Happy Arbor Day! Meet Rolling Hills' newest member,, "Autumn"
A HUGE "Thank You!" goes out to Greystar and Cutting Edge Landscape for helping us celebrate Arbor Day with a tree planting right here at Rolling Hills. Greystar generously donated and had planted a beautiful Autumn Blaze Maple tree, affectionately named "Autumn" to be planted in Rolling Hills playground in honor of Arbor Day 2017. Cutting Edge Landscape removed a dead tree and did a lesson for our students about how to plant and care for a tree.
Greystar, we appreciate you reaching out to us as part of your "Greystar Giving" to the community!
http://www.greystar.com/
https://www.facebook.com/cuttingedgelandscapeid/

​As a Service Learning project, our Rolling Hills middle school students are collaborating with Special Olympics Idaho to create an event that we hope will be an incredible opportunity for everyone!  The Special Olympics staff will be here along with a camera crew to help hype up this event and give our students with special needs an opportunity to shine!  This program is called Project Unify and is being started throughout the valley.  However, we are the first school to participate at the K-8 level, so this is very exciting!  
We will be hosting a “Project Unify” basketball game on Tuesday, May 2.  This game will highlight the collaboration with our middle school students and students with special needs.  
The entire school has been invited on May 2 from 1:45-2:20, all students are invited to wear spirit wear, and we will be cheering on our teams as they play.  Concessions will be sold before, during and after the game – proceeds will be donated to the Special Olympics!  Please consider sending your student to enjoy a snack and contribute to the fundraising efforts.  

Dear 8th Grade Families,
 
As part of Rolling Hills’ commitment to Service Learning, annually each class chooses a meaningful community service project to plan and implement.  This year, the 8th Grade class has elected to do a “hands-on” volunteer project with the Ridge to Rivers trail system.  This interconnected network of roads and trails through the Boise Foothills, is a gem of outdoor recreation, right here in our own backyard.  This is a great opportunity for your child to help their community, get out in nature, and learn about the ecologic impact of fire in our foothills.



For this project, on Tuesday, May 9th at about 8:15 a.m., we will be walking to the Big Springs Trailhead area (1.5 miles), just north of Rolling Hills.  Our project will be to assist in removing fencing that was installed in a fire area last summer.  This activity will involve physical labor, and hiking, please note the following from Ridge to Rivers:



R2R/ROLLING HILLS PROJECT- the project will consist of removing smooth wire fencing that was installed last year due to the fire. To accomplish this we will be using fencing tools to remove the existing fence and haul it back to the trail head for transport. Please, have your students prepared to work. It's possible we will hike 1-2 miles carrying tools and materials. Gloves, closed-toed shoes/boots and long pants are all highly recommended. Safety glasses or sunglasses are also important for this project. I'll have some extras of both, just in case! Also, bring a snack to eat and plenty of WATER! A backpack to carry these items is also a good idea. R2R staff will provide tools and instruction. 
Upon returning to campus we will celebrate our hard work with pizza and vegetables, provided by Mr. Scott.
 
Since we will be assisting a City of Boise Volunteer Organization, our release waiver is more extensive than previous school release documents. 
Please read the City of Boise Volunteer Handbook,
http://parks.cityofboise.org/media/229250/2016cobvolunteerhandbook.pdf
City of Boise Volunteer Handbook
parks.cityofboise.org
One City, One Team - For The Greatest Good Message from the Mayor LIV Tree Welcome Bits About Boise How to Act/How to Dress Identification Slips, Trips, and Falls, Oh my!

 
and be sure that you agree with the terms outlined, and then sign and return the following school release form.
 
***We need chaperones, to help supervise and ensure student safety, so if you’d like to help support the students and our community, please join us.
 
Please return this permission slip, and the lunch order forms prior to Wednesday, May 3rd.
                                                  
If you have questions please contact me at mscott@rhpcs.org

REMINDER:  Beginning next Monday, April 17, we will be conducting the Spring Idaho Reading Indicator (IRI) testing with our students in Kindergarten - 3rd grade.  Tentatively, we plan to assess April 17-May 5 per the following class schedules:
Kindergarten April 17-21
1st Grade April 24-28
2nd Grade April 24 - May 5
3rd Grade April 18 - 28.

​Each student will be pulled from class for a short time and tested individually.  Most of the pullout times will be happen in the morning when the children are at their freshest.  Having your child at school all throughout the week, well rested, and having eaten good breakfast are critical to doing well on the test and having a successful testing process.  We appreciate your help!
 
Idaho Statute 33-1614 requires K-3 students in Idaho to be assessed as they develop critical reading skills. The purpose of the assessment, the Idaho Reading Indicator (IRI), is to indicate which children are most likely going to be at-risk of failure with skills that are prerequisite for being successful readers throughout life. As is written in the statute, the state K-3 assessment test results shall be reviewed by school personnel for the purpose of providing necessary interventions to sustain or improve the students' reading skills.
 
More information about the IRI can be found in the attached IRI Family Brochure and on the State Department of Education website at: http://sde.idaho.gov/assessment/iri/

The Rolling Hills Public Charter School PFA is happy to introduce the Shop with Scrip Program!
 
Scrip fundraising is a no-selling program that allows families to raise money for the Rolling Hills Parent Faculty Association (PFA).   Scrip is just another way to pay for everyday purchases using gift cards in place of cash, checks, and credit cards.
 
You purchase gift cards from the Rolling Hills PFA at face value, and our PFA Scrip coordinator orders those cards from Great Lakes Scrip Center at a reduced price. The difference is an instant rebate (fundraiser!) for Rolling Hills. It’s really that simple!
 
When you use scrip gift  cards at your favorite retailers, you are fundraising while you shop. Great Lakes Scrip Center offers over 300 of the country’s biggest brands, including grocery, department stores, gas stations, restaurants, hotels, home improvement, and more.
 
Rolling Hills will be offering Scrip Gift cards twice yearly. In the fall, before the winter holidays and once in the spring. Look for a flyer with lots of great stores and restaurants to choose from, fill out the form and return to school with payment. Your cards will be delivered in your child’s backpack, right to your door! Click here for an order form, and a hard copy will be coming home with your child this week.  Completed order forms with payment are due to the school office by Friday, April 21.  Your order will be sent home in student backpack on Friday, April 28.
 
Or if you prefer to shop online, go to www.shop.shopwithscrip.com and sign up to do all of your shopping. Rolling Hills enrollment code is 2D4913L3553L7.
 
Please feel free to contact Dori McGuinn - Scrip coordinator at dorimcguinn@yahoo.com with any questions about the program or help with ordering!
This is a great way to support our PFA!!
 
Spring is here!! 
Stock up now for all the spring events like:
Teacher’s Appreciation Week, Mother's Day, Birthdays, Graduations, and Father's Day! 
Traveling this summer? Look for cards for hotels, restaurants and attractions near your destination!
 
All orders due by Friday April 21st.
Gift Cards will be delivered on Friday April 28th.

RHPCS Families with Students in Grades 5-8,
 
Mrs. Freed will again be offering basic calligraphy lessons to interested students in grade 5-8.  Classes will be held after school from 2:45-3:30 p.m. every Friday, starting next Friday April 14 through May 5th.  It’s fun!  It’s FREE! It will improve your penmanship!
 
There is no fee, Mrs. Freed has all the equipment and supplies.  She does ask that students sign up in advance  (registration form attached with this email or available at the front office) and be committed to attend all 4 Friday sessions.  Students will need to be picked up promptly at 3:30 p.m.
 
Questions?  Contact Mrs. Freed at hfreed@rhpcs.org

Parents/Guardians of RHPCS Students in Grades 3-8
It is that time of the year to assess student's learning using Idaho State Assessment Tests (ISAT).  The ISAT is computer administered, will be utilized to assess English Language Arts (ELA), English Language Arts Performance Test (Write a multi-paragraph essay), Math, and Math Performance Test.  Students in grades 5 and 7 will also complete a Science assessment.  The ELA and Math test are Computer Adaptive to the skill of the child.  The performance tests will be skill based and the student must demonstrate through writing or showing their work how they complete the task.  These assessments will be taking place starting on Monday, April 10 and continuing for the next several weeks.  The students will start with the Math, then do the Math Performance, then the ELA, then finish with the ELA performance test (Writing a multi-paragraph essay).
 
These are important tests for your child.  Students and parents can have greater success with the test administration process when they know what they are going to be tested on, why they are being tested, and how long they will be assessed.  This is a summative assessment and these scores will follow them.  The ultimate goal is to demonstrate growth over the coming years.  The student needs to be prepared, take the assessment seriously, take their time (the tests are not timed), and use good test taking strategies.  
 
Parents can access complete Practice Tests in English and math for grades 3 through 8 and 11 at http://www.smarterbalanced.org/practice-test/. 
Practice and Training Tests - Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
www.smarterbalanced.org
The Smarter Balanced Practice Test and the Training Test provide students with a preview of test questions aligned to academic standards for grades 3–8 and high school in both English language arts/literacy and math. Both resources can help teachers and students ... Read More

How long will the assessments take?
The Math and English assessments each have two components: 
o   Computer-adaptive assessments: A set of assessment questions in a variety of formats that will be customized to each student based on answers to previous questions. In this way, the assessments can most accurately measure each student’s knowledge and skills.
o   Performance tasks: Collections of questions and activities that are coherently connected to a single theme or scenario. These activities are meant to measure capacities such as depth of understanding, writing and research skills, and complex analysis, which cannot be adequately assessed with traditional test questions. The performance tasks will be taken on a computer (but will not be computer-adaptive) and will take one to two class periods to complete.
 
These tests are not timed.  Testing will occur in multiple sessions, so students will typically spend 1 to 1.5 hours per day on the assessments over several days.
 
I am available to discuss any of the assessments with you.  If you have questions or concerns please contact me by phone 208-939-5400 or e-mail spratt@rhpcs.org.  I would love to help you understand the assessments here at Rolling Hills.
 
Respectfully,
 
Shane Pratt 
Shane Pratt, MSEd
spratt@rhpcs.org

​RHPCS Families,
A huge thank you goes out to all who participated in our 2017 Spring Program & Fundraising Event held on March 18.  The evening was tons of fun and filled with amazing student talent.  A huge “Thank You!” goes out to Mr. Lopez for putting together the evening’s line up of entertainment.
 
Thank you also goes out to Brooke Reche and members of the Rolling Hills PFA for coordinating this fun event as a fundraiser to benefit our school and students.  During the event, we raised more than $3600 toward our 2017 Fund-A-Need Campaign goals! 
 
It’s not too late to contribute!  Please review the attached 2017 Fund-A-Need Campaign donation form and thoughtfully consider how you might like to help.  Donations in any amount are truly meaningful.  Check out the opportunity to brighten your child’s day by purchasing them a “Free Dress Day” pass for just $5.00!  Free Dress Day dates available for purchase include: Wed. April 5, Tuesday May 16, and Wednesday, May 17.
 
This just in…**Mr. Pratt has gone CRAZY!**
Mr. Pratt is so excited about the money already earned toward the 2017 F-A-N Campaigns that he wants to keep the money rolling in.
So… if you want to wear free dress tomorrow, Wednesday April 5, just pick out and wear your favorite outfit to school and bring in your $5.00 F-A-N donation and give it to your homeroom teacher first thing.  If we all decided to do it, in just one day, we could bring in more than $1000 to benefit our school!!  Bring it on!
 
Our appreciation also goes out to…

• The Frame Garage for donating time, talent and materials to mount and make our student art pieces look amazing for silent auction.  Check out The Frame Garage on their website, http://framegarage.net/ or just stop by, their shop is conveniently located just across from RHPCS at 8811 Horseshoe Bend Rd. Boise, Idaho 83614. Ph# 208-939-3545
• VCI Audio Entertainment for their expertise and sound equipment to make our evening entertainment sound great.  Check them out on the web at  http://vciaudio.com/