Head of School Search

Get to know candidates Annie Hasselgren and Matt McCaffrey!

One of our candidates, Annie Hasselgren, will be visiting the school starting this Sunday, December 3rd. We hope you will take advantage of the opportunities available to meet with Annie while she is on campus! (Matt McCaffrey's visits will be midweek.)

Here are a few of the opportunities

for you to meet Annie Hasselgren:

Monday, December 4th, 8:30-9:15

Meet & Greet Conversation with

introduction at Morning Stretches

Monday, December 4th, 3:10-3:40

Meet & Greet Conversation

in the Gallery at pick up

The Search Committee values your insights on the candidates; your perspective as a parent is crucial as we identify the future leadership of our school. Your insights will provide us with a better understanding of how each candidate aligns with our community's values, educational goals, and overall expectations.

Below is a button to a response survey for Head of School candidate Annie Hasselgren. If you have the chance to meet Annie, please take a few moments to give us your impressions. You may want to ask your child(ren) for their impressions, too. 

To help us with our deliberations, please submit your responses by Tuesday evening, December 5 at 7:00.

You are welcome to attend more than one of these sessions. Background about Annie will be available at each session. 

Your participation in the below survey is greatly appreciated, and we thank you in advance for your time and thoughtful responses!

Later this week with candidate Matt McCaffrey.. keep an eye out for his survey as well!

Wednesday, December 6th, 4-5:15

Meet & Greet Welcome in the Theater

Thursday, December 7th, 8:30-9:15

Meet & Greet Conversation with

introduction at Morning Stretches

Thursday, December 7th, 3:10-3:40

Meet & Greet Conversation

in the Gallery at pick up

Celebrating a Community of Diverse Traditions

As we approach the holiday season, we want to acknowledge and celebrate the diversity of holiday observances that our community practices. We understand that not everyone celebrates the same holidays or in the same way, and we want to ensure that everyone feels included and valued during this time of year. We will have a tree in the library, and a menorah in the gallery… and we would love to include any of your traditions and learn about them with you.  

If you and your family have a special seasonal tradition or observance that you would like to share with our school community we invite you to campus at any time that works for you in the next few weeks. (Reach out to Lindsay or Becky as this would indeed count towards your volunteer hours!) If you are available Monday at 1 pm, our All School Meeting is a perfect time. 

A long standing Riley tradition is “ Secret Santa “ week. Participants draw names and exchange anonymous gifts. The gifts are simple "make it or bake it" all week and are delivered daily by secret messengers ( Elves or Tomten) and typically signed from S.S. (Secret Santa). But this year,  instead of only "Secret Santa", we encourage you to get creative with your gift-giving and choose an alternate name for yourself and your gift recipient. Need some ideas? How about "Holiday Buddy," "Kindred Spirit." "Gift Guru,” “ Secret Snowflake,” or “Tricky Tomten”!

The final gift, presented under the jolly eyes of a visiting “Santa”, is a more individualized, crafted effort and is wrapped. While this can be a fun and lighthearted way to celebrate, we recognize that it may not be appropriate or comfortable for everyone, and participation has always been entirely optional. However, we invite our community to share any ideas for alternative ways to celebrate and exchange tokens of appreciation during this dark season as we herald the return of the light on the solstice. 

Additionally, we want to extend an invitation for families to share their holiday traditions with each other. Whether it's through a presentation, a potluck, or simply a conversation, we believe that sharing our diverse backgrounds and experiences can bring us closer together as a community. We encourage everyone to participate and learn from one another, and to approach this holiday season with an open mind and a spirit of inclusivity. Don't miss out on the fun, let's make this holiday season unforgettable!

Holiday Toy Drive for

Connections Across Cultures

Riley is thrilled to again be working with Connections Across Cultures this holiday season. CAC  works to welcome and help new immigrants who move to Maine. We are helping to collect gifts for the 125 children of families from Afghanistan, Chad, Congo, Tanzania, and Ukraine who are currently in temporary hotel housing in South Portland.

Children and families who are willing to participate will be given a specific aged child and asked to bring a new, wrapped gift (value $10-$25) Toys will be distributed at an afternoon party at the hotel shelter the week of December 18. We will also be providing $20.00 gift cards for youth between the ages of 13 and 19. We need all gifts by December 15.

Families who are participating will be given information this week!