Riverside School Newsletter

CALENDAR

 

    WEEK OF 10/20 - 10/24

 

Monday, October 20

 

Tuesday, October 21

Gr K - HT/HT: Let's Make Sense

7:55am Chorus Rehearsal PT 1

3:15pm ESOL Pumpkin Carving

 

Wednesday, October 22

EARLY RELEASE

Gr K - HT/HT: Let's Make Sense

7:40am Adv. Orchestra -Gr 5 Only

8:30am Fluoride Rinse

 

Thursday, October 23

Gr 5 - HT/HT: Power of Light

7:55am Chorus Rehearsal PT 2

1:00pm Gr 3 Dictionary Distribution

7:00pm BOE Meeting - Havemeyer

8:00pm RTM Meeting  - Riverside

 

Friday, October 24

Boo Bash

Gr 5 - HT/HT: Power of Light

7:45am Advanced Band

 

 

     WEEK OF 10/27 - 10/31

 

Monday, October 27

 

Tuesday, October 28

Gr 4 - Watersheds

7:55am Chorus Rehearsal PT 1

 

Wednesday, October 29

Gr 2 & 3 - GHS Youth Symphony

7:40am Adv. Orchestra- Gr 5 Only

8:30am Fluoride Rinse

8:45am Ropes Photos

 

Thursday, October 30

Gr 4 - Watersheds

7:55am Chorus Rehearsal PT 2

 

Friday, October 31

7:45am Advanced Band

 

 

From the Front Office 

Weekly Column by Mr. Weiss 
October  17, 2014

 

Genius Hour Resources (also in Spanish and Japanese)

 

Today we will held our 2nd Genius Hour event in all classrooms where students wrote and submitted to their teachers a proposal of what they want to pursue for the next few months during Genius Hour time. If some students eventually build something as part of their work, we ask that only small, safe items (or small models) be built and that no materials be purchased by parents but only recyclable or readily available materials be used for building models or items.

 

We have a description of Genius Hour in 

English, Spanish, and Japanese on our website here.


 

Our future Genius Hour dates this year will be:  11/14, 11/21, 12/12, 12/19, 1/16, 1/30, 2/20, 3/6, 3/27, 4/24, 5/15, 5/29, and 6/12.  

 

Parents of students in grades 2-5

 

If parent have signed the iPad borrowing form, grades 2-5 students may start taking their school iPad home soon. Information on our Digital Resources for the iPad are found below:

Videos about teachers and students at Riverside and Ham. Ave. Schools and their work in a 1:1 Digital Learning Environment.

http://www.greenwichschools.org/page.cfm?p=11502

 

FAQ on the DLE plan

http://www.greenwichschools.org/page.cfm?p=11504

 

School Resources and the Implementation Overview (describes all the Apps on student iPads) 

http://www.greenwichschools.org/page.cfm?p=11192 

 

 Free research tools & resources online at GPS

http://www.greenwichschools.org/page.cfm?p=11112

 


 
Update for 5th grade parents


 We will be continuing our tradition of holding our 5th grade Recognition Ceremony in the Eastern Middle School 
auditorium at the end of the school year. 
It will be a similar set-up to previous year's ceremonies. 

Football concern
 
Please note that for safety reasons, students should not bring in footballs or play with them at recess at school. We only allow for limited football use in faculty-led activities with students.  Thank you. 
PTA Directory

 

We are happy to announce that our PTA directories are going home today! Please check your child's Friday folder for it. 

 

Thank you for supporting the PTA.

 

LOST & FOUND

  

Next Wednesday, October 22 there will be tables on display with Lost and Found items that are still at the school.  Please stop by and check out the tables if you are missing any items.

 

Remaining articles will be donated locally.

 

I CARE FOR MYSELF

I Care for Myself Day will take place throughout the Greenwich Public School District on October 23rd.  At Riverside students will participate in lessons within their classrooms related to the norm Caring for Self and Others. Specifically, the focus of this day will be about the importance of caring for oneself and how to do this successfully. This event is part of the district's initiative to promote social emotional learning and prevent bullying. October is considered the "Bullying Awareness Month." We encourage all families to have discussions with their children around this topic and to share the activities they have participated in at school. 


 
We will also make October 23rd a "red shirt day" to support this cause. We encourage everyone to wear red that day. 

 

PTA FUNDRAISER

 

Let's Grow Riverside  

 

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow night 

(Tickets will be available at the door)

 

Riverside PTA Fundraiser

 

 7-9pm  

 

JHouse - 1114 E. Putnam Avenue, Riverside

 

BOO BASH

 

halloween 

 

 

 

Boo Bash

 

Friday Oct. 24th

 

Volunteers needed!!

Come get in the spirit.

 

Please sign up to help out.  It's fun and easy.

Sign up online through link below or email Beth Aslansan  at  [email protected] or Kelly Phillips at [email protected]

 

 Limited tickets still available for the late party only. 

 

 

SIGN-UP 

 

 

 

Arts in Education






This Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, the 5th Grade participated in writing workshops led by Donato D'Albis.  "Mr. D" is a Yale lecturer who teaches the craft of writing.  Last year the students learned to write expository essays, and this year they moved onto creating coherent and thoughtful opinion essays.  With the essays, students developed an opinion by discussing the pros and cons of the subject and finishing with a clear conclusion.  Mr. D encouraged the 5th graders to work to develop interesting ideas for a strong opinion, to move beyond the easy answers, and to build their vocabulary.  

A great tool to develop vocabulary is freerice.com, a word challenge that for each correct answer, rice is donated to the World Food Programme.


This program is sponsored by the Riverside PTA

BOO BASH 5th GRADE BAKE SALE

 


 

Volunteers needed for the 5th Grade Boo Bash Bake Sale!

The Boo Bash Bake Sale is an important fundraiser for our 5th graders.  The proceeds of the sale are used to defray the costs of various 5th-grade specific items this year like the end-of-year picnic and field trips.  The more we bake, the more we sell!  Don't have a lot of time or hate to bake?  
Don't worry - there are other jobs that would be perfect for you!

Here is how you can get involved:

1.  Bake your favorite nut-free treat and drop it off at pick-up on the day of the Boo Bash (October 24th)

2.  Buy baked treats and drop them off at pick-up on the day of the Boo Bash (October 24th)

3.  Volunteer to provide small bottles of water to be sold at the bake sale (drop them off at pick-up on the day of the Boo Bash).

4.  Volunteer to help set-up for the bake sale on Friday, October 24th from 3:15-4 (children welcome to help!)

5.  Volunteer to help staff the bake sale table during the early party (5-6p)

Please email Elizabeth Butler ([email protected]) if you would like to volunteer.  Thank you so much for your help!

Math Marathon Update




The Math Marathon has completed its second week. Please have your child check out the results on the bulletin board in the front hallway on Monday for an update.  After the first week, the grade-wide results are as follows:


3rd Grade is in the lead, with 1st Grade close behind.  In 3rd place are the Kindergarten classes that only recently learned how to use IXL!  4th and 2nd are in a near tie and bringing up the rear are our 5th graders but we know they will pick up the pace moving forward.  

Keep up the good work Riverside!


 

PTAC SIP WORKSHOPS - OPEN TO ALL




Digital Learning Environment Part I - Infrastructure
Tuesday, October 21st

Digital Learning Environment Part II - Curriculum
Tuesday, November 11th 

Facilitated by Assistant Superintendent, Irene Parisi and 
Chief Information Officer, Phillip Dunn
10a-12p
10am - noon
Havemeyer Staff Development Room
290 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830

Video Recordings of these workshops will be made available to parents.
Details to follow.

 

Safety... we need YOUR help!

car safety

We still need volunteers for our Safety Committee.  There is an on-line 
sign-up allowing parents to volunteer only here and there and not have to commit to the whole year, much like lunch duty. A Safety Shift starts when the front doors open at 8:30a and ends when the bell rings at 8:45a. It's very easy and takes very little time, but helps to keep the kids safe. 

Please consider helping us with this important job of keeping all the children safe.

 

Parent Lecture


 

PTA  

 

 

Thank you to all who attended our first General PTA Meeting of the year and got to hear our own psychologist, Ms. Taylor Carroll-Marino, lecture about helping school-aged children deal with tragedy. It was an informative and interesting presentation!

 

Please click below to find this helpful information.

 

Crisis Presentation PTA Lecture 

 

 

Bike Safety



 

 


 

It is so wonderful seeing so much effort on the part of our families to walk and bike to school.  However, there are several important rules that need to be followed to ensure the safety of 
our bikers and walkers.  
 
First, parents and children are reminded that helmets are a legal REQUIREMENT for all cyclists under the age of 16 in the state of Connecticut.  Parents can encourage their kids by wearing their own helmets.  Please see this website for further information:  http://www.dmv.org/ct-connecticut/safety-laws.php#Bicycle-Helmets-   
 
Second, where possible, pedestrians should walk facing traffic (on the left), and cyclists should ride with traffic (on the right).  Occasionally, due to blind corners, where oncoming drivers can't see pedestrians, this rule has to be violated, but it is there for our safety.  When bike riders ride on the left side of the street, they can get hit by cars turning right and not looking or them.  Bicycle riders traveling on the left side of the street are dangerous.

  It's important that we all look out for each other, and keep safe while we enjoy this wonderful fall weather and all the opportunities for activity that it brings.

Thank you!!!

 

OG Pumpkin Patch




PUMPKIN PATCH



All are invited to Old Greenwich School's Pumpkin Patch. 
Haunted house, hay maze, arts and crafts, bouncy slides, games, food, prizes and more! Admission is free. 

Saturday, October 18th, 11a-4p.
Old Greenwich School, 285 Sound Beach Ave., Old Greenwich, CT.

 

TURKEY TROT

 

Attached is a flyer from our good friends at Greenwich Alliance about their annual Turkey Trot on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, November 29th.  Please consider participating and don't forget about the $500 prize to the school with the greatest participation.  

Thank you for your support!

FROM THE NURSE

 

Starting on October 14th, the Nurse will begin screening vision and hearing for grades 1, 2, 4 & 5.  If parents have any questions or concerns please contact Ruth Holz, School Nurse.

 

GREENWICH FOOD SERVICES ANNOUNCEMENT

 

Help us celebrate National Farm to School Month during National School Lunch Week October 13-17.  We'll be featuring fresh Empire Apples all week from Deercrest Farms in Glastonbury, CT.  
Come in and try some local flavor.  

Please follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GreenwichFoodServices and Twitter: https://twitter.com/GPS_SchoolLunch 

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,

Lois Kelly & Sarah Fugelsang

Co-Presidents Riverside School PTA