We have some great news for our current and future River Islands Scholars! Measure V was passed, which means that after many years as an elementary school district, Banta Elementary School District can now become Banta Unified School District. In the past, students had to attend high school outside of River Islands, but thanks to Measure V, Banta will now grow into one K-12 school district that will be run by our very own River Island Academies and a high school will be built and operated within River Islands. Susan Dell’Osso, president of River Islands, had a special message about this important update to our community:

The technology and arts enriched approach of River Islands Academies is one that has already shaped the education of our youngest residents. And as our children progress in their academic career, they will be able to obtain a stellar education under one curriculum that will help prepare them for college and beyond!

We’re so excited to see where this next chapter of the River Islands Academies will take us. Plans for the brand-new high school are currently underway, so stay tuned for more information by following us on Facebook and Instagram and signing up for newsletter updates.

Something new is coming to River Islands! We’re so excited to announce that the Grand Opening of Hideaway by Van Daele Homes will be happening on Saturday, January 9th. You can be among the first to tour these impressive model homes! Private in-person tours will be available starting at 10 A.M. Please note that all tours are by appointment only, and no walk-ins will be allowed. To book your visit, simply call the Van Daele team at (209) 451-0263, or visit their website. You can also explore the floorplans online at any time!

Hideaway by Van Daele Homes features bungalow homes and carriage-style flats that encompass the best of low-maintenance living. Choose from three spacious homes ranging from 1,447 to 1,826 square feet, each expertly crafted to give your family a relaxing place to work, grow, and play! Speaking of play, Hideaway is the ONLY neighborhood in all of River Islands to include a private pool and spa complex with outdoor barbecues and seating for their residents.

Plan 1 at Hideaway

Love al fresco dining? Plan 1 is for you! This 3 bed, 2.5 bath home features a deck adjacent to the dining room that’s perfect for sipping your morning coffee and watching the sun rise.

Plan 2 at Hideaway

Give your guests a resort experience in this charming home! Featuring 4 beds and 3 baths, Plan 2 also includes a bedroom on the first floor that can be used as a guest room or a space for your college student who comes home during summer and holidays.

Plan 3 at Hideaway

Work and play in style in this inviting and spacious floorplan. Plan 3 includes 3 beds and 2.5 baths as well as a den and loft space that you can transform into a home office, playroom, or even a study hall space!

All three beautiful model homes will be available to tour starting January 9th! Schedule your tour by calling the Van Daele team at (209) 451-0263. We’ll see you there!

Once again, River Islands is partnering with the Lathrop/Manteca Fire Department to provide much-needed gifts to children in need in the greater Lathrop community. We know what the children would love to see under their tree this Christmas, and by working together, we can fulfill every wish!

The Giving Tree is full of ornaments; each one with an individual child’s wish list. From December 1st through December 18th, you can pick an ornament from the Giving Tree and bring back wrapped gifts that complete each child’s wish list. Our friends at the Lathrop/Manteca Fire Department – along with Santa and Mrs. Claus—will deliver the gifts to the children just before Christmas.

The Giving Tree will be located in the lobby of the River Islands Executive Office, 73 W Stewart Road. Since this is a business office, we will be open Monday – Friday, from 9 am – 5 pm. Hours may vary, for after hours contact, email Krystal at keppler@riverislands.com for assistance.

Here’s what you do:

  • 1. Come over to the Executive Office and pick an ornament off the Giving Tree.
  • 2. Fill out form with your contact information and the name of the child on your ornament.
  • 3. Bring your wrapped gifts back to the Executive Office for pickup by the Fire Department before December 18TH .

Thank you for making a child’s Christmas merry and bright!

We at River Islands are so fortunate to be a part of a wonderful way of life, and yet not far from our community are people who need our help just to put food on their tables.

Please join us to kick off the 2020-2021 River Islands Food Drive to support Second Harvest Food Bank of San Joaquin County.

We’re calling our River Islands program “365 Days of Giving” because Second Harvest Food Bank needs donations all-year-round to feed the more than 35,000 individuals in San Joaquin who are in need every month. We are partnering with the Lathrop/Manteca Fire Department and Target.com to make giving a community-wide event, every day of the year.

Just go to Target.com and look for the River Islands registry of donation items most needed by Second Harvest—see the instructions below. When you purchase items for donation, Target will deliver them to Fire Station #35, right here at River Islands, where they will be collected for Second Harvest. Of course, if you want to buy non-perishable food on your own, you may drop off your donations at Fire Station #35, located at the end of Somerston Parkway.

This is a wonderful opportunity for River Islanders to reach out and help others. Let’s start a ripple effect of good thoughts and good deeds, from our community to the community-at-large.

How to get to the registry:

Go to www.Target.com

Click on Registry

Click on Search for Organization

Type in: “River Islands” and our charity registry will pop up

Or you can go to the direct URL: tgt.gifts/islanderscare

Election Day is November 3, and as Americans, Californians and residents of San Joaquin County, we have a lot of decisions ahead of us!

With so much media attention focused on the Presidential Election, it is easy to overlook a very important voter measure on the same ballot: Measure V. For residents of River Islands, V stands for the Value of having one school district for all of our students, from K – 12. V stands for Vocal, engaged parents. And V stands for a Visionary School District: the formation of Banta UNIFIED School District.

For many years, the Banta Elementary School District provided education for its youngest students, who then went on to high school in the neighboring Tracy Unified School District. With the growth of River Islands, and our parents’ desire to have their students attend a high school closer to home, we have worked together with Tracy and Banta to expand Banta into a unified school district, with the authority to charter a high school within our River Islands Academies.

The passage of Measure V means:

  • River Islands students, grades 9 – 12 will be attending a HIGH SCHOOL built within River Islands itself.

  • The new high school will be chartered and operated by River Islands Academies under Banta Unified School District.

  • The advanced, technology-and-arts-rich charter school approach that has shaped the education for our younger students at River Islands will be carried on seamlessly into a high school curriculum because the High School will be a part of the River Islands Academies.

This measure represents years of planning and coalition building, the result being that both the Tracy Unified District and Banta Elementary School District are in agreement about the importance of expanding Banta’s reach into high school education, through our charter Academies program.

The new district would come into being on July 1, 2021; its board and River Islands would focus on the development of a high school campus that would open in our community in August, 2023.

As for the cost, passing Measure V creates Banta Unified School District at no additional cost to the property owners beyond what is assessed in the General Obligation Bonds already in place.

Whether you vote by mail or in person, please make your voice heard!

All the best–
Susan Dell’Osso
President, River Islands Development