8th graders Jeronimo and Adrienne took a break from skating at the arena in December. |
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Greetings!
Happy New Year! We hope you enjoyed the break from school and are ready to embrace the new year. Please read carefully below about all the new announcements, especially regarding COVID policies.
Happy Monday,
Nelia
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CROSS COUNTRY SEASON PASSES FOR RIVERSIDE |
So sorry there's been a typo in this announcement! If you requested a pass via email earlier, please send it again to the updated email address. Northwoods Stewardship Center, who manages the winter season cross country ski trails on Dashney Road, is offering discount family season passes for Riverside families, for $75 (instead of $125). If you think your family would like one, please email ski@northwoodscenter.org and reference the code RIVERSIDEFAM.
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TEACHER APPRECIATION MEALS |
We wish to thank the parents who participated for the wonderful two weeks of breakfasts and lunches for the staff. You may or may not know that this year has been more challenging for many of us than last year was. The combination of trying to find a new normal in the midst of rising rates, changing protocols, frequent absences, and teachers' own experiences with and anxieties about the pandemic have led to increased stress that none of us imagined we'd be facing at this point. A lot of this peaked in late November for teachers. When PAG leaders Ellen Moore and Kim Adams told us they were hoping to do two weeks of teacher appreciation meals (and fill 80 volunteer slots!), we had no doubt the community would make that happen- even if it was double what you did last year. Your Herculean efforts meant a lot to the entire staff at a time when we really needed a boost. We were definitely buoyed by the outpouring of warmth and service from parents during the last two weeks before winter break.The meals you brought and your time cleaning were extremely meaningful and we couldn't be any more grateful.
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We will not be able to host alumni in person at Riverside this Thursday because of the pandemic, but we do hope to send a special treat out by email, if we have their email addresses. Stay tuned! |
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We couldn’t be any prouder of how supportive the community has been of all the protocols we’ve enacted over the last year and a half. The care and caution shown by Riverside families along with close adherence to the school’s health policies have directly resulted in us keeping our doors open for in-person education. Any conversation with a parent or teacher from a school that has not been able to keep its doors open will quickly reveal how critically important it is for us to keep our kids in-person and full-time. The best way to ensure we can continue to do that is for us all to be as safe as possible.
- Based on the higher rates, we are going to make some further adjustments to what happens during the school day- at least until we can get back outside more often.
- We are now spacing students at 3’ when seated during classes (this involves very few disruptions to current space uses or daily routines). We’ll monitor group work and recess settings and make adjustments as necessary.
- We’ve moved about half of the middle schoolers’ materials out of the cubby room to reduce the number of students in that room between classes.
- We have installed additional filtration in every classroom on campus (portable HEPA filters, provided by the state of Vermont). That is in addition to our current built-in systems, which run continually, and the portable MERV 13 filters we distributed in December.
- We are making use of lunch groups to provide opportunities for mixed-age (within the same pod) interactions. These pre-arranged lunch groups will also allow us to ensure better spacing and contact tracing during unmasked indoor eating time. Many grades will continue to eat outside unless it is raining or it is too cold.
- We are now participating in Vermont’s PCR response testing program (see below for more information on that)
- We are continuing our stay-home policy from last semester: if someone is sick in the household, please get them tested and keep your child home until you know the results. If the sick individual is a Riverside sibling, you can take advantage of the response testing explained below instead of trying to find a drive-up site.
- We are continuing to participate in the test to stay program, meaning students who may have been exposed on campus may continue to attend through their isolation period if they take rapid antigen tests in the morning before school.
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LEARNING SUPPORT DUE TO COVID |
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K-8th graders will all be sliding on snow this Friday afternoon! If you could assist in providing snacks for one of the groups for one Friday this winter, please email Nelia. Note that we do sometimes cancel our plans based on the weather, and try to make those decisions mid-week.
Downhill at Burke Mountain
Parent Chaperones: If you haven't yet, please:
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Read through the K-2 Chaperone Duties, 3-5 Chaperone Duties, or 6-8 Chaperone Duties so that you are familiar with our expectations of you.
- Respond to Nelia's email of Dec 15 and December 30 with the particulars of your participation.
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Sign the online waiver for yourself (and your child)
Thursday Night: Please be sure that students have all the equipment and clothing they need to enjoy the afternoon outdoors, as well as their season pass if they have one. Help them take charge of what they pack and develop awareness of how to organize and care for those items. These life lessons are a big part of why we venture out on Friday afternoons. Snacks will be provided.
Friday Morning: There will be a truck parked in front of the barn for skis, poles, and snowboards. Students should keep the rest of their gear on their hook/in their cubby. Please communicate any changes to your plans with Nelia as soon as possible, before she sends rosters and orders tickets for the afternoon.
Friday Afternoon: 6-8th graders will depart at 11:15 by bus/by pod for 12:15 lessons and then have about two hours to free ski after that. K-5th graders will depart at 12:15 by bus/by pod for 1:30 lessons and then have about an hour to free ski after that. K-2nd graders will be directly supervised by an adult all afternoon in groups of 2-3. 3-8th graders are allowed to ski where they'd like without an adult, as long as they are not alone.
Cost: There is no cost to families to participate in this program, except for rentals ($9-14/day) and chaperone tickets for non pass holders ($10), those will be charged directly to your school store account.
Pick Up: Please pick up students by 3:30 in the Brown Bag Area of the Sherburne Base Lodge (entrance on the same level as and just beyond the ticket windows).
Cross Country at Dashney Trails
Parent Chaperones: Be in touch with Mr. G if you have any questions about how best to help. Also let him know if you can contribute any snacks for the group of about 8 people
Student Preparation: Please be sure that students have all the equipment and clothing they need to enjoy the afternoon outdoors. Help them take charge of what they pack and develop awareness of how to organize and care for those items. These life lessons are a big part of why we venture out on Friday afternoons. Snacks will be provided.
Schedule: Students will depart at 12:15 by carpool, will organize themselves in small groups at the trails, and will ski and take breaks as appropriate until 3:15.
Cost: There is no cost to families to participate in this program, except for rentals ($10/day), which will be charged to your school store account.
Pick Up: Please pick up those students at the at the Dashney Nordic Center (70-838 Dashney Rd, East Burke) at 3:15.
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We expect to have only four spaces for new students in the entire school next year. When contracts for re-enrollment are sent out in March, please return them to express your commitment as quickly as possible. If you are considering not re-enrolling, or know of potential applicants, please communicate with Krystal soon, even if plans or decisions are not final.
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We were planning two evenings this month to celebrate student efforts in music, band, chorus and studio arts: Thursday, January 20 (PK-5th) and Friday, January 21 (6-8th). Roy is closely monitoring COVID data within the community and will decide at the end of this week if we are able to do this event safely and if so, how. |
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Nelia Rath (kindergartener Cora) and Amanda Anderson (preschooler Bodhi and 1st grader Violet) plan to lead a Parenting Book Club this winter. The book will be Hunt, Gather, Parent by Michaeleen Doucleff, and any Riverside parent is welcome to attend one or all of the meetings, whether or not they've read the book. Discussion of each of one of the three parts of the text will be the topic of each night's event. If you'd like to order a copy of the text through Green Mountain Books with a 10% discount, please email Nelia by Monday, January 10 and she will put in the full order and we will bill your school store account for your copy. The first meeting will be Monday, January 31 at 5:00 pm (with light apps), with two more dates to follow in February and March.
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"Secret Lives" by 7th grader Molly Aeberhard won 4th place in the Vermont Wildlife Art Competition! Entries were judged on a combination of composition and overall design; technical skill; creativity, uniqueness and originality; story and overall impression; and clarity related to the theme of Vermont wildlife and wildlife habitat. "We know so little of what we think we know about the natrel [sic] world that we have torn away from. The different sides of the picture for me represents two different perspectives, one in the dark and one in the light." |
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Join St. Johnsbury Academy students in their guided, in-person campus tours on Friday afternoons this January and February. Tours will be approximately one hour in length, and will give prospective students an insider view of our campus, facilities, and programs. Sign up at this link.
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MAHJONG CLUB FOR PARENTS AND MIDDLE SCHOOLERS |
MahJong Club for older students and parents will meet this Tuesday at 5:30 pm. We are still welcome to having new participants join! |
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Chess Club will meet this Wednesday. K-2nd graders will be in Allee's room with cookies made by Laila's father Aaron; and 3-5th graders will be in Hanna's room from 3:00-3:45. 6-8th graders will meet in Hanna's room from 3:45-4:45. |
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There will be no Theater Club this week. Please stay tuned for information about future plans. |
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Math Counts Club for 6-8th graders will meet this Thursday from 3:45-4:30 pm. |
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While there have been many examples of the dedication and caliber of Riverside teachers over the years, perhaps no period in the modern history of education has required so much from educators as the last two years. In support of our teachers and the creative activities and engaging programs they design, we invite you to participate in giving to our annual fund. Please consider in giving to Riverside to help us bridge the gap between tuition and expenses. It's not the size of the gift that matters but the gesture of participation.
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30 Lily Pond Road, Lyndonville, VT 05851
phone: 802.626.8552
fax: 802.626.4156
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