb Fechner.

Between village homestays, the group trekked across the Dhauladhar mountain range, camping for several days. Along the way, they experienced some tumultuous storms, leading them to seek refuge in nearby homes.

"On the hikes, generous people made us fires and offered us their homes to use as a shelter," says junior Ben Richmond. "Few people in the US with a lot more to give are as generous as the people in India.

Very few would be willing to take a group of 20 strange people from a different country into their house during a rainstorm."

When they reached the village of McLeod Ganj, the group worked with a community organization that offered English language and life skills training to Tibetan refugees. This included a second scavenger hunt through the town to help Riverdale students get their bearings and help their learning partners practice English, plus a visit to the Dalai Lama’s temple (while he, coincidentally, was visiting the US).

"India inspired me in three main ways: how hard they all work, their generosity and how friendly everyone was," Ben says. "Even though we were volunteering to assist them, they still wanted to help us in any way possible."

Seb says it was Pretesh, the son in his Balla homestay, who really changed how he thinks about India. "For some reason I had thought they were so much different from us and didn't do the same things. But after getting to know Pretesh for a few days, I learned that he is very similar to me and any other teenager. He does the same things, hangs with friends, watches movies, listens to the same music."

"When people say, ‘you have to see it for yourself,’ I now know what this means," says junior Mitchell Dignan. "I can only say one thing about India – if you want to live life how it is meant to be lived, with happiness and genuineness, go to India."

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Academic Highlights Forming positive habits

RIVERDALE GRADE SCHOOL – After a year spent introducing the 16 Habits of Mind, collectively by all teachers and across subject areas, what has been the take away for our students?

"We talk about managing impulsivity a lot. How it translates in class – not blurting out, waiting their turn, being a good friend, letting others think before speaking," says 3rd grade teacher Lynn Evans, who used the characters in picture books to make each habit come alive for her students.

Impulse control seems to be an important habit at all grade levels. Todd Migchelbrink, who teaches 5th and 6th grade social studies, said it’s important to help students learn to reverse the process of doing before thinking. "Now, we often hear them say to each other, ‘we need to manage our impulsivity.’"

Another standout at multiple grade levels is persisting.

Ms. Evans says students have embraced the language and she is proud to hear them tell her, "I persisted and I figured it out."

"Students used to get frustrated with writing and want to quit, but now they’re really trying to take what they learned in language arts class and apply it in social studies," says Jeff Robinson about his students embracing the habit of applying past knowledge to new situations. The 7th and 8th grade social studies teacher says it’s a joy to hear students exclaim, "Oh, wow, I get that!" when they make those connections.

Ms. Evans also enjoys watching her young pupils discover how the habits overlap – "Oh, that reminds me of another one!"

– and seeing how they apply the lessons to what they’re tackling in school. These include "remaining open to continuous learning," "questioning and posing problems" and "thinking flexibly."

In addition to noticing the habits in others, students are becoming more self-aware and starting to see where they are in their own development. "Our staff and students are now very comfortable with the Habits of Mind vocabulary," says Principal Joanna Tobin. "Recognizing that some habits are even more relevant than others, we’re in the early planning stages of developing an even more meaningful model for next year."

Find more on Habits of Mind at www.riverdaleschool.com/HOM.

Students in the 7th/8th grade elective mural class leave their mark with Habits of Mind-inspired wall art.

Painting the walls

RIVERDALE GRADE SCHOOL – Twenty eager young muralists are racing to transform the 7th/8th grade wing before the end of the school year. Working during an elective class, under the guidance of art teacher Liz Randall, six murals are beginning to take shape.

There are two small murals each for social studies and language arts, a Spanish-inspired mural and a large mural celebrating the Habits of Mind.

"I really enjoy the process of leading students in large-scale projects," Mrs. Randall says. "They really step up and take ownership over the project because it is permanent on the walls. I love seeing them work to their fullest potential."

She says the hardest part has been translating the designs to house paint. "It is not a forgiving medium and it doesn't always cooperate. There is a lot of trial and error and repainting." There’s also the time crunch. In fact, the Spanish mural is actually a continuation of what couldn’t be finished last year.

The students are certainly having fun painting on the walls, Mrs. Randall says. "This is something most kids are told never to do and now it is their job! I think they also get a lot of joy from knowing it is something they will leave behind in the school for years to come."

Governor meets 5th graders

RIVERDALE GRADE SCHOOL – Our 5th graders tour the Oregon State Capitol every year as part of their study of the Constitution and the structure of government. Being able to see the actual Senate and House of Representatives chambers is a very concrete way to see how these parts interact. Visiting the governor's office is also a highlight, as the kids get to see the executive branch of our state government.

During this year’s trip, Governor Brown appeared unexpectedly while the tour docent was showing the group the governor's ceremonial office. The students were very excited to see her, and the governor was curious to know where in Oregon the students were from, what grade they were in and what school they attended.

Meeting the governor made visiting the Capitol very special for the kids and they were thrilled to pose for a photo with her.

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Academic Highlights Riverdale’s unprecedented achievement among the 25 selected to present at the April 28 conference

RIVERDALE HIGH SCHOOL – When Laura Keldorf was before peers, teachers, graduate students, professors and notified that all five student-written historical research university administrators. papers she submitted to the annual Young Historians

Eight were sent to the final round, including Riverdale Conference were accepted, she was elated. No other school senior Emma Komers, who tied for third place at the has ever had all of its student papers accepted. regional competition with her paper,

While this unprecedented event is "The Link Between Artemisia Gentileschi's cause for celebration alone, Ms. Keldorf Biography and Her Artistic Oeuvre." also shared that the average jurors'

"Emma's determination to focus scores for Riverdale's papers were her work on a female artist about whom higher than those of the other six there are limited resources, is evidence competing schools.

Ms. Keldorf congratulated seniors of her resolve, genuine curiosity and ability to incorporate both primary and Cindy Abrams, Ellie Barany, Emma secondary documents as she developed Komers, Matous Komers and Xander her argument," says Ms. Keldorf. "Her Klas and commended them for their artistic training at Riverdale, under the resilience, willingness to take academic guidance of our art instructor, David risks and persistence. "Crafting these Schell, provided her with additional papers required hours of research, interpretive insight and analysis, which drafts, writers workshops, one-on-one truly distinguished her work." conferencing, revising and editing; it is Emma Komers celebrates her winning paper with teacher Laura Keldorf.

"Writing the essay was rigorous, but a testament to what a student can do fun," Emma says. "I was asked to write about a topic of choice when they commit and feel supported by all of the adults in and therefore felt more motivated to research it than other their lives, both at home and school." school papers. It made me realize how much I like to conduct

Of the 50 research papers submitted from six research if the topic itself interests me." participating high schools, Riverdale’s five students were

Broadening my worldview

Tiny houses build math skills

RIVERDALE HIGH SCHOOL – I recently participated in my third Model United Nations (MUN) conference with Riverdale. First, MUN is not a competition; rather, it is a unique academic experience. MUN is a Riverdale club in which students serve as delegates for a particular country during a conference at the University of Oregon in Eugene, along with other schools’ MUN programs.

This year, students from Riverdale (seven seniors, 11 juniors, two sophomores and two freshmen) represented two different countries at the conference – Canada and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Before the conference, students choose a committee on which they would like to serve and researched two different topics that would be discussed at the conference. There are committees for a wide range of topics, including security, economics, human rights, health and human services, and the environment. This year, I was a member of the economics committee, representing the UAE.

At the conference, all delegates work collaboratively in their committees to craft resolutions on the issue with which they are faced. Debating in committee is my favorite part of the MUN experience. It is an enjoyable challenge to debate and craft policy from a different country’s perspective. For me, participating in the MUN conference is a hallmark of the school year.

RIVERDALE GRADE SCHOOL – Inspired by HGTV’s tiny house craze, Nancy Fowler asked her 7th grade students to construct some really tiny houses – ones they could pick up and carry around. Her lesson involved working with scale factor to solve proportion problems. In groups, students designed their own blueprints for houses that were 500 square feet or less. Then, they built 3D models.

"We had to think about how a person could fit inside and be comfortable," said one student, whose model was a single floor version, most similar to what you see on TV. Others were twostory, or had loft beds.

"The kids came up with their own scale factor," Ms. Fowler says. "The one thing that I Using scale factor to build tiny houses. required was that the 2D and the 3D versions were different sizes." So, the students had to scale their designs twice. Most blueprints had a foot represented by .5 or one-inch squares. But 3D models were often several times that amount.

By Ben Richmond, class of 2017

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Academic Highlights The class of 2016 earned admission to these colleges:

Riverdale's seniors earned 216 acceptances to 108 colleges and were offered more than $6 million in merit- and need-based aid.

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Academic Highlights

College: Finding your fit

RIVERDALE HIGH SCHOOL – When it comes to choosing a college, "fit" is a crucial factor. There’s a lot that goes into the decision – academic goals, learning environment, size, location, extracurricular activities, cost and more. How did some of Riverdale’s seniors make their college choices this year? Read on.

Cole Bemis – California Polytechnic State University, San Louis Obispo (Computer Science). What really impressed Cole about Cal Poly was the emphasis on "learning by doing" and the professors’ focus on undergraduate education. He applied directly to his major and will be tackling real projects in his first year. Plus, he says, the campus is near many computer industry headquarters that could lead to industry connections and internships, and there are plenty of nearby trails for hiking, biking and running. It also didn’t hurt that the tuition was less expensive than other comparable programs.

Cindy Abrams – University of St. Andrews, Scotland (International Relations). While she wasn’t able to visit the 700-year-old school in person before committing, she met with a school representative and talked with Riverdale alumnus Henry Leasia, who will graduate from St. Andrews this year. Her focus on international studies, with future plans to go onto graduate school and the Peace Corps, attracted her to the idea of studying abroad. St. Andrews stood out because of its size, school culture, rural setting, tight knit community, large number of international students and an interesting academic structure.

Katherine Pelz – Pomona College, California (Biology). What sold her on Pomona was what she calls the "ideal student to teacher ratio."

While only 1,650 students attend, she says no opportunities are lost due to its incorporation in the Claremont consortium, in which students can take classes at any of the five affiliated colleges. "On top of that, the medical school admission rates are significantly higher than the national average. And it doesn't hurt that I will be only an hour from the beach and the mountains!" She was also recruited for track and field.

Brian Gentry – University of Pittsburgh (Bioengineering, though he may shift to Mathematics). "It’s extremely similar to OSU in terms of academic rigor, size and research opportunities," he says, noting that Pittsburgh was the perfect fit because he wanted to get out of state and experience an entirely new area. He also wanted a large school because they are known for research funding and diversity of students.

Brian says he made his decision when Pittsburgh offered him a full ride scholarship, and he’s excited about taking interesting classes (including minoring in French, Arabic or Russian), joining the cross country team and experiencing the colder, snowier weather.

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Annie Rose Salisbury – Oregon State University (Civil Engineering or Physical Therapy). While following an OSU family tradition, the choice was entirely her own. "It has everything that I hope to pursue and more," she says.

Plus, equally important, OSU has a Navy ROTC program. She hopes to be an aviation officer, flying helicopters or fighter jets, which is what her grandfather did in the late 1930s. "Navy ROTC is a remarkable opportunity to graduate college as an officer in the U.S. Navy and, from there, I hope to work my way up the ranks."

Alison Scarlett - Wake Forest University, North Carolina (Undecided, possibly Psychology or Sociology). "I originally looked at Wake Forest because of its size, beautiful campus and location, but as I got to know the school more I was really drawn to the community of students and their connections to the city of Winston-Salem." There are many school/community outreach programs in fields such as medicine and public health. She’s excited to venture across the country, interact with people from different backgrounds and take a wide variety of classes so she can pinpoint the field of study she would like to pursue.

For one more college "fit" story, check out the spotlight on Brian Lorimore on page 10.

Senior Exhibitions shine

RIVERDALE HIGH SCHOOL – Riverdale’s unique, inter-disciplinary capstone project, Senior Exhibition, invites students to delve into a controversial topic that engages, challenges and calls them to action. Every year, all seniors conduct significant research, talk to experts, write a lengthy academic paper and present their findings to teachers, students and community members.

For their varied research topics, this year's seniors connected with doctors, child psychologists, South African educators eradicating educational racism, Portland Jewish Federation’s communications director, National Golf Foundation and National Golf Course Owners Association CEOs, Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting, Bradley Engle House domestic violence shelter, Oregon State Senators Mark Hass and Arnie Robland, educational reformers, think tank analysts, comedic writers from Live Wire and more.

Plus, this year, 20 community volunteers spent several hours critiquing papers and giving feedback to the students, which helped tremendously, says teacher Laura Keldorf.

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Academic Highlights Math and science grow in the garden

RIVERDALE GRADE SCHOOL – With our Outdoor Classroom clearly defined this year, many grade school teachers are weaving garden studies into other curriculum areas such as science and math.

Garden fractions

Our 2nd grade math class learned about companion planting and then used fractions to divide its garden bed. The children eagerly planted seeds after breaking up the soil and adding compost to enrich it. They continued with garden fractions and measurements as their garden grew.

Fractions play a big part in planting seeds.

Studying structures of life

As 3rd graders focused on a "structures of life" unit, they learned how seeds travel away from the parent plant in order to grow and survive in a new location. The class participated in a fun engineering investigation in which the students had to modify a seed to "travel" in one of the ways they learned about. The students also observed their sprouting seeds and transferred germinated bean seedlings into a hydroponic growing environment. They carefully measured bean growth over several weeks, while completing other investigations. Plus, the class measured the cabbages it planted this year and charted the growth data on a graph. Good news … they’re growing!

Measuring plant growth and charting data.

6th graders help kindergarteners build and design

A recent lesson in our kindergarten "build and design" science unit had students outdoors building mini-structures out of all-natural resources, with the help of some older and wiser 6th graders. The goal was to design something that would hold up to the various weather conditions about which the class was learning. Student teams had to consider the design shape as well as the materials. One method for testing the success of the structures was to see how well they provided shade. Students found they could do that by checking temperatures both inside and outside the structures on a sunny day. And what better place to be on a sunny day, than in our Outdoor Classroom?

Teamwork leads to some well-built structures.

Grade school learning knows no bounds Oregon Zoo

(Kindergarten and 4th)

Cannon Beach and Arcadia Beach

Willamette River - Salmon Release (Kindergarten and 6th)

Oaks Amusement Park (8th)

Lee Farms, Tualatin, OR (Kindergarten)

Lake Oswego Fire Station

(1st and 2nd)

Multnomah Co. & Mark O'Hatfield Courthouses (8th)

Camp Namanu and Portland Amazing Race (7th)

Shakespeare in Ashland

Bonneville Dam

(8th)

(7th)

(Kindergarten)

Lake Oswego City Hall

Sandy River Outdoor School

(1st and 2nd)

(6th)

Marshall Park

Tryon Creek State Park

(1st and 2nd)

Portland Art Museum (1st and 2nd)

Bull Run Watershed (3rd)

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ight Adventures rn e v O d n a s p ri T ld 2015-16 Fie Oregon Children's Theatre (3rd)

Portland Bridge Tour and Walking Tour (3rd)

Aurora Colony Stauffer Will Farm (4th)

Fort Vancouver (4th)

Camp Kuratli at Trestle Glen and OMSI (4th)

(5th and 6th)

Evergreen Aviation Museum (5th)

Mount St. Helens and Oregon State Capitol, Salem (5th)

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Academic Highlights Puget Sound (continued from page 1)

Blending art and science

For many students, learning can become an arduous task in a repetitive and, at times, mundane environment. However, when the scene changes and the classmates we see everyday disappear, we’re forced to pay attention and learn as much as we can about our new environment. That sense of adventure, willingness to learn, energy and teamwork is required to sail a 160-foot vessel, and it was remarkable to see how naturally and quickly we adapted to our nautical environment.

With a 4,000 square foot main sail (the largest on the West Coast) and ropes as thick as tree branches to haul it, our hands and bodies were put to work by the wind, but our minds stayed spry with the humor of our fellow deckhands. John, a veteran sailor and a New Yorker with an accent to prove it, kept us entertained with stories of the Zodiac’s 94-year history, and Dennis enlightened us about the region’s geology.

Sailing further through the islands connected our group and provided lifelong memories. For me, the most profound aspect of the experience has come afterwards, when I walk by crewmates in school and strike up a conversation. Some had been unknown faces, but now we share a common and rich history that has showed us parts of each other that wouldn’t be possible within the bounds of a classroom. For that, I am very thankful to Principal Paula Robinson, Riverdale High School and the Zodiac Schooner volunteers and staff for an unforgettable week in the San Juans.

See a video of the trip by seniors Marty Agrimis and Matous Komers at https://vimeo.com/161064508.

RIVERDALE HIGH SCHOOL – Art and Science is an elective, team-taught by art teacher David Schell and science teacher Laurie LePore. "In this class, we are asking students to use both sides of their brain to learn, and we truly believe that this method increases understanding of the science while honing skills in art," they say.

This class was created four years ago and each year the projects have all been different. There are 40-48 students in class, representing all ages and artistic abilities. They complete four large projects, which challenge them to investigate science through different creative outlets.

The first project studied "organisms out of place" (OOPS), the second project focused on bioluminescence, the third project dealt with evolution (presented by Katherine Pelz, class of 2016) and the fourth project allowed students to study an aspect of science of their choice and render it artistically. It is a unique class that offers students a different perspective on science while strengthening their artistic skills.

In the 1960s, scientific research A lesson in bioluminescence, showed that the human brain has two through pen and ink watercolors. very different ways of thinking. The right brain is visual and processes information in an intuitive and simultaneous way, whereas the left brain is verbal, processing information in an analytical and sequential way. Although this theory has been questioned by neurologists, it is the perfect metaphor for the different ways people learn. This class forces students to approach their work using the whole brain.

Internships (continued from page 1) While it sounds like she had a good time, I have to say that we all had an even better time having her there."

At Small Parts Manufacturing, sophomore Andrew Hill started in shipping and continued to production, ending in tool management and inspection. "Through this experience I learned both about the cycle of creating specialized small parts and what it means to be an employee. To my surprise, I learned quite a bit about CAD and engineering that I look to for a possible career."

Sophomore Gillian Styring says the most inspiring part of her Portland Surgical Specialists internship "was meeting the patient, witnessing the procedure, then watching the same patient regain consciousness … For half of my life I have wanted to go into the medical field, more specifically orthopedic surgery.

Now, I can confidently say that I am sure of my decision."

"Every student expressed sincere gratitude to the professionals with whom they worked, and shared examples of life lessons they’ll take with them," says Mrs. Bundy, who believes we’ve successfully established a strong base of contacts to grow for similar opportunities in the future. The high school is evaluating the process for further expansion, hoping to be able to offer some type of internship to any interested student.

Students with internship dreams and community members who can fulfill them are asked to contact internships@riverdale.k12.or.us.

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Art and Science students tackle the "Great Jellyfish Challenge."

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Faces of Riverdale Pursuing his passion for work and school

RIVERDALE HIGH SCHOOL – Ben Lorimore had an edge on the competition when it came to applying to the extremely competitive Industrial Design program at Western Washington University. He’s been working as an industrial designer for the past eight months, so his portfolio was full of very advanced 3D modeled renders and prints that most applicants wouldn't have.

He also spent four months refining the story behind each image in his portfolio and its overall layout until he thought it was perfect. This level of motivation seems rare for someone still in high school.

Ben Lorimore, class of 2016.

Yet, Ben says he had to stop thinking of himself as a kid when he took on his design job. "When I have work to do or deadlines I need to meet, I simply tell my friends I'm busy, no exceptions.

Work always comes first … Although this probably sounds tough for a teenager, it has actually been pretty easy, simply because I love the work I'm doing so much."

Ben is part of a three-person start-up company that creates products using a spokeless wheel they invented, including a wheelchair, a motorcycle and a few things he is not at liberty to discuss. Ben starts his product designs as pencil sketches and finishes with complete computer aided design assemblies ready for manufacture.

His work experience has made him more eager than ever to start his formal college education in his chosen field at Western Washington University.

Only 24 pre-majors are accepted as freshmen each year. At the end of sophomore year, only 12 are selected to continue in the major. The Bachelor of Science program blends design with engineering, and students have access to all the industrial machines needed to prototype their products. "This gives it a very high reputation in the industrial design community, meaning almost all their graduates go to work in a similar field straight out of school," Ben says. "The examples of student work were also extremely impressive, as were the list of companies where alumni currently work."

In addition to the exceptional academic program, he found the size of 15,000 students to be small enough to get a true connection but big enough to get the full "university experience." And one of the biggest pluses?

He says the students he’s encountered "were some of the coolest, most genuine people I've ever met."

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Kids clean up campus, planet

RIVERDALE GRADE SCHOOL – A group of dedicated 4th graders has been working hard to keep our campus (and our planet) tidy by collecting balls at the end of recess periods and picking up trash. Their goal is to spread the word throughout the school and encourage other kids to help with this task to create lifelong earth-friendly habits. "Please help by starting to pick up trash, then you can be a great example to other people," the group said in a class presentation.

Library says farewell, hello

RIVERDALE HIGH SCHOOL – This year marks the end of a Riverdale library era. Both the high school's librarian and library assistant are retiring after years of dedicated service.

Kate Loggan has been the librarian for 13 years. Her favorite things have been her colleagues and "greeting the students every morning as I open the library and helping them get ready for the day. I've also really appreciated the school's Coalition of Essential Schools model that seems very democratic."

When she announced her retirement after 22 years with the Riverdale School District (in both the grade school and high school), Debbie Connell said, "It has been my goal to get books into the hands and hearts of as many students as possible and to facilitate a love of reading and learning. I will always consider it a privilege to have been a small part of a great school."

Next year’s librarian, Sarah Hansen (who has a Masters in English Curriculum and Instruction), knows she has big shoes to fill. "I want to continue the great work that Kate Loggan has done," she says, regarding working with staff and students on research and literacy, and promoting reading for enjoyment with events, book clubs and Oregon Battle of the Books. In fact, she’s loaded the 2017 OBOB list on her Kindle for her summer travels.

Ms. Hansen says her "major focus will be building and expanding connections with other libraries in our community in order to increase access to information for our students." She is excited to help identify new ways to use existing technology within the curriculum, and make our library catalogue accessible from home through a mobile app. Plus, she’s looking forward to great conversations with the Riverdale community about books.

Riverdale Review

Athletics Another great season for athletics RIVERDALE HIGH SCHOOL Maverick Tennis: Both the girls’ and boys’ teams traveled to Tualatin Hills for the district tournament on May 9-10.

Senior Michelle Ly qualified for her fourth state tournament – a record for her and for Riverdale High School. Michelle reached the finals in the girls’ singles bracket at the district tournament, where she took second place to her opponent from Catlin Gabel in two sets, 6-1, 6-1. At the OSAA State Tennis Championships on May 20-21 at Oregon State University, Michelle advanced Michelle Ly takes to the 4A/3A/2A/1A Girls’ Singles Finals, where she lost second place at to her district rival from Catlin Gabel in two sets, 6-0, 6-1, state tournament. taking second place.

The boys’ season ended at the district tournament with well-fought matches from both experienced players and newcomers. Senior Matous Komers lost in the quarterfinals to the third seed from Oregon Episcopal School, 6-2, 6-2. The boys’ doubles team of Grant Roulier and Gabe Roulier, played excellently, winning their first round match to move on, but lost in the second round to the second seed duo from OES, 6-0, 6-0.

Maverick Track and Field: The boys’ and girls’ teams competed at the Lewis and Clark League District Meet on May 13-14, held at Portland Christian High School.

On the girls’ team, freshman Zoe Zurasky qualified for the OSAA State Track and Field Championships by placing first in the 100m and Zoe Zurasky on top of the podium.

200m finals, with respective times of 13.13 and 27.19 seconds. At the championships, she placed seventh in the 100m finals with a time of 13.13 seconds, and sixth in the 200m finals with a time of 27.18 seconds.

Senior Katherine Pelz also secured her spot at the state meet by finishing first in discus and javelin with respective distances of 98-11 and 112-09. At the Katherine Pelz goes to state for javelin. championships, she finished in ninth place for javelin (95-05), and in sixth place for discus (104-11).

Despite not qualifying for the championships, the Maverick men had some impressive finishes. Senior Haig Douzdjian finished fifth in the 400m finals with a time of 55.48 seconds. Sophomore Canon Wright finished behind Douzdjian in sixth place with a time of 56.08 seconds. Junior Seth McFarlane placed third in the pole vault finals with a height of 10-00.00.

also the first year that Riverdale High School has fielded a full team in the girls’ tournament.

The boys’ team was working under the guidance of new coach Spencer Gerke, and finished sixth out of nine teams. Senior Will Couche is 29 over par.

Will Couche shot 85 on day one and 76 on day two, resulting in a third place finish. He qualified for the OSAA State Golf Championships on May 16-17, at Emerald Valley Golf Club in Creswell, Oregon.

Will shot 86 in the first round and 87 in the second, totaling 173 strokes. He tied for 16th place in the individual round with a score of 29 over par.

RIVERDALE GRADE SCHOOL

Falcons Track and Field: Led by new head coach Keli Hall, Falcons Track and Field traveled to the Metro Christian League District Meet held at Portland Christian High School on May 10. Riverdale 7th grader Olivia W. competed in the finals for girls’ high jump (4-02.00) and girls’ 100m hurdles 30" (19.80), and finished fifth in both categories.

Lane L., also in 7th grade, finished in eighth place in the girls’ 100m finals (14.79). Jack B., 8th grader, also had an impressive sixth place finish in the boys' 100m finals (13.31).

The 7th and 8th graders went on to compete at the Willamette River League District Championships on May 17, located at Wilsonville High School, where Nova H. finished fifth in the 7th grade shot put finals, with a distance of 29-06.50. The 6th graders also traveled to the district championships the following day at Sherwood High School, where Olivia A. tied for fifth place in the 6th grade high jump finals, with a height of 4-02.00.

Maverick Golf: Both the girls’ and boys’ teams traveled to Broadmoor Golf Course for the district tournament on May 9-10.

On day one, the entire girls’ team accomplished personal bests. On day two, the girls’ team shaved 35 strokes off its overall total, finishing seventh out of 12 schools. Junior Sophia Baker shot 101 on day two, which is a personal best and school record for the girls’ team. Great progress, as it is Riverdale Review

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Riverdale Review

Riverdale School District 11733 SW Breyman Ave. Portland, OR 97219

Spring 2016

DISTRICT 51J

Inside this issue: • Latest News • Supporting Our Schools • Academic Highlights • Faces of Riverdale • Athletics • Events and Activities

P. 1 P. 2 P. 3-9 P. 10 P. 11 P. 12

Events and Activities Celebrating the arts Photo by Martin Dixon

RIVERDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT – Riverdale continues to demonstrate its commitment to both visual and performing arts at all grade levels.

During our annual District Arts Night in April, we celebrated the creative endeavors our preschool through 12th grade students have been undertaking all year, with art and music filling the halls.

Alice visits Wonderland

Photo by Liz Randall

Photo by Canon Wright

RIVERDALE GRADE SCHOOL – With three Alices, three Cheshire Cats and a menagerie of other familiar characters, 40 students brought "Alice in Wonderland Jr." to life on the grade school stage for three performances in May.

One act festival scores again

RIVERDALE HIGH SCHOOL – After the success of last spring’s hilarious "Festival of One Act Plays," RHS Drama presented a new set of plays to entertain the crowds at the Lakewood Center for the Arts for the last show of the year.

Photo by Liz Randall

Mark your calendar

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June 7 June 9 Aug. 17 Aug. 18 Aug. 26 Aug. 29 Sept. 6

HS Graduation GS 8th Grade Promotion HS Registration Day (3-6 p.m.)

GS Registration Day (2-5 p.m.)

First Day for All New HS Students First Day for Grades 1-8 and 10-12 First Day for PreK and Kindergarten Riverdale Review