Dear Riverside Parents, Math Marathon kicks off in just three days, and game board packets are now available for download. Make sure your children have their pencils sharpened and thinking caps ready for a fun week of math activities. Also, please don’t forget to RSVP for Thursday’s Family Math Night with Greg Tang! Congratulations to our 5th grade Battle of the Books team, who competed against nine other schools in the district on Wednesday night and came in 2nd place after making it to the final tie-breaker round! We are so proud of all of the Riverside students who participated in this incredible program. Special thanks to Mrs. Browning and our Grade 5 teachers for supporting this initiative that fosters reading for pleasure. Calendar reminders for the next few weeks:
January 30 - February 3 – Math Marathon
February 2 – Family Math Night with Greg Tang (virtual)
February 6 - 10 – CSC's Pajama Donation Drive
February 10 – Pajama Spirit Day
February 13 - 20 – Winter Recess, Schools Closed
March 3 – Pizza Bingo Have a great weekend! Allison Maus & Clare Johnson
PTA Co-Presidents |
| JOIN US NEXT WEEK FOR MATH MARATHON 2023! To join this week-long math celebration, complete these two quick steps today: Register here to receive the Zoom link and info for the Thursday, February 2nd virtual Family Math Night at 6pm with well-known math game developer Greg Tang. Go to the Math Marathon website to download an at-home game board of fun math enrichment activities for your student.
Each activity completed by February 5th earns a chance to win a $50 gift card to the National Museum of Math gift shop (1 winner per grade). The highest participating class per grade will win an extra recess. Close to 300 students participated last year - help us beat that number this year! |
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| WINTER SALE: 10% OFF SPIRIT WEAR! Celebrate the beginning of February with a week of savings! Use promo code WINTER10 to receive 10% off your Spirit Wear store purchase from Tuesday, January 31st – Tuesday, February 7th. Whether you need warm, fuzzy PJs and winter hats for a ski trip or shorts and tees for a beach getaway, stock up on RIVERSIDE gear for your family before February break! ** Discount applied at checkout. Offer expires at 11:59pm on Tuesday, February 7th. ** |
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| GO GREEN THIS VALENTINE'S DAY! As we prepare to show family and friends love this Valentine's Day, let's show the Earth some love, too! Try avoiding plastic, throwaway trinkets and focus on recyclable store-bought or preferably homemade greeting cards. Start saving all your magazines, newspapers and old cards for original, bold and homemade designs! For inspiration, please visit this link or consider joining local valentine-themed arts and crafts workshops! |
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| DONATE PAJAMAS AND MAKE SOMEONE SMILE! Bring a smile to a child's face staying at the Domestic Violence Crisis Center in Stamford by donating pajamas from February 6th - February 10th. The Community Service Club will have collection bins outside the main doors for your children to drop off their donations. Pajamas must be NEW (with tags), come as a set (not just bottoms, not just tops, and not nightgowns) and are needed in all sizes ranging from newborn to adult XXL (for teens). Have fun pajama shopping! As a bonus, Riverside students will get to wear pajamas to school on Friday, February 10th and may bring in an optional donation of $1 or more that day! All money raised will go toward funding vital childhood cancer research, clinical trials and care for patients at Connecticut Children's Hospital. Please visit this link if you prefer to make a donation online, and thank you for your support! |
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| AFTERS DISMISSAL PROCEDURE REMINDER Winter Afters are now in full swing! As a reminder, please add a Recurring Dismissal for Afters in School Dismissal Manager. If your child normally attends Afters but will not be attending on a particular day, it must also be noted in Dismissal Manager so your child is not sent to Afters. Dismissal from Afters is generally from the assigned classroom or the front lobby. The onsite Enrichment Coordinator will open the school’s main doors at 4:15pm, and she will be available to direct you to the appropriate classroom. All parents or caregivers must sign their child(ren) out from Afters, unless you have notified the school that your child has permission to walk/bike home. For any questions, please contact Virginia Lockhart or Luisa Lander. |
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| ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS Dirtmeister’s Electric Show On Wednesday, our 4th grade students experienced the dynamic in-person Electric Show presented by Steve 'The Dirtmeister' Tomecek. This program is designed to introduce students to the physics of electricity and trace its development from being a simple scientific curiosity to its use as the most versatile energy source in the world today. Students explored several important topics including the differences between current and static electricity, how batteries produce electrical current, what are some typical insulators and conductors and how electrical generators work. The program spotlights some of the great achievements by famous and not-so-famous scientists who made critical electrical discoveries, including Volta, Oersted, Faraday, Edison, and Tesla. The program concluded with a look at how electrical power has been produced in the past and what the future holds for “green” alternative energy sources. High Touch High Tech’s Weather Wise This week Stamford Museum & Nature Center conducted Weather Wise with the Kindergarteners! The students explored the science of weather through a hands-on, multi-station lab. They were introduced to simple weather instruments, such as rain gauges and anemometers and what they measure, traveled through the water cycle, and explored weather across seasons.
Upcoming Enrichment Programs - February 7, 8: CT Historical Society’s On the Move (Grade 4)
- February 8: High Touch High Tech’s Zoom to the Moon (Grade 1)
- February 8: Riverside Rhythms presents Reggie Harris’ Music and the Underground Railroad (All Grades)
These programs are paid for by your generous donations to the PTA. Thank you! |
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| EARLY MORNING PROGRAM IN THE GYM Let your children run off their energy before school! The Early Morning Program now heads to the Gym at 8am on Tuesdays and Thursdays, giving students a bit more exercise as the weather outside gets colder. If dropping off after 8am, please bring them to the front door. The drop-in rate is $18 per day, and you may register your child and get more information here. Please contact Melissa Goldstein or Anne Akyuz with any questions. |
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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 8:30am - 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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LAST CALL FOR YEARBOOK PHOTOS! If you haven't had the chance to upload pictures for the Class of 2023 yearbook, the FINAL deadline is next Tuesday, January 31st! We are still looking for great photos of your child's 6 years at Riverside. Please send pictures from any at-school event from the first day of school to the annual Boo Bash, STEM Fair, etc. Upload photos here. Please be sure to save them to the relevant folders to help our Committee! If you have any questions,click here for instructions. |
Distinguished Teacher Awards: Now Open for Nominations! Do you know a teacher, social worker, or specialist who goes above and beyond in his or her work with students? If so, we encourage you to nominate him or her for the 2023 Distinguished Teacher Awards! Visit the GPS webpage dedicated to DTA for information on eligibility, nomination procedures and forms, and key dates. Completed nomination forms can be submitted in person or electronically in a single email by March 9th at 5:00pm. |
PTAC Academic Excellence Committee Workshops "Fostering a Love of Learning at Home" Series For parents who were unable to attend the PTAC Academic Excellence Committee's public workshop on January 10, 2023, Making Friends with Fractions, presented by Mike Reid, GPS Program Coordinator for K-12 Math, the recording of the workshop and associated materials can be found here.
All PTAC Academic Excellence public workshops are recorded, so please visit the PTAC "Resources" webpage on the GPS website to learn more about important curriculum-related topics of interest throughout the year. |
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. |
International Holocaust Remembrance Day The United Nations General Assembly designated January 27th, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. On this annual commemoration day, the UN urges every member state to honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and millions of other victims of Nazism and to develop educational programs to prevent future genocides. |
Make Your Own Valentines! The Big Picture is hosting three Valentine's Day-inspired Friday workshops on January 27th, February 3rd, and February 10th. Please consider joining them to make your class cards, home-made frames and DIY flower pots. Planting your own seeds is hugely eco-friendly and can create some lasting family memories this Valentine’s Day! |
Christmas Tree Recycling! You may drop off your Christmas tree until January 31st at Byram Park, Bruce Park, Greenwich Point or Holly Hill to be chipped into mulch for town properties. Additional tree recycling details can be found through the Department of Parks and Recreation. Before dropping, be sure to remove lights, stands and decorations! You can also leave them on your property to decompose, providing wildlife habitat and enriching soil. |
Perrot Memorial Library: Discussion and Book Signing with William Bryant Logan On Wednesday, February 1st at 7:00pm, Perrot Memorial Library will present a book discussion and signing with Author, NYBG Instructor, and Arborist William Bryant Logan, in the Radcliffe Children’s Library. Bill’s lecture will include topics from his recent books, Oak and Sprout Lands. Please pre-register here for this free event. This program is co-sponsored by the Greenwich Tree Conservancy, Greenwich Land Trust, Greenwich Grown and Perrot Memorial Library. |
Get Help with Summer Planning at SummerFare 2023! Looking for fun and engaging summer activities for your children? Or perhaps your teen is looking for an internship or summer job?
Check out the Greenwich High School PTA SummerFare on Wednesday, February 1st from 6:00-8:00pm. in the GHS Student Center (snow date is February 2). SummerFare 2023 is an annual event that focuses on summer activities, camps and employment for kids. Exhibitors will present materials and talk with public and private Elementary, Middle and High School students and their parents about summer programs, internships and camps. Additionally, there are STEM and college programs at this event. In 2022, over 85 exhibitors and a record-breaking 625 attendees joined us. We are expecting another great turnout for this much-anticipated event. Admission is free! |
YWCA Greenwich: "Coretta Scott and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Annual Conversation" The YWCA Greenwich will host the "Coretta Scott and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Annual Conversation" on Climate Justice in Connecticut on Wednesday, February 1st at 7:00pm. Climate change is dramatically impacting the resources that we all depend on and value, such as water, energy, air, agriculture and ecosystems. Communities of color and other marginalized groups often have the highest exposure and the fewest resources to respond to the impacts of climate change. The panel will explore these climate challenges in Connecticut today, the disparate impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities, and offer solutions for a more equitable and just response to climate change in Connecticut. The event is free and open to the public! |
EMS Drama Club Presents High School Musical The Eastern Middle School 2022-2023 Drama Club will perform the Disney musical “High School Musical” in the school’s Lee Book Auditorium on February 2nd (at 4:30pm), February 3rd (at 7:30pm), and February 4th (at 4:30pm). Thursday’s tickets are $10, and Friday and Saturday’s tickets are $20. Assigned-seat tickets can be purchased online. Doors open 45 minutes before the show, and a concession stand with home-baked goods will be available. This is a great show for the whole family! |
| 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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