Parking Permit applications are now online for rising seniors.  Click HERE to reach the Transportation/Parking page.

Summer Reading Lists will be posted soon. Keep an eye on the website for all of the summer assignments.

The Class of 2012 graduation ceremony is at 3pm at Kennesaw State University's Convocation Arena.  Seniors must arrive by 1pm.  Parents and Families are reminded that no signs, balloons, air horns, bells or noise-makers are allowed in the building.   Use the following link to view an online broadcast of the ceremony:  www.ghsa.tv/riverwood.com.  Click on "Read more..." for directions to Kennesaw State

Congratulations to the following Raider Athletes who will be continuing their sports careers in college:

Virginia Boyd, University of the South, Sewanee, Volleyball
Jamahl Davis, Wingate, Basketball
Sydni Etheredge, University of Memphis, Volleyball
Robert Lane, University of Charleston, West Virginia, Football
Owen Marrett, Emmanuel College, Soccer
Lee Miller, Davidson, Baseball
Jennifer Nwokocha, Austin Peay, Basketball
Tito Palma, Emmanuel College, Soccer
Olivia Paul, Carnegie Mellon, Volleyball
Rebecca Proschansky, Berry College, Soccer
James Ryden, Georgia College and State University, Cross Country
Ariel Shonk, University of Delaware, Volleyball
Conley Street, University of the South, Sewanee, Lacrosse
Page Weinberg, University of Mary Washington, Tennis

Congratulations to the four student projects which competed in the Georgia Student Media Festival on April 27.  All received very high marks and two, Nightmare on Raider Drive and To Sally, Love Jack, will advance to the International Media Festival this fall. 

Not only did this year's spring musical break attendance records, but it is also garnered eight nominations in the prestigious 2012 Shuler Hensley Awards and Evan Greenberg won the Leading Actor award. Congratulations!  The awards ceremony was Tuesday, April 17 at the Cobb Energy Center. The Shuler Hensley Awards, named for Marietta

The independent consultants from Cambridge Education spent several days observing, questioning, challenging, and meeting with a great many people at the school in January.  Their examination of the school, in partnership with Fulton County Schools, included students, teachers, administrators and even parents.  The Cambridge group visited over 30 classrooms and looked at six different components from teaching and learning to school management. 

Johns Creek High School Athletic Booster Club is sponsoring a Driving Clinic for metro area teen drivers and their parents on May 11, 2012.  The $179 enrollment fee covers one student, one parent, the two and a half hour class, and a four hour driving session which will take place the weekend of May 12 & 13.  Click HERE for the program flyer.

The Sandy Springs Police continues to conduct free monthy P.R.I.D.E. (Parents Reducing Injury and Driver Error) classes at police headquarters on the fourth Wednesday of each month.  Members of the SSPD Traffic Unit lead the workshops for parents and teen drivers.  Register for the May 23 class by e-mailing sandyspringsteeens@gmail.

Georgia Natural Gas recently donated $675 to Riverwood in the TrueBlue School program, bringing their total donation since the program began to $6,065!  Thank you to the more than 53 families who've enrolled.  Open to families and friends of Riverwood with natural gas service, enrolling in the TrueBlue School program raises money for Riverwood and may actually save you money, too -- What a great fundraiser and an easy way to support Riverwood!  Click "Read More..." for more details

Congratulations to the Raider artists competing in this year's Atlanta High School Art Throwdown on Sunday, April 22.  Part of the Dogwood Festival in Piedmont Park, Riverwood had entries in four categories: Figure Drawing, Landscape Drawing, Ceramics and Sculpture.  

Several Raiders having varying degrees of fluency in Japanese traveled to Georgia Perimeter College on Saturday, March 24 to compete in the Japan Academic Challenge.  This was the sixth year Riverwood has sent students to the competition and four teams brought home ribbons.  Congratulations!

Julia Wahl is the Valedictorian, and Rachel Jacobs and Andrew Parmet are co-Salutatorians of the Class of 2012. Julia will give the valedictory at graduation, to be held at Kennesaw State University at 3pm on May 19.  Congratulations to Julia, Rachel and Andrew.  Click on "Read more..." to learn more about these outstanding seniors.

Next year's Bell Schedule will look a little bit different from this year's, with the largest adjustment taking place during fourth period.  In an effort to increase instructional time, while maintaining the eight-period day, the fourth period will consist of four-25 minute segments divided between lunch and classtime.  Click on "Read more...." to see a letter from Assistant Principal Opie Blackwell and the proposed bell schedule.

Congratulations to Jonah Blumenthal and Sam Durham for taking Third Place in the 2012 State Science Fair in their division.  After taking First Place honors in the district competition earlier this semester, their entry was one of only 650 from across the state of Georgia to advance to the State Competition in Athens at the end of March.  Riverwood's other students winning awards at the 2011-2012 Fulton County Science Fair were Briana Koser (2nd Place), Lauren Firestone (2nd Place), Sadaf Mirzai and Caroline Albright (3rd Place) and Cailin Kellum (Honorable Mention).

Beginning with the 2010-2011 graduating classes, the State of Georgia is reporting high school graduation rates using a new method of calculation. The intent of this new method is to more accurately measure the percentage of students who graduate from high school with a regular diploma within four years of entering ninth grade. Based on this new measure, Riverwood’s new Graduation Cohort Rate for 2010-11 is 71.62% (Using the previous formula, the rate was 92.50%). Due to the change in calculation, the 2010-11 rate for the Fulton County School district is now 70% and the State of Georgia rate is 67.44%.  Click on "Read more..." for further explanation and a brief Q&A sheet.

The 2012 Georgia FBLA State Leadership Conference took place in Atlanta the weekend of March 23-24, 2012.  The Riverwood FBLA Chapter placed Second out of 289 high schools from across the State, and the Raiders brought home a trophy case full of awards.  Several students will advance to the National competition in San Antonio this summer.  Click on "Read more..." to see the impressive list of winners. 

Congratulations to the 17 students selected to attend this year's French Immersion Camp in February:  Athina Aguirre, Maria Aguilar, Maikelyn Avila, Maria Bueno, Megan Cahill, Jenna Epstein, Jenna Goff, Vanessa Guzman, Camila Hellebuyck, Joana Hernandez, Glenn Johnson, Christine Lagrange, Sonia Lucena, Rebecca Medearis, Cara Mogilski, Sarah Shainker and Meghan Wyatt.  The students traveled to Rock Eagle Camp for a three-day, total French immersion experience consisting of workshops relating to French culture, music, art, sports, theater, dance, and cuisine.  Riverwood began participating in the immersion program four years ago with only one student. The French teachers are delighted with the increased numbers and are excited about this opportunity for their students.

Congratulations to Aaron Bhole', Riverwood's 2011-2012 STAR Student.  The Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) program honors Georgia's outstanding high school seniors and the teachers who have been most instrumental in their academic development. Each high school STAR Student names a STAR Teacher; Aaron's STAR teacher is Mrs. Sheri Smith. To obtain the STAR nomination, high school seniors must have the highest score on a single test date on the three-part SAT taken through the November test date of their senior year and be in the top ten percent, or top ten students, of their class based on grade point average.

Congratulations to Seniors Lee Miller and Jacob Turner for advancing from Semifinalists to Finalists in the 2012 National Merit Scholarship competition.  The National Merit Finalist news arrived in February; winners of scholarships will be notified in March.  Congratulations also to Taja Strickland on being selected as a 2012 National Achievement Scholarship Program Semifinalist. The students were identified through exceptionally high scores on the PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which they took as Juniors.  Taja is one of 1,600 semifinalists among Black American high school students.

Please also congratulate these fifteen Seniors recognized as 2011 National Merit Commended Scholars:  Jordan Berne, Aaron Bhole, Briana Bills, Hannah Carlson, Nikolas Farrer, Alayna Feng, Isabel McClain, Zach Meads, Leah Michalove, Cara Mogilski, David Oliver, Andrew Parmet, Eric Rabinowitz, Danielle Rizzo and Ben Tulman.

For the fifth consecutive year, Riverwood is an AP Merit School. The 2012 AP Merit distinction recognizes schools having at least 20 percent of the student body taking Advanced Placement exams and with at least half of those exams receiving a score of 3 or higher.  Based on the results of the 2010-2011 AP classes and exams, Riverwood was one of only nine Fulton County high schools to receive this designation. Congratulations to the students and the teachers for this outstanding accomplishment!

The College Board also named Riverwood an AP STEM School and an AP STEM Achievement School. 

The Raiders FBLA Chapter brought home the First Place "Sweep" award at the 2012 Region Leadership Conference.  More than 30 students contributed to earn the highest overall average in the testing events and will advance to the State Leadership Conference in March.  Congratulations!

Michael Santoro, Social Studies Teacher and Head Baseball Coach, accepted the position of Athletic Director at the end of fall semester.  Santoro has been a history teacher at Riverwood for 13 years and the head baseball coach since 2000.  Under his leadership, Raider baseball teams have been to the state tournament nine times in the past 12 years, with two region titles, 249 wins, and netting many college players and one current professional baseball player.  This semester Coach Santoro will continue teaching AP US History and Magnet US History. 

For the second consecutive year, Atlanta Magazine lists Riverwood as one of the metro area's best high schools.  Of the 50 schools named in the January 2012 edition, Riverwood holds the number 14 spot. Congratulations again to Raider students, faculty and staff!

Atlanta Magazine examines what makes a high achieving school, often using test scores and course offerings as deciding factors. For the 2012 rankings, the magazine considered SAT scores, English and math graduation test scores, graduation rates, Advanced Placement exams and pass rates, the percentage of students requiring remedial support when entering college, HOPE eligibility, and the percentage of students earning college preparatory diplomas.  The issue is available for purchase online and at local newstands. Visit http://www.atlantamagazine.com/features/schools/home.aspx for more information.