Weekend WHIMS

September 2023 Whims | 3rd Edition

Friday evening on campus...gorgeous!

A Look Inside This Week's Whims

September 2023, 3rd Edition

Good evening, all!

What a stark contrast between Saturday and Sunday's weather we experienced this weekend. Hope you all made it to the other side of the storm safely and soundly! Earlier today Craig briefly visited campus to check in on the goats and other critters and Riley appears to have fared the storm well.

This week we're so excited to be hosting the first of many Riley Fireside Chats where facilitators will be on campus to discuss the values of Riley, traditional vs progressive education, and more! This week facilitators will be exploring the Arts programming at Riley and welcome all parents to join the dialogue. Childcare will be provided by facilitators on campus. Keep a look out for a more detailed email headed to your inbox tomorrow.

A Parent Volunteer survey and sign up sheet will be arriving in your inbox this week as well. No time like the present to begin lending a hand on campus!

See you in the morning!

*PLEASE READ*

Safely Navigating Arrival & Dismissal

in the Riley Driveway

The Riley Campus Speed Limit is 8 MPH.

ALL FAMILIES, INCLUDING WADE ACRES FAMILIES, MUST WAIT IN LINE ONCE DROP OFF/PICK UP BEGINS.

If drop off (after 8:30 am) or pickup (after 3:30 pm) has started, it is going against the flow of traffic to take the driveway to the left of the rock and creates a dangerous parking lot situation. PLEASE arrive before 8:30 (though you must still wait until 8:30 to drop off your child) or 3:30 if you want to drive to the left of the rock and bypass the line to park.

All families are asked to wait in line until it is their turn to pull up to the facilitator checking students in. NO PASSING under any circumstances, this applies to Wade Acres and carseat families who will be parking to drop their children off as well. EVERYONE must wait until they're at the front of the line to either allow their children to exit the car or to pull forward to park. It is extremely dangerous to pull around cars as children are exiting vehicles; please join us in keeping campus safe.

Back to School Checklist

It wouldn't be back to school season without it!

Return Child Information Sheet & Emergency Contact Forms
Pay Activity Fee
Pay Volunteer Waiver Fee *if* applicable
Label ALL of your child's belongings
Gather your child's school things with: 1 mask in sealable bag, 1 pair of socks, rain gear, lunch box and reusable containers, water bottle, no personal items or electronics please, books are always welcome!
Fill Out permission slips for Friday's field trip
Order your cool Riley logo gear (see below)

PLEASE LABEL ALL OF YOUR CHILDREN'S BELONGINGS - THANK YOU!

Make it easy with one of these!

Riley Fireside Chats: The Arts

Thursday September 21st, 4-5 pm

We are excited to welcome you to our first of many Riley Fireside Chats on September 21st from 4-5 pm in the Library.

These initial Riley Fireside Chats in September and October will focus on how the values of The Riley School show up in our classes. This is an opportunity for us all to get together and talk about progressive vs traditional education models, the importance of intrinsic over extrinsic motivation, and the Riley School's emphasis on a child’s individual path vs grade level.

This first chat on September 21st will focus on the Arts programming at Riley and how the Arts at Riley provide a foundation of creative exploration and play that underlies all of our academic programming.

We hope to see you on Thursday at 4:00! Faculty will be on campus to provide childcare.

Parent Volunteer Hours

Hello, Parent Volunteers!

At the beginning of every week there will be a Volunteer Sign Up Sheet coming your way through email. This is a great time to see how you can lend a hand, especially in your areas of expertise and skill! If there are things that you are not comfortable doing independently please do not sign up for that volunteer opportunity. Some of the volunteer opportunities require several people, so grab another parent from Riley and work together!

If there is something that you are skilled in please let me know so that we can use it to the best of our abilities here on campus. I may add new volunteer opportunities weekly and/or keep things on the list that have not been completed. Once you sign up for a volunteer opportunity and fulfill that request you will need to reach out to me with your volunteer hours so that they can be logged in. Some opportunities will be listed as how many hours are required and some may not be. Please remember that this is 20 hours PER CHILD ENROLLED that attends the Riley campus.

Our Goal is Participation and Community (as well as cost savings.) Please note that all who attended the Back to School Picnic + Reflections Meeting have already logged in for 30 min!

Any questions please email me with the Parent Community Coordinator pcc@rileyschool.org Email.

In the next few days there will be a SURVEY coming out on how YOU can offer YOUR skills and expertise!

-Lindsay Harlow

Devices at Riley

Just a friendly reminder (as is established in the Parent Handbook) that no electronics, or cell phones, are to be used at school. Cell phones and other electronics are not to be used by children during the school day and must be kept in backpacks or turned in at the Library. If your child needs immediate access to their cell phone after school, a written cell phone agreement will be provided by the office. Thank you!

How to Help Your Kids Navigate Social Media without Getting Lost

Nourishment & Learning

Go Hand in Hand

Your brilliant children with their ever-growing, hard-working brains and bodies need an amazing amount of fuel! Please plan to pack even more protein rich food than you’d ever expect. Your children are growing, learning, active, and hungry. Lots of small hearty individual foods - and specifically ones that have some protein and substance...

If you're someone who loves a goal, aim for current RDA suggestions for optimum growth and nourishment at 19 grams a day of protein for ages 4-8 and 34 grams a day for ages 8-12.

And if Tanglewood is any indication - they are "STAAARVING" again mid afternoon. Send a second snackable !

Snack Ideas

apples & cheese ~ granola bars ~ trail mix ~ sushi ~ cheese sticks ~ pumpkin seeds ~ raisins~ sun nut butter with apple, banana, celery, or crackers ~ greek yogurt with seeds or fruit ~ veg with humus ~ hard boiled eggs ~ roasted chickpeas ~ bananas ~ edamame

This is YOUR Whims!

Do you have anything to post? To sell? News or an event to share?

Contact our editor:

julieletowski@gmail.com

Weekly submission deadline:

Fridays 12 pm

no exceptions

September at a Glance

September 21st

Riley Fireside Chat: The Arts

4-5 pm

Childcare will

be provided!

September 28th

Parent/Faculty Talks

4-5 pm

September 29th

Final Friday Campus Projects

October 3rd

Women's Art Night

View Our Updated School Calendar

Sundog Outdoor Expeditions

Sundog provides amazing opportunities for afterschool activities that get kids outside. Their fall roster of classes includes Paddle Boarding & Kayaking, Fishing & Camp Craft, and Hiking the Hills & Survival Skills.

Partial & full tuition assistance are available with ZERO paperwork. Sign your kids up for these great outdoor programs today!

Sundog Fall Classes

The Rockport Public Library is celebrating “Library Card Sign-up Month” throughout September. All Rockport residents are entitled to a free library card. Likewise, people who are employed in Rockport, teachers in Knox and Waldo counties, and any student in Knox County may also receive a free library card. Nonresidents can obtain a card for a nominal annual fee of $20.

Cardholders can access thousands of audiobooks and eBooks for free from home on mobile devices through the cloudLibrary app. The library also offers cardholders free passes to places like the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.

Arrival

& Dismissal

Morning drop off is between 8:30-8:40; Afternoon pick up is between 3:30-3:40.

Parking in front of Wade Acres during these times is exclusively reserved for Wade Acres families and families with children in car seats.

Make new friends, and keep in touch with the old!

As we kick off another school year, find all the contact information you need for your fellow Riley families in the directory linked below.

Riley Family Directory

The Riley School's Family Corner

Have you explored the Riley Family Corner on school's website? Full of reading suggestions, archived Whims and Riley Notes, and useful links to things like the school directory and calendar, it's got all the info Riley families need!

Password:

Family2324

Explore the Riley Family Corner Today!

HOW TO

REACH US

Office

596-6405

Admin cell

691-4005

info@rileyschool.org

director@rileyschool.org

PO Box 159

Rockport ME 04856

Share your Riley love with t-shirts,

sweatshirts, mugs, and more!

Grab your gear HERE.

Follow Riley On Facebook

Visit The Riley School Website

Follow Riley On Instagram

Share This Email

Missed a recent Whim? Catch up below!

May 2023 Whims // 4th Edition

May 2023 Whims // 3rd Edition

May 2023 Whims // 2nd Edition

May 2023 Whims // 1st Edition

April 2023 Whims // 3rd Edition

April 2023 Whims // 2nd Edition

April 2023 Whims // 1st Edition

March 2023 Whims // 4th Edition

March 2023 Whims // 3rd Edition

March 2023 Whims // 2nd Edition

March 2023 Whims // 1st Edition

February 2023 Whims // 3rd Edition

February 2023 Whims // 2nd Edition

February 2023 Whims // 1st Edition

January 2023 Whims // 4th Edition

January 2023 Whims // 3rd Edition

January 2023 Whims // 2nd Edition

January 2023 Whims // 1st Edition

December 2022 Whims // 1st Edition

November 2022 Whims // 4th Edition

November 2022 Whims // 3rd Edition

November 2022 Whims // 2nd Edition

November 2022 Whims // 1st Edition

October 2022 Whims // 4th Edition

October 2022 Whims // 3rd Edition

October 2022 Whims // 2nd Edition

October 2022 Whims // 1st Edition

September 2022 Whims // 4th Edition

September 2022 Whims // 3rd Edition

September 2022 Whims // 2nd Edition

September 2022 Whims // 1st Edition

The Riley School

www.rileyschool.org

207-596-6405

RILEY MISSION STATEMENT

The Riley School guides children to become independent, lifelong learners and innovative thinkers.

Founded as an intentionally small, progressive, ungraded elementary school in 1972, Riley recognizes each child’s unique learning style. The innovative and personalized curriculum challenges children to express themselves and develop their own intellectual and creative capabilities through discovery, questioning and active engagement.

We foster a sense of responsibility towards our natural world, our community, and each other. We value cooperation and collaboration, while balancing the individual's social, emotional and physical development with academic and intellectual growth.

At Riley we trust in children as learners. We honor and respect the uniqueness of the individual. We cherish and protect childhood.