MONDAY MEMO
Koji, Ethan, Nick, and Cameron presented their Tolkien-ian mythological characters from The Hobbit during Mythology Day.
Greetings!

Hurray for warmer temps, we are looking forward to lots of outdoor activities this week!
Happy Monday,
Nelia
NOTES
WELCOME
Two new families have joined the Riverside community in the new year. Aubriella Holden has joined the 5th grade class . Her father Jesse lives in St. Johnsbury an her mother Tiffany lives in McIndoe Falls. Jasmine Engle has joined the 7th grade class after moving to Vermont from Singapore, although she has spent lots of time here in the past. Her parents John and Daphne live in Peacham. Note that we have a new version of the family contact list that will be emailed to parents directly .
COFFEE HOUSE DISCUSSION ON PLACE BASED LEARNING
Last year's Coffee House discussions on topics relevant to your children and our students were very well received, and so we planned more for this year based on that feedback. We hope that you can put the next one on your family calendar: Place Based Learning with David Sobel : Monday, January 15, 5:30 pm in the barn. There will be videos of example curricula at different ages, including research, outcomes, and examples how parents can enhance those efforts. We hope that families will be back from weekend adventures and ready to attend this presentation from him and discussion about how this style of curriculum may be a perfect fit for Riverside and the kind of learning experiences you want for your children.

There is no school for students that day, but David Sobel will be working with faculty during their in-service to explore how to implement, assess, and realize their ideas for place based projects that enrich student learning.
SCIENCE CLUB
Science Club will meet today from 3:45-5:00 pm.
CRAZY 8s
Crazy 8s Club will meet on Tuesday from 4:00-5:00 pm. This week you’ll make marshmallow catapults out of plastic spoons, popsicle sticks and rubber bands. Then you’ll try slingshots. See how the size of the fulcrum and your height off the floor can make your marshmallow the winner!
DESTINATION IMAGINATION
DI will meet Wednesday from 4:00-5:00 pm. Parent and Club Co-leader Courtney Daffinrud emailed parents of participants this weekend about the challenge the students have chosen to take on for the tournament on March 24; the duties they have delegated; and how important it is for them to have complete ownership of their efforts. Please let her know if you did not receive her message.
KARATE
Karate for purple belts and higher will meet Wednesday from 3:45-5:00.
GIRLS WHO CODE CLUB
Beginning January 10 and continuing Wednesdays until April, from 3:45-5:00 pm, this computer club is open to girls in grades 6-8. Parent Stephanie Giese will lead this group as part of a national effort "to close the gender gap in technology." Stephanie presented in Assembly this morning about this club, and there is more information about it here.
BOARD MEETING
Riverside's Board of Trustees will be meeting Wednesday evening at 5:00 pm in the library, as they do the first Wednesday of each month. The agenda is posted in Krystal's office. Anyone who would like to address the board should ask President Kim Butler in advance to be added to the agenda.
LATIN CLUB
Latin Club will meet Thursday from 3:45-4:45.
SKIING & SNOWBOARDING AT BURKE MOUNTAIN
We plan to be at Burke Mountain on Friday afternoon as well as on the following Fridays: January 12, 19, 26, February 2, 9, 16, and March 9. (We will not be skiing on February 23 because of our half day.)

Other reminders --
Pick Up: Please remember to pick up students on those dates at 3:30, inside the lower entrance of the Burke Mountain base lodge. If you would like to give your child permission to ski/ride at Burke Mountain unsupervised until the lifts close at 4:00 pm, please let Nelia know directly. There will be no After School Program on Fridays when we are skiing.
Chaperones: Remember your responsibilities as explained for the K-3 group here or the 4-8 group here , and the Assumption of Risk form you need to sign and turn in to Nelia. We will see you at school on Friday by 11:15!
Snacks: Thank you to the chaperones who have already volunteered to bring snacks for our group in addition to their time and energy working with our students. This week that's thanks to the *** family . If any other families are willing to donate snacks (which can be healthier, avoids the expense, and relieves the perceived inequality of students purchasing food at the cafeteria), please let Nelia know soon.
CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING AT KINGDOM TRAILS
We plan to be out on the Kingdom Trails on Friday afternoon as well as on the following Fridays: January 12, 19, 26, February 2, 9, 16, and March 9. (We will not be skiing on February 23 because of our half day.)

Other reminders --
Pick Up: Please remember to pick up students on those dates at 3:30, at the parking lot on Darling Hill between the Wildflower Inn and the KT Nordic Center yurt. There will be no After School Program on Fridays when we are skiing.
Chaperones: Joel Gilbert will be coordinating logistics for these adventures and is going to rely heavily on you for carpooling and skiing with small groups. Please be in good communication with him about your participation. We will see you at school on Friday by 12:15.
Snacks: If any other families are willing to donate snacks for us to share in the yurt during a break, please let Nelia know soon.
CANDY AT SCHOOL
While we are happy to make exceptions for holiday celebrations, we want to remind families that we don't allow candy at school. Exclusive sharing has become a problem recently; sweets can become currency for young people, impacting relationships in negative ways. Our Family Handbook does ask that lunches and snacks not include candy. We ask that parents please support us in this effort.
BE PREPARED FOR THE WEATHER
Students of all ages will be doing activities outside this winter in all reasonable weather. Older students regularly walk outside between buildings no matter the temperatures. Please be sure that they are prepared with boots, gloves or mittens, hats, warm layers, and waterproof jackets. Snow pants for younger students are recommended as well.

We highly recommend having your family's name in all such apparel so that it can be easily returned when misplaced.
THE AUCTION
We look forward to seeing you and your friends on Saturday, February 3 in the library at Lyndon Institute. Registration is $10/person or $15/couple and includes drinks, food, and entertainment. Items donated to be bid upon need to be confirmed before January 24.

Our class themed raffle baskets are nearly empty - please donate something small according to these themes before January 24.
Pre-K - 2nd Grade: Main Street - Think of anything you find on a Main Street: gift certificates for restaurants or shops, DVDs, snacks.
3rd - 5th Grade: School Street - games, sporting gear, learning activities, books.
6th-8th Grade - Rural Drive - maple syrup, home-made gifts and crafts, camping gear, plants, and canned goods.
MIDDLE SCHOOL SEMESTER NARRATIVES & GRADES
Narrative reports and semester grades for 6-8th grade students will be mailed home this Friday, January 12.  Please review them carefully and get in touch with teachers about any questions, concerns, or celebrations you want to share. These are final letter grades which are recorded on student transcripts.
COLLECTING CARTONS
Students will be working to craft decorative "villages" out of cardboard cartons of all shapes and sizes as decorations for the auction. Please rinse out and send in any shape or size that you can collect this week or next.
CALENDAR
LESSON PLANS
30 Lily Pond Road, Lyndonville, VT 05851
phone: 802.626.8552
fax: 802.626.4156
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