Kindergarteners Avery and Wyett and 2nd grader Grace had fun out on the slopes of Burke Mountain our first week skiing.
Greetings!
We hope you enjoyed the fresh snow this weekend and got out in it! May more fluffy white stuff be coming our way. 🤞🏼
Happy Monday,
Nelia
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You have been seeing announcements here in the Monday Memos soliciting donations for the Annual Appeal. Our school model is based on parent participation, and financial support is an important and vital part of that, but it is not the only way for families to participate in the success of our school. Every day you see parent volunteers helping around campus, and we are extremely grateful for that. There are many things volunteers do on our campus that we simply don’t have the budget or staff to do, and helping with those things is a tangible way for you to be part of and support your child(ren)’s education. To that point, we have a list of facilities needs that parents can help with. They range from cleaning and painting to more involved projects. Please reach out to Roy or Krystal if you want to pitch in.
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT SCHOOL CHOICE |
As you know, the school choice model that makes Riverside possible periodically comes under attack in the Vermont legislature. Recent action on this front has been a requirement for districts to consolidate (leading to the creation of NEK Choice) and mandates around providing special education (Act 173, effective 7/1/23). The recent supreme court ruling in Carson V Makin (that state governments may not refuse tuition money to schools based on religion) has created a realignment of our traditional support in the Vermont Legislature. That is to say that many legislators who have traditionally supported school choice will no longer provide that support if it means that that Vermont must also send tuition money to religious schools, which Carson v Makin now requires. Exactly what this means for us is unclear, but what is clear is that legislation aimed at independent schools will be on the table in this legislative session, and we will need to be ready as a community to make our voices heard. Keep your eyes open for messages from the school about how to reach out to lawmakers or show support for independent schools like Riverside.
One way to help this month would be to attend a January 27th event in Montpelier which is arranged by edchoice.org. They will provide snacks and even reimburse gas.
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Two people placed their skis in the wrong Subaru on Friday. If you drive a gray Subaru and found extra skis in your trunk, please bring those by the school. |
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SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS NEEDED |
We would be so grateful to add a few more names of potential substitutes to our list. You can express a preference to be called only in advance, or for certain ages or subject areas, or certain hours of the day (even being available to cover two hours is wonderfully helpful!), or certain times of year. Anything helps! Please email Krystal if you'd be willing to join the team! This can be paid or volunteer work.
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WINTER PARENT-TEACHER-STUDENT CONFERENCES |
K-8 Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences are planned for the afternoons of Wednesday, February 1 and PK-8 for Thursday, February 2. There will be an early dismissal at 12:30 for K-8 on Wednesday, and PK-8 on Thursday. We encourage students to join in the conversations about the successes and challenges if they are willing. Please sign up for a time slot at the appropriate link below.
6-8th Grade Sign Ups (if there are no appointments available, please email the whole teacher team to find a mutually convenient time, or consider if just meeting with the advisor would be sufficient and plan accordingly with one of them)
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The GSA is happy to announce that the movie night and bake sale on Friday raised a lot of money for more diverse books for Riverside classrooms (the note that funds would be going to support refugees was in error, that is an effort of student council, not GSA). There were left over snacks, and we will be selling these at a bake sale Tuesday. |
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K-2 Recorder Club will be performing in assembly on Wednesday morning, please come hear what they've learned! |
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SKIING & SNOWBOARDING FRIDAYS |
This Friday K-8th graders will be out on trails again this week. Note that we do sometimes cancel our plans based on the weather, and try to make those decisions mid-week.
Morning Drop Off: In order to ease traffic congestion at drop off time on Friday mornings, this week we will move the equipment area to over near the orchard. So please drop off your children and their personal belongings as usual, then drive around the house past the dumpsters, and put downhill gear into the blue truck and x-country gear onto the porch near the handicap ramp/behind the dumpsters.
Downhill at Burke Mountain
Parent Chaperones: Thank you for all your attention to the students and the details of the program, we appreciate you!
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: Thank you for helping drive our students and show them such a good time, even without snow. Be in touch with Mr. G and Caroline if you have any questions about how best to help in the future.
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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All PK-8 Families in the NEK Choice District should be on the lookout for email from "Megan Chappell via DocuSign (dse_NA4@docusign.net)" with the subject line, "Complete with DocuSign: NEK Choice FY22-23 Tuition Agreement #2." Please complete that brief digital form as soon as possible in order for Riverside to receive payment from the sending district. If you have multiple children, there will be multiple emails and multiple forms to complete.
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On Monday, February 6th there will be no middle school classes. Instead, we will resume our long-standing tradition of attending UVM’s Latin Day, which is a celebration of all things classical hosted by their Classics Department. Middle school students will need to arrive at 7:30 on that day. We should be back on campus by 3:30.
Overview of the Day: Latin Day has a different look than many of you may remember. It now takes place at the Davis Center. The day starts with an assembly, then students move into breakout sessions. Students will sign up for their breakout sessions this week. After the breakouts, everyone comes back together to watch the top three skits, a mixed-school trivia challenge, and some “gladiatorial combat.” The day ends with awards and students are dismissed between 12:00 and 12:30. That will leave us time for lunch in Burlington. I’ll be surveying students and volunteer drivers about their preferences and creating return carpools based on lunch preferences. Students will need to bring money for lunch. If that is a problem, let Roy know and he will discretely find the money for your child to eat lunch at the restaurant of their choice.
Student Preparation: Students will be choosing their breakout sessions this week during Latin class. Students who opt for one of the scoring sessions will be expected to attend some Latin club meetings to prepare. Those students will be eligible to attend the next Latin club trip (to Boston, date TBD). Students may also pick one of the non-scoring sessions.
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The next meeting of the Parent Advisory Group is scheduled for Thursday, February 9 at 5:00 pm. Dinner will be provided thanks to volunteers. If you have any suggested agenda items, please email them to Deandra and Kim.
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THE LION KING (by the Publicity Elective) |
Finally we are in the swing of the middle school play, The Lion King, Jr. The cast has been chosen and rehearsals have begun. All middle school students are in an elective: designing costumes or designing sets, making props or strategizing publicity.
Mark your calendars for our two shows at Lyndon Institute. Our first show is Friday, March 17th at 7:00pm and our second show is Saturday, March 18 at 2:00pm. Admission is by donation. We hope we will see you at this beloved musical.
Remember to bring your scripts home to practice, lines should be memorized by Monday, February 20, and don't forget to bring them back to school for rehearsals.
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5-8 Math Counts Club will meet today from 3:30-4:30. |
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6-8 Hip Hop Dance Club will meet Tuesday from 3:45-4:30. |
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3-5th grade Coding Club will meet on Wednesday from 3:00-4:00 pm. |
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6-8 Latin Club will meet this Wednesday and Thursday from 3:45-4:30, with a focus on preparation for Latin Day (above), note that depending on how middle schoolers choose to participate in Latin Day, they may need to attend Latin Club meetings even if they never have before, and will then be encouraged to attend more Latin Club events in the future. |
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6-8 STEM Club begins this Wednesday, January 11th, from 3:30-4:30 pm with Caroline. |
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K-8th grade Chess Club will meet this Thursday beginning at 3:30 for all grade and ability levels. Kids may be picked up whenever. Ideally, most of the elementary students would be picked up after 45 minutes to an hour of chess (4:15 - 4:30) as it is a long time to concentrate on things after a long day of school. Nathan will stay until 5:00 for those that want the extra time. If any parents want to contribute snacks to share, it would be appreciated.
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6-8 Indoor Soccer Club will meet on Thursday, from 3:30-5:00. |
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Uphill Club will meet this Friday after skiing. |
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Please consider making a gift to Riverside's annual fund, if you haven't already. It's not the size of your gift that matters, but the act of participating, which helps us leverage further grants and donations by showing off the strength of the support in our community. We hope to have more than 70% of parents participate, currently we have 38%.
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30 Lily Pond Road, Lyndonville, VT 05851
phone: 802.626.8552
fax: 802.626.4156
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