Let's hear it for the Tech Crew, who created the illusion of the world of Shrek for us all to enjoy: 7th graders Isabel, Phoebe, Jay, and Patrick; 8th grade Co-Stage Manger Izzy, 8th grader Sam, 6th grader Clint, and 7th grader Kingston. Not pictured: 8th grade Co-Stage Manager Adrienne and 7th grader Gabi. |
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Greetings!
Happy Monday,
Nelia
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From Peter: "I am utterly filled with pride and joy and awe. Our kids worked incredibly hard this whole week, which was the first-ever Play Week for all of them, and they pulled together a stellar, hilarious, sweet, and wonderful show. I hadn’t really realized just how much I missed this vital Riverside tradition; I haven’t felt this happy and excited in quite a while. Thank you to all the families and alumni who helped today and throughout the process of putting this show on, and enormous thanks to the amazing, talented, creative kids I’m lucky enough to spend my days with."
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As many of you know, much of the world around us has moved on from having any COVID protocols at all: none of the schools I have reached out to have any remaining COVID protocols beyond sending students or teachers home if they test positive. Organizations that consider this to now be an endemic are no longer looking at case counts as the important measure, rather they are looking at outcomes. Although we have gone to optional masking, we are not easing the rest of our safety protocols. Please be aware of the following guidelines that we still have in place:
We have the same stay-home policy as before.
- If a child has symptoms, they should not come to school until the symptoms have improved (clear runny nose is ok, but coughing or any combination of other symptoms is not). That child should test before returning.
- If someone in the household is symptomatic, please test the symptomatic individual before sending your child to school.
- If a household member is positive, we are treating that differently than other exposures and will require your child to stay home for a short period of time; we are not using “test to stay” to allow students with positive cases in the home to continue to attend.
We are still contact tracing.
- That means if your child was a close contact, we will let you know. Close contact is defined as within 6’ for more than a cumulative 15:00. When we can’t be sure if this criterion is met, we define it more broadly (i.e. if the whole class or pod was mixing during the day, then the whole class may be a close contact).
- If your child was potentially exposed, but not a close contact, we will also let you know so that you can join “test to stay” if you want to.
We are still implementing “test to stay” for as long as we have tests.
- This is so that we have some screening in place for exposed students, but also so we don’t have to keep large groups of students home at a time when most schools aren’t even contact tracing.
Students may be asked to mask in some classrooms and settings.
- In particular, if a student or group has been a close contact, they will mask.
By and large, students are still with their classes or pods when indoors with some exceptions.
Despite the spike in the cost of oil, we are maintaining our extreme ventilation and filtration:
- The buildings’ air handlers run 24/7.
- Building air handlers have either MERV 13 or UV filtration.
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Every class has at least one 1820 CFM exhaust fan in the window, some have two. With an average classroom volume of 5,500 cubic feet, this means that in addition to the buildings’ air handling and filtration the classrooms circulate their air on average every 3 minutes, which is on par with airplane cabin air recycling rates.
- Every classroom has a HEPA filtration system in addition to the building filters and vent fans. Many classrooms have multiple HEPA filters. Some also have portable MERV 13 units.
We reserve the right to reevaluate any of our protocols based on conditions, agency recommendations, or conversations with local providers. The underlying goals of all of these protocols are, as they have been all along, to provide the best possible in-person educational experience in the safest way that allows us to continue to do that.
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As we continue to have positive COVID cases at Riverside and can't space or mask at the pool, we are going to cancel swimming for K-2nd graders for this week. We’ll reevaluate this next week.
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We intend for 6-8th grade students to begin computer-based standardized testing next week. 3-8th graders will conduct theirs after spring vacation. Please help students to understand that this should not be stressful, and will not have direct results that affect them. It is simply one tool Riverside uses to understand what students know and can do, and the results can help us to be better teachers and to target needs and goals for some individual students. Encouraging them to focus and to do their best will help us get the most accurate results. Next week we will include a schedule for each middle school grade level.
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Contracts for returning students were mailed home two weeks ago and are due back by April 8. If you would like a financial aid application for next year, you can email Krystal. Please return contracts, deposits, and financial aid applications promptly by Friday, April 8. This deadline is extremely important as we have a waitlist situation in many grades, and would like to offer those spaces as soon as possible to those applicants if they are not going to be filled by current families.
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RAPID PCR TESTS AVAILABLE |
We have a limited number of Lucira rapid PCR tests on hand. If you were exposed and would like a high-quality test, please let Roy or the office know and we will get one to you at pick up or drop off.
You may also get one of these per household member through the state,.Riverside parent and health care provider Alex Perrault (Preschooler Bo and 1st grader Mabel) can help with that if you: sign up is through the state site that is used for regular PCR testing; choose ‘Orange County’ and then select the ‘LAMP testing’ option, choose the ‘Little Rivers, Wells River’ location and select a date (any day Mon-Thurs), then, after answering all of the questions, select any time. Email Alex to let her know you've signed up for one, and we will coordinate delivery to you at school.
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As you know, we are hiring for three positions at Riverside next year (3rd grade, 4th grade, and Spanish). If you know of anyone who might be a good fit, please suggest they send a cover letter and resume to info@theriversideschool.org or apply via schoolspring.com. As written in the job postings, “Our focus is on strong, traditional academics with curricular and co-curricular programs that focus on active engagement, leadership, and sense of community. The Riverside School is, in itself, a strong community with dedicated students, parents, and faculty. This is a happy place to work with small classes and engaged students. Creative, dynamic teachers can find the latitude and freedom to teach to their passions and strengths in a supportive environment at Riverside. The Riverside School is a flexible, kind workplace where you will immediately be a highly valued member of the community. Our children are curious and kind, and our families are supportive of our mission. It’s a great place to be a teacher.”
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Our 2nd annual Super Raffle event is planned for May 14 in the Cedars at Riverside! Each family will get three tickets to sell, which are going home this week, along with a letter to parents that explains the event in detail. Stay tuned to learn more about how to support this essential fundraiser organized by parents.
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Please join representatives from the St. Johnsbury Academy Academics and Campus Life departments for a Zoom Webinar to learn about The 9th Grade Experience at SJA on April 4, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. We will discuss the courses available to 9th grade students, including our 9th Grade Seminar program, and non-academic opportunities available at SJA. Admissions staff will be available to answer questions. Register for the Webinar here.
We will be hosting in-person course scheduling events at area schools and at SJA in the weeks to come. Please listen for more information during the Webinar on April 4 and watch your email for a schedule.
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SAVE YOUR EGG SHELLS PLEASE! |
Carmenza and parent Claudia Lechuage (3rd grader Eula) are planning a fun arts session making ‘cascarones’ - confetti-filled eggshells traditional to Mexico for celebrating holidays – and need your help in collecting eggshells. We’d love as many eggshells that you can save, with just the top ¼ cracked off. Reach out to Claudia if you have any questions or bring them to Carmenza at school.
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GSA hopes to meet on Thursday or Friday after school, the day and time will be announced in assembly. This club is open to all interested middle schoolers; allies are always welcome. |
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Chess Club will not meet this week because a meeting conflict for Mr. G. Moving on: Mr. G's teaching schedule does not allow for an elementary Chess Club, so that is over for this year. 6-8 Chess Club will meet again on April 30. |
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Math Counts Club will not meet this week; meetings are paused for the next few weeks. The next meeting will be announced in the Monday Memo soon. Stay tuned.
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Vermont Trout Camp for Teens - ages of 13-17, will be held June 19-23, at Jackson’s Lodge on Lake Wallace in Canaan, VT. Learn to experience the out-of-doors to the fullest, with instruction in fly-casting, entomology, on-stream fly fishing tactics, fly tying, and cold-water fisheries management and biology.
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30 Lily Pond Road, Lyndonville, VT 05851
phone: 802.626.8552
fax: 802.626.4156
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