Friday, September 9th, 2022 |
Dear Riverside Parents,
We hope that your children have been enjoying their first (almost) full week back at school.
There is a lot to be excited about this week! On Tuesday, the Winter Musical chairs announced to 4th and 5th grade families that Matilda, Jr. will be brought to life on the Riverside stage this January. It has been three years since we've had a Winter Musical at Riverside School, and we are thrilled to re-launch one of our most beloved traditions.
The PTA's enrichment volunteers have scheduled an incredible line-up of programs for the year. Next week, it will kick-off with a virtual visit with R.J. Palacio, author of Wonder and We're all Wonders, this year's Summer Read books. The following week, the PTA is excited to host "Play in a Day", an annual arts enrichment program for our third grade classes. Third grade parents will soon be hearing from teachers regarding their designated times to attend the performance.
The PTA relies on the generosity of our school community in order to fund all of our enrichment programs and experiences. Thank you to everyone who has already donated! We encourage all families to join the PTA. If you haven't had a chance yet, please help us reach our goal of 100% participation!
Our Fall Afters program registration will close on Wednesday, September 14 at 5:00pm. There are still some spaces available; please see below for additional information. Please note the following date reminders: - Monday, September 26 – No School (Rosh Hashanah)
- Wednesday, September 28 – School Photos
- Wednesday, October 5 - No School (Yom Kippur)
- Thursday, October 13 - School Open House (evening - parents only)
- Saturday, October 15 - Fall Fundraiser (evening - parents only)
Have a great weekend! Allison Maus & Clare Johnson
PTA Co-Presidents |
| REGISTER FOR FALL AFTERS BY WEDNESDAY 9/14 AT 5PM Registration for Fall Afters remains open and will close Wednesday, September 14 at 5:00pm. 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. |
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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. |
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| CALLING ALL 2ND - 5TH GRADERS INTERESTED IN COMMUNITY SERVICE! The brand new Community Service Club will meet after school Friday, September 30 from 3:15 to 4:15pm. Students will discuss how to assist and engage with the seniors in our community through arts and crafts and other fun activities. If you have a student in 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th grade who is interested in attending, please email Wendy Browning-Lynch by Tuesday, September 27 for additional details. There is no cost or commitment to attend this meeting...just interest, participation and good behavior! |
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| 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. |
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| 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! |
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| 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. |
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| 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. Please visit the Early Morning Program page for more information and to enroll your child. We ask that you register and make payment before your child uses the program. |
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| 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. |
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| 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.
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| 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! |
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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! |
Greenwich Public Schools Board of Education Meetings You can attend this year’s Board of Education meetings in person or on Zoom – which makes it easier to stay informed! Here is a list of 2022-2023 academic year Greenwich Board of Education meetings. Information on how to access the meetings virtually can be found on the GPS Accessing Virtual BOE Meetings page. All meetings start at 7:00pm unless otherwise noted. - Thursday, September 15, 2022 (Retreat, no public comment)
- Thursday, September 22, 2022
- Thursday, October 6, 2022 (Retreat, no public comment)
- Thursday, October 20, 2022
- Thursday, November 3, 2022 (Budget)
- Wednesday, November 16, 2022
- Thursday, December 1, 2022 (Budget)
- Thursday, December 15, 2022
- Thursday, January 19, 2023
- Thursday, February 2, 2023 (Retreat, no public comment)
- Thursday, February 23, 2023
- Thursday, March 16, 2023
- Thursday, April 20, 2023
- Thursday, May 18, 2023
- Thursday, June 1, 2023 (Retreat, no public comment)
- Thursday, June 15, 2023
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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. |
Rockin the Garden - Free Outdoor Concert Join the community for a free Back to School concert on Friday, September 9 from 5:30pm - 7:30pm at the Greenwich Botanical Center. The concert will celebrate Central Middle School and the start of a great new school year with friends. For additional information, please see the event flyer. |
Hispanic Heritage Month September 15th marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage month. The theme for this year’s celebration is Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation. Below, please find a link to the Parent Teacher Advisory Council (PTAC) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion website for book recommendations and a calendar of local events. A few additional events/resources from the Greenwich community and beyond: Athena Books is hosting a discussion with Carmen Rita Wong, author of the new book “Why Didn’t You Tell Me?” on Sept. 20th at 6:30 PM. Details are here. WPKN is sponsoring a Hispanic Heritage film series for all ages at the Bijou Theater in Bridgeport. Details to purchase tickets are here. New Canaan Chamber of Commerce and the Greens Farms Foundation are hosting a day long event on Sept. 17th to celebrate Hispanic Heritage month. Details and registration are here. Boys and Girls Club of Greenwichwebsite features ways to celebrate Hispanic and Latino heritage month with kids. |
Greenwich Green & Clean International Coastal Cleanup Join Greenwich Green & Clean for a Coastal Cleanup on Saturday, September 17 from 10am - 2pm at Greenwich Point Park. For additional information, please see the event flyer. |
YWCA Family Fun Fair YWCA will host its Annual Family Fun Fair on September 24 from 12pm - 2pm. For additional information, please see the YWCA's event flyer. |
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! |
| 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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