STUDENT COUNCIL: BAKE SALE & DONATION DRIVE
EVENT:  MAY 18 - 20 (BAKE SALE), MAY 18 - 22 (DONATION DRIVE)


  • WHAT: Bake Sale and donation drive to raise supplies and money for Lucky Dog Refuge and St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital
  • WHEN: Bake Sale: Monday, May 18 - Wednesday, May 20; Donation Drive: Monday, May 18 - Friday, May 22 

  • Lucky Dog Item Donations: Benebones (can be found at Chewy, Amazon, and PetSmart), Fish Skin Treats, poop bags, bleach, dishwasher pods, pill pockets, bully sticks, medications (not expired, no insulin), blankets (clean, no feathers or holes), towels (clean, no holes), NO PILLOWS

ORDER YOUR 2026-2027 SCHOOL SUPPLIES
ORDER WINDOW: MAY 1 - JUNE 5 

  

The PTA is once again sponsoring a school supply fundraiser for the upcoming school year.

Order now, and your child's box of supplies will be delivered directly to the classroom by the first day of school.

Please visit the SchoolKidz Teacher Tailored website starting May 1 and enter account number 83285. The site will close on June 5. 

Earbuds and headphones will be available to purchase separately. Please note that it is strongly advised that Kindergarteners have headphones rather than earbuds. 

Please email Amina Abrahams and Amiee Merrins with any questions.

 

THE ART SHOW: VOLUNTEERS NEEDED 
EVENT: JUNE 3

  

We are so excited for the Riverside Art Show that will take place from 6:30 to 8:00pm on Wednesday, June 3! 

  • WHAT: The committee is looking for volunteers to help, mount, cut, label, and hang the artwork in advance of the Show! Sign up to volunteer here for specific dates and times within the below windows
  • WHEN: Mounting: May 15 - May 22, Hanging: May 26 - June 2
  • WHERE: Riverside School 

Please contact Lynn Fein or Cristina Ruiz at riversideschoolart@gmail.com with any questions!

 

RIVERSIDE SCHOOL SPELLING BEE 
EVENT: JUNE 5 (NEW DATE)

  

This year, Riverside will join several other GPS elementary schools in hosting its very own Scripps Spelling Bee.

  • WHAT: Spelling Bee for Grades 3-5. Winners and their homerooms will receive prizes!
  • WHEN: Grade-level word lists are available here: 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade. (NOTE: you must be logged into your RIVPTA.org account to view them.) Written spelling tests will be administered in homerooms to participating students. Top scorers from each homeroom will compete in the Spelling Bee on Friday, June 5 (Please notice the date change - moved from April 17 due to conflicts with other academic activities.). 
  • WHERE: Riverside School
  • CONTACT: Reach out to Ariel Ramchandani or the Riverside School PTA with any questions or ideas.   

FIELD DAY: GET READY TO PRESS START  
EVENT: JUNE 8

  

Field Day is leveling up this year! 

Students will travel through a variety of arcade-inspired stations, designed to keep kids moving, laughing, and fully engaged while building teamwork, sportsmanship, and school spirit. 

  • WHAT: Riverside School Field Day. Our Riverside Arcade Field Day 2026 is bringing the excitement of classic and modern video games to life with a high-energy, action-packed day your children won’t forget.
  • WHEN: June 8. Rain Day, June 15
  • WHERE: Riverside School Field

We can’t wait to see our Riverside Redhawks in action as they level up, cheer each other on, and make unforgettable memories together!

 

ORDER YOUR RIVERSIDE ARCADE T-SHIRTS!

Reminder to submit Field Day shirt sizes: To select shirt size, go to My Page and scroll down to the Other Forms section where you will find a link to the order form. One order form per child.

The deadline to complete the form is Thursday, May 14 at 5:00pm.

 

VOLUNTEER FOR OPEN PTA ROLES!

 

The Riverside PTA is a vibrant, volunteer-led organization dedicated to supporting our students and school community. As we plan for the year ahead, we’re seeking volunteers for open PTA roles—big or small, there’s a way for everyone to get involved!

 

Open PTA volunteer roles for the 2026-2027 school year include:  

  • Math Marathon Co-Chairs
  • Science Enrichment Co-Chair
  • Treasury Committee
  • Digital Communications
  • RIVPTA.org Website Updates
  • PTA Registration Forms

..and much more!

Please complete the volunteer interest form to review all the open roles and express interest in one (or more) of our volunteer opportunities!

Volunteering is a great way to engage with the school and community.  Whatever your interests or availability, we have many ways for you to contribute and make a positive impact. 

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about PTA roles, please contact this year's Nominating Committee, Morgan Gilbert, Jaclyn Glazer, and Kimberly Ball. We look forward to talking to you!

 

VOLUNTEER TO BE A FOOD RESCUE DRIVER

Join the Riverside Green Committee in reducing food waste and supporting our neighbors in need.

  • WHAT: Collect surplus food from the cafeteria fridge, deliver it to local partners, and log the donation in the Food Rescue US app
  • WHERE: Deliveries go to Kids in Crisis in Cos Cob
  • WHEN: Fridays from 1:50pm to 2:15pm. Sign up for one slot or many!

Make an Impact in Under an Hour. Your help ensures surplus food reaches families, not the landfill. Every delivery counts! Sign up here.

Please contact Silvia Romano or Emily Gildersleeve for any further info.

SUPPORT THE RIVERSIDE PTA BY JOINING TODAY!

Our school community counts on the PTA to deliver an array of events, programs and initiatives that enrich classroom curriculum, support teachers and staff, enhance the school campus, and strengthen the community.

To do this, we rely on the generosity of Riverside School families via our annual Membership Drive, one of the PTA’s most important fundraisers. While your participation is voluntary, we do aim for 100% participation in our Membership Drive.  The PTA does a lot – and we couldn’t do it without your support!

Join the PTA

 INTERESTED IN THE EARLY MORNING PROGRAM?
Sign-up Now!

The Early Morning Program (EMP) at Riverside School is a before school enrichment program that provides a fun, familiar place for Riverside students before the start of the school day and is staffed by a Riverside teacher.

The program runs every Monday through Friday from 7:15-8:30am, and students could be dropped off at any point during that timeframe. Visit the Early Morning Program page for more details.

 

PARENTING WORKSHOP WITH DR. BOGART

Follow-up Resources from October 8, 2025

 

At our Fall PTA General Meeting, Dr. Chris Bogart from the Sasco River Center spoke to us about "Raising Confident and Resilient Kids." He reminded us that stress is inevitable, normal, and even important for development; the hard part for parents is how to model healthy management of stress and struggle.  

Please refer to the following resources from the session:

If you have ideas for speakers or topics for future PTA parent enrichment sessions, please email us at riversideschoolpta@gmail.com.

THE NEW GPS REPORT CARD

Follow-up Note (session held on October 21, 2025)

 

On Tuesday, October 21, 2025, Principal Martín and Assistant Principal Collette provided parents with an overview of the new GPS Elementary School Report Cards. You can find the explanation for making the changes in this GPS District Video.

Although details are still being finalized, rather than assessing students' skills on a scale of 1-5, teachers will now assess students' skills as either ES (Emerging Skill), DS (Developing Skill) or SS (Secure Skill). 

The skills being assessed remain the same as in prior years for the applicable grade level, as they are tied to the CT Common Core standards. 

Please note that the first marking period will end at the end of November.

 

Upcoming Dates


    View Full Calendar    
    2025-2026 District Calendar

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