Riverside School PTA Newsletter |
Friday, September 24th, 2021 |
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SCHOOL PHOTOS ARE HAPPENING WEDNESDAY
Picture Day is happening Wednesday, September 29. Individual and class photos will be taken outdoors (Rain date is Monday, October 4).
This year, Coffee Pond Photography has implemented a new program for Riverside! Families will now receive a proof sheet approximately three weeks after picture day with three images to choose from. These proof sheets will be sent home with your child along with ordering instructions and paper order forms for those who wish to pay by check or money order. Therefore, we will no longer order photos prior to picture day. Please see Coffee Pond's flyer for additional information.
In order to make this day as seamless as possible, we would appreciate any volunteers who could assist us. If you are interested please contact:
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GET READY FOR FITNESS WEEK OCTOBER 4-8
Save the date for Fitness Week, October 4-8. Fitness Week coincides with National Walk to School Day on Wednesday, October 6. Students can participate by walking, running, biking, skateboarding or scooting to school (carpooling and busing are green too!) and being active every day for a chance to win prizes AND extra recess.
In addition, we’re introducing our very own Peloton hashtag to get parents involved, too! Whether you’re biking, running or taking a HIIT cardio class, you can take part by adding the #RivHawksRide hashtag to your Peloton profile. Don’t have Peloton? No problem! Simply use the hashtag when you post to any of your social media channels. More details to come!
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HALLOWEEN, BOOT & COAT DRIVE OCTOBER 4-8
Thinking about Halloween costumes? Need new boots and coats? Want to pass along old costumes, boots and coats? Riverside's Halloween, Boot & Coat Drive begins Monday, October 4 and continues through Friday, October 8. Donation bins will be outside the front of the school each day from 8:30-9:00 a.m. and 2:30-3:00 p.m. Please consider donating your clean, gently used items.
Collected items will be on display and available for ALL families and staff FOR FREE on Thursday October 14 from 8:30-9:00am and 2:30-3:00pm by the front doors (rain date Oct 15). Unclaimed costumes, boots and coats will be donated.
Interested in helping with the costume, boot and coat drive? Be on the lookout for volunteer sign ups via Membership Toolkit and next week’s Peek.
REDUCE, REUSE & RECYCLE!
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ONLINE APPAREL STORE IS NOW OPEN!
Whether you're a returning Red Hawk or new to the nest, you can support Riverside School by showing your school spirit! Our online apparel store is open for business and stocked with lots of great new items, including tees, shorts, sweatshirts, ROPES shirts, water bottles and more. Go to RIVPTA.ORG to shop spirit wear now! Orders placed by noon on Thursdays can be picked up between 7am and 7pm on Fridays at 41 Owenoke Way.
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FALL FUNDRAISER AUCTION ITEM DONATIONS
Riverside School's annual Fall Fundraiser is happening Saturday, October 23 at 7pm. We will Celebrate our Village at the new private indoor/outdoor event space at The Village in Stamford. Information about purchasing tickets will be coming very soon.
The Auction Committee works hard to gather great prizes for the live and silent auctions, but they also rely on us all to help. Auction items are largely sourced from within our Riverside community. In the past, families have offered up a wide range of fun and exciting things including vacation homes, tickets to sporting events, wine, gift certificates, cooking classes and so much more! The creativity and generosity of Riverside families is what makes this event so special. If you would like to donate to the auction, please contact Megan Sullivan.
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UPDATE YOUR DIRECTORY INFORMATION & JOIN THE PTA
Please go to RIVPTA.ORG and follow the steps provided to update/enter your information, including your child(ren)’s new teacher, for the online family directory. If you have moved or have new phone or email information, please let the school office know as well.
Once your directory information is up to date, be sure to join the PTA to gain unlimited access to the directory. The PTA relies on the generosity of Riverside School families via our annual Membership Drive. Funds raised go towards student enrichment programs, classroom and building needs, as well as teacher support. We do aim for 100% participation in our Membership Drive.
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HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR SAFETY DUTY YET?
In addition to making sure everyone is familiar with the drop-off/pick-up “Rules of the Road”, Safety Duty is an important part of keeping our children safe at Riverside School. Volunteers make the morning drop-off process more efficient and secure. Volunteers assist from 8:30-8:45am daily and must wear a mask at all times during a shift. Sign up online. For more info, contact Brielle Goldfaden at brielleg@gmail.com.
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DON'T FORGET ABOUT OUR EARLY MORNING PROGRAM
The Early Morning Program provides a fun, familiar place for students to go before school starts from 7:15-8:30am. You may enroll your child for a semester or pay by the day on an as-needed basis. Please visit the Early Morning Program page for more information and to register your child.
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OPEN HOUSE IS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
The Riverside School Open House will be Tuesday evening, September 28. As was the case last school year, it will be virtual (over Google Meet). The virtual open house schedule that evening will be as follows:
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6-6:30pm - Grades K-2 Classroom Teachers
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6:30-7pm - All Specialists and Specials Teachers. Note that a link for a combined Music, Instrumentals, Art, FLES, P.E. presentation will be sent to all parents before Open House. Specialists who work with small groups or individuals will send a link to the parents and/or have a Google Meet set up through the Google Classroom for that teacher/those teachers.
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ALSO 6:30-7pm - Grades 3-5 STEM ALP program (for parents with students in this program)
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7-7:30pm - Grades 3-5 Classroom Teachers
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7:30-8pm - Grades 3-5 ELA ALP program (for parents with students in this program)
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ORDERING LUNCH
PLEASE NOTE: School lunches continue to be FREE this school year. All orders MUST be submitted at least TWO full school days in advance (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.
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FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE COVID TESTING
As a reminder, GPS is asking that students stay home if a member of their immediate family is being tested due to exposure or symptoms. It will limit teachers and students from possible exposures, causing individuals to be quarantined. Quarantining is a great safety measure, but it can be disruptive for staff and families. We understand we have many families who regularly test as a proactive measure; staying home while awaiting results of proactive, regular testing is not necessary.
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SCHOOL DISMISSAL MANAGER (SDM): ACTION REQUIRED
We are using School Dismissal Manager again this year. It is an online tool that will notify the school when anything needs to be changed in your child's attendance or dismissal plan for a particular day. Please login to School Dismissal Manager to manage your child(ren)'s attendance and dismissal information by going to the SDM website. For more specific details, please reference the communication from Riverside School sent on Wednesday, September 1.
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GREENWICH PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS
Board of Education meetings are easier to attend now that they be viewed on Zoom--stay informed! Here is a list of 2021-2022 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 7:00pm unless otherwise noted.
- Thursday, October 21, 2021
- Thursday, November 4, 2021 (Budget)
- Thursday, November 17, 2021
- Thursday, December 2, 2021 (Budget)
- Thursday, December 16, 2021
- Thursday, January 20, 2022
- Thursday, February 3, 2022 (Retreat, no public comment)
- Thursday, February 24, 2022
- Thursday, March 24, 2022
- Thursday, April 28, 2022
- Thursday, May 19, 2022
- Thursday, June 2, 2022 (Retreat, no public comment)
- Thursday, June 16, 2022
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CHECK OUT THE DISTRICT’S NEW CURRICULUM PAGES
The district recently unveiled the first phase of its GPS website redesign, which included updates and improvements to curriculum overview pages that make them more user-friendly for parents. Watch this brief video (less than 3 minutes) from Tara Fogel, the district’s program coordinator for K-8 Science, to get an overview of the changes that were made and how you can access curriculum information organized by grade or by subject area.
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GPS WEEKLY DISTRICT DIGEST
Subscribe to receive the Greenwich Public Schools weekly "District Digest" e-newsletter directly to your email inbox.
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Join the Pedal Greenwich Community Bike Fest
Join the fun on Saturday, September 25 from 10:00am-12:30pm at Living Hope Community Church parking lot (38 West End Ave). Click here for more information. They are looking for more volunteers to help with the event. Please reach out to Stephanie at StephanieElise@gmail.com if you are interested.
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Zoom Discussion: How to Vote in Greenwich Municipal Elections
Did you know this is a municipal election year in Greenwich? Join Mary Hegarty and Fred DeCaro III, who as Town Registrars ensure that your vote is enabled and counted in Greenwich, for a 30-40 minute discussion followed by an audience Q&A via Zoom on Tuesday, September 28 from 1-2pm. Mary & Fred will review the process by which voters participate in local democracy and will clarify the role of your vote in deciding who leads the town and who serves on and Chairs the Board of Estimate & Taxation (BET), the Board of Education (BOE), and the Representative Town Meeting (RTM). Registration is required.
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Greenwich Land Trust Fundraiser
Looking for a fun family activity to usher in October and support a great cause? Come over to the Greenwich Polo Fields for Greenwich Land Trust’s Go Wild on Friday, October 1 and Saturday, October 2. This year GLT will host two nights of drive-in movies. There will also be a raffle with fantastic prizes. All tickets include snacks, drinks, and gift bags for everyone in the car. If you can’t attend, but want to support GLT and the community, purchase a ticket that will be donated to a local first responder. Click the link for tickets and more information.
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Join Cub Scout Pack 23!
Cub Scout Pack 23 welcomes all Riverside School boys and girls to join in on the excitement and adventure that Cub Scouts has to offer! Just ask one of our 75 Pack 23 scouts about the fun, hands-on learning experiences they participate in like camping, hiking, fishing, archery, and bouldering. Pack 23 scouts also learn important life skills like emergency preparedness and wilderness survival. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to be a part of it! Apply to become a member of Pack 23 here.
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COVID Resources from the School |
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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.
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SUBMISSIONS
Have something to add? Email us at: peekweekriv@gmail.com Deadline for submissions is 3pm on Wednesday of the school week
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