Happy New Year! 2019 has started of strong with the RINI community diving and getting right back to work after a much needed break. Upper grades are concluding semester one soon, and looking forward to a fresh start for semester two classes. 9th grade students have really settled in and responded to the academic rigor that they have found at RINI. Mastery learning is sure to be demonstrated in the final and midterm exams. Please understand and support your students over the next few weeks as emotions are likely to be escalated.
The student support team is always available to students and to families, and it is important to stay in contact with the counselors and the team when students are experiencing any challenges that might be causing stress.
RINI Student Support Team
| Mrs. Bouley, Counselor Grades 9-10 | rbouley@rinimc.org |
| Ms. Keating, Counselor Grades 11-12 | jkeating@rinimc.org |
| Mr. Margres, Dean of Students | jmargres@rinimc.org |
| Dr. Aso, Academic Dean | easo@rinimc.org |
| Mrs. Pellegrino, Social Worker | spellegrino@rinimc.org |
| Mrs. Audette, School Nurse | daudette@rinimc.org |
Final/Midterm Exam Schedule
| 1/21/19 Monday | No School |
| 1/23/19 Wednesday | Period 1 exam 8:15 – 10:15 Period 5 class – lunch/study 10:15 – 11:42 Period 2 exam 11:45 – 1:45 |
| 1/24/19 Thursday | Period 4 exam 8:15 – 10:15 Period 1 class – lunch/study 10:15 – 11:42 Period 5 exam 11:40 – 1:40 Dismissal 1:45 |
| 1/25/19 Friday | Exam make up day |
Winter PBGR Presentations
Senior presentations for the fall semester will begin next week. Students have worked very hard choosing and researching healthcare topics, finding and interviewing experts in the field, completing field work hours, writing a major research paper and assembling all of their learning into a formal presentation. We are very proud of all of these seniors and are looking forward to seeing how much they have learned! Families and friends are invited to the presentations of their students but we need to know in advance that you are coming. Please be sure to tell your student to notify Mrs. Gaspar that they will have guests in attendance. If you are not able to attend, we will be recording the presentations and sharing them with the students, so be sure to ask for a private viewing session.
Saying Goodbye To Ms. Granier
Ms. Granier, 9th grade English Language Arts teacher will be moving out of state and is leaving RINI. Her last day of work will be Tuesday January 15th. Ms. Granier and the 9th grade team have discussed the departure with students and although they will be sad to see her go, they are prepared for the transition. We have made some scheduling adjustments and are confident that the new classes and teachers will positively impact student learning.
Welcome to Dr. Aso, Academic Dean
RINI is pleased to welcome Dr. Eze Aso as our new academic dean. He will be managing academics and supporting teachers and students with the goal of excellence in teaching and learning. Dr. Aso came to us in November and has spent the last several weeks getting to know the RINI community. Please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Aso easo@rinimc.org with any questions, comments, or concerns related to academics.
STAR Reading Assessments
The STAR Reading winter testing will be held on January 14 (9,10th grade) and January 15 (11,12th grade) during English classes. This is an important metric as we continue to support literacy and monitor student progress. Please support your child in doing their best on this assessment so that they can “show what they know”. If you would like to see or discuss the results of these formative assessments, please do not hesitate to contact any of your student’s teachers or their guidance counselor. As always, RINI encourages all students to READ, READ and READ.
Opportunities for Students
- Providence Public Library (PPL) Teen Squad Rhode Coders – Learn the Code Behind the Game!
This is a program that allows student to explore how video games are created. Teens in grades 9-12 are welcome to participate in an educational initiative. Student who participates have the opportunity to earn .5 of a high school credit through the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE)’s Advanced coursework Network initiative.
When and Where:
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3-5 pm, January 29 – May 9, 2019 at the Providence Public Library
How to Apply:
Register at http//www.ride.gosignmeup.com Contact teensquad@provlib.org for more details on how to get started.
- STEM Day at Brown University
This is expected to be a fun, interactive workshops and learn about studying STEM, career prospects, and college access. Facilitated by faculty, undergraduates, and graduate students, high school students and teachers will work together to do science and come to a greater understanding of the importance of STEM in today’s world.
When and Where:
January 22, 2019, leave RINI at 8:15 am by bus, return before noon
How to Participate:
See Mrs. Salomone or Ms. Staub for a permission slip
There will be a session on health and medicine and students who are interested in attending should get their permission slips in as soon as possible. Any student who would like to attend but is concerned about exams will be allowed to utilize the exam make up day if necessary.
- Summer Opportunities
Information about summer employment and other opportunities for students will
be available soon. Mrs. Wozniak awozniak@rinimc.org is the point of contact for applications and information.
Nursing Home Facility CNA Employment Opportunities
The Wingate on the East Side has part time night and weekend shifts available for CNAs. Please contact Mrs. Wozniak awozniak@rinimc.org
for details. This is a beautiful home located at 1 Butler Avenue, Providence, across the street from East Side Market. This is on the bus line.
SAT and PSAT Practice and Testing
SAT is an important assessment on many levels. Students wishing to enter the nursing field will be required to submit SAT scores to competitive colleges and nursing programs. RIDE is also using the SAT scores as a measure of student learning and school effectiveness. RINI is focused and committed to providing opportunities for students to learn about the test and to practice both test taking skills and content questions. Many resources are available to students and they should be practicing at home. Please see Kahn Academy for information about the tests, for test taking strategies, and for practice tests: https://www.khanacademy.org.
It is essential that RINI students “show what they know!”.
All 11th grade students will be taking a full practice test on February 25.
11th grade students will be dismissed at 1:45 on that day if they arrive on time and engage fully with the testing process. Students who earn this privilege on the practice test will also earn an early dismissal on the actual SAT test day, April 9 as long as the same behaviors are exhibited. Participation is mandatory by the RI Department of Education, so please be sure that your child is present in school on this day.
The PSAT will be held on April 10, 2019 for all grade 10 students. Participation is mandatory by the RI Department of Education, so please be sure that your child is present in school on this day.
Attendance
RI state law requires attendance in school every hour and day that school is in session for all students until 18 years of age. (RIGL 16-19-1)
There is a direct correlation between school attendance and academic performance. In addition, students who are absent from classes often have emotional and behavioral responses related to the stress of missing content and learning that has happened in classes when they were not present. RINI is an especially rigorous academic program and it is essential that nurses and healthcare providers be prepared at the highest academic level so that they can be competitive applicants to colleges and universities, and so that they will be successful with post-secondary demands.
Please make every effort to get your child to school every single day that school is in session and attempt to make appointments and other personal commitments outside of school hours. If there are situations that are unavoidable or emergency appointments, please try to have students come in before or after so that they do not miss the full day. It is important that you call the school if your student will be absent and send a doctor’s note if appropriate so that it can be a medical excused absence.
Please do not arrive at RINI unannounced to dismiss your child early from school. Although it may be convenient for parents, removing students from classes early causes a serious interruption in their learning. Students who are not feeling well in school should refrain from contacting families directly, rather should go to the school nurse who will assess their condition and support them as needed. If the school nurse determines that a child is ill and needs to be dismissed, she will use the emergency contact form to contact families and/or contacts provided.
Flu Season
Flu has hit RI and is becoming widespread. The best form of prevention is proper handwashing. Please encourage your student to wash hands often and always before eating, and discourage them from sharing food or drinks. It is important that you do not send your student to school if they have a fever. If you have any questions about whether or not to send your student to school, please contact your physician. Nurse Audette daudette@rinimc.org is also available for any health related questions.
Parent Involvement
RINI encourages parents to be involved in their student’s education and in the RINI community. There are opportunities to participate on committees where you can learn more about the school program and assist with planning and implementation of new initiatives and activities. If you are interested in getting more involved, please contact the Parent Organization president, Vivian Media vmedina@rinimc.org or Enrollment Coordinator, Kayla Lubo klubo@rinimc.org, 680-4900.
Please contact the school if you have any questions, comments or concerns.