Ritenour School District

Exciting news! 🎉 The Ritenour School for Early Childhood Education (RSECE) has been named the 2024 Early Childhood Program of the Year by the Missouri School Boards’ Association! 🌟 RSECE’s free, play-based program serves 224 preschoolers and is rooted in a Reggio-inspired approach that nurtures curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking. With a focus on holistic child development, community engagement, and professional growth, RSECE is making a lasting impact on our youngest learners. Congratulations to the incredible educators and families who make this program shine! 🌱👧👦

Learn more: https://www.ritenourschools.org/rsd/~board/ritenour-school-district-news/post/ritenour-school-for-early-childhood-education-named-missouris-2024-early-childhood-program-of-the-year

🐾Our Husky pride was on full display this morning! 🎺🇺🇸🏈

Our amazing RHS students brought the energy before sunrise for KSDK-Ch. 5's Back-to-School special. Shoutout to our band, cheerleaders, Rhythmettes, JROTC cadets, Student Leadership, and football team for representing us live with reporter Mercedes McKay!

A huge thank you to our dedicated coaches, sponsors, and teachers for bringing out the best in our students. You helped them shine even before the sun came up!

Check out clips from this morning's show!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoP-ShnCPEA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWmc2lTKSW8

We had such a blast today at our Black & Orange Back-to-School Bash!

Join us tomorrow, Saturday, Aug. 24 for Ritenour’s annual Black & Orange Back to School Bash!

What?
Black & Orange Back to School Bash!

When?
Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024 • 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Where?
Ritenour High School, 9100 St. Charles Rock Road

Why?
• Kid-friendly activities
• Food and game booths
• Performances by the RHS marching band
• Information about Boy & Girl Scouts
• Meet RHS coaches, athletes, cheerleaders and Rhythmettes
• Information about Ritenour’s programs
• Music by KRHS-Radio D.J.’s
• Spirit wear for purchase
• Junior Huskies football game
• Many more free opportunities and activities

Who?
Everyone is invited! We can’t wait to see you there!

We love our substitute staff members and have quite a few who have been serving Ritenour for many years! Last week, our longtime substitutes were treated to a recognition breakfast for their commitment to Ritenour students, thanks to Jamie Sims, a Human Resources assistant who coordinates our substitutes.

We were thrilled to recognize longtime substitute teachers and support staff with some breakfast treats and Ritenour swag:
35 years: Jeanne Sander;
24 Years, Sarah Marx and Lawrence Zerega;
23 Years: Turon Blevins and David Oldfield;
18 Years: Molly Ledbetter;
15 Years: Mary Portell;
14 Years: Kenneth Brostow;
10 Years: *Linda Deichman, Shurone Thompson and *Mary McFarland;
9 Years: Shervon Dunn, Carol Wilkerson, *Sue Seymour and Jean Haughton;
7 Years: *Denise Harper, *Diane Dowdy and Lyons Lemon;
6 Years: Rhonda Tennial, Robert Hamilton, *GayLynn Schnelker and Lora Williams;
5 Years: Rumana Khan and Tara Burleson.

*denotes retired Ritenour staff who returned as substitutes

Ritenour is always looking to expand our team of substitutes to fill in when needed in Ritenour classrooms, school offices, cafeterias, buses and other support positions. Check out how to apply as a sub in Ritenour: https://www.ritenourschools.org/departments/human-resources

Keep those pictures coming!

Today is a great day in Ritenour, and we are LOVING all the photos of smiling students ready to learn and grow this year! Please continue sharing your first day photos with us!

🎉 Transition Day in Ritenour was a huge success today! 🎒 Our newest kindergartners, sixth graders, ninth graders, and students from Husky Academy and the International Welcome Center had an amazing time getting to know their new schools. From school tours and meeting teachers to fun activities and connecting with new friends, the day was filled with excitement and positivity! 🚌📚

We can't wait to see everyone back on Monday, Aug. 19 for the first official day of school!

Our free immunization clinic from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Aug. 10 in the Ritenour Auditorium Lobby at Ritenour High School is perfect for Ritenour families with children PreK-12 who still need to get school-required immunizations to start school on Aug. 19. Children must have a parent or guardian with them. Learn more on the Ritenour website: https://www.ritenourschools.org/rsd/~board/ritenour-school-district-news/post/vaccination-clinic

Iveland and Kratz elementary schools, as well as Ritenour Middle School, are piloting Chromebook distribution events for students this week. It has been a great success so far! Iveland and Kratz will have their second day of rollouts tomorrow (from 8 a.m. to noon at Kratz; and from 1-5 p.m. at Iveland). Ritenour Middle School's event today also included free books from the St. Louis County library, visiting with their SRO, free craft kits, and signups for after-school activities and Mathnasium. RHS had its Chromebook distribution last week and will again roll out more on Freshman Transition Day on Aug. 15. We hope to expand this opportunity at our other schools next year thanks to the success this week.

We are so excited to welcome all of our new Ritenour teachers for a week of learning specifically devoted to them! They kicked off their learning yesterday by hearing from Ritenour students, who talked about how different styles of teaching have impacted their learning, how some of their teachers have decreased their anxiety with their classroom setups, and how grateful they have been for the above-and beyond support that Ritenour teachers have given them through their educational journey. Welcome to the Ritenour family!

Ritenour families - save big on back-to-school shopping this weekend with Missouri's Tax-Free Weekend: August 2-4, 2024!

🛍️ Shop tax-free on:

-Clothing
-School supplies
-Computers
-And more!

This year, ALL state AND local sales taxes are exempt on qualifying items.

Prepare for the new school year while keeping more money in your pocket. Happy shopping, Huskies! 🐾

Learn more: https://dor.mo.gov/taxation/business/tax-types/sales-use/holidays/back-to-school/

Our future kindergartners are having a blast at Kindergarten Readiness Camp this week! Check out these adorable photos from our six elementary schools – the smiles say it all! We can't wait to welcome these bright young minds to our classrooms this fall.

The first day of school is less than one month away, and we are already looking forward to seeing those smiling faces on Aug. 19. Please take a moment to view upcoming events at each school, find your school supply list, and learn everything you need to know before school starts back up. https://www.ritenourschools.org/parents/back-to-school/welcome-back

Get ready for some exciting news, Huskies!

Ritenour High School Hall of Fame inductees will be announced next Monday! We are already looking forward to homecoming weekend Sept. 20-21. 🏈📣 Two incredible Ritenour alumni and a Lifetime Achievement Award recipient will be honored at a special ceremony in the Ritenour Auditorium on Friday, Sept. 20. Mark your calendars and join us in celebrating their amazing accomplishments! 🎓✨

Enroll and Register for Kindergarten Readiness Camp!

The Ritenour School District is excited to welcome the class of 2037 this fall! Kindergarten registration is open for families who live in the Ritenour School District with children who will turn 5 by July 31.

Please visit ritenourschools.org/enrollment to register your child for the upcoming school year.

Once registered, kindergarten students are encouraged to attend Kindergarten Readiness Camp July 29-Aug. 2!

Parents can pick a morning session (8:30 to 11:30 a.m.) or afternoon session (12:30 to 3:30 p.m.) when they register based on their child’s preschool experience. The weeklong program will introduce students to entry-level kindergarten skills and ease the transition to school.

Learn more and sign up:
English:https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1709058315/ritenourk12mous/a9ztvfcefoe4wapfeugh/KindergartenReadinessFlyerLR_pg1_24_English.pdf

Spanish:https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1709058316/ritenourk12mous/njfuch1ixajt4xszhrrb/KindergartenReadinessFlyer_pg1LR_24_SP.pdf

Happy Independence Day! The Ritenour School District is closed today. Be safe and have fun!

Ritenour staff are going above and beyond to meet the needs of Ritenour students and families!

This summer, teachers and support staff, including our dedicated bus drivers, are taking classes to learn conversational Spanish. 💬📚

These classes, taught by RHS Spanish teacher John Becker, are all about better connecting with our students and families whose first language is Spanish. It's amazing to see our staff's commitment to fostering a more inclusive and supportive community.

Thank you for your dedication and hard work! ¡Gracias por su dedicación y trabajo duro!

Last week a few Marvin families had the opportunity to attend a Cardinals game together! They got to go on the field to watch batting practice, as well as meet and greet with Benjie Molina and other players. Everyone got a T-shirt, hot dog and soda with their ticket. It was a great experience for all families who attended - they even made the Cardinals’ official Instagram page!

Benjie Molina talked about how he learned English through ESL and even expressed interest in giving an inspirational talk to Ritenour students in the future. It was a great day!

Today we celebrate , or "Freedom Day," honoring the end of slavery in the U.S. In Ritenour, we embrace diversity and the strength it brings to our community. We foster an inclusive and supportive environment for all our students, staff, and families. Juneteenth is not only a time to reflect on our past but also a chance to inspire us all to strive toward a more equitable future. Happy Freedom Day, Ritenour!

Kona Ice of University City came through big time for Ritenour schools this year! Their tasty truck visits helped raise a total of $8,322 for student and family activities. Ritenour High School student activities got a boost of $6,912 from their weekly visits by Kona Ice. Ritenour Middle, Hoech and Marion Elementary also got a sweet fundraising boost from those irresistible shaved ice cups. 🙌 Major props to Joe and Mo Buehler from Kona Ice for their awesome school support! They're aiming even higher for 2024-2025 with a goal to more than double their donations.

🎷🎺 🎻The Gateway Festival Orchestra will perform a free Juneteenth Concert at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 20 at Florissant Valley Community College's Terry M. Fischer Theatre. Among the performing artists is Blake Hernton, Ritenour High School orchestra teacher. The program will feature several premieres and prominent black composers throughout music history. https://www.gatewayfestivalorchestra.org/a-celebration-of-black-composers/

Excuse our mess! Thanks to the community's tremendous support of the Proposition S bond issue, improvements are underway with the construction of new main entrances at six Ritenour sites. The new entryways provide a double layer of security with a secured vestibule at the main entrance. This allows office staff to screen anyone entering the school before giving them access to the building. The new entryways are under construction at the Administrative Center, Ritenour High School, Hoech Middle School, and Buder, Kratz and Marvin elementary schools. Our office staff in each of these schools have been moved temporarily to other rooms within their building. Last summer new vestibules were completed at Wyland, Ritenour Middle and Marion. For more information about Prop S projects, go to: https://www.ritenourschools.org/community/proposition-s

Today’s shout-out goes to 2024 Husky graduate Cailan Wooten, who just recently received official word that she is one of four U.S. students to receive the prestigious Lester B. Pearson International Student Scholarship to the University of Toronto. Only 37 students from countries across the globe received this 2024 full-ride scholarship. Cailan, who was one of the speakers at graduation on June 1, plans to study sociology and statistics and ultimately a career in law. Congratulations, Cailan!