Riverside Monday Memo

MONDAY MEMO

1st graders (like Willa Meyer and Marta Linehan) came together with kindergarteners (like Torin Bias) to read and discuss a story about a group of animal friends working and problem solving together in the woods, much like those classes do together during weekly.

Hello Riverside,

Great learning is happening all over school, not only for students led by teachers, but with high school mentors and thanks to funding support from parent events and participating donors. Read on for more examples of how our supportive community comes together.

Happy Monday,

Nelia

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NOTES

HIGH MOWING SEEDS FUNDRAISER

We are excited to announce that we will be fundraising with High Mowing Organic Seeds this year to support the portion of Riverside's income that is raised by parent organized events. Look for detailed information and order forms that will be going home with your child(ren) today. We have also created an online version of the order form that you are welcome to email to friends and family!

High Mowing Seeds is located in Wolcott, Vermont; all the seeds are 100% organic and GMO-free. 50% of sales go to Riverside, so this is a great opportunity for the parents to reach our fundraising goal for the year.

Paper packets and payments will be due back to Riverside by February 16th. Checks can be made out to The Riverside School. Seeds should arrive by mid-March. If you have any questions or concerns, please call or email Carrie Stahler (6th grader Victor) 802-229-9226. Thanks for your support!

PARENT FUNDRAISING EVENTS

Thank you to our parent community for your dedication to raising $20,000 this year through events and sales to help bridge the gap between tuition income and program expenses. This effort takes coordination and decision making about the calendar of events/initiatives, leadership for each project, and volunteers and participants. We see what our families do for Riverside and we are grateful.

This images helps us celebrate that the parent community has raised more than $12,000 already this year! Remember: we do not expect all families to participate in all the catalogue/sales fundrasiers (we do hope for high participation in events, which are such fun to do together), do think about friends, family, and neighbors who might like the product, or gifts you might plan to give this winter, and take advantage of the opportunity to support Riverside by making purchases.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Actors should be working those lines like homework tonight, and be prepared to be off-book in rehearsal tomorrow! Singers (especially ensemble members), did you see Marie's post on Google Classroom with wonderful suggestions on how to prepare?

STUDENT COUNCIL

Campaigning for Student Council officers for the second half of the year starts today, speeches and elections will be held next Monday, January 29. Our first meeting of the new officers on Thursday, Feb 1 will include a gratitude celebration for the work of the officers in the first half of the year.

LI STUDENTS at RIVERSIDE

This month we've had students from Lyndon Institute on campus each morning working in many of our classrooms. These high school students signed up for this experience as part of their J-Term program, during which they explore unique learning opportunities not usually part of the academic schedule. The high school students have served as mentors and role models, providing academic support, and fostering community building among the younger students. LI English teacher and Riverside Parent Magen Bias (kindergartener Torin) says that "at the end of each day, the LI students have bubbled with excitement over the relationships they've developed with the Riverside students. This experience has pushed LI students out of their comfort zone but has been tremendously positive as they have embraced the opportunity to grow in confidence and as leaders."

This Thursday evening from 6:00-8:30 pm, all LI students will be presenting projects and performances to culminate the January experience, including what this group has learned from their work at Riverside. We encourage Riverside teachers, parents, and students to attend as a way to reflect back the community building that has happened in recent weeks. It is an open-house format and you can browse/choose which exhibitions to visit.

SKIING AND RIDING ON FRIDAY

Our Friday afternoon snow adventures will continue on January 26, February 2, 9, 16. Note that we do sometimes cancel our plans based on the weather, and try to make those decisions Wednesday afternoon. Remember to prepare snacks if you signed up to do so, and to pick up at Burke Mountain at 3:30 or Dashney Trails at 3:15. Email staff organizers of each program (Mr. G and Caroline for x-country, Nelia for downhill, Sean for uphill).

Middle School: This Friday's schedule will be:

6th Gr: Science, English, Math
7th Gr: English, Math, Latin
8th Gr: Math, Science, World Issues, Music

MIDDLE SCHOOL CONFERENCES

6-8th graders will have half days on Wednesday, February 7 and Thursday, February 8, with an early dismissal at 12:30. Parent-Teacher-Student conferences will happen during 15 minute appointments in the library, with all middle school teachers. We encourage students to attend and participate in those meetings, but it is not required. Please sign up for your appointment time ASAP here.

The Extended Day Program will run that day from 12:30 until 5:00. Please email Sean directly if your middle school child will be joining at 12:30 so that he can plan the long afternoon accordingly.

PAG MEETING

The next PAG meeting will be on Thursday, February 8, 5:00. All parents are welcome to attend, even if they never have before. If you'd like to suggest an agenda item, please email leaders Kim Adams and Molly Moghari. Dinner will be provided.

ADMISSIONS SEASON

We have lots of applicants for next year in all grade levels. With an application deadline of February 1, teachers will be meeting to make admissions decisions the following week. If there's any question of whether your cihld(ren) will be re-enrolling next year, we would appreciate hearing from your family, even if it's undecided. Please email Roy and Krystal soon with any relevant information about your family's plans for next year.

NEW CLUBS

K-8 Chess: Nathan and Mr. G will be running chess club on Thursdays (unless there is notice otherwise in the Monday Memo) beginning at 3:45 for all grades and ability levels. Kids may be picked up at any time. Ideally, most of the elementary students would be picked up around 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 other students that want the extra time. If any parents want to contribute snacks to share, it would be appreciated. Feel free to contact Nathan and Mr. G. with any questions. Please remember that students should be picked up directly when the club ends, and not return to the EDP (unless you coordinate specifically with Sean).
K-8 Uphill Touring: Sean would like to offer this on Thursdays afterschool. He would need the help of one chaperone and a few drivers. Please email Sean if Thursdays work well for your interested child(ren) or not.

CLUBS

We expect students to be picked up directly from clubs by their adults at the end time. If it's essential for you schedule to have your child(ren) go to EDP until later, please coordinate that specifically and directly with Sean. In an effort to be supportive we want to help families as we can, and it's very confusing to have kids going from and coming to EDP at odd times.

6-8th Math Counts Club will meet today, 3:45-4:30.
4th Homework Club will meet today and Wednesday, 3:10-3:30.
4-8th MTG Club will meet today, 3:40-4:30
7-8th + Adults Pound Class come today, 4:00-4:45, or Sign up here now for next week's class.
5-8th D&D Club will be meet Tuesday, 3:30-5:00.
6-8th Indoor Soccer Club will meet Tuesday, 3:45-5:00.
7-8th + Adults Shine Dance will meet this Thursday, 4:00-5:00, and on alternate weeks going forward.
K-8 Chess Club will meet Thursday, 3:45-5:00 (4:30 for younger students)
K-8 Uphill Club may meet this Thursday

ANNUAL APPEAL

We know you've heard from us a few times this school year about making a donation to Riverside. We're asking you to consider… What does Riverside mean to you? Most people tell us it is the the community-based nature of learning in a home with a diverse group of students from around the NEK; the citizenship we develop through work on clean up teams and a focus on social issues with a committed set of teachers; the leadership roles our 8th graders have in small and large groups around campus; and our obvious emphasis on active learning at all ages - as anyone who has participated in kite day, the egg drop, play week, or outdoor learning can attest.

Because of Riverside’s small size, your gift is more impactful at our school than it might be for a larger organization or institution. Please take a moment to consider what Riverside means to you and how you want to make a difference here. Please make a gift of any size today and thank you!