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PEEK AT THE WEEK
MISSED AN ISSUE?
If you are not receiving an issue every Friday please email
constantcontactriv@gmail.com
SUBMISSIONS
Deadline for submissions is 3pm
on Wednesday of the school week
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COMMUNITY NEWS
Sept 12, Bicycle Safety Training (hosted by Pedal Greenwich and Greenwich Police) to teach elementary school bicyclists basic bike safety skills. This event is made up of a series of stations, each dealing with an important aspect of safe cycling. Participants will have their bicycles inspected, learn how to ride, learn the rules of the road, and practice bicycle-handling skills. Pre-registration is required.
Every Thursday from 10-11:30am, food donations for Neighbor to Neighbor are being accepted at St. Paul's Riverside. The need right now is particularly high. Items of greatest need are proteins such as beans, peanut butter and canned tuna, but all non-perishables are gladly accepted and appreciated. Just drive up, pop open your trunk and St. Paul's will get your donations to N2N.
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Dear Riverside Parents,
Welcome back to school! Those words are particularly sweet to write this year. We hope you all had a great summer and that the first three days of school went well. We send an especially warm welcome to the new families joining our community. We also want to note that we are committed to supporting all Riverside School families, whether you're learning at the face-to-face school or part of the Remote Learning School (RLS). Please check out the RLS News section below. In case you missed it, we've put together a Back to School Checklist of key actions to help you hit the ground running. Don't forget to update your directory information!
It has been a busy few weeks of activities and preparation for the PTA: for our in-person school students and staff, we secured lanyard wallets in which everyone can safely store their masks when not in use (see photo below), we hosted a back-to-school breakfast and lunch for our wonderful Riverside teachers and staff, and we held an online reception for kindergarten and new families the day before school started. Thus far, much of our work this year has been behind-the-scenes. Our web team has been working around the clock to update the ever-changing information on school reopening (remote and face-to-face) on our school website. In addition, they have been building new ways to host traditionally in-person events, such as our Volunteer Fair, virtually. We appreciate everyone's patience, support, and enthusiasm.
We hope everyone considers joining the PTA as we count on these membership funds to support the enrichment programs we offer our students (and yes, we will still have virtual enrichment for all our classes!), provide additional supplies to keep our school clean and safe, and to ensure our teachers have all the tools they need to effectively teach. Your support is needed more than ever! Thanks to all who have already contributed!
For those pf you who are new to Riverside, we send this weekly "Peek at the Week" newsletter via email every Friday with important School and PTA news, dates and information. Please watch out for it each week to stay up to date!
Please note the following date reminders:
- Friday, September 18 - School Closed for Rosh Hashanah
- Monday, September 21 (rain date: September 22) - School Photos (remote AND face-to-face schools). More information will be forthcoming.
We look forward to a wonderful year together. We got this, Riverside!
Heeyoon Slater & Carey Bisbee
PTA Co- Presidents
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2020 VOLUNTEER FAIR
The PTA is looking forward to another year of supporting Riverside School students (face-to-face and remote learners alike) and staff - all of which can't be done without the help of our parent volunteers.
We encourage you to visit our Virtual Volunteer Fair to learn about many of the PTA's events and programs, and indicate an interest in any volunteer opportunities that appeal to you.
Please note: To submit your areas of interest, you must have an updated profile on rivpta.org.
Whether your family is learning face-to-face or remotely, there are many different ways for you to get involved. Here's to a successful year ahead, and thanks in advance for volunteering!
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UPDATE YOUR DIRECTORY INFORMATION AND JOIN THE PTA
Please go RIVPTA.ORG and follow the steps provided to update your information, including your child(ren)'s new teacher, for the Online Family Directory. Once your info is up-to-date, be sure to join the PTA to gain unlimited access to the directory. The PTA relies on the generosity of our families via our annual Membership Drive. Funds raised go towards student enrichment programs, classroom and building needs, as well as teacher support. If you have moved or have new phone or email information, please let the school office know as well!
And thank you to everyone who has contributed a donation to join the PTA so far - this is an important fundraiser to help us get up and running for the year.
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EARLY MORNING PROGRAM IS UP AND RUNNING!
The Early Morning Program at Riverside School provides a fun, familiar place for kids to go before school starts from 7:15-8:30. You may enroll your child for a semester or pay by the day on an as-needed basis. Visit the Early Morning Program Page on rivpta.org for more information and to enroll your child. We are only accepting online registrations and payments this year.
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DOWNLOAD THE SCHOOL DISMISSAL MANAGER APP
We are using School Dismissal Manager again this year. It is
an excellent online tool that will notify the school when anything needs to be changed in your child's dismissal plan for a particular day. Please create a login to manage your child(ren)'s attendance and dismissal information (please refer to the email sent from the school on Wednesday, Sept 9th with more details). If you used School Dismissal Manager last year, you can log in with your existing credentials.
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FALL FOOD DRIVE 
Riverside School is excited to hold a Fall Food Drive Tuesday, September 29 - Friday, October 2. All unopened and unexpired donations will be allocated to local food pantries in desperate need during these unprecedented times. Baby food and formula are also requested. The drive will be as contactless as possible and will be orchestrated in a drive-thru manner at pick up and drop off. Trunks of vehicles can be loaded with the donations and volunteers will easily unload without having to be in close proximity to passengers. What a great way to start off the school year by giving back to our community!
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EMAIL DISTRIBUTION LIST
The PTA email distribution list is based on the contact information given to us by the school and only has one contact email on it. If you would like another member of your household to receive pur weekly Peek at the Week and emails sent from the Constant Contact platform, please email constantcontactriv@gmail.com with the address you wish to be added.
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PTA LANYARD WALLETS FOR STUDENTS & STAFF 
Over the summer, the Riverside School PTA was able to secure neck wallets for all students and staff. The wallets will be used to safely store masks during mask breaks and snack/lunch. See one of our teachers, Ms. Longo, sporting the goods!
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COME ENJOY THE GARDEN AT RIVERSIDE
The native plant gardens behind the school are full of flowers and pollinators. See if you can find a monarch caterpillar on the milkweed. There were two on Tuesday! Our vegetable garden is absolutely overflowing with tomatoes. And If you look closely, you may be able to spot some wacky yellow cucumbers and some carrots. We will be following up with families who signed up at the virtual volunteer fair to share details about fall garden care.
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Remote Learning School News
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REMOTE SCHOOL PTA COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES NEEDED
Greenwich PTA Council is the umbrella organization formed by the fifteen PTAs of the Greenwich Public Schools. To represent and advocate for the unique needs and concerns of the remote learners and their parents/guardians, PTAC plans to establish the Remote School Special Committee. The committee will likely consist of:
- Two co-chairs to be appointed by the Board of Directors with advice from involved parties, reporting to the Student Support Vice President
- One representative proposed by each of the fifteen Constituent Associations and approved by the Board of Directors
- Class parents for every remote class/grade
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JOIN THE GREENWICH REMOTE SCHOOL FACEBOOK GROUP
If your family has opted for remote learning, please consider joining the Greenwich Remote School informal Facebook group (created by parent volunteers) for conversation, collaboration, connection and communication at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/gpsremote.
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PTA COUNCIL HEALTH & WELLNESS PARENT PRESENTATION
Join the PTAC Health and Wellness Committee on Wednesday, September 16th at 8:00pm for a Parent Presentation "Stay Cool, It's Back to School: Preparing Kids for a Smooth Transition to School (No Matter What School Looks Like)". Emily Trotman, M. Ed., Parent Coach, will offer practical tips to help parents transition their kids into school during this difficult time. She will cover ways to manage stress and the parenting skills needed to reassure your child; ideas for empowering children and teens to be more independent and self-driven; and tips for setting up your home for success. You will come away feeling stronger in your ability to be the parent that is needed at this time. View flyer with Zoom and dial-in information.
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GPS WEEKLY DISTRICT DIGEST
Subscribe to receive the Greenwich Public School weekly "District Digest" e-newsletter directly to your email inbox.
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