Dear Riverside Families, March Madness is in full force, and we are looking forward to hearing some of those familiar numbers - 64, 32, (sweet) 16, (elite) 8, and Final Four called tonight at Pizza Bingo! We hope that you are planning to join us at the Greenwich High School Student Center. As a reminder, check-in begins at 6:15pm and Bingo will start promptly at 7:00pm. Throughout the week, our Health & Wellness committee has been supporting the district's Taste the Rainbow initiative during lunch. We hope that your children enjoyed the activities and tried some new fruits and vegetables. Huge thanks to all of the PTA volunteers who helped make Nutrition Week a success! Lastly, Registration is now open for the 38th Annual Riverside Run! Please join us for the the 3-mile Run/Walk and the Kids Fun Run on Saturday, May 13th. Calendar reminders for the next few weeks include: March 24-31 – Spring Afters Registration
April 3 – CSC Meeting (for students who have RSVP'd)
April 4-5 – STEM Fair
April 7-14 – Spring Recess, Schools Closed
April 17-21 – Staff Appreciation Week Have a wonderful weekend and hope to see you tonight! Allison Maus & Clare Johnson
PTA Co-Presidents |
| JOIN US FOR PIZZA BINGO TONIGHT! Tickets will be on sale at the door for $20 each for those who can now attend!
Check-in begins at 6:15pm, Bingo from 7:00pm-8:00pm
Greenwich High School Student Center | 10 Hillside Road 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. |
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| REGISTER NOW FOR THE RIVERSIDE RUN! Spring is here! Time to swap your winter boots for your running shoes and start training for the 38th Annual Riverside Run on Saturday, May 13th! 8:30am - 3-mile Run/Walk ($30 registration fee) 9:30am - Kids Fun Run ($15 registration fee) REGISTER HERE! |
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| TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME! Calling all Riverside Families and Staff to come together for a NY Mets game on Saturday, June 17th at 4:10pm. Special thanks to Mr. Bogardus for spearheading this home-run Riverside School Family Outing for a second year. Look out for an email on Monday, March 27th with a link to purchase your tickets. Tickets this year include a Darryl Strawberry replica “shirsey” and a memorable on-field experience. |
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| SPRING AFTERS REGISTRATION IS OPEN! Today is the last day of Winter Afters! The Spring session will begin on April 17th and run through June 9th. There are some great offerings, so please head to Eleyo to create a profile and register for the Spring session. The schedule, dates, course descriptions, and other important information are also available on the Riverside PTA Afters Page. Registration will remain open until Friday, March 31st at 5:00pm, and no late registrations will be accepted. For technical questions, please contact info@flexacademies.com. For any other questions, or to provide feedback about your Afters experience, please reach out to Luisa Lander or Virginia Lockhart. |
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| COMMUNITY SERVICE CLUB ON GRATITUDE The next Community Service Club meeting is after school on Monday, April 3rd. Winter Afters will have ended. OGRCC spring sports will not have started yet. This is the perfect time for your kid(s) to try CSC if s/he hasn't yet this year, return if it's been a while or keep that attendance streak going! We have a great meeting planned, including a discussion on gratitude, some fun games and a special project to surprise the Riverside staff during Staff Appreciation Week. CSC is open to all 2nd through 5th graders who have been marked on the RSVP form as Attending. If you need a link to the RSVP form, please email WendyGBrowning@yahoo.com. All RSVPs must be complete by Friday, March 31st at 5pm. |
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| STEM FAIR IS COMING APRIL 4-5 We look forward to seeing all of the creative projects at the STEM Fair! Please be sure to review the STEM Fair Handbook and FAQ's on the STEM Fair page for important project guidelines. Key Dates: - April 4 – Board drop-off after school from 3:00pm - 4:00pm. Please make sure the label on the back of your board is filled out.
- April 4 – Open House (K - 2nd Grade: 6:00pm - 6:45pm, 3rd - 5th Grades: 6:45pm - 7:30pm).
- April 5 – Students visit the Fair with their classes.
- April 5 – Students take boards home after school (remaining boards will be discarded).
Please email Lauren Law or Kelly Kessler with any questions. |
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| THE TEXTILE DRIVE RETURNS! Eager to spring clean? Ready to clear out closets and drawers? Go GREEN by recycling old textiles in Riverside School's TEXTILE DRIVE! Cosponsored by Greenwich Recycling Advisory Board (GRAB) and Fairco-Greentree Recycling, the Green Committee will be hosting their annual textile drive in April. Stay tuned for exact dates and collection details. Accepted: Clean, dry textiles in good condition. Please do not donate textiles that are wet or moldy. All clothing items including footwear, hats, coats and jackets; linens & bedding including sheets, towels, pillowcases & cotton blankets; extra fabric & bolts (no small scraps), tablecloths, drapes & curtains; backpacks, lunch bags, pocketbooks, wallets & belts. NOT Accepted: Pillows, mattresses, rugs, scrap fabric & material cuttings, foam stuffing, plush toys & stuffed animals. |
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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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| THE RIVERSIDE REEL IS MOVING TO A NEW PLATFORM Please note that the Riverside Reel will be moving to a new online platform. As a result, it will be temporarily unavailable until the migration is complete. We will provide an update once the new site has launched. All existing albums have been preserved and will be posted to the new platform, and we will continue to create new albums as we receive photos & videos from upcoming PTA events and programs! If you have any questions, please email riversidereel@gmail.com. |
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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. |
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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 an upcoming "Crafting for Elodie" Saturday on March 25. On this day, 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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| 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: BACK IN THE CAFE ON FRIDAYS Starting next week, the Early Morning Program will return to the cafeteria on Fridays. Additionally, the Early Morning Program now heads to the Gym at 8:00am 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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IT'S TIME TO ORDER YOUR YEARBOOK! Thank you for submitting your child's individual student page. Our committee is finalizing the yearbook design and it's time to order your child's yearbook! Click here for directions on how to submit your order. Orders must be placed by Friday, March 31st. |
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. |
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 |
PTAC Essence Awards 2023 - Application Deadline: Wednesday, April 19 The PTAC Essence Awards recognize up to two outstanding PTA members of the Greenwich Public Schools PTA communities, who through exemplary achievement, have inspired others, demonstrated selfless spirit and made a significant difference in our school community (individual school or district wide). The Essence Award Committee will award one traditional Essence Award and may also award a Lifetime Essence Award. The Lifetime Essence Award was created in 2017 to specifically honor an active, long-standing impactful PTA volunteer who has contributed over the course of many years through a variety of positions and schools. Parents, teachers, staff, students, principals, administrators or members of the Greenwich community may submit nominations. There are so many amazing volunteers in our school system, and we hope you will take the time to nominate them so they can be recognized for their contributions. We are hoping to receive at least one nomination from every school! The application consists of an essay of no more than 500 words, and must be submitted through the online form. The awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, May 25th at 10am at Havemeyer. Contact: essence@greenwichptac.org |
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. |
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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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. |
ISD Presents The 6th Annual Greenwich Color Challenge Fun Run & Obstacle Course! Saturday April 1st at 9:00am 55 Florence Road, Riverside Learn more and register at: GREENWICHCOLORCHALLENGE.ORG FLASH SALE! Use code FLASH23 for 20% off. This weekend only! |
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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