At the January 27 Board of Education meeting, the Administration provided a status update on the District's technology plan. The plan calls for the District to provide all incoming freshmen with a Chromebook at the start of next school year and follow this format through 2018 until all grade levels have a Chromebook. A formal recommendation will be presented to the Board of Education for approval in March. The financing and the student technology fee still need to be vetted before a recommendation can be made. A link to the District Technology Plan and supporting documents can be found on the website under the "District" tab.

A draft of the District's proposed calendar for the 2015-16 school year is available in the January Board of Education packets (website "Board of Education" tab). The Board of Education is scheduled to vote on the proposed calendar at the February 10 meeting. 

Canceling school is not an easy decision to make, and there will always be someone that is not happy with the choice that is made. If weather conditions permit the faculty and staff to attend and operate the school, the District's goal is to conduct classes as scheduled. We understand that a parent may have a concern with the weather and choose to keep their child home. If that choice is made, please remember to call the attendance line to verify and excuse your child's absence. 

On January 5, an energetic, innovative group of teen leaders called "Watch My Feet" performed for all freshmen Wellness classes. RB students Breuna Wilson and Dalila Ovalle are members of this dynamic LeaderShop performance group. This unique ensemble composed of diverse students from four area high schools brings the message of hope and leadership to other young people in the community. They create their own skits and dances based on teen issues to encourage teens to make positive choices. 

Custodian Appreciation Day 

Custodian Appreciation Day was January 29. This is the third year the Student Association and PBS Acknowledgement Committee teamed up to celebrate and thank our amazing custodial staff for their hard work and dedication to RB. Lunch and dinner were served to the day and evening crew as a small token of our gratitude for all they do to make RB a special place to come to learn and work.

RBHS Spirit

We continue to award fifth hour classes who are wearing RB Blue and White. Once per month, on an announced Friday, Student Association Executive Board members ask fifth hour teachers to record their class percentage dressed in spirit wear. At the end of fifth hour, members of SA enter the room and give the students and teacher an immediate reward. Then the class is entered in a drawing for a pizza party to be awarded at the end of the semester. The first semester winner was Ms. Edwards' class with 100 percent participation.

RBHS Blood Drive

The second Blood Drive of the school year will be held on Wednesday, February 25, 

9:00 a.m. - 3 p.m. Students may sign-up to donate blood during their study hall or Wellness class. Sign-ups are in the student caf� during all lunches Tuesday, February 17 - Thursday, February 19. The goal is to collect at least 120 pints of blood. The requirements: student must be in good health, weigh over 110 lbs., and be 16 years old (with parent permission slip) or older.

Tickets for RB Theater's production of "Bye, Bye, Birdie!" will be on sale through www.rbhs208.net beginning in mid-February. The musical runs March 6, 7, and 8 in the RB Auditorium.

Rock star Conrad Birdie is the biggest thing to top the charts. Women love him, men want to be him and teenage girls around the country scream with glee at the mere mention of his name. But when the United States Army drafts Birdie, manager Albert Peterson sees his meal ticket preparing to fly the coop (much to the delight of longtime love Rose Alvarez, who can't wait for Albert to ditch the music biz and become something respectable, like an English teacher). Desperate for a publicity stunt big enough to help them survive Birdie's departure, Albert and Rose hatch a plan: send Conrad to small-town America to plant his goodbye kiss on one lucky fan for the entire world to see. Their selection of super fan Kim Macafee sends the wholesome enclave of Sweet Apple, Ohio, into chaos. Kim's boyfriend, Hugo, can't take the humiliation of his lady love's televised lip-lock. Rose can't take another minute of Albert's distracted ways. And Sweet Apple can't take its teens' riotous rebellion, inspired by the arrival of bad-boy Birdie. Will Sweet Apple ever be the same?

Class will meet on Thursdays from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., starting January 22, 2015 - March 26, 2015 at Riverside Brookfield High School in Room 200. For more information contact Mari Smith at [email protected]. 

We are extremely proud that RB was represented by six talented students at the Illinois Music Educators Conference (IMEC) in January. All of these students were invited to join musicians from around the state in rehearsals and workshops in their given areas culminating in performances on January 31 in Peoria. Chosen at the District level through an audition process were:

• Louis Grigoletti, Honors Choir
• Ben Longo, Choir
• Andrew Lemeurier, Band
• Mia Haugland, Orchestra
• Miranda Molina, Future Music Educators Seminar
• Alex Tong, 3rd place Composition Contest