Greetings Riverside Community!

Welcome back! Here is some important information for all families new or returning to Riverside. Please read everything in this message carefully. There is a section for each grade level, plus info at the bottom for ALL STUDENTS.

New Grade 9's

• Grade 9's have an orientation coming up on Thursday, August 31, from 10am until noon. Please bring a pen and a phone or other device like a laptop so you can try logging in to Office 365 using your new password that we will give to you. Also at the orientation: tour of school, receive your timetable, receive a locker combination, and a slice of pizza and a beverage before leaving. Sorry, no specialty pizzas this time, so please bring your own snack if you have specialized dietary needs. Parents can return to collect their child at 12 noon, preferably at the Gates Park entrance to the school. Students: Please head straight to the school gymnasium before 10am. Thank you!
• We will address how to check your timetable for accuracy.
• Next Tuesday, September 5th, is the first day of school. All Grade 9's will attend from 9:15am until 12:30pm. Please arrive at around 9am so you have time to get to your assigned room. Signs will be posted at the entrances.

New International Students - welcome to Canada!

• All arriving students need to have a short English assessment before they can meet with a counsellor to select classes. Most students are coming on Tuesday, August 29th at 10am for the assessment. If you are not sure or did not receive an invitation, please contact klangford@sd43.bc.ca for assistance. If you are not yet in Canada and can't make the Tuesday time, please contact the school when you arrive and we can assess your English on the first possible date after arrival. Some students arrive after Sept 4th, so it's also ok to contact us after that!

Returning Grade 10, 11, and 12's

• Welcome back! Your MyEd login will take you to your timetable. If there are any issues please reach out by email to lcorcoran@sd43.bc.ca for a password reset. Counsellors do not have this information.
• September 5th is registration day, with a short STREAM class of 20 minutes - 1pm to 1:20pm. You will receive required contact info forms, fee statements, and other information. Attendance is mandatory at this first STREAM class for registration. Students who cannot attend if they are out of town or ill - parent/guardian must notify the school ahead of time. We reserve the right to cancel timetables of students who do not register properly at the start of the school year.

ALL STUDENTS:

• Regular classes for Semester 1 will begin on September 6th, starting with Block 0 at 7:36am. Wednesday Sept 6 is also Photo day so there will be some disruption throughout the day.
• Please note that our blocks are now numbered: 0-1-2-3-4. Block 0 is also often called X-block. Lunch falls between blocks 2 and 3. Most students start every day at 9:00am with Block 1, unless of course you have a block 0 on your timetable.
• Students who have an incomplete timetable are asked to check in with their counsellor to rectify the problem.
• Students wishing to change a course must use email as the means to initiate the request with their counsellor. We only consider changes for Grade 12's who require a specific course for post-secondary, and anyone who already completed a course in Summer School that they no longer need on timetable, OR if there is another major error. A reminder that we completed our course change request process in June for all returning students. Course changes are extremely difficult to accommodate at this time.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES:

• All students require a laptop. Please make every effort possible to acquire a laptop for your child so that they can access learning materials throughout the year. If there is significant difficulty with this, please reach out your child's Vice-Principal. A binder with some lined paper and dividers is recommended at the start of the year.
• There is no other universal school supply list that parents or students need to worry about, although teachers may issue a request for specific supplies needed for their class. Students won't find out until their first day or two of class.