Parents' Association News
August 29, 2015
|
 Warm Greetings Riverstone Families,
Welcome to the beginning of a new school year. I am excited to be starting my first year as the President of the Parents' Association. I am joined by an amazing group of Board members and Event Coordinators that have been busy planning fun events that will take place throughout the upcoming school year. These events happen through the support of new and returning Riverstone International School families.
The first of these events is the Boo-Hoo Yahoo Coffee on Monday, August 31 following the Convocation. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet members of the PA Board and find out how you can get involved!
Everyone is a PA member By having a child enrolled at Riverstone International School, you are automatically a member of our Parents' Association (PA) and are encouraged to actively participate in supporting the school community in ways that your schedule, talents, and interests allow. The PA is a volunteer organization that exists to: - Foster community within the Riverstone family,
- Promote and support volunteer programs and resources,
- Support our students, parents, faculty, and teachers, and
- Develop a closer connection between school and home by encouraging parent involvement.
Parents share their time and talents in a myriad of ways; including serving as room parents, assisting in the classrooms, tutoring students, chaperoning field trips, helping with campus beautification, mentoring students, assisting from their home, coaching athletic teams, and more. There are many rewarding opportunities available, small and large. If you have a particular talent that you would like to share, we can find a way to connect you with a staff member or student who could use your assistance!
Please contribute to the Parents' Association Fund The simplest way to start lending your support is by contributing to the Parents' Association Fund. These funds allow us to do even more for students, teachers, and staff. Funds benefit classroom and grade specific social gatherings, as well as support our Merci Program. Funds donated last year also allowed us to give the entire staff a holiday and end of the year thank you gift ($50 cash per gift!).
This year, we are reducing the per student request to $25; but we are looking for strong support in order to make this permanent.
You can download the PA Funds Contribution Form and return your form and contribution to the Elementary School front desk. Thank you!
Join us at our monthly meetings
The PA meets monthly and all families are invited. The Parents' Association is always looking for fresh ideas to bring our school community together and everyone's participation is critical to making this happen. The PA meetings will be held in the school library on the first Thursday of each month beginning in October.
In order to allow new families to get acquainted with their children being in a new place, the timing of back to school trips, and the Labor Day Holiday, our first meeting will be held on Thursday, September 17. Our meetings start at 8:45 AM and run about an hour in length. Coffee, tea, and breakfast treats are provided.
We will share information continually throughout the year but to give you a bit of a view to what lies ahead, check out the section below with events taking place in August, September, and October.
Fall Carnival planning committee meeting Tues, September 1
All parents interested in helping organize our favorite fall tradition, the Fall Carnival,
are invited to join the first planning meeting on Tuesday, September 1 after dropoff in the morning. Please meet in the Elementary School atrium. Contact Michelle Nenov if you can't make the meeting but are interested in volunteering.
The Fall Carnival is a wonderful family event that will take place on Friday, October 9. Save the date.
Please consider volunteering as a room parent. With exception of our senior class, we need room parents for all grades. Being a room parent is a great way for new families to get involved. You are asked to communicate with your class and recruit people to help fill the needs of the teachers. We encourage room parents to involve as many parents in their class so the responsibilities can be shared which makes for a much more fun experience! Please read more about this opportunity below.
Merci lunches
Merci lunches are special lunches that parents organize to show our appreciation for our teachers and administration. It is an excellent way for the Riverstone staff to take a few minutes to relax, enjoy a great meal, and understand how very much we appreciate everything they do! Please watch for more information about how you can be involved.
Check out our online Community Opportunities document
If you are interested in volunteering at any of our events throughout the year, feel free to check out the Community Opportunities Google document, which can also be found in the "Important Links" section of the newsletter.
Family photo directory needs your family photo!
Before I go, I do want to offer an additional reminder that we intend to send the Riverstone Family Photo Directory the printer soon. Feel free to be creative with your pictures. It can be anything that helps to share a little insight in to your family. It is always nice when looking for someone to associate faces with names, especially for newer families at the school.
Looking forward to meeting you
As always, I welcome your feedback. Please contact me if you have any questions or comments at geffrosfamily@yahoo.com or (586) 419-5925.
Take care,
Natalie Geffros
Natalie Geffros
Parents' Association President
2015-17
|
We are seeking room parents! Please consider volunteering!
A brief summary of room parent responsibilities includes: - Communicate with your class (mainly via emails).
- Assist the teacher in areas that are requested to improve the classroom atmosphere
- Coordinate class parties with your teacher and parent volunteers
- Contribute to the organization of Staff Appreciation week
- Attend PA meetings and assist the PA throughout the year with volunteer staffing, etc.
Please contact the appropriate Divisional PA Representative listed below if you are interested in volunteering for open positions. Or stop by the PA table at Boo-Hoo Yahoo after Convocation! |
|
PARENTS' ASSOCIATION LEADERSHIP
|
Thank you to our PA Leadership team! Please feel free to contact the Leadership team to ask questions, make suggestions, or email with comments.
|
President
|
Natalie Geffros
| |
Vice President
|
Amy Bava
| |
Treasurer
|
Melanie Ernst
| |
Co-Secretary
|
Kim Liebich and Heather Dermott
| |
Elementary School Representative
|
Lelei Coyle
| |
Middle School Representative
|
Rachel Bergmann
| |
High School Representative
|
Nimi Sandhu
| International Parents Committee Representative
| Sumiko Gomi
| |
Merci Coordinator
|
Anne-Claire Depuydt
| Photo Directory Coordinator
| Treacy Liebich
|
|
|
PARENTS' ASSOCIATION EVENTS
|
 Join us -- or volunteer -- for as many events as your schedule allows!
BOO HOO/YAHOO COFFEE: Monday, Aug 31 following Convocation
Enjoy having coffee and tea after the Convocation while having the opportunity to meet this year's PA Board and Event Chairs.
ICE CREAM SOCIAL: Monday, Aug 31 at the end of the school day
Join us for the 3rd Annual Ice Cream Social as we celebrate the start of school with a sweet treat compliments of the Parents' Association.
FALL CARNIVAL: Friday, October 9
A fun-filled night of rides, games, and community amusement! The Riverstone Carnival is the annual PA fundraiser. The carnival is how we fund most of the fun PA events throughout the year.
Contact Michelle Nenov to volunteer or ask questions.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PUMPKIN PATCH: Tuesday & Wednesday, October 13 & 14
Kids and parents love our annual Pumpkin Patch and Bake Sale!
We set up our own "Mini-Patch" in the Elementary School Atrium with plenty of jack-o-lantern pumpkins, heirloom pumpkins and sugar pumpkins to go around. The kids have a blast guessing how many candies are in the jar and guessing the weight of the great pumpkin.
|
|
