© California Department of Education Each set of released test questions (RTQs) is representative of the various content areas measured by items on the California Standards Tests (CSTs). The documents listed below contain RTQs taken from portions of the CSTs from 2003 through 2008. Funding to annually add additional RTQs to the available sets of RTQs was eliminated from the state budget beginning with the 2009 Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program test administration .

"People around the world have been celebrating the start of each new year for at least four millennia. Ever wondered who made the first resolutions or what traditional dishes to serve at your New Year's Eve bash?" Get your questions answered http://www.history.com/news/new-years-history-festive-facts?cmpid=INT_Outbrain_HITH_HIS&obref=obnetwork

If you would like ideas to help your child set healthy and attainable resolutions, the following New Year tips are from the American Academy of Pediatrics: http://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/news-features-and-safety-tips/pages/Healthy-New-Year-Resolutions-for-Kids.aspx

Family Business Quarterly The objective of Banana Moments: Family Business Quarterly is to help parents rise above the noise and the fray of the daily, weekly, monthly press of information and life's stresses of family business. Banana Moments offers insights and inspiration to reinforce your own family values and help you lead children in this network culture that pressures all of us with things that don't really matter and are largely not true.

Banana Moments: Family Business Quarterly is commercial free.

http://bananamoments.com/resources/

Would you like to make the holidays a little brighter for an EUSD child and their family?

The Ridgeview Giving Tree is decorated with festive gift tags just waiting to be claimed.

The Giving Tree is located in the RV School Office. Office hours are 8:15am-4:15pm M-F. The RV Office Staff are more than happy to help you with directions for The Giving Tree.

Thank you for making someone else's holiday, happier, warmer, and more fun. If you would like more information please call the school office 791-3477

Vehicle Safety Parents and other adults can do much to improve traffic safety around schools by driving cautiously, teaching children safe practices, and limiting vehicle trips. In some cases, parents and other drivers may be the cause of safety concerns.

• Drivers should obey all traffic laws and apply the following practices.
• Carpooling can reduce the number of vehicles near the school, especially during poor weather.
• Make sure children are careful in opening the vehicle doors and that they exit and enter on the curbside of the vehicle.
• Children should not be allowed to cross the street in the middle of the block to reach the vehicle.
• Drivers should not double park or block traffic.
• Waiting or parking in red zones is also not allowed.
• Do not block buses or use areas designated for buses only. If an emergency vehicle requires access, the area should be cleared.
• Never leave a vehicle unattended in a loading zone.
• Do not park within a crosswalk or pass a stopped vehicle which is allowing pedestrians to cross.
• Do not violate the law by using the excuse "I will just be here a minute" when picking up or dropping off children.
• Violations still present a danger and cause congestion during the time of day when it is most important to provide safety for children and avoid congestion.
• Learn the traffic patterns at the school and avoid being a disruption.

Here are some ideas for how you can get the most out of your parent-teacher conferences this year.

• Talk to your child before the conference. Ask your child what he or she would like you to discuss at the meeting.
• Find out beforehand if the teacher wants the student to attend the conference with you.
• Ask questions. Come to the conference with a list of questions regarding your child's academic and social issues, as well as questions about the teacher's philosophy. Some good questions to ask may include:
  
  • What are my child's areas of strength and areas of concern?
  • What can I do to extend my child's learning at home?
  • Is my child working up to his or her ability? If not, what can we do to change that?
  • How do you assess my child's learning?
  • How do you challenge my student if he or she is excelling? How can you support my child if he is falling behind?
  • What is your homework policy?
• Share information about your child. Teachers need your help as they educate your children. No one knows your child better than you. The more you share about your child as it relates to the educational setting, the better the teacher will successfully meet his or her needs.
• If you have a concern, please be sure to discuss it. Plan ahead of time how you will raise an issue of concern. When expressing concerns be tactful, but thorough .
• Listen to what the teacher has to say in response to the concern. Then work together to find a solution.
• Take notes during the conference so that you can review and discuss key points with your child at home.
• Make the most of your time. Conferences are usually scheduled for 20-30 minutes.
• Arrive on time.
• Try not to bring babies or young children to the meeting as they can cause distractions.

Success at School Improve Writing

Skills When it comes to writing assignments, ADHD students may have an overflow of creative ideas, but often struggle to get these ideas onto paper. to know more... http://view.exacttarget.com/?j=fe6116797364007f7117&m=fef016767c6c02&ls=fdc715717d63017d741c727365&l=fe8e15787362067e72&s=fdef15727d610d7b7410737c&jb=ffcf14&ju=fe281774766c007d701276

Are we hurting our children by constantly telling them how smart and great they are?
By Todd Huffman

 "She's so advanced!" beams the proud parent. "He's just so smart!" boasts the doting grandmother.

 So goes another day in the Lake Wobegon land of a pediatric office, where all the children are above average.

read more...http://special.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/opinion/25315084-47/smart-failure-intelligence-kids-praise.csp

Greetings! Please find below (via the link) and the attached PDF, the 2012 Spring Edition of Banana Moments: Family Business Quarterly. http:// bananamoments.com /bmblog/youth-suicide-resiliency-and-relating-in-the-net/ This edition features what youth suicide teaches us about resiliency, relating and hope for the future. Also introducing a new talk show about the issues facing children and families in a podcast called Three Moms and A Mike (my friend Dave Lema is "the Mike" expressing the Dad's point of view). Check it out and let me know what you think. The content that used to be in the text of the email, has been loaded into a web-page to make it easier for all email formats/devices to access the links to resources. If you have any difficulty accessing the link above, or the attached PDF with the spring edition articles, let me know.

Joanna Joanna Jullien Banana Moments

By Diana Lambert dlambert@sacbee.com Published: Monday, May. 7, 2012 - 12:00 am | Page 2B Last Modified: Monday, May. 7, 2012 - 7:45 am Eureka Union School District will hold a "21st Century Expo" at 6 p.m. May 21 in the gym shared by Oakhills and Ridgeview elementary schools at 9177 Twin Schools Road in Granite Bay. The expo will introduce community members to the district's Challenge 21 program. The program focuses on "21st century skills" like critical thinking, collaboration and character development, according to a news release from the district. Families interested in the Project Lead the Way program can hear more about it at an informational meeting at 5:30 p.m. The program offers a rigorous science, technology, engineering and math curriculum. The district will offer the program to eighth-grade students at both Cavitt and Olympus junior high schools next school year. The expo is being held as the district is accepting inter-district transfers for next school year. For more information, to to www.eurekausd.org or call Heidi Williams, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, at (916) 791-4939.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/07/4470718/critical-thinking-program-unveiled.html#storylink=cpy

Sixth grade staff can hardly wait to spend a fun-filled, week with your child during Outdoor Education Science Camp next October! Adult Counselors are responsible for a cabin of 6 or 7 students. You will participate alongside students, as you are led by teachers on hikes through the Armstrong Redwood forest, visit ocean tide pools, sing campfire songs, eat delicious meals, and so much more.

Camp is October 8-12, 2012.

There is a mandatory counselor training workshop Tuesday, September 25th 6:00-8:00pm at Ridgeview School.

We need a minimum of 16 dads and 16 moms to volunteer for this very important role. For more detailed information, please download the attachment.

Interested parents, must submit their application by Wednesday, April 18th. I hope you consider attending with your child, it is an opportunity of a lifetime!

Submitted by I.K., Student Principal for the Day:

In Ridgeview elementary school we have a variety of playing equipment, kind teachers, and friendly students. The equipment that we have here are basketballs, soccer balls, jump ropes, hula-hoops, and footballs. The teachers are very kind and will try their best to help you understand any concept. When I first went to Oakhills, I didn't know anybody there so I was scared. Then, the teacher introduced me to the kids but i still didn't feel comfortable so I went to recess with a kid named Jayden. By the next day, I felt a lot more comfortable and I had a blast. Jayden and I are still good friends. I talked about Oakhills but Ridgeview is the exact same but even better. The kids will teach you any rules of a game that you may wish to play. But the education is what really makes this school stand out. The education is excellent and you learn everything that you would need in life. For example using percentages. If something said 20% off but you wanted to know the real price, you would learn how to do that in less than 10 seconds. Some extracurricular activities are band, Spanish, and P.E. We even have a computer lab and the computers are Macbooks! All in all Ridgeview is an awesome school.

I hope everyone has had a restful, enjoyable Winter Break and is ready for the new year. Many folks make New Year's Resolutions, which is a great way of setting goals.

My Master's Thesis was how on how help student's set and attain goals; The Need for Student's to Learn Goal-Setting Techniques, University of La Verne. Although, typed 'back in the day'when we still used typewriters, the information is still relevant today.

I would like to take this opportunity to share some of the main ideas of my thesis:

"I am responsible for what I see. I choose the feelings I experience, and I decide upon the goal I would achieve. And everything that seems to happen to me, I ask for, and I receive as I have asked." Gerald G. Jamplosky, M.D.

1. If a person utilizes goal-setting techniques, he can reduce the stress of being a student and take more control of his educational experience.

2. Success is defined as the attainment of any given goal, set by the student, which produces a positive effect on his well-being, happiness, and education.

3. Those who take control of their lives and decide for themselves the direction they want their lives to take, are motivated goal-setters.

4. Any student, regardless of physical or academic ability, socioeconomic or demographic situation can benefit from goal-setting.

You must want to cause a change.

A Student's Guide:

1. Define a goal in precise terms (the student should be able to paraphrase the goal specifically).
2. Clearly state the goal-setting process.
3. Put the goal-setting process into personal use.
4. Keep a diary of your goal, the process, and the outcome of that process.
5. Evaluate the terminal behavior as successful or unsuccessful in obtaining your goal. (Remember: Success is defined as the attainment of any given goal, set by the student, which produces a positive effect on his well-being, happiness, and education.)

Thank you for allowing me to share my insights and experiences as it relates to helping students be successful in their goal-setting process.

Thank you for supporting Ridgeview School through participating in the Box Tops program.

Our goal this year is to raise $1,500 for technology support.

During September's Box Tops for Education Extravaganza we earned $738.60!

The Extravaganza is over, but we collect Box Tops all year long. Please continue to cut them out and send them in to school.

Congratulations to the 3 top collecting classes:

4th Grade - Mrs. Martin's class: 433 Box Tops

5th Grade - Mrs. Kinloch's class: 1,008 Box Tops

6th Grade - Mrs. Ashby's class: 1,130 Box Tops

THANK YOU, Mrs. Young for organizing and running this worthwhile event!

This is a Spare The Air advisory Today and Tomorrow are Spare The Air days.

Wednesday, Sep 21: 154 AQI - Unhealthy (Ozone)

Thursday, Sep 22: 154 AQI - Unhealthy (Ozone)

Drivers in the Sacramento region are asked to reduce driving or not drive at all during this period of unhealthy air quality.

Carpool to sports and recreation activities, bike or walk in the morning hours when pollution levels are low, postpone errands or take the bus and light rail.

Free Transit in the Sacramento Region on Spare The Air Days Auburn Transit, Lincoln Transit, Placer County Transit and Roseville Transit:

http://www.pctpa.org or call (530) 823-4030 Yolo Bus and Unitrans: http://www.yolobus.com or http://www.UNITRANS.com North Natomas TMA Shuttle: http://www.northnatomastma.org To monitor Current Conditions, visit http://www.SpareTheAir.com. Calculate your Air Quality To find a carpool partner, visit http://www.sacregion511.org or call 511.

At Ridgeview School we limit students' physical activity on Spare the Air days. This includes, but is not limited to: allowing students to have ample drinks of water, limited PE activities, indoor PE (either in the MPR or the classrooms).

What can parents do?

1. Carpool.
2. Allow your students ride the bus, walk or ride their bikes or scooters.
3. Be sure to send water bottles with your children so they can stay hydrated.
4. If you are in a parked car, do not leave the engine running.

All of these are helpful ways to help reduce emissions. 

School Picture Day is here!

Ridgeview and Oakhills Schools have contracted with a different photography company for our fall and spring school pictures this year. Ultimate Exposure has been in operation in the Granite Bay area since 1987.

Some of you may already be familiar with their work. They take the GBHS Senior Portraits, EUSD junior high athletics and graduation photos, as well as many other local athletic team and league photos.

Ultimate Exposure took Ridgeview's 6th Grade Panoramic photo last spring and will do so again this year.

Their high quality digital photography process provides the ability to check poses on the spot and guarantees great expressions every time.

Students will receive their photo packages within 3 weeks of picture day.

This first week was our best first week yet! Thank you to everyone for being a part of our success.

Back to School Night is Wednesday, August 24th. This is a parents only meeting.  

• Orientation - MPR 5:45pm - this is a brief overview of Ridgeview School.  If you attended the New Parent Orientation, you do not need to attend this one too.  I hope you can join me during this time.
  

• Classrooms - 6:30-7:30pm - This is a chance to meet your child's teacher and get an overview fo their classroom ploicies, procedures, events, curriculum and so much more.  There should be time for questions and answers from parents.
  

• Outdoor Ed Parent Night 7:30 - 8:30pm MPR - This is for 6th grade parents.  Important information is shared:  an overview of Our=tdoor Ed. Science camp, dates, fees, medical information etc.  Please stay the extra time to attend this very important meeting.

Parking is available at Feist Park, on the street, main school parking lot, as well as on the balck top.

See you Thursday!

Banana Moments:Help for Parenting in the Network Culture

Greetings Parents and Educators! For this Spring 2011 edition of Banana Moments: Family Business Quarterly I chose The Unwritten Rules of Friendship: Simple Strategies to Help Your Child Make Friends (2003), by Natalie Madorsky Elman, Ph.D., and Eileen Kennedy-Moore, Ph.D. Published prior to the advent of social media (Facebook and MySpace) and texting as ubiquitous applications in our homes, this book originally appealed to parents of children who were on the fringe, perhaps struggling to develop friendships. In today's cyber-powered world, the art of relationships is fast fading because in cyber-powered communities superficial connections can easily pose as "relationships" and children do not always witness the impact on others of what they text and post; there is an insulation from others than can make us more like "bulls in a china shop". The increasing intensity and predominance of cyberbullying in our children's lives, starting as early as age eight, typifies how the fundamentals of social skills and civility are generally lacking. Elman and Kennedy-Moore offer simple reminders of "all the things we need to know we learned in Kindergarten" (which is needed today more than ever).

Inside This Edition:

• 'Friending' fundamentals
• Response to anxiety in the network culture
• Growing up too fast: How sexy is too sexy for your child?
• Creating friendship in the cyber wilderness
• Connecting with teens: ICE
• Unwritten friendship rules for the Vulnerable Child
• Race to Nowhere? How does the achievement culture of the American education system impact your family?

Hopefully you are aware that State testing is May 2-6.

Here is a very informative and helpful website from the CA Dept. of Education: 

http://starsamplequestions.org/welcome.html

Also, please check the EUSD website for more information:

http://www.eureka-usd.k12.ca.us/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=8202&  

Ways to Help Your Child Prepare for Tests

To help children prepare adequately for tests, you can do several things to provide support and create a positive test-taking experience.

1. Keep the morning routine as stress free as possible.
2. Make sure that your child is in school during the testing sessions. Do not plan any doctor or dental appointments on test dates.
3. Encourage your child to listen carefully to all test-taking directions given by the teacher and to ask questions about any directions that are unclear.
4. See that your child gets his/her regular amount of sleep before the tests and is well-rested.
5. Make sure that your child eats his/her usual breakfast on the day of the test. Hunger can detract from a good test performance.
6. Encourage your child to do his/her best.

Oh my gosh, where does the time go? I love the school year, we are always getting ready for something, while we are winding down something else!

Attached here (and in the e-Wednesday folder) is the 2011-2012 Enrollment Confirmation form. Please take a few minutes to complete the form and return it to your child's teacher by April 15th.

Having this information helps us to be able to staff appropriately for the next school year. Getting the information early really helps start that process.

Some parents have already been asking about Parent Input forms. These are available in the school office beginning April 27th and are due back by May 19th. Please keep in mind when that time comes we cannot/do not accept teacher requests. More information will be given at that time, first we need to know how many students are returning to Ridgeview School.

Thanks so much (in advance) of your attention in this matter.