Rio School District Community Newsletter July 15, 2024

Greetings Rio School District Community,

We hope you are enjoying your summer break. We would like to provide you an update of things happening around the District.

In this newsletter you will find updates on:

• Green Ribbon Award
• Summer School Session 2
• Rio Performing Arts - Frozen Junior
• Food Share Giveaway

• School Bond Funded District Facility Projects

• Upcoming Events
• Enrollment

Green Ribbon School District Sustainability Awardee

The Rio School District received the Green Ribbon Award in Washington DC on July 10th. Here is what the US Department of Education said about our District:

The Rio School District (Rio) serves over 5,000 students, 70% of whom qualify for free and reduced price lunch. Rio is located in an area with a climate conducive to year-round cultivation, inspiring educators to foster sustainable interactions with the environment. Since 2015, teachers have convened a group that conducts curriculum design sessions led by teachers and outside experts covering ethnobotany, native plants and their uses as remedies, and sustainability projects. Rio emphasizes a respectful relationship with the local environment, sustainability, collaboration with the indigenous community, and STEAM integration through its newest school, Rio Del Sol STEAM Academy. The district's interdisciplinary approach emphasizes hands-on, experiential learning, integrating field trips and place-based learning to deepen students' understanding of local ecosystems and inspire sustainable practices. Since 2018, Rio has hosted “Compost Tea Parties” to enrich soil and promote natural garden management. In 2021, the district established the Rio Regenerative Farm to provide all Rio students with the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities to build a healthy and resilient environment, food system, and community. Since 2013, the Rio Child Nutrition Services Department has implemented a Farm to School program; schools scratch-cook all meals and feature plant-based entrees on “Meatless Mondays.” Rio staff works closely to ensure every facility and classroom is safe and conducive to learning and has implemented practices including maximizing natural light, creating shaded seating nooks, implementing an IPM program, utilizing greener custodial cleaning supplies, and installing HVAC systems with built-in HEPA air filters and ionizers. Rio conserves resources using automatic shut-off systems, timed irrigation, and waste reduction initiatives such as Zero-Waste awareness weeks and food share tables. Student advocacy prompted impactful changes in school cafeterias, from removing single-use straws to integrating local food through farm to school programs.

Summer School Session 2 has started and we have hosted roughly 1200 students district wide. Students are attending a variety of programs such as Science Academy, Creative Writing Academy, Sports Academy, TK-K Summer Jump Start, Academia Raices de Cultura (in Spanish) and EXPLORE. Students enjoy the different hands on lessons and activities that are being taught. Summer School Session 2 will end on August 2nd.

Summer School Mini Session #3 will start on August 5th and run through August 9th. We look forward to welcoming more students to our summer school programs.