Riverside School PTA Newsletter | |
PTA Highlights
Dear Riverside families,
Much of this week’s chilly weather has left us questioning the old adage about March. In the battle of lion vs lamb, it appears the lion emerged victorious. Speaking of rivalries, we are eagerly anticipating tomorrow’s first-ever NCAA tourney matchup between Duke and UNC. Could Duke’s run lead to a storybook ending for Coach K and his legendary career?
We are also excited about our community’s overwhelming interest in this year’s Family Outing at Citi Field. We’re not sure if Mets vs Marlins is considered a storied rivalry, but we expect it to be a great game nonetheless. Here’s hoping the home team scores many runs and its pitchers throw many Ks. Are we pressing our luck by saying we hope June 18 will be a deGrom Day?
We are also excited about next week’s in-person STEM Fair. Fortunately, there are no rivalries to be found there since everyone who participates is a winner! As a reminder, all families (whether your child has done a project or not) are invited to attend the Open House on Wednesday, April 6. See below for additional details and project drop-off info.
Lastly, while tomorrow’s Duke vs UNC matchup will be a sea of blue, the PTA has green on its mind in the leadup to Earth Week. Our Green Committee has organized a number of collections and drives over the next two weeks. Check out details in the special Earth Week section below.
Your calendar reminders:
-
April 6 – STEM Fair Family Open House
-
April 4-14 – Green Committee collections & drives (details below!)
-
April 11-14 – Earth Week
-
April 12 – Your Child’s Digital Life: Getting to Know the Google Ecosystem
-
April 15 – No School (Good Friday)
-
April 18-22 – No School (Spring Recess)
Have a terrific weekend.
Carey Bisbee & Allison Maus
PTA Co-Presidents
| | | |
|
|
THE STEM FAIR IS NEXT WEEK, APRIL 6 & 7!
More than 225 students will be presenting their projects next week! Participating students should drop off their boards in the gym after school on Wednesday, April 6 from 3:15-4pm. All families are welcome to attend the evening Open House on Wednesday (6-6:45pm for K-2, 6:45-7:30pm for 3-5). Students will also present their projects to classmates during the school day on Thursday, April 7. We hope to see you at the Open House!
| | | |
|
|
REGISTER FOR SPRING AFTERS BY THURSDAY 4/7 AT 8PM
Registration for Spring Afters remains open and will close Thursday, April 7 at 8:00pm. There are still some spots available, and you may enroll your child(ren) in more than one class. If you haven't done so already, you can set up an account and profile for one or more children on Eleyo, Flex's registration platform. Please refer to the Riverside PTA Afters page for class descriptions and other important information.
| | | |
|
|
REGISTER NOW FOR THE RIVERSIDE RUN
The Riverside Run is back! Time to swap your snow boots for your running shoes and start training for the 37th Annual Riverside Run!
Race Day: Saturday, May 7
8:30am for the 3-mile Run/Walk ($30 registration fee)
9:30am for the Kids Fun Run ($15 registration fee)
REGISTER HERE
| | | |
|
|
STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK IS COMING UP (APRIL 25-29)!
The week we return from spring break, we will shower the staff with love and thanks! Mark your calendars! More information coming from your Class Parents shortly.
| | | |
|
|
DON'T FORGET TO VISIT THE "HAWKS WHO HELP" PAGE
The Riverside Community Service Committee now has a page on the PTA website called “HAWKS WHO HELP” detailing local outreaches within the community, many in which our children can also get involved. There are two local drives supporting the efforts in Ukraine organized by Too Sparrows Gives and the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Stamford. We have also included drives for other local needs, including local Afghan refugees that Jewish Family Services of Greenwich is assisting in their acclimation into our community. Please check it out!
| | | |
|
|
"YOUR CHILD'S DIGITAL LIFE" SERIES
Mrs. Browning is leading a four-part series of sessions for parents about digital citizenship, research tools, and the key apps used in school. This is a terrific opportunity for parents with kids in all grade levels to see how their children and their teachers use digital tools not only for occasional remote learning but also for instruction in the classroom and for homework assignments.
Please mark your calendars and plan on attending any or all of the remaining virtual sessions from 9:00-10:00am:
-
April 12 (NEW DATE) - Getting to Know the Google Ecosystem
-
May 3 - Power Apps Used in School
| | | |
|
|
ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS
Upcoming Enrichment Programs
-
April 4, 5: Stepping Stones' Build It Big (Grade K)
-
April 4, 5: HTHT's Smarty Plants (Grade 1)
-
April 5, 6: HTHT's Give Me Dirt (Grade 2)
-
April 26: Animal Embassy (Grade 3)
-
April 29: Dirtmeister (Grade 4)
These programs are paid for by your generous donations to the PTA. Thank you!
| | | |
|
|
VISIT THE ONLINE APPAREL STORE
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 items, including tees, shorts, sweatshirts, ROPES shirts, water bottles and more. Go to RIVPTA.ORG to shop now! Orders placed by noon on Thursdays can be picked up between 7am-7pm on Fridays at 41 Owenoke Way.
| | | |
|
|
SAFETY DUTY: MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN JUST 15 MINUTES!
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. Sign up online. For more info, contact Brielle Goldfaden at brielleg@gmail.com.
| | |
Earth Week at Riverside: Drives & Collections from April 4-14 | | |
|
|
TREX PLASTIC FILM DRIVE: ROUND 3!
Join the Green Committee for Riverside School's third Trex Plastic Film Recycling Drive! A Trex collection bin will be outside the front doors April 4-14 for acceptable plastic film materials with additional off-site collection bins at 32 Hendrie Ave and 28 Chapel Lane. Since January Riverside has collected over 160 pounds of plastic film! Let's keep working together to keep these materials out of our landfills!
| | | |
|
|
UPCOMING TEXTILE DRIVE: SPRING CLEAN & GO GREEN!
Eager to spring clean? Ready to clear out closets and drawers? Go GREEN by recycling old textiles in Riverside School's TEXTILE DRIVE! Cosponsored by Greenwich Recycling Advisory Board (GRAB) and Fairco-Greentree Recycling, collection bins for clean, dry textiles will be in front of the school April 4-14. Please do not donate wet or moldy items.
Accepted: Clean, dry textiles in good condition. Please do not donate textiles that are wet or moldy. All clothing items including footwear, hats, coats and jackets; linens & bedding including sheets, towels, pillowcases & cotton blankets; extra fabric & bolts (no small scraps), tablecloths, drapes & curtains; backpacks, lunch bags, pocketbooks, wallets & belts.
NOT Accepted: Pillows, mattresses, rugs, scrap fabric & material cuttings, foam stuffing, plush toys & stuffed animals.
| | | |
|
|
DONATE OLD T-SHIRTS FOR AN EARTH WEEK PROJECT
Need a reason to part with old t-shirts? Turn your rags into reusable riches by offering old t-shirts to the Green Committee! As part of Riverside School's Earth Week celebration April 11-14, the Green Committee will be assisting students in creating reusable bags out of old t-shirts. To ensure interested students are able to make a bag, please consider donating clean t-shirts with no large rips or holes (adult sizes preferred). Collection bins will be outside the front doors April 4-14. Thank you for your support!
| | | |
|
|
BATTERY DRIVE!
Start gathering your old/used batteries for Riverside School's Spring Battery Drive! As part of Earth Week, collection bins for old/used batteries will be outside the front doors April 4-14. Batteries collected will be properly recycled at Holly Hill.
| | |
|
RAISE YOUR HAND TO JOIN PTA COUNCIL GREENWICH
PTA Council (PTAC) Greenwich is the umbrella organization formed by the fifteen PTAs of the Greenwich Public Schools. PTAC is still in search of volunteers and would love for you to get involved in any of the roles set forth below for the 2022-2023 school year. If interested, please contact Liane Tel at vp-nominating@greenwichptac.org by Friday, April 8.
Open Board positions include: First VP, VP of Nominating (one-year term)
Open Committee Chair roles include: Curriculum Enrichment, Digital Learning, Facilities, Green Schools, Historian, Scholarship
| |
|
UNDERSTANDING THE LINKIT DATA WAREHOUSE & ASSESSMENT PLATFORM
Presented by Marc D'Amico, Director of K-8 Curriculum & Head of K-8 Leadership, Jennifer Lau, GPS Research Manager, Michael Reid, Coordinator of Mathematics K-8 and Jennifer Bencivengo, Principal of Old Greenwich School. The presentation was recorded and can be accessed with these links: Replay (Passcode: 73GH6sD%) and Presentation.
| |
|
READ “ALL ABOUT ALP” FOR INFO ON THIS YEAR’S PLACEMENT PROCESS
For parents interested in learning more about ALP spring timelines and assessment protocols, please refer to the latest edition of the GPS ALP newsletter, All About ALP. https://www.smore.com/vznch-all-about-alp?ref=email
| |
|
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, April 28, 2022
- Thursday, May 19, 2022
- Thursday, June 2, 2022 (Retreat, no public comment)
- Thursday, June 16, 2022
| |
|
SUBSCRIBE TO RECEIVE GREENWICH PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEWSLETTERS
Make sure you are receiving GPS e-newsletters directly to your inbox! To subscribe, select the relevant newsletters below and click the orange "Follow" button on the right side of the page.
| |
|
ISD PTA’s 5th Annual Greenwich Color Challenge Is Happening Saturday, April 9
The Greenwich Color Challenge is a color fun run that includes a 1.5 mile-run/walk and obstacle course including 10+ obstacle stations and 6 color powder stations where participants are dusted with color. It is a wonderful celebration of color, family, friends and fun where everyone gets decked out in their most colorful accessories and comes ready to run, walk, jump, climb, dodge, duck, laugh and have a great time! Come with friends and family and enjoy this fun morning! Register now at www.GreenwichColorChallenge.org. Use promo code EARLYRAINBOW to get 20% off before March 20. Remember to log out of Membership Toolkit if you are not an ISD family to register as a guest.
| |
|
Tasty Tuesdays: Support BGCG by Visiting Local Restaurants
The Torch Club (Grades 5-8) and Keystone (Grades 9-12), leadership/community service groups at Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich, are bringing back Tasty Tuesdays. On Tuesdays in March & April, you can visit a designated local restaurant which will make a donation to BGCG. In turn, the Torch and Keystone Clubs will use the funds raised to support local youth. See BGCG’s flyer for a list of participating restaurants. Participants can send photos of their meals to cferrara@bgcg.org.
| | |
|  |
SUBMISSIONS
Have something to add? Email us at: peekweekriv@gmail.com Deadline for submissions is 3pm on Wednesday of the school week
| | | | | |
