1st grader Eugene and 5th grader Raleigh teamed up as brothers for some reading buddies time last week. |
|
Greetings!
While all that happens for your child(ren) and their learning at Riverside is why we're here and why you read the Memo, there's a lot more happening around Riverside these days. We hope the notes below help you to remember the bigger and broader picture related to our mission.
Happy Monday,
Nelia
|
|
|
Thanks to all the parents who drove last Monday! It was great to resume that tradition that dates back to the very earliest days of Riverside. Points are awarded for students’ performance on tests, in skits, on art projects, and in the probatio. Our school was one “probatio” question from having the highest point total of any school in attendance (of which all were high schools)!
Special congratulations to the following students for their awards on tests and art projects: Kellan (1st place on History test), Zora (1st place on Mythology test), Kate and Pearl (1st place research project), Jay (3rd place research project), Lila M (3rd place recitation), Zane, Leo, Esme, and Zora for their audio-visual projects, and Gabi, Sylvan, Brooklyn, Sofi, and Molly for their 2D art projects.
|
|
We’d like to focus on resuming some of the norms from the beginning of the year around where and how students are dropped off. Please try to pull forward all the way to the green/white sign. When you open your doors early, it creates backups out into Lily Pond Road and also leads to students walking in the driveway. Even if the line is stopped, it’s best to wait until you are in one of the first three cars, in front of the cubby room porch.
Students should, if at all possible exit on the passenger’s side. For students who exit the car on the driver’s side, please check for traffic and escort them around the car until they are safely out of the driveway.
One of the first things bus drivers are taught, and a very important thing for parents to remember at pick-up/drop-off is to visually track their child(ren) until they are well clear of the vehicle. It often happens that a child drops a water bottle or bag and bends over to get it as the car is pulling away. This is especially important if you drive a taller vehicle with children passing in front of the vehicle.
|
|
UNDERSTANDING RIVERSIDE'S FINANCES |
Thank you to those who have set aside some time to watch Roy's narrated slideshow that explains Riverside's financial picture. We say that the first step in being part of our supportive community is knowing what's going on, so we hope you will take the time to learn about this element of our school. If you can't spare the full 20 minutes, it might help to know that:
-
Minutes 0-5 show in 3 graphs our current assets and debt, income, and expenses.
-
Minutes 5-11 explain the extra expenses/benefits of a Riverside education.
-
Minutes 12-15 highlight how our funding model differentiates us from other schools, both public and private.
-
Minutes 15-20 outline the structural problems that we can't fix with tuition income alone.
|
|
Please scan your silverware drawers at home for forks and spoons (no knives please) that don't belong to you. Our supply is short once again! |
|
UPDATE: DEFENDING SCHOOL CHOICE |
Last Wednesday, the Vermont Senate Education Committee released S.66, which would eliminate public funding to all independent schools, except the four historic high school town academies, and would significantly impact their independence by imposing additional restrictions on them. We expect this bill will make it to the senate floor for a vote.
We are working with leaders of other schools, NEK community and business leaders, the VT Rural Caucus, and the VT Independent School Association to argue against this legislation which would not only hurt Riverside, but the students and the economy of Vermont. Many of us moved to the area because of access to excellent schools, and it is important for legislators to know that. We will be attending an event at the state house tomorrow for school and community leaders to meet and with legislators. The next step in this will be when the bill clears the committee and gets to the floor.
Please stay tuned to your news outlets and community messages about what you can do to argue against this legislation. For now, PLEASE write a letter to your local legislators using Roy's suggested process. Note that if you already wrote a letter to members of the education committees, it's worth sending it on to your other local legislators, especially senators, now.
|
|
SKIING & SNOWBOARDING FRIDAYS |
Due to a scheduling error, we are not skiing/riding this Friday. It will be a regular full day at school with the usual dismissals at 3:00 (K-5th grade)/3:30 (6-8th grade). With the half day on Feb. 24 and vacation on March 3, that means we won't ski/ride again until our last scheduled date of March 10.
|
|
Student Council is hosting a dance for 6-8th graders this Friday night, starting at 7:00 pm. There will be snacks, and students should eat dinner at home beforehand. Pick up is at 9:00 pm, there is no charge.
Some student council members will need to arrive to early to set up, but there is no supervision between 3:30 (or 5:00 if in EDP) and that time.
|
|
The 6-8th Publicity Elective is proud to present its poster for The Lion King, Jr! Mark your calendars for Friday, March 17 at 7:00 pm and Saturday, March 18 at 2:00 pm at the Lyndon Institute Auditorium. Tell your friends! This show is appropriate for all ages and admission is by donation.
These are performance times, there will be additional expectations of the cast and crew.
|
|
5-8 Math Counts Club will meet today from 3:30-4:30. |
|
6-8 Hip Hop Dance Club will meet this Tuesday from 3:45-4:30 thanks to helpful parent volunteers! |
|
3-5th grade Coding Club will meet Wednesday from 3:00-4:00. |
|
We will begin meeting on Thursdays after school to work on certamen from 3:45-4:30. That is during Chess Club, so certamen team members can come for 30-45 minutes after dismissal and then go to chess club.
There are two possible events in May that we are looking at; we will probably attend either the Granite State Certamen on Saturday, April 8th or the Harvard invitational Certamen on Saturday, April 1st. Both likely involve an overnight component in Boston.
|
|
6-8 STEM Club will meet Thursday from 3:30-4:30. |
|
K-8th grade Chess Club will meet Thursday from 3:30-4:30 (elementary)/5:00 (middle school). |
|
6-8 Indoor Soccer Club will meet this Thursday from 3:45-5:00, thanks to helpful parent volunteers! |
|
Although we don't have skiing this Friday, we will still plan to run Uphill Club, weather dependent. If it runs, students will need to get a ride to mid-Burke by 3:45. We will plan to start heading uphill promptly at 4:00, to get as much time on the mountain as possible. We will plan to finish at 5:30 again this week. |
|
Riverside staff will undergo a training on the prevention, identification, and reporting of abuse on the afternoon of March 7. If any other community members would like to attend, please email Roy for details.
|
|
ICE SHOW LESSONS during VACATION |
The Fenton Chester Skating School is seeking additional participants for their season-ending ice show, "Island of the Lost Stories," a kind of theater-on-ice. Lesson sessions during the vacation week will support that participation. More info is here. All levels welcome, ages 3+.
|
|
30 Lily Pond Road, Lyndonville, VT 05851
phone: 802.626.8552
fax: 802.626.4156
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
