Riverside School PTA Newsletter |
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STUDENTS GOT “FIT FOR FARE” THIS WEEK
The PTA Community Service Committee is wrapping up its weeklong “Fit for Life” Community Service project to benefit FARE – Food Allergy Research and Education. All grades have been participating in fun fitness stations during PE classes and learning important facts about allergies.
The money raised by this event will go towards improving the quality of life, and the health of individuals with food allergies, and providing them hope through the promise of new treatments. The last day to donate is TODAY. Please join us in supporting this important cause!
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PRE-ORDER SUMMER READ BOOKS ONLINE BY TONIGHT
We are excited to announce Riverside’s Annual Summer Book Read with a theme of “Adventures in Engineering”. We are offering five books to choose from. Read one or read them all! Summer Read books can be purchased online through the PTA until TONIGHT, Friday, May 28. Click here to order. Books will be available to pick up outside school Wednesday, June 9 between 9-9:45am and 2:15-3pm.
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2021-2022 SCHOOL SUPPLIES ORDERS DUE TUESDAY
The PTA’s annual school supply fundraiser for the upcoming school year is coming to a close. Due to the holiday weekend, we have extended the sale by one day, meaning the site will close Tuesday, June 1.
Please go to www.shopttkits.com and enter account number 83285. Once again, earbuds and headphones, as well as PPE kits, will be available to purchase separately if new ones are required. Please note that it is strongly advised that Kindergarteners have headphones rather than earbuds. Please email Virginia Lockhart with any questions.
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THE NEW GAGA BALL PIT IS HERE!
Come check out Riverside School’s new gaga ball pit, next to the Grades 3-5 playground! Designated as this year’s Fifth Grade Class Gift (with supplemental funding provided by the PTA), it will be a permanent installation on school grounds. After each grade completes safety and rules training, it will officially open for student use.
A big thank you to the parent volunteers who assembled it earlier this week. You can check out a 90-second time lapse video of the build here.
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FIFTH GRADE GAGA NIGHT ON FRIDAY, JUNE 11
Fifth Graders, come join friends and classmates for an evening of Gaga Ball (no experience necessary) on Friday, June 11 immediately following school from 3:30- 5pm. This will be held in Riverside's new Gaga Ball Pit on the playground!
Students will be dismissed from school directly to the event and parents can pick up at 5pm. The rain date will be Thursday, June 17. We are hoping this will be a fun night for our 5th grade students to enjoy before graduating! The cost is $15/ kid and you can sign up on RIVPTA.ORG (click on MyAccount>MyPage).
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MAY 25 PTA GENERAL MEETING RECAP
Thanks to all those who were able to join us this past Tuesday for our final membership meeting of the school year! In summary, our 2021-2022 school year Board slate was voted in, as was the updated PTA Bylaws and 2021-2022 PTA Budget.
Then, we were joined by Alexandra Stafford of Alexandra's Kitchen, who demonstrated making her Peasant Bread. We had a great conversation with Ali, who shared bread-making tips, a hack for getting kids to eat vegetables, and recipes for using the vegetables that we're growing in our very own, newly re-built Riverside School vegetable garden! Ali created a document with notes from the session, which also includes the bread recipe she made live.
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CLASS COMPOSITES FROM SEPTEMBER’S PHOTO DAY
In-person students should have brought home a composite photo of their homeroom class this week. Due to COVID restrictions, a traditional class photo could not be taken during last fall’s School Photo Day, so a complimentary composite was provided instead.
Please note that composites reflect class assignments as of September 21, 2020. With that in mind, Riverside students enrolled in the Remote Learning School as of that date who participated in School Photo Day should have received a composite for Riverside RLS students in their home mailbox instead.
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VOLUNTEER FOR THE RIVERSIDE PTA NEXT YEAR!
Opportunities big and small need to be filled for the 2021-2022 school year. Whether you have little time or a lot, consider investing time to benefit your child’s elementary school and our community—we need you! Here are a few of the high-priority roles we need filled:
- Pizza Bingo Co-Chair
- Various roles on our Communications Team (no web or coding experience necessary!)
There are so many more roles open to suit your time availability and interests. Please review our openings and complete an interest form to express interest in one or many of our volunteer opportunities! Questions? Email Heeyoon Slater.
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GPS WANTS YOUR FEEDBACK ON PPT MEETINGS
GPS has initiated a new internal feedback process (that is separate from the review being conducted by PCG) to improve their PPT meeting process. To that end, please make sure to fill out the new special education survey AFTER your Annual PPT Meeting. The survey link is in blue and can be found on the PPT Summary Page. The PPT Summary is delivered virtually, five school days after your annual PPT. It is included with your finalized IEP.
This survey is in response to the many inconsistencies that Key2Ed found regarding how PPTs are run throughout the district. These surveys are anonymous and cannot be traced back to families. If you do not receive a survey link please reach out to the PTAC Special Education Support Committee at ses@greenwichptac.org.
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CALLING ALL SES FAMILIES
Calling all families of students with IEPs and 504 plans. Please sign up for the SES Message Board to stay informed and up to date on district meetings and special events that impact special education and related services. We look forward to connecting and collaborating.
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HIGH TOUCH HIGH TECH ZOOMED INTO FIRST GRADE
High Touch High Tech visited our school one last time this week. Nina zoomed into our 1st grade classrooms and presented a program all about plants, ecosystems and the delicate balance that governs their survival. They even extracted real chlorophyl from spinach leaves and discovered osmosis and diffusion in the process.
This program was made possible by your generous support of the PTA, thank you.
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UPCOMING ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS
June 1: Eli Whitney Museum's bird beak variations program (Grade 3)
June 2: Virtual tour of Boston (Grade 5)
June 15: Mariachi Band (Grade 2 fiesta)
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2ND, 3RD & 4TH GRADE HEALTH ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS
As per the Connecticut Department of Health, all current 3rd graders need to submit a CT State Health Assessment form for the 2020-2021 school year. These assessments should be based on health exams performed during the 2020 through 2021 calendar years.
Parents of current 4th graders who were notified of needing to submit the 3rd/4th grade Health Assessments must submit their form by today (April 23, 2021). These assessments should be based on health exams performed during the 2020 through 2021 calendar years.
Current 2nd graders will also need to submit a Heath Assessment based on a health exam performed during the 2021 through 2022 calendar years for 3rd grade "entry". These forms can be submitted during the 3rd grade year (2021-22 school year).
In addition, the School will need Dental Forms to be fully completed by either your Pediatrician or Dentist, as per CT Department of Health requirements.
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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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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.
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PART FOUR OF PARENTING WEBINAR SERIES WITH DR. ROSS GREENE
Dr. Ross Greene is continuing his four-part webinar series that expands on the strategies he described in his initial presentation in December 2020. Learn about Dr. Greene’s Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) model, which provides practical, research-based tools for assessment and intervention. Participants in the workshop series will gain a further understanding of the underpinnings of the model, its refinements over the past 8-10 years, and practical assessment and intervention tools that can be brought back to and used in these diverse settings.
Upcoming Webinar Dates:
June 8 from 6-7:30pm (session 4 of 4) – Zoom link
Available Prior Session Recordings:
Session 1 from May 11 (Password: Greenwichno1)
Session 2 from May 18 (Password: Greenwichno2)
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REPLAY OF "READY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL" WORKSHOP NOW AVAILABLE
The replay of the PTA Council Academic Excellence Committee’s May 11 “Ready for Middle School” workshop for parents is now available. The workshop explored the skills taught in elementary and middle school to help students transition. Speakers include a 5th grade teacher from North Mianus School, WMS Principal Gordon Beinstein and CMS Principal Tom Healy. This Workshop is especially relevant for parents of current 4th and 5th graders.
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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, June 3, 2021
- Thursday, June 17, 2021
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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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GOT (used) SNEAKERS?
Wondering what to do with those old sneakers now that summer is here? Drop them at St. Paul's Day School (200 Riverside Avenue)! The Day School has been collecting old sneakers to reuse and/or recycle with Got Sneakers, which will help reduce the amount of sneakers in landfills. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - and get stinky stuff out of your house! The collection has been extended to Friday, June 4. Questions? Contact Elisabeth at emiranowski@gmail.com.
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Greenwich Youth Cheerleading - Join the Fun!
Do you have a rising 3rd through 8th grader interested in cheerleading for this fall? Have them join Greenwich Youth Cheerleading! Registration information can be found 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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