Riverside Monday Memo

MONDAY MEMO

We believe that purposeful and targeted homework allows students to practice both academic skills and life skills, like time management and accountability. Because afternoons can be busy, we also believe study hall is an important part of the middle school day. Here 8th grader Kellan works on keeping anthropological field notes while reading for World Issues class, and Beatrice is composing answers to comprehension questions on a Spanish story.

Hello Riverside,

Our supportive community is so fortunate to offer and utilize a variety of opportunities beyond the school day -- read on about concerts, new clubs, and international field trips!

Happy Monday,

Nelia

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NOTES

HIGH MOWING SEEDS FUNDRAISER

Paper packets and payments for the seed fundraiser are due back to Riverside by February 16th. We have also created an online version of the order form that you are welcome to email to friends and family! Checks can be made out to The Riverside School. Seeds should arrive by mid-March. If you have any questions or concerns, please call or email Carrie Stahler (6th grader Victor) 802-229-9226. Thanks for your support!

ORCHESTRA PERFORMANCE

Band Teacher Marie is encouraging band students to attend the performance of the Sofia Philaharmonic Orchestra on February 7, 7:00 pm in the LI Auditorium, and she emailed band families about it last week. She has the chaperone help she needs, and would welcome more (non-band) students to join the group. Student tickets are free. Please email Marie if you have any questions or would like your child to join.

SKIING AND RIDING ON FRIDAY

Our Friday afternoon snow adventures will continue on this Friday February 2, and on the 9th, 16th. Note that we do sometimes cancel our plans based on the weather, and try to make those decisions Wednesday afternoon. Remember to prepare snacks if you signed up to do so, and to pick up at Burke Mountain at 3:30 or Dashney Trails at 3:15. Email staff organizers of each program (Mr. G and Caroline for x-country, Nelia for downhill, Sean for uphill). Some specifics:

Downhill Chaperones: We are revising some of our structure and expectations for students on the mountain, and so we need your help supporting them and holding them accountable. Please review those updates here.

Middle School Families: This Friday's schedule will be:

6th Gr: Science, English, Latin
7th Gr: English, Math, Science
8th Gr: Math, Latin, World Issues, Music

MIDDLE SCHOOL CONFERENCES

6-8th graders will have half days on Wednesday, February 7 and Thursday, February 8, with an early dismissal at 12:30. Parent-Teacher-Student conferences will happen during 15 minute appointments in the library, with all middle school teachers. We encourage students to attend and participate in those meetings, but it is not required. Please sign up for your appointment time ASAP here.

The Extended Day Program will run that day from 12:30 until 5:00. Please email Sean directly if your middle school child will be joining at 12:30 so that he can plan the long afternoon accordingly.

PAG MEETING

The next PAG meeting will be on Thursday, February 8, 5:00. All parents are welcome to attend, even if they never have before. If you'd like to suggest an agenda item, please email leaders Kim Adams and Molly Moghari. Dinner will be provided.

STUDENT COUNCIL: OPEN MIC and MAC & CHEESE CONTEST

On Thursday, February 15, 5:00-6:30 pm, the Riverside Student Council will be hosting a Mac & Cheese Cookoff and Open Mic Night. Anyone who is a member of the Riverside school community is welcome (e.i parents, grandparents, students, former teachers etc) and admission is free for anyone in the community.

We have already had several wonderful volunteer competitors who want to make mac and cheese, but if any talented mac chefs want to join the competition, please email Julian Garvin. All entries should be in the Riverside barn by 4:45 that day. We also need talented singers, musicians or poets.
If anyone would like to participate in the open mic night, please email Sawyer Daffinrud.

Students under 5th grade are expected to have an adult accompanying them, and as a reminder this is a sit-down event, so children must behave and be calm for the duration of it.

4-8 SPRING FIELD TRIP

This year's Spring Field Trip will combine all 4-8th graders in Quebec City, Quebec, May 15-17! Thank you to the chaperones who signed up and confirmed they'll be joining us. Adults will need a valid passport or enhanced license to cross the border. All 4-8th graders will need either a passport or an original/certified copy of their birth certificate. These documents will be carried by an adult throughout the trip. We also already have your signed consent for field trips, including international, as part of the annual forms you completed at the start of the year. Nelia is collecting documentation for students now, and needs to have them all in by Monday, May 13.

NEW CLUB

7th grader Lila Yerkes and 6th grader Zoe Bunnell would like to offer a "Workout Club" for Middle Schoolers and faculty on Wednesday afternoons, 3:45-5:00. We will be doing various exercises each week, as determined by Lila and Zoe. Please email Sean if you'd like to participate in this club. We will not meet on February 7 because of middle school conferences.

CLUBS

We expect students to be picked up directly from clubs by their adults at the ending time. If it's essential for your schedule to have your child(ren) go to EDP until later, please coordinate that specifically and directly with Sean. In an effort to be supportive we want to help families as we can, and it's very confusing to have kids going from and coming to EDP at odd times.

6-8th Math Counts Club will meet today, 3:45-4:30.
4th Homework Club will meet today and Wednesday, 3:10-3:30.
4-8th MTG Club will meet today, 3:40-4:30
7-8th + Adults Pound Class come today, 4:00-4:45, or Sign up here now for next week's class.
5-8th D&D Club will be meet Tuesday, 3:30-5:00.
6-8th Indoor Soccer Club will meet Tuesday, 3:45-5:00.
6-8 + Faculty Workout Club will meet Wednesday, 3:45-5:00. We won't meet on Feb 7 because of middle school conferences.
7-8th + Adults Shine Dance will meet next Thursday, February 8, 4:00-5:00, and on alternate weeks going forward.
K-8 Chess Club will meet Thursday, 3:45-5:00 (4:30 for younger students). We will not meet on Thursday, February 8 because of middle school conferences.
K-8 Uphill Club will meet this Thursday to tour at Burke (weather permitting) afterschool. We will leave at 3:30 and plan to be down by 5:15. Please email Sean by Tuesday if your child plans to attend so we can arrange transportation. They should have an uphill pass, bring their gear to school Thursday morning, and have a headlamp/light just in case. We won't meet on February 8 because of middle school conferences.

ANNUAL APPEAL

We know you've heard from us a few times this school year about making a donation to Riverside. We're asking you to consider… What does Riverside mean to you? Most people tell us it is the the community-based nature of learning in a home with a diverse group of students from around the NEK; the citizenship we develop through work on clean up teams and a focus on social issues with a committed set of teachers; the leadership roles our 8th graders have in small and large groups around campus; and our obvious emphasis on active learning at all ages - as anyone who has participated in kite day, the egg drop, play week, or outdoor learning can attest.

Because of Riverside’s small size, your gift is more impactful at our school than it might be for a larger organization or institution. Please take a moment to consider what Riverside means to you and how you want to make a difference here. Please make a gift of any size today and thank you!