SPRING PTA MEETING: SEND QUESTIONS BY TODAY

Please join us on Wednesday, May 18 from 9:30-10:30am via Zoom for the Spring PTA Meeting. We will begin with a brief review of PTA business items before welcoming our featured speaker, Dr. Toni Jones, Superintendent of Greenwich Public Schools. Through Dr. Jones’ answers to questions from Riverside families, we expect to gain insight into her vision and priorities as we look toward a new school year and think beyond the pandemic. For the Zoom link, please see this morning’s email.

**Questions for Dr. Jones are due today** Your questions will help Dr. Jones identify and understand the topics most important to Riverside families. Send your questions to riversideschoolpta@gmail.com no later than TODAY.

PART 4 OF "YOUR CHILD'S DIGITAL LIFE" ON MAY 23

Please mark your calendars for Monday, May 23 from 9:15-10:15am for the last part of Mrs. Browning’s four-part “Your Child’s Digital Life” series for parents. We’re happy to welcome parents back into the school's Media Center for this presentation. Please enter and exit the school through the doors on the right side of the building directly leading into the Media Center.

The last session will focus on the key apps students use in school. These sessions are a terrific opportunity for parents with kids in all grade levels to see how their children and their teachers use digital tools for instruction in the classroom and for homework assignments.

FIELD DAY IS HAPPENING JUNE 13!

Field Day is happening Monday, June 13 (rain date: June 14). Students will be divided into color groups and will compete against each other to see which color will be this year’s champion! The school will be sending your child(ren)'s color assignment shortly. Your child should wear a shirt in that color on Field Day.

Field Day 2022 shirts will soon be available for purchase via rivpta.org. We will notify parents when the order form becomes available. Please note that purchasing T-shirts is completely optional. Students can wear their own shirt in their assigned team color.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: RIVERSIDE SCHOOL CONCERTS

As a courtesy to our families, we want to make sure you're aware of the school's spring concerts.

Band and Chorus Concert:

• Thursday, May 26 at 7:00pm

4th and 5th Grade Orchestra Concert:

• Tuesday, June 7 at 7:30pm
• Wednesday, June 15 at 2:30pm

SAVE THE DATE: VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION TEA

The PTA’s annual Volunteer Recognition Tea will be held on Wednesday, June 1 at 9:15am in the school cafeteria. Please join us as we recognize all PTA volunteers. Highlights include a tribute from teachers & staff, special awards for some outstanding volunteers and graduating parent honors. You don’t want to miss this special event!

THANK YOU FROM THE RIVERSIDE RUN

This year's Riverside Run was a great success, despite the less-than-great weather! Congratulations to the Kindergarten class 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 next year's Riverside Run on May 13, 2023!

ORDER 2022-2023 SCHOOL SUPPLIES BY MAY 31

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 directly to the classroom by the first day of school.

Please visit the SchoolKidz Teacher Tailored website and enter account number 83285. The site will be open from May 1- May 31. Once again earbuds, headphones and PPE kits will be available to purchase separately if new ones are required. Please note that it is strongly advised that Kindergarteners have headphones rather than earbuds.

Questions? Email Virginia Lockhart at virginia.b.lockhart@gmail.com.

WE’RE FILLING PTA ROLES FOR NEXT YEAR, FIND YOURS!

A wide range of PTA volunteer roles are now being filled for the 2022-2023 school year. Still trying to fully understand everything the PTA does, particularly due to limited in-person touchpoints during the pandemic? Volunteering is the best way to learn!

Whether you have a little time or a lot, consider volunteering in a way that benefits your child’s school and our community, and increases your level of engagement with the school (particularly as in-person programming returns).

There are many positions available to suit your available time and interests. Please review all our open roles and complete the volunteer interest form to express interest in one (or many) of our volunteer opportunities! Questions? Email Carey Bisbee at carey.starno@gmail.com.

FROM THE ALLERGY COMMITTEE: ALLERGY AWARENESS

May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month. More than 65 million Americans overall have asthma and allergies, including 5.6 million children with food allergies. FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) will be hosting daily events online next week, 5/8 through 5/14, for their “Living Teal FOOD ALLERGY AWARENESS WEEK 2022”. Please visit their website here to learn more about food allergies and the events next week. Students are also encouraged to help raise awareness about the dangers of food allergies and anaphylaxis by wearing red for Red Sneaker Day on May 20th. Click here for more information about Red Sneaker Day.

ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS

Bash the Trash

On Thursday and Friday, the 2nd graders joined together to hear "Sustainable Sounds" from Bash the Trash, a two-part science enrichment program that combines a performance with hands-on instrument building. Thursday's full-grade assembly was a fast and funny show that introduced students to the concepts of science, sound and sustainability. In the follow-up virtual workshops, the students made hands-on experiential connections from the science they have learned to the behavior of their newly-built musical instruments. Forging STEM to STEAM connections, students used engineering skills and scientific methodology to create, explore and categorize their musical inventions, culminating in a musical exercise.   

Animal Embassy

On Tuesday and Thursday, our 1st and 3rd grades were visited by Riverside School favorite, Animal Embassy's Chris Evers. In each session, Chris introduced the students to many of his amazing Animal Ambassadors.

• The 1st grade learned about Amazing Adaptations. The students met a diversity of animals from around the globe representing numerous habitats. During the sessions, the students explored how animals survive in their natural habitats and discovered how they have adapted to unending environmental challenges in their own unique ways with special physical and behavioral attributes. 

• The 3rd grade learned about Endangered Species. In our ever-changing world, human activity can affect the delicate balance of our ecosystem. With this program, the students discussed some of the human activities which threaten the environment as well as the wildlife living within impacted habitats. They considered how we can decrease such negative environmental effects, as well as explore the meaning of habitat loss & destruction, the exotic pet trade, and human demand for luxury commodities. 

UPCOMING ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS

• May 17: Arts Field Day (Grades 4 & 5)
• May 20: Visit from Biscuit author Alyssa Capucilli (Kindergarten) 
• May 20: Dragoons (Grade 5)
• May 23: Riverside Rhythms - Rick Reyes (all grades)
• May 24: Animal Embassy's Reptiles and Amphibians (Grade 2)
• May 31: Watersheds (Grade 4)
• June 8: Eli Whitney Museum's Bird Beak Variation (Grade 3)

These programs are paid for by your generous donations to the PTA. Thank you!

VISIT THE ONLINE APPAREL STORE

Whether you're a returning Red Hawk or new to the nest, you can support Riverside School by showing your school spirit! Our online apparel store is open for business and stocked with lots of great items, including tees, shorts, sweatshirts, ROPES shirts, water bottles and more. Go to RIVPTA.ORG to shop now! Orders placed by noon on Thursdays can be picked up between 7am-7pm on Fridays at 41 Owenoke Way.

SAFETY DUTY: MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN JUST 15 MINUTES!

In addition to making sure everyone is familiar with the drop-off/pick-up “Rules of the Road”, Safety Duty is an important part of keeping our children safe at Riverside School. Volunteers make the morning drop-off process more efficient and secure. Volunteers assist from 8:30-8:45am daily. Sign up online. For more info, contact Brielle Goldfaden at brielleg@gmail.com.