Originally delivered on 11/18/2022 1:05 pm

SUBJECT: Riverside School Peek at the Week 11/18/22

Riverside School PTA Newsletter
PTA Logo
Friday, November 18, 2022
PTA Highlights

Dear Riverside Parents,

Heading into the Thanksgiving holiday, we would like to express our gratitude for our Riverside School teachers and staff.  Every day, they challenge and support our children.  We are grateful for their energy, creativity, diligence and patience as they gracefully navigate whatever comes their way!

As a reminder, today is the last day to participate in our Holidays for Haiti community service event. Please join us in the gym at 3:15 this afternoon to help support Danita's Children Orphanage in Haiti.  The in-person event is especially impactful, and we hope that you will help us build on the momentum from the virtual portion of this fundraiser.

When we return from Thanksgiving break, we are looking forward to our annual book fair.  We will be "Chillin' With Books" on Wednesday, November 30th and Thursday, December 1st.  In addition to the class visits, you won't want to miss the hot cocoa evening social on November 30th from 5:30-7:00pm.

Please note that the Peek will not be published next week, but it will return on Friday, December 2nd. This week and always, we are incredibly thankful for our Peek and communications volunteers. Often working behind the scenes, they elevate everything that our PTA does, and their contributions are critical to the success of each and every one of our events.  

We will be sending a Peek-at-the-Week Ahead the Sunday following Thanksgiving with some reminders and key dates.  In the meantime, please note these:

  • November 22 – Deadline to RSVP for Community Service Club
  • November 23  –  Early Release, Thanksgiving Recess
  • November 24-25 – Schools Closed, Thanksgiving Recess
  • November 28  –  Community Service Club (for those who have RSVP'd)
  • November 30 - December 1 – Book Fair
  • December 5,6 – Early Release Days (Teacher Conferences)
  • December 5-9 – Luke's Holiday Toy Drive & Fundraiser
  • December 9 – Holiday Sing

We hope that everyone has a wonderful, safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday!

Allison Maus & Clare Johnson
PTA Co-Presidents

PTA News
COMMUNITY SERVICE CLUB TOY DRIVE MEETING
SHARE THE REASONS YOU ARE THANKFUL THIS HOLIDAY!

In your child’s Friday folder, you will find a flyer entitled “I am Thankful For."  Students are encouraged to draw a picture or write about what they are thankful for and return the flyer to school on Monday, November 21st. Their work will be proudly displayed on the front bulletin board.  Happy Thanksgiving!

THAT’S A WRAP FOR FALL AFTERS

Today is the last day of the Fall Afters Session! We are working on an exciting list of offerings for the winter session starting in January. Stay tuned for more information in the upcoming weeks!  Please consider filling out the Flex Fall Afters Program Survey if you haven’t done so already.

COMMUNITY SERVICE CLUB TOY DRIVE MEETING
COMMUNITY SERVICE CLUB HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE MEETING

The next Community Service Club (CSC) meeting will be Monday, November 28th after school to support the upcoming Luke McQuillan holiday toy drive & fundraiser.  At this meeting, CSC attendees will hear from Luke and his mother, Meg, about his experience beating brain cancer when he was a student at Riverside.  We will then be collecting toys the week of December 5th - 9th to be given to current patients in the Yale New Haven Children's Hospital.  

Please email WendyGBrowning@yahoo.com by Tuesday, November 22nd for more details and to RSVP for your 2nd through 5th graders.

TRADING CANDY FOR A CHILD'S SMILE!

The Wellness Committee would like to thank all Riverside School families and children who donated Halloween candy.  We collected a total of 284 LBS!!! In working with Dr. Stacey Zarakiotis of Greenwich Pediatric Dental Group, we raised $568 to help fund surgeries through Operation Smile (operationsmile.org). Thank you again for your support of this wonderful initiative!

Penguin with book
RIVERSIDE SCHOOL BOOK FAIR IS BACK!

Save the date for this year's IN-PERSON Riverside Book Fair, where you will find us "Chillin' with Books" on November 30th and December 1st. We are looking for volunteers to help run Book Fair! Please visit the volunteer sign up page.

Please also join us for a Hot Chocolate Social on November 30th, from 5:30-7:00pm, which will include a fun raffle for each grade starting at 6:30pm!

For any questions, please contact Kim Treibick or Julie Ahn.

ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS

High Touch-High Tech: Newton's Day at the Park & Vibes

This week High Touch-High Tech visited two grades. The 4th graders had a hands-on presentation on Newton's Day at the Park where students delved into Newton's laws of motion to learn about what makes things move, rotate, revolve, and stop! The 5th graders learned the amazing facts about sound during Vibes. They participated in activities to discover what sounds are, to see sounds, and to make sounds move things around!

Upcoming Enrichment Programming

  • December 2: High Touch High Tech’s What's the Matter (Grade 3)
  • December 15: Dinosaurs Rock (Grade 2)
  • December 19: Riverside Rhythms featuring violinist Renee Oliver (All Grades)
  • December 21: Author Visit with Jerry Pallotta (Grade 1)

    These programs are paid for by your generous donations to the PTA. Thank you!
WE "SHUTTER" AT THE THOUGHT OF...

Not checking out the Riverside Reel! To gain access to the site for the 2022-2023 school year, click the link in the invitation from Shutterfly that was sent on November 4 to families with up-to-date profiles on rivpta.org. If you never received your invitation, please email riversidereel@gmail.com

Do you have photos from recent events like Boo Bash, Veterans Day ceremony, and today’s Holidays for Haiti that you’d like to share? Please send them to riversidereel@gmail.com.

SAFETY & SECURITY PROCEDURES: A NOTE FROM THE SCHOOL

Parents/Guardians should only be entering the school to attend a publicized parent event, by invitation of the school or a teacher/staff member, or for scheduled meetings/events. You should only enter through the front door after ringing the doorbell and being granted entry.

Visitors should sign in at the front desk and wear a visitor's sticker while inside the building.  Visitors should also leave the building via the front door only, right after their meeting, without visiting any other other locations in the school.

Although we all want to be nice and hold doors for people, it is neither safe nor permissible for visitors to allow others into the school building. We ask all visitors to ring the doorbell to request entry. Therefore holding doors for others or opening doors for others, to enter the school, is not permitted. Please do not ask someone to hold the door or enter the building when someone is leaving, especially when it is a student exiting (this can cause concern for students since they are very aware that they are not to allow anyone into the building).

Entering the school immediately following your own child or another student/staff member is also not permitted as per our safety protocol. Thank you for helping keep everyone safe.

LUNCH MENU CHANGE 11/23

Please note that due to the Early Release on Wednesday, November 23 for Thanksgiving break, there will be a change to the lunch menu, and pasta will not be available.

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 8:30am - 8:45am daily and help to enforce the “Rules of the Road.”  Sign up online.

For more information, contact Sean Sullivan.

5th Grade News
5TH GRADE PARENTS - IT'S YEARBOOK TIME!

It's time to start thinking about the 5th grade yearbook! Our committee needs your help gathering photos from your child's time at Riverside School - Kindergarten to 5th grade (think field trips, concerts, first day of school, etc.). In addition, we ask every family to submit a baby photo of your child. Full instructions for uploading pictures can be found on the 5th Grade Yearbook Page. The deadline for submission is Friday, December 16, 2022.

Interested in helping with the yearbook this year? We are looking for a few more volunteers! Please contact Luisa Lander or Kelsey Mayhall with questions or to volunteer.

District News
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, 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
ALP Program Update and Grade 2 Placement

Important dates for Grade 2 Enrichment Placement for the 2022-2023 School Year are as follows: 

  • December 9: Grade 2 ALP Enrichment Deadline for Parent Input for Building Advisory Committee 
  • January 3: Grade 2 ALP Enrichment Placement Recommendation Notifications 
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Community News
"Emotional Intelligence: Key to Raising Healthy, Happy and Successful Children"

The presentation by Dr. Marc Brackett at Eastern Middle School, on the topic of "Emotional Intelligence: Key to Raising Healthy, Happy and Successful Children", was engaging and thought-provoking.  If you weren't able to attend (or if you want to see it again), the video recording of the presentation is available here.

Native American Heritage Month is Here!

On August 3, 1990, President George H. W. Bush declared the month of November National American Indian Heritage Month to honor our many Native American communities. Today, November is more commonly referred to as Native American Heritage Month. Visit the Greenwich Culture Collective website to learn more!

Junior League of Greenwich: The Enchanted Forest

The Junior League of Greenwich presents The Enchanted Forest, November 18-20, 2022 at The Arch Street Teen Center, 100 Arch Street, Greenwich. Enjoy holiday-themed games, gingerbread displays, crafting with Mrs. Claus, photos with Santa, and much more!

Transgender Day of Remembrance: November 20

The Day of Remembrance honors the memory of transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence over the past year.  Sadly, 2021 marked the deadliest year on record for transgender people, with the Black and Latinx community overrepresented among those who lost their lives.  

Visit the Greenwich Culture Collective website for events and resources related to Transgender Awareness Week.

Greenwich Library and PTAC: AuthorsLive: Behind Their Screens with Emily Weinstein

On Sunday, November 20th at 3:00pm, Harvard researcher Emily Weinstein will discuss her co-authored book Behind their Screens: What Teens are Facing (and Adults are Missing) with moderator Kathy Steiner of Greenwich High School at the Berkley Theater, Greenwich Library. Register for free here.

Contrary to many assumptions, teens are not simply “addicted” to their screens. They are instead trying to navigate a networked world. Drawing on a survey of more than 3,500 teens, authors Emily Weinstein and Carrie James explain that young people need empathy, not exasperated eye-rolling, from adults who should try and understand the complicated nature of teens' online life rather than issue commands.

Greenwich Alliance for Education: Annual Turkey Trot

TODAY is the last day to register for the annual Turkey Trot, a 5K & 1 Mile fun run/walk on Saturday, November 26 at 9:30am. Support the Greenwich Alliance and our public schools by registering hereWhen you register, don’t forget to participate in the Run for Your School Competition. The Greenwich school with the greatest participation wins a $500 gift card for PE equipment!

Registration Fees: 

  • Adults: $35, $40 (race day)
  • Children: $15 (13 and under)
Kids in Crisis: Holiday Central

Kids in Crisis will be holding its annual "Holiday Central" at the North Greenwich Congregational Church, located at 606 Riversville Rd., Greenwich CT 06831. There are several opportunities to help between now and Monday, December 5:

  • Sponsor a Child’s Holiday Wish: A typical list includes a winter coat, sneakers, pajamas, underwear and something fun. They'll send you the list!
  • Shop the Online Registry: Kids in Crisis has set up a Amazon registry for online shopping.
  • Giving Tree: Just let Kids in Crisis know how many wishes you need to create your giving tree and they will send the list!
  • Holiday Food or Gift Drive: Please contact jfebles@kidsincrisis.org for a list of what’s needed most this year.
  • Donate Gift Cards: Consider donating gift cards in any amount that can be used to purchase last-minute items from supermarkets, Target, Walmart, Old Navy, Visa/Amex, etc.
  • Sponsor a Holiday Dinner: The dinner benefits those kids staying at Kids In Crisis’ SafeHaven shelter this holiday season. 

For more information or to schedule a drop-off, please contact jfebles@kidsincrisis.org

Perrot Memorial Library: Author Visit with Gordon Korman

Gordon Korman will be visiting the Perrot Memorial Library on Thursday, December 4th at 4pm. Additional details can be found here. Please call the Library at (203) 637-8802 in advance to sign up!

Greenwich Department of Human Services Fund: 2022 Holiday Aid Program

The Greenwich Department of Human Services Fund is running their "2022 Holiday Aid Program" to provide financially eligible Greenwich residents with food, clothing, toys, and gift cards at Thanksgiving and for the Winter Holidays. The program is made possible by generous donations from community organizations, church groups, corporations, and private individuals. 

Because the need is greater than ever this year, the Fund is looking for additional support for the “Holiday Wishes” portion of the Holiday Aid program. The Fund is seeking monetary donations or $25 gift cards to Walmart or Target. Gift cards will be distributed to Greenwich families, so that they can purchase clothing and/or toys for their children. The deadline for gift card donations is Friday, December 9.

Daughters of the American Revolution "American History Essay Contest" for Grades 5-8

The DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) is running an "American History Essay Contest" for children in grades 5-8.

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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