The streets were buzzing early this morning with the youth in the community heading back to school for the first day of the 2016-17 school year in the Riverbank Unified School District. There are some returning students and some new students as well as some staff members moving into new positions and new staff filling spots vacated due to retirement or resignation.
Riverbank High School hosted Bruin Day on Aug. 3, a week before the start of school, so that students could get their schedules, lockers, sign up for an ASB card, buy a yearbook, get their picture taken, and for the first time students were also assigned a Chrome Book.
“Bruin Day went well,” said RHS Principal Sean Richey. “It can get a little chaotic at times, but we were able to adjust and resolve some issues that cropped up. Overall, I was very pleased.”
Several incoming seniors arrived on campus and manned some of the booths like Leadership students and Class President, Marissa Rosas and Maria Nuno, who were signing students up for their ASB cards, which gives students discounts for various school activities. Rodrigo Dimas and Geovany Ramirez were signing students up for the yearbook.
With approximately 700 students getting ready to attend RHS for the new school year, Bruin Day helps them get prepared.
Freshmen were at the high school first at 9 a.m. to orient themselves with the school to map out their classes and prepare for today.
The sophomores hit the campus from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m., getting their pictures taken and seeing some friends they have not seen since last year.
Starting at 11 a.m. juniors had their turn to socialize and prioritize for the first day.
Seniors wrapped Bruin Day, with their time slot running from noon until 1 p.m.
“The Chrome Book distribution went well,” added Richey. “As of Monday morning, we had already distributed 500 Chrome Books to students.
“I was pleased that our families and students are expressing such an interest in the use of technology for student learning.”
Back to school night for RHS will be held on Thursday, Aug. 25 at 6 p.m.
Cardozo Rounds ‘Em Up
Cardozo Middle School students, like their older RHS counterparts, gathered recently for a day of organization, their event hosted on Thursday.
Students and their families lined up in the multi-purpose room by last name to receive their class schedule and turn in required paperwork. They also received their gym clothes for their PE period.
From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., sixth graders and their families occupied the campus. After taking care of their papers, they visited their assigned classroom to meet with this year’s teachers.
Since they’re still officially ‘elementary’ students, sixth graders have a wing to themselves, with classes that have a single teacher and are what is termed ‘self-contained.’ They go to music period and PE but otherwise remain in one classroom. They also have a separate lunch period.
The seventh and eighth graders have different subject matter classes, moving from room to room, and go to PE and lunch at different times than the lower classes.
Seventh graders accomplished their ‘Round-up’ work from 11 a.m. to noon, with eighth graders and their families coming in from noon to 1 p.m.
California Avenue and Mesa Verde elementary schools as well as Cardozo Middle and Riverbank High School all started classes today, as did Crossroads Elementary School, which is in the Sylvan School District.
News Correspondent Ric McGinnis contributed to this story.
