Riverside School PTA Newsletter


Friday, March 22nd , 2019
CALENDAR


WEEK OF 3/25- 3/29


Monday, March 25
Kindergarten Registration
Be Honest: Honor The Code - Wear Blue
8:00a Rangers Meeting

Tuesday, March 26
Kindergarten Registration
7:50a Chorus Rehearsal - PT. 1
2:00p Digital Life Parent Presentation
3:20p Coding Class

Wednesday, March 27
Kindergarten Registration

Thursday, March 28
Kindergarten Registration
7:50a Chorus Rehearsal - PT. 2

Friday, March 29
Gymnastics Ends
Report Cards Distributed
7:50a Band Rehearsal
6:00p Pizza Bingo


WEEK OF 4/1 - 4/5

Monday, April 1
8:00a Student Council         

Tuesday, April 2
7:50a Chorus Rehearsal - PT. 1
9:00a PTA Exec Meeting
3:20p Coding Class

Wednesday, April 3
8:45a ROPES Photos

Thursday, April 4
Maritime Aquarium - Gr 2
7:50a Chorus Rehearsals - PT. 2

Friday, April 5
7:50a Band Rehearsal

QUICK LINKS











PEEK AT THE WEEK

MISSED AN ISSUE?
Access our Peek Archive for past issues

SUBMISSIONS
Have something to add? Email us at: peekweekriv@gmail.com

Deadline for submissions is 3pm
on Wednesday of the school week

COMMUNITY NEWS

Review th e RTM News and  BOE News

Mar 27 (Build a Catapult) and April 3 (Pom-Pom Aliens), Make It! at Perrot Library at 4pm. Drop-in (for grades 1 & up (max of 20).

Apr 24, 6:30 - 8pm, Parenting in an Era of Screen Time, panel discussion in the Old Greenwich School cafeteria.

Check out the Community Calendar  
PTA Highlights
Dear Parents,

Pizza Bingo is next week on Friday, March 29th.  Details are below about buying tickets and volunteer needs!

We have also started our PTA nominating process for next year. We need volunteers to meet our goals of enriching the overall experience of our children at Riverside School.  We have many opportunities to help - both big and small.  The deadline for nominations is Monday, March 25th.  Details are below.

Mrs. Browning will be hosting her final "Your Child's Digital Life" session next week on  Tuesday, March 26th - Getting to Know Schoology and Google Drive at 2pm in the Media Center at school.

And finally, we wanted to say a special thank you to Mrs. Jessica Punchatz for helping us coordinate a wonderful performance for our 4th and 5th graders by the Princeton Tigerlilies A Cappella Group (including a Riverside School Alum!) this past Monday.  The kids really enjoyed this musical opportunity!

Have a great weekend!

Sarah Morris & Kristin Duda
PTA Co- Presidents
 PTA News
PIZZA BINGO TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
Pizza Bingo is taking place on Friday, March 29th.  Go to RIVPTA.ORG to purchase tickets, additional pizza slices & pre-order your raffle tickets (get 5 bonus raffle tickets with pre-orders!).
Along with great bingo prizes, the raffle baskets are awesome!

Pizza Bingo is in need of volunteers! Pass out pizza, sell raffle tickets, help the admission line go fast, etc. and you can still play some Bingo - just pick a shift!

To purchase tickets off-line or any other questions, please call or email Lisa Stugart at  Lisa.Stugart@optimum.net or Alyssa Tice at  alyssatice@gmail.com
YOUTH EQUIPMENT DONATIONS NEEDED - DEADLINE IS TODAY!
We are currently supporting Greenwich High School's Youth Equipment Sharing Club (Y.E.S.) in their annual used sport equipment collection drive. They are collecting all types of equipment including balls, soccer shin pads and goalkeeper gloves, baseball mitts and bats, lacrosse and hockey pads, cleats, etc.   The equipment is donated to programs that allow underprivileged athletes to compete. 

Deadline to donate is today! There is a marked bin at the front of school to collect donations.
VOLUNTEER FOR THE PTA NEXT YEAR!
The Riverside PTA is a volunteer organization dedicated to supporting the PTA education of our students and supporting the needs of our school community.  We are currently recruiting for various PTA positions for next year.  Whether you have a lot of time or a little or whether you are interested in fundraising, enrichment programs, health and wellness, community/ family events, afters programs, or communications and website roles, there is something for everyone.  

Please view our openings and complete a nomination form to nominate yourself or someone you know.  You can learn more about all the different volunteer options by reviewing our  job descriptions.

Please submit nominations by Monday, March 25th.
SOLE SISTERS SHOE & SOCK DRIVE
Join the Greenwich United Way Sole Sisters as they collect new and gently used shoes as well as new socks for Neighbor to Neighbor from  March 25th to April 5th .

Donations  can be left in the box located in the lobby of 
the Riverside Elementary School.

Thank you in advance for your support of the Greenwich United Way Sole Sisters and our mission of stepping up to help others step forward.

Any questions please contact Jaime Eisenberg.
STEM FAIR DISPLAY BOARDS
If you have already signed up for the STEM Fair  but  have not collected your display board, please see Mrs. DiAngelo in the main office. She has the remaining display boards. 
See you all on April 9th!
PTAC ESSENCE AWARD 2019 - APPLICATION DEADLINE APRIL 29TH
The PTAC Essence Awards recognizes up to two outstanding PTA members of the Greenwich Public Schools, who through exemplary achievement, have inspired others, demonstrated selfless spirit and made a significant difference in our school community (individual school or district wide). 

The Essence Award Committee will award one traditional Essence Award and may also award a Lifetime Essence Award. The Lifetime Essence Award was created in 2017 to specifically honor an active, long-standing impactful PTA volunteer who has contributed over the course of many years through a variety of positions and schools. Parents, teachers, staff, students, principals, administrators or members of the Greenwich community may submit nominations.  It would be great to receive at least one nomination from every school! The application consists of an essay of no more than 500 words, and must be submitted through this  online form The awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday, May 29th at 10am at the Havemeyer Building,  290 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, CT .  Contact:  PTACessence@gmail.com
RIVERSIDE RHYTHMS
On March 15 Deirdre and Sean Murtha  performed during students' lunch periods.  The Murthas played and sang traditional Irish music in both Irish and English.  They introduced students to several Irish instruments including the bodhrán (drum) and the Irish bouzouki (stringed instrument).  Students sang and clapped along during the interactive performance. 

Riverside Rhythms is made possible by donations to the PTA.  Thank you!
ARTS ENRICHMENT - LOT THERRIO
Today, acclaimed storyteller Laconia Therrio entertained and educated our Kindergarten classes with stories from around the world.  Through his storytelling, he entertains the children and reminds them that regardless of where people live or how they look, people are more alike than they are different.  Ask your kindergarteners about the stories they heard today!  This program was sponsored by the PTA Arts Enrichment Committee and made possible by your donations to the PTA.

Arts Enrichment programs are made possible by donations to the PTA. Thank you!
AFTERS!
Classes start on Monday, April 1.  
We look forward to seeing you then!
UPCOMING PTA ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS
Apr 1-5: Dance Residency (All Grades)
Apr 2: Science Enrichment - Life Under the Surface (2nd Grade)
Apr 8-9: Science Enrichment - Amazing Mammals (Kindergarten)
 
These programs are sponsored and run by the Riverside School PTA. Check out the full PTA calendar on RIVPTA.ORG.
 Riverside School News
UPCOMING ROTATION SCHEDULE

WEEK OF MARCH 25th
Mon, Mar 25 - B
Tues, Mar 26 - C
Wed, Mar 27 - D
Thurs, Mar 28 - E
Fri, Mar 29 - A

Check our the Full calendar  year.
RIVERSIDE NORM EVENT
On  Monday, March 25, 2019 GPS and Riverside School will be celebrating our next norm event:  Be Honest - Honor the Code.   
This is a common initiative across grade levels to promote responsibility and the importance of having values, rules and principles to guide our life.

All students, teachers and staff members are asked to wear BLUE for the event. 

Students will take this opportunity to:
  1. Learn how to be personally and socially responsible. 
  2. Learn about the importance of having values, rules and principles that guide their life.
  3. Identify their own values and principles (their own "Code of Honor").
Additionally, a few follow-up questions have been provided for parents and caregivers to reinforce the lesson at home: 
  1. What does it mean to have values, rules and principles? Why are they important?
  2. What is your Code of Honor?
  3. What are the things you value most and what can we do as a family to help you with them?
 
How to Instill Good Values in Children
YOUR CHILD'S DIGITAL LIFE
Mrs. Browning will continue leading her series of sessions for parents about digital citizenship, research tools, and the key apps used in school.  Please mark your calendars for the final session:
  • Tuesday, March 26th - Getting to Know Schoology and Google Drive
Session will be held from 2:00pm-3:00pm in the Media Center.
District News
MINDFULNESS RETREATS K-5th
kids_reading_book.jpg
Free Mindfulness Family Retreat for K-5th grade students
  • Saturday, March 23 from 9:00 to 12:00 at Hamilton Avenue Elementary School. RSVP required by March 8th Click Here to RSVP!
  • Saturday, April 6 from 9:00 to 12:00 at Parkway Elementary School. RSVP required by March 22nd Click Here to RSVP!
For more details please see the event flyer in  English and Spanish.
TWICE EXCEPTIONAL PARENT ROUNTABLE
The PTAC 2E Committee has one more Parent Round table discussions scheduled for this school year!
  • Tuesday May 2nd from 9:30am to 11am - Guest Speaker Bonnie O'Regan , ALP Facilitator, GPS. 
  • Topic: working with the Greenwich Public School System. 
Please email ptac2el@gmail.com for location.

The PTAC 2E Committee Roundtable provides an opportunity for parents/guardians to share information and resources to help each child realize his/her fullest potential.
BUS DRIVER RESPONSIBILITY ON FOOD ALLERGIES back-school-bus.jpg
The State of Connecticut has adopted NEW Regulations to protect students on buses. Beginning July 2019 school bus drivers will be trained to recognize the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis and trained in the administration of Epi-Pens. With parent permission the district will provide the bus company the names of students with known allergies. Parents will insure that the appropriate epi-pens are carried on their child in a safe, secure and clearly marked container that includes an emergency action plan. 

If you have further questions please contact the district Nursing Supervisor, Mary Keller, RN at 203-625-7494.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email us at riversideschoolpta@gmail.com.

Sincerely,
Sarah Morris and Kristin Duda
Co-Presidents Riverside School PTA

 Office: 203-637-1440   -   www.greenwichschools.org/rs