Riverside School Newsletter

CALENDAR


WEEK OF APR. 14 - APR.18
NO SCHOOL-SPRING RECESS

 

WEEK OF APR. 21- APR. 25

Monday, Apr. 21st
3:15pm Student Council

Tuesday, Apr.22nd
Gr 4 Field Trip- Tod's Point
7:55am Chorus Reh.-All Members
9:00am  Grs. 1 & 2 Story Time Quartet
2:00pm  Earth Day Celebration

Wednesday, Apr. 23rd
7:40am Adv. Orchestra- Gr 5
9:30am Gr 2 - HT/HT: Give Me Dirt

Thursday, Apr. 24th
7:45am Riverside Reporters
7:55am Chorus Reh.-All Members
8:45am Ropes Photos
9:30am Gr 2- HT/HT: Give Me Dirt
7:00pm BOE Meeting- RIV

Friday, Apr. 25th
Gr 5 -Field Trip- Philly
7:45am Adv. Band & Gr 4 

 

WEEK OF APR. 28 - MAY 2

Monday, Apr. 28th
High Touch/High Tech - Gr. 3

Tuesday, Apr. 29th
High Touch/High Tech - Gr. 3
7:55am Chorus Reh. - All Members

Wednesday, Apr. 30th
EARLY DISMISSAL
7:40am Adv. Orchestra - Gr. 5

Thursday, May 1st
SoundWaters Field Trip - Gr. 4
7:55am Chorus Reh.-All Members

Friday, May 2nd
7:45am Adv. Band & Gr 4 
MISSING
 
A student is missing a xylophone/drum kit. This has not been found as of this morning. Could you please look at home to see if your child has it by mistake.  Thank you!
 
Safety
  car safety
 We appreciate your continued efforts and cooperation with safety routines during drop-off and pick-up. Greenwich Police Department is our partner in this venture, keeping students, staff and families safe. We continue to work on improvements and appreciate any/all feedback.
 
Thank you! 
From the Front Office 
Weekly Column by Mr. Weiss 
April 11, 2014
Dear Mr. Weiss
 
Parents are invited to write a letter, addressed to me, regarding class placements for next year. I ask that you focus on your child's needs, both academic and social. You may not request a specific teacher. The information you provide will be shared with staff and will be one of several criteria considered as we develop class lists for the new school year. Please note that email will not be accepted for this purpose. The deadline, no exceptions, for this letter will be Friday, May 2

 

Earth Day is Coming! 

 

On Tuesday, April 22, we will encourage "Going Green" by having a "Green Shirt" day to show our desire for a greener earth. 
You are invited to our Earth Day event on the front lawn at 2 pm. The ceremony will be immediately followed by buddy reading on the lawn so students should bring in a small beach towel
 to sit on for the buddy reading after the ceremony. This event will be held in the gym if it is raining. NOTE: Please remember to enter the "Earth Month" Poster contest by the Monday, April 21 deadline. See below. See all the "green" activities for your family at:
 http://www.greenwichschools.org/page.cfm?p=10417
 
 
"Walk This Way" is back!

 

Starting Earth Day, April 22, we will be launching an initiative to encourage a better environment and hopefully a better dismissal experience for all. We will be challenging students (if it is safe to do so) to either walk or ride their bikes to school, or to carpool or ride the bus (if eligible) at least 12 times a month (5 or more times in April since it is a late start) for the rest of the year and into the fall.  

 

Board of Education Meeting at Riverside

Riverside School will be hosting a Board of Education meeting on Thursday, April 24 at 7 pm. Prior to the meeting, parents are invited to join us for a reception at 6:30 pm in the Cafe. This is a yearly opportunity to share what is so special about our school with the board. 

Poetry Week and "Poem in your Pocket" Day

Your children will enjoy Poetry Week May 5-9 this year. Save the date, Thursday, May 8 for "Poem in your Pocket Day" when we also hold our annual "Poetry Picnic" during your child's lunch shift on the front lawn. Students should find a great poem to read or write one of their own. Parents are welcome to join their child during his/her lunch shift on May 8. The rain date is May 9
 
Enjoy the Break!

 

 Have a safe and enjoyable vacation week. Enjoy the time together as a family, relax, and celebrate being together! I know I always look forward to vacation time and long weekends with my family and I wish the same for you.
 
Lunch Visits

I am writing to ask for your cooperation with a safety issue when families visit students during lunchtime.  As you may know, we allow for parents to occasionally join your child(ren) for lunch at school. This will continue to be permitted. Issues can arise, however, when non-school aged children come along with parents into the lunchroom during school hours. We have recently had some close encounters in the district that ended, thankfully, with only tears and spilt milk, literally. It is just very difficult to supervise a toddler and visit with another child at the same time, especially in a room filled with other children who are also trying to eat their own lunches. 
 
Since safety for your entire family is of paramount concern to us, we would like to ask for your help. For your toddler's safety, we are asking that you please make alternate 
arrangements for pre-schoolers when joining your child for lunch or when volunteering for lunch duty. We appreciate your understanding. 
 
To be clear, this is ONLY with regard to lunchtime or lunch/recess volunteering. ALL family members, including toddlers, will continue to be welcomed at special school 
events, concerts and moving-up ceremonies. 
 
Thank you for your continued support and cooperation. 
Grades 3, 4 & 5 Parents 

 

 Please click below for  important SBAC and CMT information 

 

Principals letter and SBAC information

 

SBAC Newsletter 

 

 

FIELD DAY GRADES K-2

Help is needed to run an hour of our K-2 Field Day Morning program on

Friday May 16 with a rain date of Wednesday May 21

 

Please sign up for a slot at 8:50, 9:50, or 10:50 but plan to arrive 10 minutes early for

"on- the -job" training.  Parents will be working in teams of two.

If you prefer to email me with your time slot preference and all of your contact information and rain date availability, I will sign you up for a station still in need of supervision, and will email you back with your assignment.

 

[email protected].ct.us

 

Sign up sheets are posted on the wall beside the main school office.  Please be sure to write your information CLEARLY as I will be making up email group lists for further communication.  There are spots for your name, phone #'s, email, and rain date availability.

 

Thank you for your support of this fun event! 

 

GREENWICH PUBLIC SCHOOLS ESY and SUMMER SCHOOL 2014

We are happy to announce a brand new Elementary curriculum for the 2014 Summer School program as well as on-line registration.


Registration for the 2014 Summer School program will begin on April 4th.  
There will be on-site registration:
Wednesday, April 23rd  at Julian Curtiss School from 6-7:30 PM
  
Please see the attached flyer for on-site registration and here for Spanish.
  
All registration brochures, registration meeting updates and links to the on-line registration website can be found on the GPS Summer School website beginning April 4, 2014.  
www.greenwichschools.org/summerschool

Summer School will be held at the following schools:

Pre-Kindergarten - 5th Grade at Hamilton Avenue School from July 1- August 12

All Pre-Kindergarten students and Kindergarten - 5th Grade students from New Lebanon, Hamilton Avenue, Glenville School

Kindergarten - 5th Grade at Cos Cob School from July 1- August 12
All other elementary school students will attend summer school at Cos Cob School

6th Grade- 12th Grade at Central Middle School from July 1- August 5 
Comprehensive Secondary Special Education Program July 1-August 12
  
Earth Day at Riverside
 
 

Earth Day is Tuesday, 4/22, and Riverside School is ready to celebrate!

Got Sneakers???
During Earth Day week, we will be collecting used, but wearable sneakers to donate to Neighbor to Neighbor. Do you have old sneakers laying around that don't fit anymore?? Why not donate them? And if your old sneakers are too worn out, bring them in anyway and we will give to goodwill. 
Reduce, *RE-USE*, Recycle!!

WALK or BIKE to school!!
In honor of Earth Day, please consider walking or riding your bike to school on Tuesday!

Lastly, show your support for Mother Earth by wearing GREEN on Tuesday.

Earth Month Poster Contest
 
  
 
EARTH MONTH POSTER CONTEST!!
 
SHOW US HOW YOU PUT THE *GREEN* IN GREENWICH!! 
 
Add your own photos, drawings, digital creations, poems or stories to make a poster to celebrate our environment. 
 
Sizes accepted are : 8 1/2 x11 or 11 x17. All entires must be submitted no later than Monday, 4/21, to the main office. 
 
**Please make sure your child writes his/her name and grade on the back of their poster.**
 
Posters will be judged by Mrs. J and a small panel of teachers. Winners in each grade will be announced on Earth Day, 4/22, and prizes will be awarded! The winning posters of the Riverside Contest will then be submitted for a town wide contest sponsored by the Garden Education Center of Greenwich. 

For more information about the town wide competition please
click here

Good luck!

SES Parent Network

Please join the Eastern SES Parent Network

for coffee and a parent lecture on

 

 

"Understanding your child with special needs: Strategies for the 12 most common challenges at home"

 

 

Wednesday, April 23rd, 9:00 am 

North Mianus School Media Center

 

Presented by Beth Forger Special Education Coach for GPS 




  
ALP

ALP identification letters

 
The Greenwich school district ALP facilitator would like to work with a few parents to make the letters that are sent home with the ALP identification scoring more understandable.  She is looking for both ALP and non-ALP parents to participate.  If would like to assist in the process, please contact Ali Fels at [email protected].
  
Sugar Highs & Lows

 Our second general PTA meeting was held on Wednesday, April 2nd.   For those of you who missed this informative presentation you can view it by clicking here.   Our guest speaker, Teresa Fellows, founder of Zest Health Coaching,  led us though the detrimental effects of  sugar on children and adults.  For more information Teresa can be reached at [email protected]

  
Start your training!!!!


 

31st ANNUAL RIVERSIDE RUN - REGISTER NOW!!

 Spring is here so it's time to put your snow boots
 away and pull out your running shoes to start your training
 for our 31st annual Riverside Run! Race day is Saturday, May
 10th at 8:30am for the 3 mile run and 9:30am for the Kids
 Fun Run. You can start registering now. The online
 registration cost is $20.  Paper forms will be available in
 April, but the registration price will be $25. We encourage
 you to save paper and money and register online.  If you
 register before Wednesday, April 23rd you will have your
 name printed on your race bib. A perfect keepsake!

 Here is the registration link for the Riverside Run:


 If you have any questions, please contact Jenn Wolfe ([email protected])
 or Kristin Duda ([email protected]).



  
AVID

 
AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a college-readiness system designed to increase the number of students who enroll in four-year colleges. Although AVID serves all students, it focuses on the least served students in the academic middle.  All 16 students in GHS's first graduating class were accepted to college and all are the first in their families to attend college.   The Alliance CAP and Mentoring Programs continue to provide financial support and guidance as these students and their families confront the financial burden of basic items like textbooks and as they navigate the college environment of higher education.  The 22 students in the AVID Class of 2014 are receiving college acceptances every day including the Naval Academy and the Culinary Institute. Please help us support them! 
If you do not want to ride, please consider sponsoring an AVID teacher or student to ride.
 
  
EMS

Sports Photos Volunteer Needed
 
EMS teachers are looking for help with the sports team photos! 
 After the photos are taken, a volunteer is needed to help organize and display the photos at the school.  
Commitment is flexible and no experience is necessary - just a willingness to help support the teachers, coaches and teams at the school.
  
Please contact Tami Lopez @ [email protected]

  

Community Calendar 

Don't forget to check the Community Calendar on the school website www.greenwichschools.org/rs


 Click here to go to the Community Calendar

If you have any questions or comments feel free to email us at [email protected].

 

Sincerely,

Catherine Polkinghorne & Lois Kelly

Co-Presidents Riverside School PTA