Riverside School PTA Newsletter | |
PTA Highlights
Dear Riverside families,
Spring break now feels like a distant memory and we’re in our final phase of the school year!
While the PTA appreciates what Riverside School staff does every single day, we amped it up this week for our annual Staff Appreciation Week. Activities included a coffee truck, a taco truck, gift cards, fresh smoothies, homemade baked goods and handmade cards from students. A special thank you to Elisabeth Miranowski for her “uplifting” creativity and leadership on this.
Knock, knock, who’s there? We hope it’s many a PTA volunteer! When opportunity knocks…answer it by volunteering for the PTA next year. We are currently filling key roles for the 2022-2023 school year, and we have a variety of positions available. Volunteering is a great way to engage with the school and meet other parents. See below for additional info and a link to our volunteer interest form.
Our annual school supplies fundraiser is kicking off on Sunday. During the month of May, you can order school supplies for the 2022-2023 school year, which will be delivered to your child(ren)’s classroom by the first day of school.
Lastly, we’d like to congratulate Mr. Ronk on being recognized as one of this year’s Greenwich Public Schools Distinguished Teachers!
Your calendar reminders:
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May 1 – School supplies sale begins (ends May 31)
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May 3 & 4 – Dine at Little Pub to support the Riverside Run
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May 7 – Riverside Run
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May 13 – Deadline to submit questions for Dr. Jones (see below)
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May 18 – Spring General Meeting
Have a great weekend.
Carey Bisbee & Allison Maus
PTA Co-Presidents
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RIVERSIDE RUN - REGISTER NOW!
KINDERGARTEN IS STILL IN THE LEAD in the percentage of students registered to run! Grade 1 and Grade 2 are close behind. The race is still up for grabs!!! Each child in the winning grade will receive a $5 gift card to Ada's...talk about motivation! Register and encourage your friends to join in this great community event!!
Everyone is encouraged to register online. Online registration will close Wednesday, May 4. In-person registration will be available Friday, May 6, from 2:30-4:00pm and the morning of the Run, Saturday, May 7 from 7:30-8:15am.
After registering for the race, please consider volunteering to help prepare for the race and on race day. Thank you in advance!
BIB AND T-SHIRT PICK UP
Location: Foyer by the Entrance to Gym
Friday, May 6 at 2:30-4:00pm (Avoid the lines and come Friday!)
Saturday, May 7 at 7:30-8:15am
Questions? Email riversideruncommittee@gmail.com.
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RUN, EAT AND RAISE MONEY FOR RIVERSIDE!
Little Pub will donate 15% of your dining check to the Riverside Run for anyone who dines in the restaurant on Tuesday, May 3 or Wednesday, May 4. Take a night off from cooking and support the Run. All you need to do is mention that you’re there for the Riverside Run fundraiser!
Little Pub is located at 531 East Putnam Avenue in Cos Cob.
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ORDER YOUR SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR 2022-2023
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.
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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.
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MARK YOUR CALENDAR: MAY 18 SPRING PTA MEETING
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.
**Please submit questions for Dr. Jones ahead of time**
Your questions will help Dr. Jones identify the topics most important to Riverside families. Send your questions to riversideschoolpta@gmail.com by Friday, May 13.
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THANK YOU FOR GOING GREEN!
A sincere THANK YOU to everyone in the Riverside School community for all the ways we came together to celebrate Earth Month by Investing in Our Planet! Together we...
- Diverted 565 lbs. of textiles,101 lbs. of used/old batteries, and 264 lbs. of plastic film from landfills
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Partnered with The Greenwich Tree Conservancy (please link attached 15 Year Summary document), Quiet Yards Greenwich and Old Greenwich Honey to offer Earth Day themed recess stations
- Explored green initiatives and efforts through STEM fair projects (please link attached STEM Fair document)
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Celebrated Arbor Day with the planting of new Shingle Oak (Quercus imbricaria) in the back field
Thank you for going GREEN and REDUCING, REUSING & RECYCLING!
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POSTPONED - PART 4 OF "YOUR CHILD'S DIGITAL LIFE"
** PLEASE NOTE - NEW DATE TO COME** The last part of Mrs. Browning’s four-part “Your Child’s Digital Life” series for parents has been postponed. Stay tuned for the new date for the this in person presentation in the school's 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 not only for occasional remote learning but also for instruction in the classroom and for homework assignments.
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ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS
On Friday, April 29, the 4th grade had an in-person visit to experience Dirtmeister's Electric Show. This program introduces students to the physics of electricity and traces its development from being a simple scientific curiosity to its use as the most versatile energy source in the world today. During the program, students explored several important topics, including the difference between current and static electricity, the ways electrical power has been produced in the past, and the future outlook for “green” alternative energy sources.
UPCOMING ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS
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May 2: Journeys into American Indian Territory (Grade 3)
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May 10: Animal Embassy's Animal Adaptations (Grade 1)
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May 12-13: Bash the Trash's Experimental Orchestra (Grade 2)
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May 17: Arts Field Day (Grades 4 & 5)
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May 20: Visit from Biscuit author Alyssa Capucilli (Kindergarten)
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May 20: Dragoons (Grade 5)
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May 24: Animal Embassy's Reptiles and Amphibians (Grade 2)
These programs are paid for by your generous donations to the PTA. Thank you!
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STAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE "HAWKS WHO HELP" PAGE
The Riverside Community Service Committee now has a page on the PTA website called “HAWKS WHO HELP” detailing local outreaches within the community, many in which our children can also get involved. There are two local drives supporting the efforts in Ukraine organized by Too Sparrows Gives and the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Stamford. We have also included drives for other local needs, including local Afghan refugees that Jewish Family Services of Greenwich is assisting in their acclimation into our community. Please check it out!
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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.
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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.
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5th GRADE SPRING COMMUNITY SERVICE: BEACH CLEANUP, SATURDAY 4/30
All 5th grade families are encouraged to participate in a Beach Cleanup for the 5th grade spring community service activity. Luke Meyers was a dedicated environmental advocate who lost his battle with cancer in 2019. Please help honor his memory and improve the beach and the environment by participating in a beach cleanup at Tod's Point on April 30 from 11am-3pm. Please see this link for more information and to register to participate. We will send out information after the break to coordinate a meetup time and location so 5th grade families can volunteer together.
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PTA COUNCIL ESSENCE AWARD 2022 – APPLICATIONS DUE MAY 9
The PTAC Essence Awards recognize up to two outstanding PTA members of the Greenwich Public Schools PTA communities, who through exemplary achievement, have inspired others, demonstrated selfless spirit and made a significant difference in our school community (individual school or district wide). Parents, teachers, staff, students, principals, administrators or members of the Greenwich community may submit nominations. The application consists of an essay of no more than 500 words, and must be submitted through the online form. The awards ceremony will take place on Tuesday, May 24 at 10am. Location to be determined based on COVID guidelines. Questions? Contact essence@greenwichptac.org.
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READ “ALL ABOUT ALP” FOR INFO ON THIS YEAR’S PLACEMENT PROCESS
For parents interested in learning more about ALP spring timelines and assessment protocols, please refer to the latest edition of the GPS ALP newsletter, All About ALP. https://www.smore.com/vznch-all-about-alp?ref=email
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GREENWICH PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS
Board of Education meetings are easier to attend now that they be viewed on Zoom--stay informed! Here is a list of 2021-2022 academic year Greenwich Board of Education meetings. Information on how to access the meetings can be found on the GPS Accessing Virtual BOE Meetings page. All meetings start at 7:00pm unless otherwise noted.
- Thursday, May 19, 2022
- Thursday, June 2, 2022 (Retreat, no public comment)
- Thursday, June 16, 2022
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SUBSCRIBE TO RECEIVE GREENWICH PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEWSLETTERS
Make sure you are receiving GPS e-newsletters directly to your inbox! To subscribe, select the relevant newsletters below and click the orange "Follow" button on the right side of the page.
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Come One, Come All to Pow Wow 2022...Happening This Weekend!
The Pow Wow is back! Come one, come all and join North Mianus School for their biggest fundraiser of the year. The Pow Wow is a full-scale carnival complete with rides, games, food, musical entertainment and the ever-popular raffle. Happening Friday, April 29 (4-10pm), Saturday, April 30 (12-10pm) and Sunday, May 1 (12-5pm).
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GHS Outreach Club Clothing & Textile Drive Through April 30
We hope everyone who had unwanted textiles was able to donate them during the Riverside textile drive that just wrapped up. That said, if you have any remaining items, the GHS Outreach Club is hosting their own clothing & textile drive through April 30, benefitting the Harris project’s CODA (Co-Occurring Disorders Awareness) prevention programming. For additional details on drop-off locations and accepted items, see the flyer.
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Community Holi Celebration
The Greenwich Indian Cultural Center (ICC) will celebrate Holi at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich on Saturday, May 14 (rain date May 15) from 3-6pm. Join us for a community-wide celebration with DJ and dhol player, dancing, food vendors, children's crafts, and color throw. The first 1,000 people to register will receive a white t-shirt.
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SUBMISSIONS
Have something to add? Email us at: peekweekriv@gmail.com Deadline for submissions is 3pm on Wednesday of the school week
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