Principal's Message

Dear River Hawk Families,

Welcome to the Rio Norte Junior High 2023-24 school year. My name is Brenda Bennett, and I am privileged to be the Principal of this amazing junior high school.

As a graduate of the Wm. S. Hart Union High School District, I am honored to be able to give back to the district and community that shaped who I am as a person and as an educator. My husband is also a product of this school district and our own children are former students of Rio Norte Junior High. Our youngest attends Valencia High School, and our oldest just graduated and heads to college this August. We believe in public education, our district, and what our schools provide to the students in our community, and we feel our schools, and the experiences they’ve chosen to be a part of, have prepared them well for the challenges ahead. 

At Rio Norte, we are committed to student success and building relationships to focus on all aspects of student development and growth during their two years at our school. This year our school and district continue working on initiatives set by the Hart District’s 5 year STRATEGIC PLAN, where we are One Hart working to ensure Every Student is Opportunity Ready by the time they graduate from the Hart District. In this second year, we will continue our work on all site-oriented facets of the strategic plan: Student Learning and Instruction, Safety and Wellness, Access and Equity, and Communication and Collaboration. Specifically, our work continues on increasing Common Assessments through collaboration within our departments to ensure that students are acquiring the essential standards and skills for each academic area. Additionally, we are taking a closer look at our targeted interventions to help students with meeting standards.

At Rio Norte, we are committed to our students and are by your side to help. Please partner with us and be a part of our team, by assuming best intentions, asking questions first, and helping us, to help our River Hawks SOAR!  

River Hawks
Strive for success
Own our actions
Accept differences
Respect others

Warm regards,
Brenda Bennett