Riverside School PTA Newsletter |
Friday, February 19th, 2021 |
|
|
|
THANK A GPS TEACHER, STAFF OR ADMINISTRATOR
So many teachers are working so hard during this pandemic. Through a district-wide survey created by the Western Middle School PTA, we want to give thanks. Please share something a GPS teacher, staff member or administrator did that made a difference for your child or your family.
You may fill this form out for as many people as you would like, there is no limit. Please include people from this year and last year as well. The results will be compiled and sent to the local paper, anonymously.
Deadline Extended: Today (February 19)
|
|
|
|
|
REMOTE LEARNING PAGE HAS RESOURCES FOR YOU
While everyone's back in remote learning mode, we encourage you to use the Digital Learning Resources page (part of the Parent Resources menu) on rivpta.org. There you'll find links to district resources, information on apps, advice from families enrolled in the Remote Learning School, technical help resources and more!
|
|
|
|
|
GRADE 1 VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP TO STEPPING STONES
This week the 1st grade took a virtual field trip to Stepping Stones for a presentation on Space Matters. The students learned more about the environment of space, explored different celestial objects, discussed modern day space crafts and why they are built the way they are, and designed their very own spacecrafts.
|
|
|
|
|
UPCOMING ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS
Feb 23: Bash the Trash assembly (Grade 2)
Feb 24-25: Animal Embassy's Amazing Mammals (Kindergarten)
Feb 26: I Survived series author visit with Lauren Tarshis (Grades 3-5)
|
|
|
|
|
SPECIAL EDUCATION REVIEW UPDATE
Please feel free to email PCG with anonymous feedback at programreviewfeedback@pcgus.com. The survey has closed, but PCG is still gathering information from those who want to provide feedback via email. This is for all parents, not just parents of those with IEPs. This email address will remain available until March 31, 2021.
|
|
|
PROTOCOL FOR FAMILIES TRAVELING "OUT OF CONNECTICUT"
Families traveling "Out of Connecticut" for more than 24 hours (current exceptions are the states of New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Hawaii, and the USVI), must complete the State of Connecticut Travel Health Form. If you are traveling to one of the states or countries with a travel advisory, it is mandatory to fill out the Connecticut form or face a fine from the state.
The following is only in effect if your child is in-person at Riverside School:
Anyone who is traveling (and meets the criteria above) should:
- Let the teacher and nurse know
-
Provide a "Negative" PCR test that has been performed not more than 72 hours prior to your arriving back in CT (or after your arrival back in CT). All PCR tests, rapid or regular, are now accepted as of 1/11/21, however, subject to change per Governor Lamont.
Addendum per CT State Travel Advisory has been noted:
According to #19, the travelers "may" get tested WITHIN 72 hours of their arrival back to CT but NO MORE than 72 hours. This means, if they are arriving Sunday night, the test results should state 72 hours from the actual swab being performed, not the Test results themselves.
Anyone who has not received their PCR Tests prior to attending school must quarantine and remain home until test results have been received. Once you receive your results, please forward to the school nurse for clearance.
Note: some states are mandating Negative tests prior to traveling there (such as MA) and upon their return. These items are very important to follow and can result in penalties from each state. Please review the links above for more information.
Further questions can be directed to our school nurse, Sarah Flynn, who will be able to return parent phone calls and emails during the school day.
Thank you.
- Mr. Weiss, Ms. Key, Nurse Flynn
|
|
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.
|
|
ORDERING LUNCH (IN-PERSON STUDENTS)
PLEASE NOTE: All orders MUST be submitted prior to the date ordering for (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.
|
|
PARENT REMINDERS
-
Only eligible bus students are allowed to ride the bus in the afternoon. Non-eligible students are not allowed to ride the afternoon bus due to the Covid restrictions, even for playdates. Other arrangements will have to be made.
-
When dropping off anything in the bin outside please LABEL everything with your child's name and teacher.
-
Parents must use School Dismissal Manager when their child will be absent or late for any reason and also if their child will be leaving early. Since parents are not allowed in the building at this time, entering an early dismissal in SDM will take the place of signing them out.
-
When you arrive to pick up your child early, please let the office know you're outside waiting. We will not call a student out of class or send them outside until we know the parent is here.
|
|
NURSE'S NOTES
So far this year, we have had a number of students come into school with braces/casts and assistive devices. Our District Policy requires all students who need assistive devices, having surgeries, stitches or any injuries, to have a note from their doctor stating cause of injury, date seen, date of removal for PE/Recess. Students will also need another doctor's note to return to all activities.
|
|
2021-2022 SCHOOL BUDGET FORUM ON FEBRUARY 24
Greenwich PTA Council and LWV Greenwich will be co-hosting a virtual forum on Wednesday, February 24 from 7-8pm. Information will be presented about next year’s school budget and the approval timeline, followed by a Q&A session with GPS Superintendent Dr. Toni Jones, BOE Chairperson Peter Bernstein, and First Selectman Fred Camillo. A second Q&A will include a discussion of the issues involved in the budget approval process with members of the town’s Board of Estimate and Taxation and RTM Education Committee. Advance registration is required. Click here for additional information and registration.
|
|
SUPPORT GREENWICH ALLIANCE VIA FAIRFIELD COUNTY GIVING DAY ON 2/25
On Thursday, February 25 the Greenwich Alliance for Education, the town’s education foundation and partner with Greenwich Public Schools, is participating in Fairfield County’s Giving Day, a 24-hour online fundraising challenge for local non-profits. Donations of $10 or more put the Greenwich Alliance for Education in the running for additional prize money. Non-profit organizations with the most unique donors win a grand prize of $15,000 and second place prize is $10,000! Every donation can make a difference. Your donation supports the sole mission of the Alliance—funding innovation, expanding opportunities & inspiring educators in Greenwich Public Schools. You can donate here.
|
|
PUBLIC MEETINGS INFO: NEW PAGE ADDED TO DISTRICT WEBSITE
|
|
REGISTER FOR THE MARCH 19 GREENWICH ALLIANCE TRIVIA CHALLENGE
Gather family and friends to test your trivia knowledge and raise critical dollars for the Greenwich Alliance for Education on Friday, March 19 from 7-9pm. The team competition includes six rounds of trivia, as well as an online silent auction and paddle raise. Visit the event page for additional information and registration.
|
|
DISTINGUISHED TEACHERS AWARD: OPEN FOR NOMINATIONS!
Our teachers have gone above and beyond for our kids this year-- so let's make sure that we give this event the attention it deserves! Please see the attached flyer and video for more information. Nominations must be submitted via email by March 10, 2021 at 5pm.
|
|
THE 2020-2021 GPS TUTOR BOOKLET IS NOW AVAILABLE
Need a tutor for your child? Each year, Greenwich Public Schools also compiles a list of GPS staff who are willing to tutor outside of school hours. Please see the 2020-2021 Tutor Booklet for teacher names and contact information.
|
|
GPS TEMPORARY POSITIONS AVAILABLE
GPS is circulating this flyer to broaden its search for substitutes to ensure they have a robust list of people who can help cover staffing needs throughout the year. GPS is in need of two types of substitutes: instructional and classroom monitors.
For example: a teacher who is on maternity leave would have an instructional substitute who has at least a Bachelor’s Degree. However, GPS also expects to have secondary teachers who may be quarantined for two weeks due to an exposure at a personal event (grocery store visit, etc.). If the teacher is deemed to be the only one having been exposed, this would allow their students to still be in the classroom. A substitute for this type of situation would simply be a classroom monitor to make sure that the smartboard is on and that the teacher can be seen and heard from home by the students; the classroom monitor would not be providing academic instruction.
|
|
BOE MEETINGS NOW VIRTUAL
Board of Education meetings are easier to attend now that they take place over Zoom--stay informed! Here is a list of 2020-2021 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 7:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
- Thursday, March 25, 2021
- Thursday, April 8, 2021 (Retreat, no public comment)
- Thursday, April, 22, 2021
- Thursday, May 13, 2021(Retreat, no public comment)
- Thursday, May 20, 2021
- Thursday, June 3, 2021
- Thursday, June 17, 2021
|
|
GPS WEEKLY DISTRICT DIGEST
Subscribe to receive the Greenwich Public Schools weekly "District Digest" e-newsletter directly to your email inbox.
|
|
February 22 Deadline for Public Comment on I-95 Project
The CT DOT recently unveiled plans for a four-year $205 million project impacting I-95 Exits 2-6, but these plans do not consider the impact of noise on the community. The PTA cannot endorse any side of this issue but wants to inform its families that concerned individuals can take action by voicing their concerns to the DOT via email during the public comment period that ends Monday, February 22. The Riverside Association has made sample letters, including to whom they should be addressed, available on its website. Additional information about the project can also be found on the Riverside Association website (scroll down the page) and the CT DOT website.
|
|
League of Women Voters Greenwich Student Essay Writing Contest
The LWV Greenwich second annual essay contest will be in honor of America’s first female vice president. This year’s theme is Dear Madam Vice President, where Greenwich students grades K-12 are invited to write a letter (up to 500 words) to Vice President Kamala Harris, sharing their stories, advice and wishes. Submissions are due Sunday, March 21. See flyer for additional information.
|
|
Greenwich Together Free Weekly Webinars in February
Greenwich Together is offering a series of free webinars about “How to Raise a Well-Adjusted, Confident, Self-Reliant and Civil Adult in a Crazy Mixed-Up World” each Wednesday in February from 7-8:30pm. Learn practical tools and essential knowledge to change the course of your children’s lives. Click here to register and get more information.
|
|
Free Online Tutoring at My STEM Help
My STEM Help is a local nonprofit aiming to provide free, high quality online tutoring sessions to students K-12 who are in need of after-school academic support. The support is especially needed during the time of pandemic. These help sessions are conducted like a teacher's "office hour" where students can drop in to ask homework questions or get help on test prep. The tutoring sessions are run by local high school volunteers. There are rigorous tutor selection and training processes in place to ensure the teaching quality (check out the "Meet the Tutors" page for more details). Each session is also monitored by a trained adult volunteer to safeguard online security.
|
|
Neighbor to Neighbor Food Donation Drive
Every Thursday at St. Paul's Riverside from 10-11:30am. The need right now is particularly high. Items of greatest need are proteins such as beans, peanut butter and canned tuna, but all non-perishables are gladly accepted and appreciated. Just drive up, pop open your trunk and St. Paul's will get your donations to N2N.
|
|
|
|
SUBMISSIONS
Have something to add? Email us at: peekweekriv@gmail.com Deadline for submissions is 3pm on Wednesday of the school week
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
