Rio Norte Junior High is a school in the William S. Hart Union High School District. Located in the city of Santa Clarita, California

Santa Clarita, California

Santa Clarita is the fourth largest city in Los Angeles County, California, United States and the twenty-fourth largest city in the state of California. The 2010 US Census reported the city's population grew 16.7% from the year 2000 to 176,320 residents. It is located about northwest of downtown...

, and the community of Valencia, Rio Norte is for seventh and eighth graders. Sixth graders from Helmers, Bridgeport, Tesoro, North Park, and Mountainview Elementary School

Mountainview Elementary School

Mountainview Elementary is an elementary school located in the city of Santa Clarita, California, USA. It is managed by the Saugus Union School District and educates in grades K-6.-History:...

s merge together to form the student body of Rio Norte. Eighth graders from Rio Norte then move onto Valencia High School

Valencia High School

Valencia High School may refer to:*Valencia High School , a public high school in Placentia, California*Valencia High School , a public high school in Santa Clarita, California...

, also in Santa Clarita, CA. The school's mascot is the River Hawk. The name "River Hawk" comes from the fact that Rio Norte is located on the north fork of the San Francisquito River and is based on the Red-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

The Red-tailed Hawk is a bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk," though it rarely preys on standard sized chickens. It breeds throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West...

 commonly seen in the surrounding community.

Rio Norte was opened in August 2003 under the direction of founding principal, John Krinkel. Mr. Krinkel left Rio Norte on August 26, 2007, to take a principal/superintendent position in Redding, CA. John Costanzo officially replaced John Krinkel as principal on September 2, 2007. One notable past student is Taylor Lautner.

Rio Norte is also home to the only Junior High Drum Line in the William S. Hart District, as well as an annual place-holder band in the Disneyland Band Competitions. Rio Norte is very proud of their Music Department, and the music teacher, Mr. Gilbert.

Mission statement

The Rio Norte Junior High Community is dedicated to providing a safe, flexible, positive, and nurturing learning environment in which all its members have the opportunity to experience a sense of belonging and personal growth, and all students have the opportunity to develop academic excellence.

Charity work

Rio Norte, along with four other schools in the district, regularly donates school supplies to impoverished schools in Nicaragua

Nicaragua

Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...

. Students correspond with their Nicaraguan counterparts through a pen-pal program.