Riverside School PTA Newsletter |
Friday, December 10th, 2021 |
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Did you know that Riverside School recently received a ranking by U.S. News & World Report, naming us as one of the top elementary schools in Connecticut? (#4 in the state) We would like to congratulate our students, teachers, and staff for these outstanding results; and we thank all of our families and the PTA for all of your support, helping us deliver a top educational experience to your children, and for all of the students at Riverside School!
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OH WHAT FUN! THE HOLIDAY SING IS TODAY!
Riverside School families are invited to gather outdoors and sing festive songs to ring in the holiday season. The Sing will take place TODAY for 15-20 minutes immediately after dismissal, outside the gym in the front of the school led by our music teacher, Ms. Punchatz. Masks required for ALL attendees. Bring your merry spirit and help us jingle along!
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BOOK FAIR EXTENDED TWO DAYS, ORDER BY SUNDAY!
Purchases can be made through SUNDAY, December 12 on Riverside’s Book Fair Website. Please be sure to ask your children for either their Book Fair Wish List or photos of books they captured on their school iPads. Add the Riverside PTA logo (labeled the Riverside School "identification item") to your cart and 20% of your purchase will directly support the Riverside School PTA.
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LUKE’S HOLIDAY FUNDRAISER ENDS NEXT TUESDAY
Greenwich High School student (Riverside School alum) and brain cancer survivor Luke McQuillan is hosting his 5th annual fundraiser and gift drive benefitting 10 to 18-year-old patients at Yale New Haven Hospital. See Luke’s flyer for additional information.
You can support the “PRISM” (Promoting Resilience, Reducing Stress) pilot program which helps young Oncology patients, and their families, manage depression and anxiety due to COVID-related isolation. Donate on Luke’s fundraising page by December 15. You can also donate new and unwrapped gifts for 10 to 18-year-olds battling life-threatening illnesses. Drop gift donations in the labeled bin at the front of the school by December 14.
Need help deciding what to give? We suggest:
- Gift cards (Amazon, sporting goods stores, apparel stores, Google Play, iTunes, Game Stop, etc). Specify $ amount on the card.
- Books
- Art supplies, board games, puzzles, Legos
- Stainless steel water bottles (no plastic)
- Gadgets like headphones or portable phone chargers
- Cozy items like blankets or slippers
Please note that while these efforts are being supported by our PTA communications, they are completely optional.
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CALLING ALL COOKS!
The Wellness team is excited to announce the launch of the Riverside School Cookbook! Riverside families and faculty members are invited to submit a recipe they’d like to share with our school community. Whether it’s a family recipe passed down through generations, a crowd-pleasing weeknight dinner or your morning smoothie, send us your favorite culinary creations!
If you have a recipe you’d like included in the Riverside School Cookbook, please visit the Health & Wellness page of the PTA website. There, you’ll find a link to a recipe template, possible categories, timing and more.
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RECYCLE YOUR HOLIDAY LIGHTS
Do you have holiday lights that no longer work or have you upgraded to LED strands? Please consider placing old and unwanted strands off to the side as the Green Committee will be hosting a holiday lights recycling drive in January (specific details to follow). Let's work together to keep dangerous materials out of our landfills!
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ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS
Upcoming Enrichment Programs:
December 10, 14-15: High Touch High Tech's "What's the Matter" (Grade 3)
December 16: Dinosaurs Rock (Grade 2)
These programs are paid for by your generous donations to the PTA. Thank you!
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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 new items, including tees, shorts, sweatshirts, ROPES shirts, water bottles and more. Go to RIVPTA.ORG to shop spirit wear 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 and must wear a mask at all times during a shift. Sign up online. For more info, contact Brielle Goldfaden at brielleg@gmail.com.
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NOTIFYING THE SCHOOL IF YOUR CHILD RECEIVES THE COVID-19 VACCINE
If your child has received either dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, and you choose to share this information with the school, kindly email Nurse Melissa Luiso evidence of your child's vaccination card so that the school's medical records can be updated accordingly. Thank you!
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NOTE FOR PARENTS: ITEM DROP-OFFS
As a reminder to parents, when dropping off items for children, please make sure the item is labeled with the child's name and teacher. Sometimes office personnel cannot immediately obtain items from the bins due to other obligations, and clear labeling will minimize confusion and inefficiency at the time of retrieval.
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ORDERING LUNCH
PLEASE NOTE: School lunches continue to be FREE this school year. All orders MUST be submitted at least TWO full school days in advance (and up to five days in advance). Orders entered for same day lunch may not be seen, and cafeteria staff don't want students missing out. Please visit the Lunch Page on rivpta.org for information on submitting lunch orders and a link to the school's order form.
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DOES YOUR CHILD HAVE OR NEED A 504?
Please join the Greenwich Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) on Tuesday, December 14 at 6:30pm for a parent workshop titled “What is a 504 Plan?” The workshop will focus on what a 504 plan is, who qualifies and what the difference is between a 504 Plan and an IEP. Q&A session to follow. Guest speakers will be Judith Nedell, Guidance Program & 504 Coordinator, and Dr. Heiligenthaler, Interim Chief Officer of Special Education. Join via Google Meets at meet.google.com/nyd-wpzc-ysh, or dial in at (720) 739-7227, PIN: 453 568 833#.
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SAVE THE DATE: PRESENTATION ABOUT 6TH GRADE ADVANCED PLACEMENT
Save the Date: The district's ALP Team will be presenting information meetings for 5th grade parents regarding Advanced Placement for 6th grade on Monday, January 3 at 9:00am and 6:30pm.
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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, December 16, 2021
- Thursday, January 20, 2022
- Thursday, February 3, 2022 (Retreat, no public comment)
- Thursday, February 24, 2022
- Thursday, March 24, 2022
- Thursday, April 28, 2022
- 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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Junior League of Greenwich Presents “PositivelyMe!”
PositivelyMe! is a FREE program for 3rd grade girls encouraging self-confidence, leadership, assertiveness, and positive decision making. Sessions will be taking place in January, February, and March. Applications are currently being accepted. Learn more at www.jlgreenwich.org/positivelyme/.
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COVID Resources from the School |
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IN-SCHOOL COVID-19 SYMPTOM PROTOCOL
The Nurse’s Office has received many questions about how the school is making decisions about when the school is sending students home. Extra precautions are being taken in order to do our best to keep students in school. Unfortunately, there will be many students sent home this year even though they may have normally been allowed to stay in school and we hope all families will be understanding.
Greenwich Public Schools COVID Symptom Protocol:
- If a student exhibits 1 low risk symptom (fever of 100.4 or greater, congestion/runny nose, nausea/vomiting/diarrhea, sore throat, headache, muscle aches) and has had no exposure to a COVID-19 positive person, the student may return to school 24 hours after symptom resolution (without medication for fevers)
- If a student exhibits 2 or more low risk symptoms (see above) or has 1 high-risk symptom (new cough, difficulty breathing, loss of taste/smell) AND has had no exposure to a COVID-19 positive person, the student must be seen by a healthcare provider.
- If the student has a negative PCR swab test for COVID, the student may return to school 24 hours after symptom resolution (without medication for fevers).
- If the student has lab testing and evaluation, or an alternative diagnosis, the student may return to school 24 hours after symptom resolution (without medication for fevers).
- If a student has a positive PCR swab test for COVID, the student may return to school after 24 hours without fever (without medication) AND symptoms improving AND approval of local health department (10-14 days); AND release by the primary care provider will be required
- If a student is exposed to a COVID positive person, the student may return to school 14 days after last contact unless symptoms develop. If symptoms develop, the student must obtain a swab.
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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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