larly about information important

to the student's success through

newsletters, conferences, sched-

uled visits, and voice mail e-mail

messages.

Advocate. Parents need to be

proactive in assuring that their

child is being treated appropri-

ately, and is receiving all the help

they need to succeed. Ask ques-

tions and expect answers.

Support school activities:

Participate in the activities spon-

sored by your school and PTA.

Your presence and participation

will show your child that you

care.

Join your school's PTA: Par-

ents, teachers and administrators,

working together through the

PTA, can make remarkable things

happen for children, schools, and

the community.

Because we are committed to

keeping our parents and commu-

nity informed of important issues

affecting their school, it is our

goal to publish a newsletter each

quarter. As always, we solicit

your continued support of River-

dale Middle, a self-renewing

school where we excel in aca-

demics, athletics, and in the arts.

Sincerely,

Dr. Mildred McCoy

Principal, Riverdale Middle School

Dear RMS Parent,

Welcome back to a new school

year! I want to extend a particularly

special welcome to those of you

who are first-time middle school

parents -- you have an exciting

three years ahead! Middle school is

a very special time, with tremen-

dous growth for students, socially,

intellectually, and physically. Help-

ing students grow through this

period of their lives and become

healthy, whole, caring people who

know how to use their minds well

is by far the most important, re-

warding work in the world, and I

am delighted to be back to work in

partnership with you again this year

for the benefit of our children.

Our School Improvement Plan (SIP)

for 2008-09 is once again an ambi-

tious one, and emphasizes working

in partnership with parents. Some

of our goals this year include offer-

ing parent workshops & coffees on

topics of interest such as learning

needs, helping students with home-

work, and middle school social

issues, continuing to work on good

communication with parents, and

involving parents in supporting

student achievement. We shall also

work to make Riverdale a commu-

nity in which “we are aiming for

excellence”. The AIM goals are

included in this newsletter and you

can find Riverdale Middle School’s

SIP for 2008-09 on our website at

http://schools.clayton.k12.ga.us/018/

With the start of school, I urge

parents and other family members

to start thinking about their per-

sonal involvement in their child's

education. Study after study clearly

indicates that when parents and

families are involved, students

achieve at higher levels, have better

attendance, and exhibit a positive

attitude toward school. To affect

positive change, parents must find

time to participate in their chil-

dren's education, while schools

must provide the support and re-

sources necessary for them to be

involved. Don't know where to

start? Try these tips from Educa-

tional Leadership

Volunteer: Find manageable ways

you can enrich the learning environ-

ment at your child’s school by con-

tributing your knowledge and skills

and providing services and support

to students and teachers.

Support learning at home:

Families can help their children

develop good study habits, super-

vise their homework, monitor TV

viewing and after-school activities,

supervise regular bedtimes, and

maintain good school attendance.

Also, teach respect, discipline, and a

love of learning to your child.

Communicate: Parents and

schools should communicate regu-

In an attempt to ensure student

safety and expedite student dis-

missal, Riverdale Middle School has

established procedures that are

intended to facilitate a smooth and

swift transition for walkers, car and

bus riders. Assistant Principal, Mr.

Courtland, highlighted some points

that would greatly assist in getting

students out of the building in an

orderly manner.

Car Riders: When called,

students are to walk down

the hall in a straight, quiet

line and exit the building

promptly. They are to pro-

ceed across the street to

the flagpole or straight to

their designated vehicles to

wait for their rides.

Parents– In order to allevi-

ate congestion, we ask that

parents quickly retrieve

their children and exit the

parking lot to prevent block-

age of other cars and buses.

Parents– There will be no

check outs after 3:15p.m. If

students need to be checked

out, it must be done before

3:15p.m.

We greatly appreciate your

assistance in this matter.

Principal’s Corner……..

I N S I D E

T H I S I S S U E :

Uniformity 2

Open Air

Classroom

2

New Spartan

Warriors

2

Teacher of

the Year

3

Sports Up-

date

Learn &

Serve

3

Announce-

ments

4

Important

Dates

4

Dismissal and School Traffic

R I V E R D A L E M I D D L E

S C H O O L The Spartan Shield

D E C E M B E R 1 , 2 0 0 8 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1

S P E C I A L

P O I N T S O F

I N T E R E S T :

Aim Goals

Discovery

Learning

Teaching

Excellence

Getting

Involved

Supporting

Riverdale

Middle

School

Service

P A G E 2

“School Uniforms are

Wonderful!! They help

students focus on

learning, alleviate

discipline issues, make

students look

professional, and

creates a senses of

order and cohesion.

Mrs. Rita Daniel

7th Grade ElA

Instructor/ Language

Arts Chair

Prepared and fo-

cused on Excellence!

Open Air Classroom by Alejandra Anderson

New Spartan Warriors

Uniformity Polished, intelligent,

sophisticated, focused, re-

spectful, orderly and unified

are characteristics that stu-

dents at Riverdale Middle

School embody and personify.

When walking into the build-

ing, there is an overwhelming

feeling that greets you. This

feeling is one of order, high

expectations, and excellence.

There are many things in place

that contribute to this atmos-

phere of achievement. A defin-

ing standard that has greatly

added to Riverdale Middle

School is the new school uni-

form policy.

On July 8, 2008,

more that 100 RMS parents

met with the School Council,

PTSA and school administra-

tors to discuss the proposed

implementation of a school

uniform dress code pol-

icy. After much discussion, it

was agreed upon that 6th,

7th, and 8th grade students at

Riverdale Middle Schools

would wear school uniforms

Monday through Thurs-

day. On Fridays, students may

wear appropriate clothing of

their choice. The dress for

students consists of navy or

khaki skirts, pants, jumpers,

etc, and blue, yellow, or white

polo shirts (other style tops

are acceptable). Students

were strongly encouraging to

adhere to the dress code pol-

icy beginning on the very first

day of school. 92% of students

were in compliance during the

first week of school, and in a

survey sent home to all par-

ents, 90% of parents sup-

ported the school uniform

policy. We are expecting to

have 100% of the student body

and faculty/ staff members in

full compliance throughout the

remainder of the year.

6th Grade Connections

Mrs. Hewitt English/ L.A. Mr. Hill Art

Ms. Thomas Science/Social Studies Ms. Pillar Keyboarding

7th Grade Ms. Ranking Family/

Mr. Brooks English/ L.A. Consumer Science

Ms. Cooper Math Mr. Wilkerson Health/ P.E.

Mr. Zackary Math/Science

8th Grade Special Education

Mrs. Manning-Alexander Science Ms. Wooten English/ L.A

Mrs. Wyatt Math

WELCOME!!!!!!!!!

Riverdale Middle School

would like to officially

welcome and acknowl-

edge all the new addi-

tions to the team and

family. Each new mem-

bers brings with them a

wealth of knowledge,

experience, passion for

teaching,, commitment to

excellence, and high ex-

pectations for their stu-

dents. They are:

from the brainstorming and

inquisitive minds of three 7th

grade students last year, who

are now 8th graders on team

8E. They are Alejandra Ander-

son, Deion Harris, and Austin

O' Neal. Not only is the Class-

room beautiful, it is also a

great way to observe nature

and learn at the same time.

Through use of the

Open Air Classroom, Science

is brought to life and made

real. Students are allowed to

take part in discovery learning.

They can learn about different

plants and their make ups. For

Earth Science, students can

study the various types of

rocks and their formation. By

examining the soil and sur-

rounding attributes of the land,

students can learn about the

distinctive characteristics of

their region.

The ribbon cutting

ceremony was held on Thurs-

day, August 28, 2008. A special

Thank You!! goes out to Ms.

Conley for her continued sup-

port, belief in our vision, and

for helping to make it a reality.

The open-air class-

room started off as a simple

project for the G.R.E.A.T Pro-

gram (Gang Resistance Educa-

tion And Training). The idea

was just a proposal that was

submitted for e a project

grade, but instead turned into a

wondrous, ongoing project

intended to make a huge im-

pact at Riverdale Middle

School. Who could have ever

predicted that a few sketches

and words could come to life

in less than a year?

The idea originated

We are a

family like

like a giant

tree, stand-

ing straight

to the sky.

T H E S P A R T A N S H I E L D

Riverdale Shining Star: Teacher of the Year

P A G E 3 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1

What character-

izes a great teacher? Is it

their ability to present

information in way that

stimulates learning? Is it

their innate ability to con-

nect with their students

by making learning tangi-

ble? Is it their creative and

engaging lesson plans that

get students excited about

learning? Is it their high

expectations that chal-

lenge and push students

beyond their self imposed

limitations? Or is it the “IT “ that

one possesses that allows them to

effortlessly excel in motivating gen-

ius? If these qualities are all it takes,

then Mrs. Tanya M. Johnson Kirk

has exceeded great and moved into

the realm of extraordinary, into a

“class” all by herself.

Riverdale Middle School

would like to congratulate our

Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Tanya M.

Johnson Kirk ! Mrs. Kirk is a gifted

teacher of Mathematics, although she

started her career as a Science

teacher at Riverdale Middle School

seven years ago. Her expectations

are high, her lessons are on point, and

she exemplifies the very epitome of

great teaching.

Mrs. Kirk is not just a great

teacher, but she is a well rounded

person of excellence and character.

She received her Bachelor of Science

degree in Biology Pre-Medicine from

Alcorn State University where she

also graduated Magna Cum Laude.

Her education did not stop there.

She received her Masters of Arts in

Education from Central Michigan

University, while simultaneously com-

pleting Mercer University’s Teacher

Certification Program. Beyond all of

her great educational exploits, Mrs.

Kirk is a great mother, a wife, sister,

friend, role model, and mentor.

Adding to her repertoire of

accomplishments, Mrs. Kirk has been

named as a finalist for the coveted

Clayton County Teacher of the Year.

Mrs. Kirk continues to not only rep-

resent Riverdale Middle School to the

fullest, but she is now representing

the entire Clayton County School

System as only she can, with dignity,

grace, poise, and humility. Way to go

Mrs. Kirk!!! You inspire us all to be

better.

order to find the most optimal

place for gardening. The next step

was to plant the garden and wait

for nature to take its course.

The culminating activity is

a Community Garden Festival in

which the community will be in-

vited to enjoy an evening of music,

poetry, and gardening. Participants

will be given the opportunity to

view the garden and learn in-depth

The students at Riverdale

Middle School designed and pre-

sented a proposal to their peers

and community leaders to serve the

community by developing a com-

munity garden. Students began the

process by researching the benefits

of having a garden. They found out

how soil is formed and what plants

grow best in Georgia. Students

then conducted sample soil tests to

determine the fertility of the soil in

various locations on campus in

information about the Garden

project.

Students are prepar-

ing a City of Riverdale Commu-

nity Garden Advocacy Presenta-

tion proposal. The aim is to

convince the Clayton County

Board of Commissions to set

aside green space for a

City Community Garden.

asking all parents to come out and support our 8th grade Spartans.

The 7th grade Spartans are currently 4-0! That’s right UN-DEAFETED! The Spartans have won

by an average of 20 points the entire

season thus far! The Spartans are led by Mr. Devin Thomas who averages about

17 points per game and Rashard Canty who averages 13 rebounds per game. Gerrad Gober leads the team with three blocks per game. The Spartans

are also led by Mr. Willie Glass, Forest Redd, Kirk Bailey, Emmanuel Mgbe-mena, Rashard Emerson, Jared Berry,

Nghia Le, Greg Taylor, and Giovonte’ Dunn. The Spartans are looking for-

ward to a phenomenal season and the possibility of going UNDEAFTED! Let

hope the Spartans can maintain their positive energy throughout the duration of the season!

We are asking all parents,

faculty, and staff to come out and sup-port your SPARTANS basketball

teams this season! Thanks for your support!

The 2008 and 2009 basket-ball season is underway and we are

looking forward to an exciting season. The 8th grade Spartans are led by Mr. Brandon Clyde, Isa Muhammad, Kyle

Williams, Terrance Prickett, Rolenzo

Coker, Quanard Lackley, Malcolm Perry, Austin O’Neal, Leonard Badgett,

Andrew Johnson, Joshua McClendon, and Joshua Powell. The Spartans have prepared both mentally and physically for this upcoming season and we are

looking to forward to bringing excite-ment to the Riverdale community. In the month of December, we have two

home games against M.D. Roberts and Adamson Middle schools and we are

Athletics by Mr. Duane Hale

Learn and Serve: Go Green!!

“Growing Our Community As

We Learn”

“The Battle is

not given to

the swift or to

the strong, but

to the one that

endures until

the end”

T H E S P A R T A N S H I E L D

Riverdale Middle School held its annual Math Night on October 27, 2008 and it was an absolute success.

Over 125 excited parents attended the event and enjoyed learning Math through various ways. Information

sessions were held in classrooms to provide parents with hands on activities to demonstrate how math is

taught at Riverdale Middle School. Math Jeopardy, Math

Competition, Performance Task Warm-Ups, and Standards

instruction engaged all the participants. The excitement cre-

ated by the Math teachers was so contagious that many par-

ents commented that they did not realize that,” Math could be

so fun!”

400 Roberts Drive

Riverdale, Georgia 30274

Phone: 770-994-4045

Fax:770-944- 4467

E-mail: jbolden@clayton.k12.ga.us,

tmcbryde@clayton.k12.ga.us

Announcements

Parents may access students grades on the Clayton County website under Grade

book.

Parents may access the Georgia Online Assessment system to aid student in prepa-

ration for the GCRCT at www.georgiaoas.org.

- Username is 631

- School Code is 018

- Student Id # can be found on Grade book.

Ex. 63101823456

Please support the PTSA by contributing $5.00 for membership.

The Student Council is inviting parents and the Riverdale community to attend the 1st Spartan Carnival on December 9, 2008. Booths are available. Please see a Stu-dent Council representative to sign up.

The Student Council will be holding a Blanket drive to donate to local homeless shel-

ters from December1– 18, 2008.

The Student Council and Learn and Serve will be Adopting (2) Families For Christ-

mas and accepting donations during homeroom and lunch from Dec 1–18, 2008.

Learn and Serve will be visiting the Sarah Adult Daycare to bring joy to the elderly.

The Gents Male Mentoring Program will be having its 1st official meeting with young

men interested in joining the organization on Wednesday, December 3, 2008.

Yearbook Ads are on sale for 8th graders only.

Students interested in being a part of the newspaper staff should see Mr. Bolden or

Mr. McBryde

Riverdale Middle School

Math Night

Where We Excel in Academics,

Athletics and the Arts!! T H E S P A R T A N S H I E L D