Originally delivered on 9/2/2022 1:15 pm

SUBJECT: Peek 09-02-2022

Riverside School PTA Newsletter
PTA Logo
Friday, September 2nd, 2022
PTA Highlights

Dear Riverside families, 

Welcome back to school! And to our new families, welcome to the Riverside School community! We hope everyone had a fantastic summer and that the first two days of school have gone smoothly.  

The PTA has been busy preparing for the start of the school year: we hosted a welcome back lunch for Riverside teachers and staff, we held a reception for kindergarten and new families the day before school started, and we enjoyed seeing many of you at this morning’s PTA Volunteer Fair.  We are excited to be planning a full slate of programming this year, and we are looking forward to bringing back some of our favorite PTA events.  The dedication of our PTA volunteers and the generosity of our community are incredible, and we are very grateful. 

In case you missed it, we've put together a back-to-school checklist to help you get organized for the new school year. And don't forget to update your directory information and join the PTA to gain access to the directory. The PTA relies on funds raised via our annual Membership Drive to enrich the experience of every Riverside School student and to support teachers.  Thank you to all of the families who have already contributed!  

For those of you who are new to Riverside, we send this "Peek at the Week" newsletter via email every Friday with important PTA and community news, upcoming dates and other pertinent information. Be sure to read it each week to stay up to date! 

Please note the following date reminders:

  • Monday, September 5 – No School (Labor Day)
  • Wednesday, September 7 – Fall Afters Registration opens at 7:00am
  • Monday, September 26– No School (Rosh Hashanah)
  • Wednesday, September 28 – School Photos 

We hope that you have a wonderful weekend, and we are looking forward to a great year!

Allison Maus & Clare Johnson
PTA Co-Presidents

PTA News
Hawky playing baseball
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 are not prompted to do this, please click “LOGIN” at the top right of your screen. 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 toward student enrichment programs, classroom and building needs, and teacher support. We aim for 100% participation in our Membership Drive.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed a donation to join the PTA so far – this is an important fundraiser to help us get up and running for the year.

Afters Logo
FALL AFTERS REGISTRATION OPENS SEPTEMBER 7TH!

The Afters Committee is thrilled to announce that we have a full schedule of fun and engaging offerings planned for the Fall Afters session. Registration opens on Wednesday, September 7 at 7am, and the 8-week session will kick off the week of September 19th. Please refer to the Riverside PTA Afters Page for the complete schedule, course descriptions, and other important information. All students who wish to enroll in Fall Afters classes must have a profile on Eleyo prior to registering.

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PICTURE DAY: SAVE THE DATE

Mark your calendar for Picture Day on Wednesday, September 28! Like last year, we expect photos to be taken outside, although photos may be moved indoors in the event of rain. More information will be communicated soon.  

Hawky playing baseball
ANNUAL FALL FUNDRAISER: SAVE THE DATE

Please save the date for Riverside School's Annual Fall Fundraiser which will be held on the evening of Saturday, October 15. This year we will be celebrating "Go Red for Riverside" in the private indoor/outdoor event space at The Village, in Stamford, overlooking the marina. Tickets will go on sale soon. To volunteer for the event, please contact Alston Calabrese or Allie Hilton.

Puzzle Piece with the word
COME CHECK OUT THE EARLY MORNING PROGRAM!

The Early Morning Program at Riverside School 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. Visit the Early Morning Program page for more information and to enroll your child. Please visit the EMP webpage to register and make payment before your child uses the program.

ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS

Upcoming Enrichment Programming

  • September 16: R.J. Palacio, author of Wonder and We're All Wonders, virtual visit (Grades 1-5) 
  • September 19-20: Play-in-a-Day with CT Storyteller Center (Grade 3)

These programs are paid for by your generous donations to the PTA. Thank you!

SAFETY DUTY: MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN JUST 15 MINUTES!

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 children as they exit their vehicles in the front driveway from 8:30-8:45am daily and help to enforce the “Rules of the Road”. Sign up online.

For more information, contact Sean Sullivan.

Green Committee Logo
WASTE FREE SCHOOL LUNCH TIPS

As back to school means back to packing lunches, let's start the year strong by sending our children with waste free lunches! Waste Free Greenwich (www.wastefreegreenwich.org/reuse-revolution) offers tips for preparing waste free lunches through Connecticut Reuse Revolution. 

Packing a waste free lunch with reusable containers has many surprising benefits over single-use disposables. 

  • Safe! Based on the best available science and guidelines from health experts, reusable wares can be used safely by employing basic hygiene and sanitization.

  • Healthier! Choosing reusables reduces exposure to chemicals of concern found in disposable products, like PFAS and styrene, that have negative health effects. 

  • Saves Money! Packing a reusable lunch and snack instead of disposables can save families over $400 per student annually.

  • Better for the Earth! Life cycle analyses show that reusables have significantly less environmental impacts then single-use disposables, including energy use and air pollution

  • Cuts Waste! Every year the average student tosses 67 pounds of packaging  and 39 pounds of uneaten food.  Lunch in reusable containers could save over 58 million pounds of trash in Connecticut that we pay to haul and burn. 

Some tips to turn a wasteful packed lunch into a zero-waste meal: 

  • Buy snacks in bulk and sort them into reusable bags and containers for less waste and expense than individually prepackaged snacks.

  • Choose reusable lunch boxes, sacks or containers over single-use bags, foil or plastic baggies.

  • Drink water and other nutritious beverages from a BPA-free reusable bottle instead of single-use plastic bottles, cans, juice boxes and pouches.

  • Pack a reusable napkin and utensils.

  • Ask your children to bring home uneaten food, so quantities and selections can be adjusted as needed.

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, and more. Go to RIVPTA.ORG to shop now!

5th Grade News

Please save the date of Friday, September 23th at 9:00am for the 5th Grade Class Coffee in the Riverside School Cafe. Please join us to catch up and to volunteer for all the special 5th Grade activities!

District News
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Community News
Parenting & Mental Health Wellness Webinar

Please join Kids in Crisis on Wednesday, September 7th at 11:30am for a discussion on Navigating the complexities of the mental health system and strategies for sourcing the right help for your family's needs.  To register and for additional information, please refer to this link

Current 5th Graders: Greenwich Middle School Squash

We are looking forward to the upcoming year of our Greenwich Middle School Squash Club (GMSSC). The program will continue at Greenwich Water Club with coaching from Squash:ED throughout the full school year. The fall (pre-season) runs from mid-September through October. The winter season is November through early February. If we have enough participants, we will also run a spring clinic from March through May.

Please see the program flyer that has all the details, dates and costs for the upcoming season. The flyer also has a QR code which links you to a registration form. Feel free to forward this to other parents of public rising middle school students that might be interested. Questions? Please contact gmssquashclub@gmail.com. The middle school is part of a larger program which includes a Greenwich elementary and high school program. We hope you will consider joining this great squash program!

QUICK LINKS
PEEK AT THE WEEK

Access the Peek Archive for past issues. If you are not receiving an issue every Friday please email riversideschoolpta@gmail.com.

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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