Riverside School PTA Newsletter


Friday, May 17th , 2019
CALENDAR


WEEK OF 5/20 - 5/24

Monday, May 20
8:00a Rangers Meeting

Tuesday, May 21
SoundWaters - Gr. 4
7:50a Chorus Rehearsal - PT. 1 & 2
9:00a PTA-EMS Transition Meeting

Wednesday, May 22
Poetry Picnic

Thursday, May 23
Poetry Picnic  - Rain Date
7:45a 3rd Grade Strings Rehearsal
7:50a Chorus Rehearsals - PT. 1 & 2

Friday, May 24
Reading Champions Graduation
7:50a Band Rehearsal



WEEK OF 5/27- 5/31


Monday, May 27
NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day

Tuesday, May 28
7:50a Chorus Mandatory Dress Rehearsal - PT. 1 & 2
7:00p Spring Concert -Band/Chorus/ Gr 4 & 5 Orchestra

Wednesday, May 29
1:00p EMS Visit - Gr 5
2:00p PTA General meeting
2:00p A Midsummer Night's Dream - ALP Mozer
3:15p ESOL International Dinner

Thursday, May 30
Bronx Zoo - Gr 1
Summer Book Fair
8:30a Shakespeare Festival - Gr 5 ALP

Friday, May 31
3rd Marking Period Closes
AFTERS Ends


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on Wednesday of the school week

COMMUNITY NEWS

Review th e RTM News and  BOE News


May 16, 17, 18 at 7pm and May 18 at 2pm GHS Performing Arts "Beauty and the Best" Order your tickets $20.00.

Greenwich Library, Cole Auditorium, 101 W Putnam Ave., Greenwich. Space is Limited. RSVP by May 19 via email: EventsLWVG@gmail.com.

June 1, 4-6pm, Daddy Daughter Dance at St. Paul's Church.$20 per family. Girls 3-12 years old. if you have questions contact derek@deviresweb.com. 

June 8, Bruce Museum, All Abilities Day  For more information, please reach out to Corinne Flax, Manager of School and Community Partnerships, at 203-413-6742 or cflax@brucemuseum.org

Jun 8, 10am - 4pm, All Abilities Day, Bruce Museum. There will be family-friend activities, including performances by the Travelling Lantern Theater Company and much more. Free. For more information contact Corine Flax, Manager of School and Community Partnerships at 203-413-6742 or cflax@brucemuseum.org.

Jun 22, 23, 10am - 12:30pm, 24 4:30 - 7:00pm, GHS Girls Basketball Summer Camp. For girls basketball players 2nd grade - rising 9th graders. Eastern Civic Center, 90 Harding,Old Greenwich. Questions contact Debbie at mosesdeb@aol.com


Check out the Community Calendar  
PTA Highlights
Dear Parents,

Spring seems to finally have arrived!   We wanted to share an enormous thank you to our Riverside Run Co-Chairs Meg Alexopoulos, Jenn Bogardus, and Jaime Eisenberg as well as the entire Run Committee for a great 36th annual Riverside Run.  The race was a big success and of course, congratulations to all of our runners!

Thanks to everyone who has donated already as part of the Run for Life Fundraiser to support pediatric brain cancer.  The final deadline to send in donations is THIS Tuesday, May 21st.  

We are excited to announce  James and the Giant Peach  by Roald Dahl as Riverside School's Suggested Summer Reading Book for ALL students.  This book will be featured at our Summer Book Fair on Thursday, May 30th.

Important Dates:
  • Tuesday, May 21st - Deadline to send in your Run for Life donations
  • Tuesday, May 21st - EMS Information Session for 5th grade parents
  • Wednesday, May 22nd - Poetry Picnic (Rain date is Thurs, May 23)
  • Wednesday, May 29th - Spring PTA Meeting
  • Thursday, May 30th - Summer Reading Book Fair
  • Friday, May 31st - Deadline for ordering school supplies
  • Tuesday, June 4th - PTA Volunteer & Parent Recognition Tea
  • Wednesday, June 5th - Schoolwide Art Show (Evening event)


Sarah Morris & Kristin Duda
PTA Co- Presidents
 PTA News
RUN FOR LIFE - DONATIONS DUE TUESDAY, MAY 21st  runners
Thank you to all the students and staff who participated in our RUN FOR LIFE fundraiser last week. We are so proud of everyone for the amazing efforts put forth. 

27,698 laps were completed which is about  3,500  miles!!! 

All money raised will go to Yale New Haven Children's Hospital for research of Pediatric Brain Cancer.  Please send in your donations by  Tuesday, May 21st . Lap totals can be found on certificates that come home with your students, or feel free to make a flat donation. Fill out your pledge form.  Cash or checks, made out to Riverside School PTA, can be given to teachers or dropped in the RUN FOR LIFE basket.  GREAT JOB RIVERSIDE!!!!
THANK YOU from the RIVERSIDE RUN
This year's Riverside Run was a great success, with clear skies and record attendance!!! Congratulations to 1st Grade for winning the grade level registration challenge. We hope you enjoy your Ada's gift cards!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the run and also to those volunteers who helped make it such an amazing day! Check out the overall and age group results.

Mark your calendars for n ext year's Riverside Run! - Saturday, May 9, 2020
PTA MEETING - WEDNESDAY, MAY 29th PTA
Please join us at our spring PTA meeting on Wednesday, May 29th at 2pm in the Media Center with special guest speaker Dr. Alina Boie, a School Psychologist at GPS on the topics of resilience and anxiety in our children.  We will also cover a brief PTA update on highlights from this year as well as plans and budget for the 2019-2020 year.
Please send any specific questions you have to us at riversideschoolpta@gmail.com.
RIVERSIDE SCHOOL SUMMER READING BOOK FAIR kids_reading_book.jpg
Get Hooked on Reading this Summer! Please join us for our second ever Summer Reading Book Fair on Thursday, May 30th from 2:30-7:30pm  in the School Gym. The PTA Book Fair Committee has worked together with our Media Specialist Fionnuala Browning and Riverside Teachers to provide a selection of summer reading books students are sure to love. 

We are excited to announce  James and the Giant Peach as Riverside School's Suggested Summer Reading Book for ALL students. Please come buy a copy at the book fair! James and the Giant Peach will also be incorporated into the arts and education curriculum in the fall.  

In addition to book titles for our K-5 students, we will offer some great adult summer reads as well as fun summer/camp activity books and journals. An allergy free summer treat will be offered at the fair to our book worms!   

If you have any questions or would like to volunteer to help please email Elisabeth Miranowski (emiranowski@gmail.com). 
RIVERSIDE SCHOOL ART SHOW AND ICE CREAM - JUNE 5TH  art-event.jpg
We would like to invite the Riverside Community to join us on Wednesday June 5th from 6:30 to 8:00 pm for our first ever school wide art show. With over 1,000 pieces of art displayed, all students will have their moment to shine. Much thanks to the for PTA adding some yummy sweetness to the occasion! 
ORDER YOUR SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR 2019-2020! school_supplies.jpg
The PTA is once again sponsoring a school supply fundraiser for the upcoming school year. Order now and your child's box of supplies will be delivered to the classroom by the first day of school! Please visit  www.shopttkits.com and enter account number  83285. The site is now live and all orders must be received by May 31st. Any questions please email Jane Leonard at  janieleonard@me.com.

NEW FOR 2019-2020!
All children now need their own headphones or earphones. These must be regular audio jack (not USB) and have microphones. They are available to purchase as an optional extra from Schoolkidz or you can choose to buy your own/bring in a suitable pair from home.
PARENT RECOGNITION - VOLUNTEER TEA SAVE THE DATE!
The PTA's Annual Volunteer Tea will be held on Tuesday, June, 4th at 9am in the cafe. Please join us as we recognize all our wonderful PTA volunteers from the 2018-2019 school year. We will also be presenting some special awards to outstanding volunteers and honoring graduating parents. 
You don't want to miss this special event!
VOLUNTEER TO BE A CLASS PARENT
If you would like to be a Class Parent for the 2019-2020 school year, please sign up. The deadline to sign up is August 1st.

For more information about the role and responsibilities of a class parent, please review the Class Parent Job Description.  If you have any questions, please contact Lauren Jones at 917-273-2853 or laurenodonnelljones@gmail.com. Class parents will be chosen in August by lottery after class lists are sent out and notified via email the week before school starts. 
CLEATS DONATION
Calling all athletes! As your season winds down, are those cleats starting to feel a little small? Give your old cleats before a new lease on life by donating them in the box at the entry of the school. Your cleats will be taken to Venezuela over the summer and donated to kids in need as part of the Same Cleats/New Fee project. The last day to bring your cleats is May 24th.
SCIENCE PROGRAM - 2ND GRADE
This week, the second grade classes learned all about dirt in High-Touch, High Tech's "Give Me Dirt" program.  They learned that soil is not just "dirt" when it comes to plants and learned how soil is made. They got to mix different soils together to grow a plant and learned how people and animals use soil to make homes.  

Science Enrichment programs are made possible by your donations to the PTA.  Thank you!
REVOLUTIONARY WAR GROUP VISITS
In case your children came home last Friday talking about a horse at school (!), on Friday, May 11th, the 5th Graders were treated to a day of learning about the colonial period.  Sheldon's Horse, The Second Continental Light Dragoons, a Revolutionary War reenactment group, demonstrated aspects of Colonial military and civilian life. Students learned about colonial daily life including education, medicines, chores, dress, and games. They also observed a "Crossed Sabers" cavalry demonstration and participated in a militia marching drill. This program was organized by the PTA Arts Enrichment Committee and are made possible by your generous donations to the PTA. Thank you!
UPCOMING PTA ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS
May 20 : Arts Enrichment - Journeys Program (3rd Grade)
May 20-22Arts Enrichment - Poetry Week (All Grades)
May 28: Arts Enrichment - Author Visit: Jessie Janowitz (3rd Grade)
May 29: Science Enrichment - Watersheds (4th Grade)
 
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 MAY 20
Mon, May 20 -  B
Tues, May 21 -  C
Wed, May 22 - 
Thurs, May 23 - E
Fri, May 24 - A

Check our the Full calendar  year.
FIELD DAY - COLOR WAR 2019
We would like to invite the Riverside Community to come support and cheer on our students as they participate in a friendly competition to see which color will be crowned Champion. 

Friday June 7th (Raindate Friday June 14th)

8:45 K-2 Kick-Off Celebration
9:00-11:36 K-2 Stations
11:30-12:00 3-5 Lunch
12:00-12:30 K-2 Lunch
12:15 3-5 Kick-Off Celebration
12:30-2:55 3-5 Stations 
3:00 Announce Color War Champion 

Students should wear their colored  Field  Day shirt or any shirt their team color if they did not order a shirt. Shirts will be distributed prior to Field Day. The Fi eld D ay colors have been emailed home.  In addition, students should bring a lunch from home or can pre-order by June 4th from the limited lunch menu.  Water will be available during the day, but students should be encouraged to bring in a reusable water bottle labeled with their name on it.

Any questions please contact Bill Bogardus or Jay D'Andrea. 
District News
UPDATE ON FOAM-FREE SCHOOL LUNCH
The Board of Education (BOE) resolved last month to eliminate styrofoam trays from the school cafeteria.  Unfortunately, the BOE was not inclined to request an interim appropriation necessary to fund dishwashers and reusable trays for the district for the 2019-2020 school year until this option is piloted at New Lebanon School.  Until funding can be secured for the dishwashers and reusable trays for the district, Food Services will look into a couple of disposable options for the start of summer school and the next school year.

Green Schools Committee will gather data on the stainless-steel tray pilot at New Lebanon School since they have a dishwasher, as well as compile results on the waste reduction programs at Eastern Middle School and North Mianus Elementary School.  The committee will evaluate the possible options gathered from the data in order to present a strong case for reusable trays this fall  or another equally suitable alternative. 

Thank you all for your support to date - parent advocacy was key to getting us this far!  We hope we can count on your support going forward and into the 2019-2020 school year for a reusable food ware system - the most responsible solution for our children's health, our environment and the budget!
 
For more information on a foam-free lunch, you can read the Food Service Committee's update to the Board of Education.  If you have any questopms please contact us:  PTA Council Green Schools Committee  ptacgreenschools@gmail.com PTA Council Health and Wellness Committee  ptacwellness@gmail.com
 
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