About Us

Building Updates…

• Richmond Intermediate has recently been receiving multiple renovations including:
  •  fresh paint in the hallways 
  •  installation of SMART Boards in grade level instructional spaces 
  •  small tiling work as necessary 
  •  removal of the computer lab in the LRC (computer lab was unnecessary with the I-pads in the hands of each student) 
  •  instructional spaces created in the LRC to create flexible learning spaces 

Personnel and Staffing…

• Richmond Intermediate has recently hired new staff members. Please click Staff Directory to see who will be working with your student(s) next year! 
• The Intermediate staff has spent a week learning about the new technologies in our building. Included in this training was Apple training specific to the I-pad, SMART Board technology training led by Northern Illinois University, and curriculum development for 21st century learners. The week was filled with new learning for all staff members and we are looking forward to putting our new knowledge and ideas into action. 
• Richmond Intermediate will be partnering with Northern Illinois University to serve as a Professional Development School for pre-service teachers. Some Richmond staff have volunteered to serve as a mentor for pre-service teachers as they work to complete their elementary education degrees. The pre-service teachers will be working with the teachers, planning, observing instruction and student work, and working with students individually and in small groups. We are excited to serve as a Professional Development School and believe this partnership with NIU will benefit our staff, our professional learning, the NIU students and their futures, teacher preparation in education, and most importantly our Richmond Intermediate students. 
• Finally, we would like to welcome Dan Guerrero who will be serving as a student teacher in Mrs. Duensing’s 5th grade classroom this fall. 

Calendars and Dates…

•  Welcome Back Day – Wednesday, August 10th, 2011 – 3:00-7:00 pm
  • Student pictures will be taken 
  • Parents will make final World Language selection: Spanish or French 
  • PTO information, Sodexo information, and much more… 
• Supply Drop Off – Monday, August 22nd, 2011 – 3:00-5:00 pm 
• First Day of Class – Wednesday, August 24th, 2011 – 8:00 am 

Technology Updates…

• The I-pad 2 is the device our students will utilize this year. The I-pads have arrived in the district and will be in the building ready for student use on the first day, August 24th. 
• SMART Boards have been installed in all of the grade level instructional classrooms. The SMART Board offers many interactive learning opportunities designed and delivered by teachers. 
• The wireless system has been upgraded at Richmond Intermediate to provide our students and staff better connectivity and faster processing. 
• Instruction – Our staff will be working to implement instruction that develops 21st Century Skills including Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Convergence. The 21st Century Skills cut across all content areas. Additionally, these skills are utilized everyday by students and adults outside of school settings. We will work to develop, reinforce, and enhance these skills to help prepare students for the world beyond school. 

Building Schedule…

• Students who will be participating in the breakfast program will be able to enter the building at 7:40 each morning. 
• Students will be proceeding to their homeroom class at 7:50 each morning. 
• Classes begin each day at 8:00 am. 
• Lunch and recess periods:
  • Teams 3-1, 4-1, and 5-1
    • Lunch - 11:35-12:00 
    • Recess – 12:00-12:25 
  • Teams 3-2, 4-2, and 5-2
    • Lunch – 12:00-12:25 
    • Recess – 11:35-12:00 
• Classes end each day at 3:00 pm. 
• School District Calendar 
• School & PTO Calendar
• Drop Off procedures 

Parent Involvement…

• Volunteers – We will be seeking parent volunteers for our VIP (Very Important Parent) program. Please click here to read more about the VIP program, its purpose, and how to volunteer. We need your help to accelerate the learning of ALL students at Richmond Intermediate! 
• We are also seeking VIP members who speak Spanish! 
• Lunchroom Supervisors – Sodexo, our food service company, provides elementary level buildings with parent supervisors to assist with the supervision of students during their lunch and recess times. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Connie Unger: (630) 377-4866 or via email at cunger@d303.org

Student Information…

• This year, we will be developing Teams at each grade level. Richmond Intermediate will have 6 sections, or homerooms, at grades 3 and 4, and 5 sections at grade 5. In order to personalize our approach to each student, we will be creating smaller teams. For example, at 3rd grade, we have six teachers including Mrs. Sanders, Mr. Rocha, Mrs. Chinn, Mrs. Roggemann, Mrs. Unger, and Mrs. Rapach. The team structure for 3rd grade would be:
  • Team 3-1:
    • Mrs. Sanders 
    • Mrs. Roggemann 
    • Mrs. Rapach
  • Team 3-2
    • Mrs. Unger 
    • Mr. Rocha 
    • Mrs. Chinn 
• We will utilize a similar teaming structure at each grade level allowing us to get to know each and every student academically, socially, emotionally, as well as connecting with them personally. 
• Specials Classes – This year, Richmond Intermediate is proud to offer students with a wide range of Specials classes that will provide students with learning experiences that strengthen and deepen learning targets. Each student will participate in:
  • Physical Education, Health and Wellness (4 days each week) 
  • Art (1 day each week) 
  • Music (1 day each week) 
  • World Language (Spanish or French, 3 days each week)
    • If your student is not at grade level in Reading, they will be receiving additional reading support from our Reading Specialists
  • Science and Technology (2 days each week) 
• French – We have recently added French back in as an option for families to choose for World Language learning. For the 2011-2012 school year, we will offer one section of French at each grade level, 3rd, 4th, and 5th. French, like Spanish, will meet 3 days each week. 
• Additional Reading Support - At the end of the school year in May of 2011, incoming 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students who would attend Richmond Intermediate were assessed using a variety of literacy tools including the DRA2, AIMS Web fluency, and Words Their Way. These assessments provided data on student literacy achievement levels. The Richmond and Davis staff members worked diligently to collect student learning data to assist us with this process. 

One of our goals is to have every student reading at or above grade level. Richmond Intermediate School will be providing additional reading support to those students who are reading below grade level. Students who qualify will receive additional reading instruction instead of participating in World Languages (Spanish or French). Students who qualify for the additional reading support will meet with our Reading Specialists working to target and build literacy skills to improve reading achievement. This reading instruction will be three days per week for 40 minutes each day -- totaling 120 minutes of additional reading support each week.

Communication…

• During the 2011-2012 school year, we will communicate with families frequently, and in a variety of formats. Our intent is to saturate families with options of how they can access information about the school, events, and more. Throughout the school year, our webpage will be updated with information. We will utilize Connect Ed sending messages in multiple formats including email and phone calls. We will also have the capability to send information via text messaging through a vehicle called Edmodo. Finally, for those families who would prefer hard copies of newsletters, we can send information home via backpack express for those requesting paper. 

General Information…

• School Color(s) – Navy Blue, Light/Tarheel Blue (Accent Color), White (Accent Color) 
• School Mascot – Roadrunners 
• Class Size – The anticipated class size for classrooms is approximately 25 students.