Dear Riverside Families, Wow, what a week! We are certainly not complaining about this extra hour of daylight in the evenings, but as we get older, the adjustment to Daylight Saving Time seems to get harder and harder! Luckily, we have a weekend ahead of us and lots of spring happenings to look forward to! If you're reading this before the school day ends, please remember to pick up your student's STEM Fair board between 2:30-3:45pm in front of the school. STEM Fair registration will close next Wednesday, March 22nd so please don't delay. Next Wednesday also marks the kick-off of our Spring Afters registration, and this session's line-up has some exciting new offerings, including Rubik's Cubers and Cheerleading! A huge thank you to our Afters Co-Chairs who work tirelessly to help deliver these wonderful classes. Please see below for course descriptions and more information. Last but not least, we want to give a special shout-out to our Riverside teachers and staff for all the extra effort, preparation and thought that went into bringing us our 2nd round of conferences this week. We are most grateful! Calendar reminders for the next few weeks include: March 22 – STEM Fair registration closes
March 22-31 – Spring Afters Registration
March 24 – Pizza Bingo (New Date)
April 3 – CSC Meeting (for students who have RSVP'd)
April 4-5 – STEM Fair
April 7-14 – Spring Recess, Schools Closed Have a wonderful weekend! Allison Maus & Clare Johnson
PTA Co-Presidents |
| SPRING AFTERS REGISTRATION STARTS NEXT WEEK! The Afters Committee is thrilled to announce that we have some fun and engaging offerings planned for the Spring Afters Session. Registration will open Wednesday, March 22nd at 7:00am, and close March 31st at 5:00pm. No late registrations will be accepted. The session will begin on April 17th. For more details and a sneak peek of the Spring Afters Schedule, please visit The Afters Page. Please reach out to Luisa Lander or Virginia Lockhart with any questions. |
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| LAST CALL! PICK UP YOUR STEM FAIR BOARDS TODAY! Stop by the STEM Fair tables outside the Gym between 2:30-3:45pm today! Only one board per group, please. The complete program schedule and the 2023 STEM Fair Handbook can be found on the STEM Fair page. Please email Lauren Law or Kelly Kessler with any questions. Working on a board that showcases renewable energy? Please consider submitting your student's project to Energize CT's 18th Annual eesmarts Contest! More details below under Community News. |
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| JOIN US FOR PIZZA BINGO ON MARCH 24! Pizza Bingo is now scheduled for Friday, March 24th. Event details are as follows: Check-in begins at 6:15pm
Bingo from 7:00pm-8:00pm
Greenwich High School Student Center | 10 Hillside Road We realize this new date might not work for everyone due to schedule conflicts. If you cannot make it and would like to treat your ticket purchase as a donation to the school fundraiser, you do not need to do anything further, and we thank you in advance. To request a refund, please email rivptapublic@gmail.com by Tuesday, March 21st. Ticket sales remain open for those who can now attend! |
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| A BIG THANK YOU FOR DONATING TO THE FOOD DRIVE! Gracias! Merci! Danke! Grazie! There aren’t enough ways to say thank you for your incredible generosity to the Community Service Club (CSC) food drive supporting Neighbor to Neighbor (NTN). We collected a total of 978 items for NTN. The big winner of extra recess was FIRST GRADE. They donated an amazing (and by far the highest) average of 4.4 items per student. Special recognition and thanks to our CSC members who held signs at drop-off, collected donations from their neighbors, made announcements and solicited contributions at Riverside Commons. You all are amazing and truly inspiring! Keep it up! |
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| TASTE THE RAINBOW CHALLENGE! Riverside will celebrate Nutrition Week from March 20-24 with a "Taste the Rainbow” challenge! All school cafeterias will incorporate specific colorful, fresh fruits and vegetables into the lunch menu for students to taste and explore. If your children bring lunch from home during Nutrition Week, they can participate by bringing in “color of the day” fruits and veggies: Monday (Red), Tuesday (Orange), Wednesday (Green), Thursday (Blue), Friday (Purple). Parent volunteers will be present throughout the week to encourage students to try new food and to help make nutrition fun. If you would like to help out, please SIGN UP! |
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| WASTE-FREE LUNCH ON MARCH 24! Following the colors of the food rainbow, Nutrition Week gives us the perfect opportunity to honor Mother Earth and pack a Waste Free Lunch! Join us Friday, March 24th in promoting a purple waste free lunch for our kids! Berries, purple grapes, beets and other purple bites can all be packed in reusable containers. Check out these tips and ideas for packing a waste free lunch and remember the important benefits from this easy change. - 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.
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| THE DRY PLUNGE: AFTER SCHOOL ARTY PARTY! Support the Plunge for Elodie by creating your own set of beautiful wings! Ms. Roth will lead a special art class where students will create their own unique image of a butterfly. Each butterfly will start its transformation with a lovely hidden tribute to Elodie! These wonderful masterpieces will be hung throughout the school in support of the Plunge for Elodie. After the Plunge is over, we will collect the artwork for students to take home. When: Wednesday, March 29th
Time: 3:15-3:50pm
Where: Cafeteria
Cost: $20/student All funds will go to the Plunge for Elodie! The class is limited to 50 students. Should more than 50 students sign up, we may be able to hold a second session. You will be notified one way or the other. We will send payment information once we have the final list of participants.
If you are interested, please click here, and complete the sign-up form. The sign-up form will be available until March 22nd. |
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| SAVE THE DATE: PLUNGE FOR ELODIE The Riverside Community will once again be plunging on April 2nd in Old Greenwich (Lucas Point) to find a cure for kindergartener Elodie Kubik who suffers from a rare disease called Epidermolysis Bullosa ("EB"). Children who suffer from EB are often called butterfly children because their skin is as fragile as butterfly wings. There are no approved treatments for this disease, and EB patients currently have a life expectancy of 30. Please join Elodie's friends and family to fund important research, change the treatment paradigm for this disease and save lives. Visit plungeforelodie.org to learn more about the event and to find Riverside School's grade level donation pages. You can also check out this cute video featuring Emma Watson and Greenwich residents, Kermit the Frog & Elodie. There will be a few other opportunities to support the Plunge for Elodie fundraising efforts. Riverside's Student Council will be selling bracelets designed by Elodie herself on the day of the Plunge, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting EB research. Additionally, The Big Picture will be hosting two upcoming "Crafting for Elodie" Saturdays (on March 18 & March 25). On those days, 20% of all sales will be donated to EB research. The Big Picture is also offering two "Elodie's Craft Kits" chosen by Elodie, with 100% of the proceeds going toward EB research. Take these kits home, or create them at the store! Please reach out to Emily Kubik or Jessica Dunne if you have any questions about the Plunge or would like to get involved! See you on the beach! |
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| CALLING ALL PLASTICS FOR EARTH WEEK! The Green Team needs your help for Earth Week in collecting as many colorful plastics from home as possible! We will be working with students to create a large ‘Keep Our Sea Plastic Free’ art mural for our Earth Week celebration. Students will showcase their creativity, collaboration and love for the environment by attaching collected plastics to our large, Earth-themed collage throughout the week. Please help us create this mural by donating your CLEAN plastics in all colors, shapes and sizes throughout March and April in designated bins in front of the school! No bags (i.e., plastic film) or clear plastics please! Thank you for going Green! |
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| ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS Upcoming Enrichment Programs - March 27-31: Dance Residency with Hip Hop Fundamentals (All Grades)
- April 18: Journeys into American Indian Territory (Grade 3)
- April 20: Visit and Workshop with Pat Schories, illustrator of the Biscuit series (Kindergarten)
- April 25: Riverside Rhythms presents “A Taste of Opera” featuring former Riverside School parent Brett Kroeger (All Grades)
- April 26: Stamford Museum and Nature Center’s Plants for Sprouts (Grade 1)
These programs are paid for by your generous donations to the PTA. Thank you! |
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| EARLY MORNING PROGRAM: FRIDAY LOCATION CHANGE Continuing through March 24th, the Early Morning Program will meet in the Media Center on Fridays. If dropping off your child(ren) from 7:15-8:00am, please use the door to the Media Center which is next to the Kindergarten entrance. If dropping off your child(ren) from 8:00am onwards, please ring the main door bell to be admitted to the building. Additionally, the Early Morning Program now heads to the Gym at 8am on Tuesdays and Thursdays, giving students a bit more exercise. If dropping off after 8:00am on Tuesdays and Thursdays, please bring your children to the front door. The EMP 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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PIZZA BINGO BAKE SALE Pizza Bingo is back but rescheduled to Friday, March 24th from 7:00-8:00pm. Check-in begins at 6:15pm. The Pizza Bingo Bake Sale is our 2nd (and final) fundraiser for the 5th Grade Class Gift, and we could use your help. If you can bake (or buy) a treat for the bake sale, or volunteer to help at the table, please sign up here. |
TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO SUBMIT INDIVIDUAL STUDENT PAGES Our Committee is hard at work on the yearbook design and layout! The next step is to have your child create his or her INDIVIDUAL STUDENT PAGE. Students are to design a page that represents them and their time at Riverside. They can add pictures of themselves, friends, family, teachers, etc. These do not need to be from at-school events. Parent help may be needed. There are two steps: (1) Set up the page, and (2) Design/submit the page. You can find details and helpful tutorials here. Pages are due TODAY, Friday, March 17th. |
SAVE THESE DATES! Visit 5th Grade Families to learn about upcoming events from Gaga Ball Night on May 19th to the end-of-year parent party on June 10th. Mark your calendars!
Contact Kelsey Mayhall or Luisa Arevalo with any questions. |
St. Patrick's Day Parade on March 19: March with GPS! On March 19th, at the invitation and encouragement of BOE Chair Joe Kelly, many of our GPS schools will march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade and make a show of the schools' central role in our community. Please meet at the Havemeyer Building at 1:30pm and march together with BOE and GPS Administration members in the parade. The GPS Administration asks that everyone RSVP so they know who (and how many) are planning to march. Parents must march with their children (no drop-offs!). PTAC suggests that everyone bring noisemakers or instruments, snacks and drinks. Please also consider wearing Riverside apparel to show your school spirit! |
The PTAC Nominating Period is Now Open! If you or someone you know is interested in working to make the Greenwich Public School the best they can be as a PTAC Committee Chairs or as a PTAC Executive Board member for the 2023-2024 term (or would like to learn more about the roles), please contact the PTAC VP of Nominating. Open Committee Chair positions include: Academic Excellence, ALP, Curriculum Enrichment, Digital Communications, Directory, Facilities, Scholarships, SES, Special Programs, 2E, Financial Review Open Board positions include: First Vice President, Vice President of Curriculum, VP of Nominating |
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. |
The Open Arts Alliance Presents The Wizard of Oz This spring find yourself on the yellow brick road, somewhere over the rainbow! Join the Open Arts Alliance for a presentation of Wizard of Oz on Saturday,March 18th at 2:00pm & 7:00pm at Westport Country Playhouse. Tickets can be purchased here! |
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Plastic Film: More Ways to Recycle! Great news for Greenwich residents in that there are now even more ways to recycle plastic film! All Albertson-owned retailers including Kings Food Markets, Balducci’s and Acme now offer collection bins for convenient plastic film recycling as you shop for groceries! Trex collection bins will remain inside the school and at 32 Hendrie Ave and 35 Druid Lane. Thank you for going GREEN and helping keep plastic film out of our landfills and single-stream recycling! |
Get to Know the Town of Greenwich Sustainability Committee The Town of Greenwich Sustainability Committee represents a diverse partnership of individuals and organizations committed to a sustainable Greenwich based on shared values of protecting, preserving and restoring our natural ecosystems while enriching the character of the Town and our schools. Learn more about the important work of this committee by viewing their March Sustainability Community News. |
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The Flinn Gallery: "GLOW" The Flinn Gallery (our town’s non-profit art gallery), located on the second floor of Greenwich Library, is hosting its 4th show of the season, "GLOW" until March 22nd. GLOW features four abstract artists with two- and three-dimensional artworks that intersect with themes of color, transparency, process, and materiality that invites visitors to lean in and examine the close relationship between colors and discover the way ambient light plays upon color illuminating artworks that appear to glow, pulsate, and float in space. |
Greenwich High School Presents The 36th Annual GHS Jazz Festival The public is invited to the Essentially Ellington Festival, Greenwich High School Performing Arts Center on Saturday, March 25th from 8:00am - 7:30pm. With the support of Jazz at Lincoln Center, the festival has been a GHS tradition for 36 years. Thirteen outstanding high school jazz ensembles, including the GHS Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Lab Band, are scheduled to perform.
At 1:00pm there will be masterclasses given on Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Piano, Bass, Guitar and Drum Set.
At 2:00pm there will be a one-hour performance of favorite standards by a renowned group of jazz masters from the New York area. A $10 donation at the door ($5 for students) is kindly suggested. Questions may be addressed to greenwichband@gmail.com.
This is a wonderful all-day drop-in event with tickets sold at the door! |
Energize CT: Annual eesmarts Contest Energize Connecticut is accepting submissions for the 18th Annual eesmarts contest! Open to all K-12 students in Connecticut, the contest showcases participants' knowledge of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainability through various formats such as posters, narratives, and community-based projects. Prizes of $300, $200, or $100 will be awarded to grade-level finalists at a spring awards ceremony. Submissions are accepted until March 31st, with winners honored at an awards ceremony in May 2023. For more information, contact 877-514-2594 or visit Energize Connecticut. |
The 6th Annual Greenwich Color Challenge The International School at Dundee PTA is proud to present the 6th Annual Greenwich Color Challenge on Saturday, April 1st at 9:00am at 55 Florence Road in Riverside, CT. The event is open to the public and the course, consisting of a 1.5 mile run/walk and 10+ obstacle stations, takes participants on a fun and colorful journey from ISD through Riverside and Old Greenwich. Registration is now open! Click here for more details and to register. |
GEMS Kids Triathlon Early Bird Registration The third annual GEMS Kids Triathlon will be held on Sunday, June 11th. The event format will be pool swim, on-campus bike course, and on-campus run course and is open to children from 6 to 14 years of age. There will be participation awards, T-shirts, goody bags, and age-group awards. Click here for event details and to register! |
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| 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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